Your Daily Bed

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Have y'all seen the previous thread: "Your Daily Bread"? It solicits the occupation of the contributors and makes interesting reading.

Now I'd like to solicit: Where do you call home? It need not be your origin (add it if you like), but where do you live.

On another note: If you were to return to a spot on this globe that you've been to, where would that be? What are don't miss for the type of photography you prefer to do?

I'll start. My daily bed is where my hat is, currently Krasnodar, Russia. Home Office is Houston, Texas.

My don't miss for street and architecture photography are:

1. Ankgor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

2. Rome, Italy

3. Anywhere in Spain except Madrid and Marbella

-- Chris Chen (chrischen@msn.com), January 18, 2002

Answers

My bed is located in Copenhagen, Denmark

My don't miss is Tokyo: an absolutely facinating messed up city. But any bathroom in the world will do.

-- Niels H. S. Nielsen (nhsn@ruc.dk), January 18, 2002.

I meant three places you've BEEN you'd rate as a don't miss. I'm trying to scope my next place for holiday.

Neils: Your twisted, why? 8<) nuttin more photogenic in Denmark? ;*)

-- Chris Chen (chrischen@msn.com), January 18, 2002.

Niels, are bathroom pictures your PAW (picture a week) project?

-- Fred Sun (redsky3@yahoo.com), January 18, 2002.
Not necessarily for photography but after much travelling in Europe the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland is probably my most beautiful area. For photography just give me any major city, especially the former communist East European ones.

-- Giles Poilu (giles@monpoilu.icom43.net), January 18, 2002.
That is what I meant: I love Tokyo; I like to go there again; you should not miss it if you are in the neighbourhood... Nice bathrooms, weird architechtural contrasts, friendly people, very safe, strange uncooked food, great local whiskey and beer :-)

Fred, -not quite a formalized POW project, but maybe it should be.

-- Niels H. S. Nielsen (nhsn@ruc.dk), January 18, 2002.

I was born in England, where I spent the first 32 years of my life. I then lived in Sydney for the next 14 years.

My "tempat tidur" (bed) is now in Jakarta, Indonesia (or, at least, that's where it was when I got up this morning but Jakarta is full of surprises!) I've been here for over 11 years and I'm still acclimatising. I have to admit that Jakarta is not the most photogenic city in the world.

I honestly think that Britain is as photogenic as anywhere I've ever been and, if I ever leave Indonesia, that's the country where I'd most like to spend the rest of my days. Having said that, however, I just remembered that Sydney is wonderful too!

-- Ray Moth (ray_moth@yahoo.com), January 18, 2002.

I'm currently living in Munich, Bavaria. Not that I like it, not at all! It's awfully cold and dark in winter, and if you can't load a IIIc with Pan F outdoors and fire away with an Elmar, the area's not worth a picture :-)

Places I love:
1. Siete Aguas, for relaxing and nature photography
2. Valencia, for street photography (hey, ˇit's just 50km from Siete Aguas!)
3. Alicante, when I'm in Martin Parr mode.

-- Oliver Schrinner (piraya@hispavista.com), January 18, 2002.
I live in Italy.

Favourite place to snap - Bombay.

Where would I like to be next? Afghanistan.

For me, don't miss is anywhere big guys are beating up little guys.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), January 18, 2002.

To defend myself: the Siete Aguas pics I linked to were taken with a borrowed P&S on drugstore film, and then someone scanned the prints.

-- Oliver Schrinner (piraya@hispavista.com), January 18, 2002.
Giles,

I've worked for eight months in Bratislava, Slovakia, and the Slovaks prefer to be known as Central Europeans. Ditto the Poles, Czechs, Magyars (Hungarians), et al.

Europe extends to the Ural mountains; hence the name Europe, "O"rder in the "K"ingdom?

-- Chris Chen (chrischen@msn.com), January 18, 2002.

Hey Rob, hi all,

I live in France and don't travel very often. One of my best remembrances shooting with my M was Venice (Italy) and Burano. I hope you haven't forgot such marvelous places!, I could send you pictures ;-) Alain

-- alain.besançon (alain.besancon@chu-dijon.fr), January 18, 2002.

The 3 most memorable places for me:

1) The Cameron Highlands in Malaysia 2) San Franscisco (pretty much all over there) 3) Gore Bay/ Manitoulin Island

Oh, and I've taken quite a few pictures at these venues as well.

-- John Chan (ouroboros_2001@yahoo.com), January 18, 2002.

Alain, much as I love Italy and think it wonderful to live in, I've never taken a memorable picture here (some might say anywhere, of course!). I don't know why. It just doesn't get my juices flowing. Maybe I drink too much Teroldego, I don't know.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), January 18, 2002.
Bob, you're too lucky: I went two times in Venice (and also Firenze) with 20 years between. Every time, same attitude, lot of shots, and Venice by night .... ready to go immediately. "Fortunately", I missed Burano at night; may be I should be still there! I accept all invitations for a new journey ;-) Alain

-- alain.besancon (alain.besancon@chu-dijon.fr), January 18, 2002.
Rob, have you been to Sicily? My brief visit was during terrible weather, but I found it inspirational despite not being able to shoot much in the bad weather.


Umbrella, Italy, Copyright 2001 Jeff Spirer

My favorite place to shoot is Mexico. It's a hallucinatory, surrealist place that lends itself to photography, maybe a reason why there has been so much great photography from such a small country.

-- Jeff Spirer (jeff@spirer.com), January 18, 2002.

Born in New Jersey, lived in 6 other States and have settled in Daytona Beach, Florida.

I love all of Asia, (lived there for 7 years), so my favorite three places in that region are: Bangkok, Manila and Singapore.

In the U.S., my top three are San Francisco (urban), Southwest desert States (Scenic), and New England in Autumn.

One wild card spot is London, England... I must have lived there in a previous life.

-- Al Smith (smith58@msn.com), January 18, 2002.

Born in Wisconsin ("the power of cheese"), but have spent most of my time here in the DC area. Not nearly as well-traveled as my namesake, but I like Rome, too (not as antiseptic & tourist-centric as Florence & Venice, nice as they are), & would love to go back. Basically, I like any city that's big & dense enough to have a subway &/or trolley system & that also has good food; natural beauty & scenery are icing on the cake. As far as more obscure places to visit, I liked Central Asia (e.g., Uzbekistan)--I would love to have visited pre-1980 Afghanistan.

-- Chris Chen (Washington, DC) (furcafe@cris.com), January 18, 2002.
Jeff, great pic - that's a "Leica Fotografie" shot if ever I saw one!

-- Giles Poilu (giles@monpoilu.icom43.net), January 18, 2002.
Grew up in Queens, NY, Archie Bunker land, moved to Monterey, CA, 8 years ago for some R&R, now find it difficult to escape. There are some admittedly nice locations if you're into the "nude in the landscape" school, though most of the photography done here is as dull as dust, done by the Ex-Assistants of Ansel Adams Old Boys Club.

Personally, my favorite place to shoot is in the studio. I miss NYC.

-- Peter Hughes (ravenart@pacbell.net), January 18, 2002.

Chris:

Los Altos, California is my home. (This also answers your question from the DR post, so 2 for 1!)

My favorite places to shoot are generally anywhere I've never been before! However, some places that I keep returning to, or want to get back to are:

Tuscany and the Morth-Mediteranean coast of Italy, and Capri.

Greece -- any island any time, but Rhodes and Santorini are photo- favorites.

The south of France -- anywhere.

US places I continually migrate back to: Yosemite National Park, Joshua Trees National Monument, Death Valley, the Southwest, the Eastern Sierras, Point Lobos, and some of the North coastal areas.

I find it interesting that many of us have no desire to shoot where we live -- for example Rob doesn't do much in Italy, and while John listed San Francisco as one of his favorites, I find it to be a waste of film for the most part.

:) Cheers,

-- Jack Flesher (jbflesher@msn.com), January 18, 2002.

Born in Indiana, but have lived in the South all my adult life--northwest Georgia mountains for the last 25 yrs. The places to which I would most like to return:

1. Romania 2. The mountains of northern Guatemala 3. Coastal Maine.

-- Dave Jenkins (djphoto@vol.com), January 18, 2002.

I live in San Jose, California, and strangely enough, I'm a second-generation native Californian (almost everyone here is from somewhere else).

My "don't miss" photo spots would include:

1. Nature and landscape: the deserts of the Southwest (great old mining towns, etc.), Yosemite and the eastern Sierras, the California Coast (Point Lobos, etc.),

2. Architecture: the old cities of Germany (e.g. the walled city of Rottenburg, destroyed several times and last rebuilt around 1054), Tokyo (strange architectural contrasts and polite lies), Amsterdam and Rotterdam (interesting results of strange frontage-based tax laws).

-- Ralph Barker (rbarker@pacbell.net), January 18, 2002.

A native Texan, I have lived on the Texas Gulf Coast for the last 40+ years including Houston for the last 25 years. Would like to get away from some of the smog and crowd but have many family and personal ties here now.

I like anywhere in the Rocky Mountains for scenic photography, especially the national parks (Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, Grand Tetons). Hope to make it to Glacier next year. For birds and wildlife photography, I like any of several great wildlife refuges/parks in Texas (Atascosa, Santa Ana, Brazos Bend, etc.). LB

-- Luther Berry (lberrytx@aol.com), January 18, 2002.

Jeff- I aggree with Giles- beautiful shot from Mexico- definately a "Leica Fotographie" shot. Thanks.

I live in Brooklyn now, in a really industrial neighborhood, and unlike lots of you folks, I love to shoot right outside my door. I've been here in teh is neighborhood six months, and I'm working on a documentary project here before it gentrifies, as so much of NYC has been doing.

I grew up in New England and it's one of my favorite places to shoot- esp. western Mass, Vermont, Maine, esp. along the coast, but everywhere, really. Also been to 40 states, and travelled all over the continental US, and Alaska- great shooting everywhere here. Yes, of course I love shooting in Europe, where I've wandered a good deal, but there's a lot of material for good pictures- been working on a documentary project of central Ohio for ten years now, for instance- started that one in college at 19, and still only getting into the meat of it- there's material to shoot everywhere.

I suggest some of you folks shake the boredom out of your eyes, step out your front doors with a camera and some film, and remember whatever it is about being alive that makes you shoot pictures. Maybe post some of these new images in the next few days? If someone tells me how, I'll put my money where my mouth is and post some pics I shot this week.

Best to all of you.

-- drew (swordfisher@hotmail.com), January 18, 2002.

I suppose that here in Italy photography would be like a hobby for me, I wouldn't have a good reason to be doing it, whereas when I travel to do a feature or self-assignment, I am highly motivated.

One topic that is tweaking my curiosity right now in Italy is small children growing up in prison because their mothers are detainees. There are about 100 such women prisoners in Italy at the moment. That would be worth getting my cameras out for. But street snaps of people wearing fur coats just doesn't get my interest.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), January 18, 2002.

Rob, have you seen the work of Evelyn Atwood? Her book "Too Much Time" is a 9+ year project on incarcerated women all over the world. Some really great documentary work. (Incidentally she uses a Leica, using mainly a 35mm lens).

-- Richard Le (rvle@yahoo.com), January 18, 2002.
Born in Cuba, but have lived most of my life in So Cal. Currently in Pasadena. Favorite places to photograph: 1. Wherever my kids and very large extended family happen to be or be doing, as they are my favorite subjects; 2. The Sierra Nevada, from the foothill towns to mountain peaks; 3. The American South West.

Goals: To take some pictures before noon. I have no use for mornings other than to sleep through and when I travel, am never able to leave the hotel room before half an hour after check out time. Lots of dusk and late evening shots, but never a sunrise.

-- Hil (hegomez@aol.com), January 18, 2002.

Born in Mazatlán, Mexico; it is still my bed´s place, but could easily be any other place, for sunset I don´t change my town, unfortunately I don´t shoot sunsets, other place I´have lived in is London, and one of my deepest wishes is to return and photograph it, Mexico city is one of my favourites to photograph as well as New York, I love busy cities.

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), January 18, 2002.
Richard, I'll definitely check it out.

-- rob (rob@robertappleby.com), January 18, 2002.
Correction: It's Jane Evelyn Atwood.

Here's a li nk to her book (which I highly recommend) and an article on Salon.com.

-- Richard (rvle@yahoo.com), January 18, 2002.

I am originaly from Virginia, have worked and lived in New Hampshire for the past 20 years. I like photographing in New England, Quebec, and New Foundland. I lived in Germany for a year right after school, and go back once every decade. My favorite place in Germany is Meersberg on Bodensee. I was sent to South east Asia on less than pleasent circumstances, but would like to return on a photo vacation.

Steve

-- Steve Belden (otterpond@tds.net), January 18, 2002.

I am from Provo Utah

My don't miss spot would be "The Big Hole, Montana" or "Capital Reef, Torrey, Utah."

-- Rob Schopke (schopke@attbi.com), January 18, 2002.

I have lived in brooklyn for most of my life ( most time spent in manhattan ) For a year or two , I have to live in washington dc . It is very hard to get interesting shots here because it is quite a touristy place .If you go past the union ... square ( oops wishful thinking ) station , you realize that most of dc is not so ... err nice , but much more photogenic ( crack houses and socialist/communist protestors anyone ? ) . Still I can't wait to get back to ny , hopefully never having to leave it again .

-- leonid kotlyar (kotlyarl@mail.nih.gov), January 18, 2002.
Jeff

Lovely shot - your best yet!

-- Robin Smith (smith_robin@hotmail.com), January 18, 2002.

Chris,

The place I haven't been to, but would like to go to, are:

(1) Ecuador. You can see some outstanding Leica M photography at Duane's Photographs of Ecuador (he also has good advice on M cameras):

http://ecuadorphotos.tripod.com/archives/archives.html

(2) Western China. Untouched by the McDonaldization of the world.

(3) Remote places where indoor plumbing doesn't exist. This is where manual cameras are king and sceneries are spectacular.

(4) The Southern reaches of South America, particularly Chile.

The places I've been to and are photogenic (to me) are: (a) Kenya. One of the most naturally beautiful places for M photography (scenery), as well as for R photography (animals). The books of Leni Reifenstahl and Mirella Ricciardi capture some of the essence of Kenya.

(b) Switzerland. What can one say about this country except that every angle is a picture-perfect postcard shot, with spectacular M quality scenery. Interlaken, Adelboden, Wengen, Gstaad, Lausanne, Berne, the list goes on and on. A definite M camera country. Switzerland is the closest to heaven in terms of what man can do to beautify their surroundings. You will not be disappointed.

(c) Nigeria. The closest to hell on earth, nothing works. The photographic opportunities are endless. The people are extremely friendly.

(d) Japan. The topography and scenery here is unique. A beautiful country. And they love photographers. Go away from the big cities and there is a different world, a world of beauty and tranquility. Very expensive.

(e) Australia. I've only been to Perth and parts of Western Australia, but the scenery is unlike any other country. The people are a blast, you'll love it. No one has their kind of joie de vivre. Rottnest Island is a must see, it is like traveling back 100 years.

(f) India. Again, so different from the rest of the world. No wonder Steve McCurry spent a lot of time there. The scenery is breathtaking. But leave the big cities. This country is like being on another planet. A must or any serious photographer. Most other countries are so similar in their people/places, that India has a new vision to offer a committed amateur. Himalayas, Rajasthan, Kashmir, Sikkim, each so different and unknown to the Western eye.

(g) Utah, Arizona, Vermont. For natural American scenery. The comercial flight from Salt Lake City to Pheonix will take you low over Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon, have your Leica ready and get a window seat. Get the noon flight. No need for the Noctilux.

(g) New York City. Never a dull Leica day. A lot of edgy, attitude shots. Beautiful sexy women.

(h) Rhode Island. This is where I currently spend most of my time, and it is a beautiful state. Good for close-to-the-ocean M photography.

Happy shooting, but don't be a Travis Bickle and wear a flak jacket.

Regards,

-- Sikaan (Sikaan4@aol.com), January 18, 2002.

My favorite places with my Leica My favourites: Township of Lochi in Suzhou, Frangrance Hill Beijing Jasper and Lake Louis,Alberta, and Algonquin Park Ontario

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), January 19, 2002.

My daily bed is in Saratoga, California.

I will visit or revisit any ancient town in China.

See my Girl plays in ZhouZhang, China (using Hexar Silver).

Sadly, I won't raise my camera in my hometown or looks like areas and cities, aka Silicon Valley/San Jose, Ca.

 

 



-- kenny chiu (amchiu@worldnet.att.net), January 19, 2002.
1. Chinatown, San Francisco 2. Central, Hong Kong 3. Harajuku or Shibuya, Tokyo 4. Anywhere on the northern californian coast

Daily Bed -> Stanford, CA

-- Ken Kwok (kk353@yahoo.com), January 19, 2002.

Kenny, your picture shows a girl elastic rope hoping--- Ěř şď Ƥ ˝î ---my daughter's favourite game while we lived in Beijing.

Ralph Gibson has a Leica picture of same topic

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), January 19, 2002.

Home is in Hong Kong but I spend roughly 20%+ of my time traveling around Asia mostly China for my employer. I have lived in New Hampshire and took road trips all over New England and eastern Canada. For scenics the coast of New Brunswick especially Cape Enrage comes to mind. Most memorable was the motorcycle trip from the east coast to California via Canada and the Great Plains. The best way to experience Big Sky Country is from a motorcycle twisting up and down the valleys. It doesn't matter where you go but just stay off the beaten path and you will find beauty in all forms. The roadside restaurants, petro stations, farm silos are American classics. My present work takes me to the small cities and villages in Asia and I always, always look back in shame at my own extravagence in the face of millions living in poverty. Enough with the preaching! I like to take simple photos of simple people in their environment and occasionally I take a few landscape photos. Sometimes I merge the two. Remember: it doesn't matter where you go but just stay off the main roads and big cities. Beauty exists everywhere.

-- ray tai (razerx@netvigator.com), January 19, 2002.
Hi, Chris:

Hometown: Concepción - Chile

Places I'd go back to photograph: Cusco and Machu Pichu- Perú, NY - USA, Stockholm - Sweden, San Pedro de Atacama - Chile, Madrid - Spain. I have pictures of those places already but they are slides and I'd like to make B&W in the same places now that I already know them and can easily imagine what could be done the Leica way. And besides that, dreaming is still for free, you know . . .

-Iván

-- Iván Barrientos M (ingenieria@simltda.tie.cl), January 21, 2002.

Great Shoot Jeff...huu!

-- r watson (al1231234@hotmail.com), January 22, 2002.
My home is located on the San Francisco Peninsula.

The place I photograph most often is at home with my family.

Places I've found especially inspiring to photograph and that I'll go back to are:

France (Paris, The Pyrenees, The South, Versailles); Hawaii; Manhattan; The Monterey Peninsula; San Francisco.

-- Ken Prager (pragerproperties@worldnet.att.net), January 24, 2002.

Martin,

I have not seen the RG picture you mentioned. Where did you see it?

Thanks.

-- kenny chiu (amchiu@worldnet.att.net), January 25, 2002.

Kenny,

Ralph Gibson DEUS MACHINA page 611

-- martin tai (martin.tai@capcanada.com), January 25, 2002.

Nice places that you have chosen. Now for me, I would like to have time to return to the Sand Hills in Nebraska in the spring. Beautiful, but not this year; no time. Then, there would be Northeast Alabama at almost anytime [no one knows about this place and let's keep it that way]. The swamps of Southeast Missouri in the fall when the black gum are glowing.

My job has forced me to travel too much. I want to take the rest of my life to learn about this country. Southeast Alaska is good.

Art

-- Art (AKarr90975@aol.com), January 25, 2002.

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