Workers

Down By The River

Songkhla, Southern Thailand. Expanding my view on things. Pretty rough down here, life rolling on about 2 decades behind in the areas where I spend my days.

soon as your born they make you feel small, By giving you no time instead of it all, Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all, A working class hero is something to be, A working class hero is something to be. They hurt you at home and they hit you at school, They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool, Till you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules, A working class hero is something to be, A working class hero is something to be. When they've tortured and scared you for twenty odd years, Then they expect you to pick a career, When you can't really function you're so full of fear, A working class hero is something to be, A working class hero is something to be. Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV, And you think you're so clever and classless and free, But you're still fucking peasents as far as I can see, A working class hero is something to be, A working class hero is something to be. There's room at the top they are telling you still, But first you must learn how to smile as you kill, If you want to be like the folks on the hill, A working class hero is something to be. A working class hero is something to be. If you want to be a hero well just follow me, If you want to be a hero well just follow me.


Lennon

House guest

Had one of these in my living room the other day. This one was a loner, usually you see them in pairs (partners). Got him out through the door after a 15 min chase on walls and ceiling. I like this blurred image, 3Dish.

Vans Team blog

Always liked my Vans. So pretttty cool to be mentioned on their blog. Check it out ***HERE***

My preferred cycling shoes for sure, all black SK8-HI works for me.

 

SUK11

BBK Burning (and looting)

Some well aimed uptown department stores got burned and looted after the farmer "red shirt" was trying to get their voices heard during a month long blockade of the heart of Bangkok a month ago. The countrys media is now doing all in their power to quiet this down. Looks like there is a major class war brewing under all this "land of smiles" come kill-thy-neighbor set up. Once again, being an outsider gives you a certain wide angle prospective of the whole mess. 

This morning I woke up in a curfew;
O god, I was a prisoner, too - yeah!
Could not recognize the faces standing over me;
They were all dressed in uniforms of brutality. eh!

How many rivers do we have to cross,
Before we can talk to the boss? eh!
All that we got, it seems we have lost;
We must have really paid the cost.

(that's why we gonna be)
Burnin and a-lootin tonight;
(say we gonna burn and loot)
Burnin and a-lootin tonight;
(one more thing)
Burnin all pollution tonight;
(oh, yeah, yeah)
Burnin all illusion tonight.

Oh, stop them!

Give me the food and let me grow;
Let the roots man take a blow.
All them drugs gonna make you slow now;
Its not the music of the ghetto. eh!

Weeping and a-wailin tonight;
(who can stop the tears? )
Weeping and a-wailin tonight;
(weve been suffering these long, long-a years!)
Weeping and a-wailin tonight
(will you say cheer? )
Weeping and a-wailin tonight
(but where? )

Give me the food and let me grow;
Let the roots man take a blow.
I must say: all them - all them drugs gonna make you slow;
Its not the music of the ghetto.

We gonna be burning and a-looting tonight;
(to survive, yeah!)
Burning and a-looting tonight;
(save your baby lives)
Burning all pollution tonight;
(pollution, yeah, yeah!)
Burning all illusion tonight
(lord-a, lord-a, lord-a, lord!)

Burning and a-looting tonight;
Burning and a-looting tonight;
Burning all pollution tonight. 

/Bob Marley

Her New Face

WINGSPAN, ANA Inflight Magazine

Please check out my photo essay in Wingspan if you happen to ride an International flight with Japanese carrier All Nippon Airlines (ANA) this month.

The text below is the first original caption draft for this essay, if you read the printed version you'll see that things have been trimmed and with a slight beauty polish. Click HERE for the story behind the essay. This being one of my favorite as a freelance photographer. 

--- MIKURAJIMA, Ocean and Forest ---  

                      

On June 4, 1863, the American ship Viking ran up on the rocky beach of Mikura Is. All 500 lives were saved and the island got a name in the history books. It’s easy to imagine how the small island with it’s steep cliffs and deep forests were like 146 years ago. Even though, the island still remains hidden from the world and except for the small village of about 300 permanent residents, the island is untouched and as wild as ever. With only one exposed sea port, the elements dictate and shape the way of life out here. Only the most persistent visitor will go that extra step to be able to reach this true green oasis in the deep blue.

The Forest

Mikura Island means dolphins for most. But the contrast between the almost rainforest deep woods couldn’t be further away. An untouched and protected forest of giant Sudajii trees (Japanese Chinquapin) covers the island. The biggest refers to “Mikurashima-no-ojii”, 13.8 meters around it’s trunk makes it the largest in Japan, a true jewel in the eco world of the islands. Half hidden burrows dots the densely vegetated forest floor, home to the spectacular Streaked Shearwater seabird. This is the largest nesting site in the world. Spending all day at sea but always finding it’s way back to it’s hidden nest among the vegetation just after sunset.

The Ocean

Approaching Mikura Is and to see the Streaked Shearwater speeding between the waves as the Island comes into view on the horizon gives you a feeling that you are far from anything, a forgotten green rock in the middle of nowhere. But it’s only a couple of hours by ferry to the closest neighbor, Mijake Island or Hajioji Island and not more than 200km from Tokyo, the biggest city on the planet. The never ending Pacific Ocean is overwhelming, it shapes the Island into a lush cloud clad oasis with an unique flora and fauna. People come from the mainland to swim with the famous bottle nosed dolphins during the last summer months. An almost complete absence in contact between the local islanders and the dolphins has made it a safehaven for these curious neighbors. Constantly patrolling the rocky coast, the true locals of Mikura Jima.

The Tantawan Field

Once again I had the supreme pleasure of workign in an environment I really feel at home in, the sea. This time I spent a week onboard  DSV Mermaid Commander (Dive Support Vessel) in the Tantawan oil field in the middle of Gulf Of Thailand. With about 100 men from all kinds of nationalities onboard, were of 12 were saturation divers spending up to 1 month underwater and in pressure chambers onboard.

Life out there goes on 24/7/365. Ships, boats, rigs and platforms, all very much high tech but always wrapped in an old school custom and tradition, the maritime tradition. You would be surprised of how much activity is going on constantly out here, the men and women working in this field are all here for a reason, it is a place that catches your attention in a strong way and it's hard not to feel the power of solitude and vastness mixed with nature and technology. 

Open View

Had the chance to head out on the ocean for a couple of days last week. It's here on the open timeless big blue the real contrasts make sense and the elements just simply do their thing. Spent my first 10 years (my life started at 17) at sea in the merchant marine and I take every chance I get to be out here again.

Morbid Angel

Fender In Windowlight

Came home and the sun was setting in just the right way, giving the afternoon light a warmer tone I have yet to come by (in this room anyway). Needed to shoot something before it was gone and what could be more perfect than a beautiful clear lacquered Fender Stratocaster. The yellowish wood gave me different tones from different angles and with a 50mm 1.8f on a 5D, the corners had a natural lens vignetting that I liked.


















 Just had to shoot a self portrait as well.

Wish I had someone else to shoot in this light as well, it was near perfect widow light and a handheld point-at-yourself seldom get the right angles (see above, the doorknob was spot on!!)