“When I have a camera in my hand, I know no fear.”
– Alfred Eisenstaedt
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My earliest recollection with photography is at San Fernando High School, where I played a key role in the design of my senior-year high school yearbook. At the time, illustration was my thing and I was lucky enough to be able to create some fun cartoon illustrations for the cover and inside spreads.
Photography was not yet on my radar. However, it's interesting to me to look back now and remember that I was also given the task of taking photographs of the yearbook staff at local retailers, which were used for display ads to help support the production and printing. It would be sixteen years later, following a life-changing move from Los Angeles to San Francisco, where I instantly became inspired by the newness and excitement of that fantastic city, and soon after was generously gifted a beautiful Nikkormat film camera by my ex-wife Valerie, which previously belonged to her father. This was the “when, where, why, and how” my love affair with street photography all began. |
On January 12, 2020 (just prior to the Covid outbreak), I decided to throw caution to the wind and start living my life in a way that would allow me to live reasonably, and live well. Vietnam is where that all came together.
Coming to terms with the realities associated with being over sixty, and the challenges associated with life in America, it became necessary for me to start thinking way out of the box and make a significant move that would offer me new opportunities and a fresh start. I chose the vibrant and street photography-friendly city of Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, as it ticked all the critical boxes for me. Affordable living. Vegan friendly. Thriving economy. Happy people. It was a fantastic three year run of incredible experiences and endless street photography, temporarily ending in November of 2023 when I returned to the States.
I returned to Vietnam in March of 2024 as a retiree, and made my home in the capital city of Hanoi, where I would soon discover a whole host of new opportunities to thrive and grow, nestled in a loving and appreciative environment. Hanoi is where Vietnam truly shines in all its cultural and historic glory. I've been living in (Tay Ho / Westlake) Hanoi for eighteen months and cannot imagine my life anywhere else. I've found that living this incredible dream as I am is only possible through a lust for life and a lack of fear.
Coming to terms with the realities associated with being over sixty, and the challenges associated with life in America, it became necessary for me to start thinking way out of the box and make a significant move that would offer me new opportunities and a fresh start. I chose the vibrant and street photography-friendly city of Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam, as it ticked all the critical boxes for me. Affordable living. Vegan friendly. Thriving economy. Happy people. It was a fantastic three year run of incredible experiences and endless street photography, temporarily ending in November of 2023 when I returned to the States.
I returned to Vietnam in March of 2024 as a retiree, and made my home in the capital city of Hanoi, where I would soon discover a whole host of new opportunities to thrive and grow, nestled in a loving and appreciative environment. Hanoi is where Vietnam truly shines in all its cultural and historic glory. I've been living in (Tay Ho / Westlake) Hanoi for eighteen months and cannot imagine my life anywhere else. I've found that living this incredible dream as I am is only possible through a lust for life and a lack of fear.
Ho Chi Minh City
P O R T R A I T. E D I T O R I A L. F A S H I O N. L I F E S T Y L E. S T R E E T.
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