Zoner Photo Studio Blog

ProjectExplorer.org makes the world accessible, digestible, and relatable to students worldwide for free. We develop series in countries that often have negative attention in the media and expose the wonderful culture and history indigenous to that area. The website takes students on virtual field trips through academic blogs, exciting photographs, and short videos hosted by our international presenters. All completely free, all original content, and all for the benefit of passionate global awareness in our youth. We offer something no textbook can.

What is your role in this organization?

I am the producer, shooter, photographer, and editor for ProjectExplorer.org. I joined the production team in Mexico, re-edited the newly finessed South Africa series, and am soon headed to film in Thailand. When on-location, I spend 18 hours a day pointing multiple camera lenses at anything I see. When back at home in NYC, I help create the digital media that is at the core of ProjectExplorer.org. And in between all that work, I commit to outreach and planning for the next big series abroad. It’s a multi-faceted job.

Ten plus years ago, my dad let me borrow the Minolta XD-5 from his high school days. I found the manipulation of light very poetic and working in a dark room therapeutic. Photography was the perfect outlet for my style of expression, which led me to pursue a tertiary education in studio arts. When I started traveling with the sole intention of developing my portfolio, I realized I wanted to use photography to tell stories more than just paint light. Today, photography is one of the many tools in my arsenal for telling relevant and engaging stories stateside and abroad.

As a photographer for ProjectExplorer.org, your job is to do your best to summarize an entire culture on film. How do you prepare for such a task?

I read narratives written by and about the countrymen. I download free software for learning their language. I see what others have captured from a country, and watch movies or TV filmed in and about the region. I talk to others who have visited and try to differentiate cliches from pivotal coverage. And the dream is to discover and expose something new, but that happens on the ground in the moment, if I am so lucky. I try to get an overall understanding of the people before I can even begin to capture their country honestly.

Name some of the equipment one would typically find in your camera bag?

A Nikon D50 with a Tamron 18-200 lens for some vibrant documentation. A Sanyo Xacti HD1010 camcorder for b-roll and active HD footage. A Canon Powershot SD980 for quick snapshots and inconspicuous filming. A five inch tripod and a head lamp.

Looking through your Flickr account, it appears that you moved from the Nikon D40, the D50 and now you are using the Canon EOS REBEL T2i. You used this camera during your Haiti trip. How did the camera perform?

I’m a big fan of the Nikon DSLRs for quick documentation, because I often move quickly through a space and need my camera to be intuitive while I process the world at full speed. The Canon Rebel served me well in Haiti. I had to photograph beautiful, full-body Carnival masks under the high noon sun. I was amazed how well the colors and textures came out.

The picture above is from a trip you took to Fiji. What is the story behind this picture?

Last year, I spent 2.5 months in a highland village in Fiji to develop a humanitarian project. Along with a friend of mine, we focused our efforts on basic health care and English apprehension (English being the official/unifying language of the nation). The children in this picture are some of our students. While we were there to offer information, we also wanted to be a part of their community and document what we learned from them. This was a school morning ritual, lining up by grade and height to wish the headmaster a good morning. This is one of my favorite photographs from the entire experience. It was taken the last day.

Photography (especially how you are using it with ProjectExplorer.org) is nothing more than storytelling. What is the story you are trying to tell to the world through your photography?