tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62895094162207178502011-07-08T09:30:27.270-04:00Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.comBlogger581100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-17401348093485392772009-09-27T13:51:00.003-04:002009-09-27T14:00:16.346-04:00

I realize I have left this blog to sit for longer than expected. The absence of postings is a result of me taking the time to shift my photography blog into a new space. With that I am excited to say the new blog is up an running. You can find it by clicking here. This is, therefore, my last posting to Floating Planet! While sad to leave it behind I will keep it up and running. Stories like the

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-82035888775702303832009-09-14T11:00:00.003-04:002009-09-14T11:02:04.059-04:00

I hope, by the middle/end of this week, to have a whole new blog set up. Walking through the steps to do so is taking more time than I expected but, if all goes well, the new site should be working by the weekend. I'll post again when it's ready or if it tanks.

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-23775975195139293892009-09-07T11:11:00.010-04:002009-09-12T10:31:50.291-04:00

El Camino restaurant, Brunswick, Maine

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-32922039590381884012009-09-02T08:33:00.002-04:002009-09-02T08:39:00.590-04:00

click on any picture to make it larger

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-76030914123174065042009-08-24T10:10:00.004-04:002009-08-24T10:16:54.935-04:00

I played around with a trial version of Photoshop Elements last week. I think it's a great program. However, after using CS3 for the past few months I find what I know/used to is what I want to stick with post-Salt.The picture above wasn't the best one to use but it was fun to play around with. Anyone with a inner/outer plant geek in them the flower above is a lehua flower.

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-71248691046710590132009-08-17T12:42:00.003-04:002009-08-17T12:47:33.109-04:00

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-78417056116097989082009-08-09T18:57:00.002-04:002009-08-09T19:06:41.732-04:00

Need Magazine recently posted a few of my pictures from Bangladesh. The photo essay is based on my time there as a volunteer with VSO and how the experience visiting Tala put me on the path I am now on.The magazine's main focus is to "support humanitarian efforts". They do really great work.You can see the posting by clicking here.

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-69046472967901624102009-08-03T09:41:00.005-04:002009-08-03T10:12:37.562-04:00

When I was in Bangladesh I wrote a blog post all about trash. The act of littering is one that has always, and will always, mystify me.

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-86026593390461566562009-07-27T09:59:00.003-04:002009-08-03T10:12:16.946-04:00

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-76290189284305167632009-07-21T08:57:00.007-04:002009-08-03T10:12:09.287-04:00

I was digging around my photographs from Bangladesh and found this one that a good friend of mine took while a group of us were on a field visit during our first month with VSO. The image is stitched together and accurately show just how many people were around us while our bus back to Dhaka stopped for a quick break. We had walked just a few feet away to take some pictures of the nearby river. I

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-28859590313726491852009-07-13T09:40:00.003-04:002009-08-03T10:11:45.785-04:00

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-63213855437020559272009-07-06T08:27:00.004-04:002009-08-03T10:11:29.901-04:00

I just returned from one of my favorite spots on earth. Maine is full of countless places you'll have a hard time convincing yourself to get back in the car and leave... this particular one is mine. I got back last night to find an email in my inbox letting me know that a local photography/mutlimedia blog in Portland just posted a slide show submission of my work from my main photo essay I

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-2758333703204690642009-06-29T09:45:00.002-04:002009-06-29T09:47:59.177-04:00

The summer here in Maine has been a cold and rainy one. This makes it easy to spend countless hours indoors editing my website and working on getting ready for my next adventure. Given the context of both I'll be on break all this week...hence the short entry for this morning.I hope to come back next Monday with some great updates and new project links.

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-33073595083817459982009-06-22T09:18:00.003-04:002009-08-03T10:11:12.117-04:00

After a great semester, a few weeks of rest, and a few of getting things in order I'm happy to say I have up-dated and re-tooled my photography website. The link to it can be found here and on the right hand tool bar option FP Portfolio Page. For best viewing ensure your browser window is as large as you can make it.Enjoy!

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-86544596249887262432009-06-15T17:43:00.000-04:002009-06-15T17:44:27.340-04:00

I'm working on pulling together something I think will be a great addition to the blog. If all goes as planned it will be up and running by tomorrow afternoon.

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-9666841587814936712009-06-08T10:42:00.003-04:002009-08-03T10:10:36.630-04:00

Below is an excerpt from an email I wrote the day after my birthday which was celebrated while I was in Dhaka. It was truly one of my top five and one I am looking to see if I can have a variation of while I am overseas this coming year....What a birthday it was... [I] went to lunch with friends of mine to a Mexican restaurant. Think Mexican food meets Bangla spices meets US (Chili's)

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-79593764522395546872009-06-01T09:52:00.004-04:002009-08-03T10:10:15.033-04:00

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-22728656178370648582009-05-26T09:21:00.003-04:002009-08-03T10:09:57.647-04:00

15 weeks of shooting, editing, and re-shooting are now over. Plans are now in the works to head back overseas in a few months to begin, what I hope, will be a combination of pulling together a documentary, helping out with a few NGOs, and beginning a career in photojournalism. The chance to collect and distribute images, tell stories, and interact with people from all walks of life from around

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-16564426223004953952009-05-18T08:45:00.003-04:002009-08-03T10:09:34.519-04:00

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-19859947471741583142009-05-11T10:30:00.003-04:002009-08-03T10:09:27.268-04:00

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-39052658953191638732009-05-04T13:06:00.006-04:002009-08-03T10:09:19.071-04:00

For those in the Portland, Maine area (even those as far south as Boston) mark your calendars for two great events coming up. The first one is a Salt Institute Multimedia night. It will be held May 15 starting at 7 pm. See the following link to learn more: Overlap: Multimedia Collaboration. On May 21st is the Salt student gallery opening from this past semesters work. More info to follow.Hope to

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-58011692179635858012009-05-04T10:39:00.004-04:002009-08-03T10:08:55.984-04:00

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-22042246973383922262009-04-27T10:03:00.002-04:002009-08-03T10:08:46.114-04:00

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-16692630933569696182009-04-20T10:30:00.004-04:002009-08-03T10:08:37.331-04:00

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-18089964743560801482009-04-13T10:03:00.003-04:002009-08-03T10:08:24.508-04:00

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-15097172378266138692009-04-06T13:35:00.003-04:002009-08-03T10:08:14.026-04:00

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-40919069506853227862009-03-30T12:14:00.005-04:002009-08-03T10:08:03.452-04:00

Starting with this post, and continuing on for the next several weeks, will be a series of images captured from my time exploring all that is Maine.

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-38402656029512529452009-03-23T10:25:00.005-04:002009-08-03T10:07:46.607-04:00

The shortest distance between my new home and my old apartment in Dhaka is 12,272 kilometers. Or expressed in miles its 7625. Or by boat it's 6626 nautical miles. You choose. Either way it's far by any means of expressing distance. I could go into the emotional distance of it all but that's just not my thing.This morning I dropped five dollars into a coin machine at my local laundry-mat. As the

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-199654422608369742009-03-17T08:49:00.005-04:002009-08-03T10:07:08.623-04:00

Late again posting. My time here in Maine has been focused on just one thing- photography. This has led to not keeping up with this blog. But, plans are in the works for next weeks more planned out post. It's my 30th post and I wish I could offer something free like a t-shirt or photograph...which now that I mention it I think I will do in the near future (minus the t-shirt offer). As school

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-78039092654168559962009-03-09T10:13:00.004-04:002009-08-03T10:06:49.294-04:00

There are a lot of things I could be writing about in this post but feel it necessary to provide an update about what is going on in Bangladesh. I am in the process of finding out, from my friends there, what exactly is going on. So I'll leave that part of this post out. And while I don't want this blog to turn into a link-to site there are a few good articles from reputable sites worth reading

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-34507832563579530582009-03-02T09:55:00.005-05:002009-08-03T10:06:28.380-04:00

I'm drinking freshly pressed apple cider. It's snowing outside. By this evening we're supposed to get 8-12 of snow. The radio was just playing Neil Young's Sugar Mountain. I'm home... in the sense that I am living in a rented apartment back in my beloved New England. More specifically I'm in Maine which I have long considered my second home. It's snowing outside. The radio just switched tunes to

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-86243326960379363182009-02-24T19:55:00.003-05:002009-08-03T10:05:49.795-04:00

Well there is a first time for everything and for me it's posting well into the week instead of my normal Monday deadline. Caulk it up to full time documentary/photography school schedule. I am right in the throws of completing a multi-media project so can't write tons. Seems to be a theme as a I transition from Dhaka to the US. Plans are in the works to nail down my three documentary projects

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-60610978635077525072009-02-22T19:58:00.004-05:002009-08-03T10:05:10.628-04:00

Two weeks and entering my third since I left Bangladesh to begin my switch from volunteer to photojournalist. It's snowing outside and I realize that winter didn't seem real to me until now. My brain is spilt between the snowy scene out my window and that of the one I woke up to every day in Dhaka. The program I chose to participate in has already proven well worth my time. I plan on talking

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-15026085798528312822009-02-16T09:15:00.004-05:002009-08-03T10:04:18.621-04:00

Right. Given the title of this entry one can guess, assume, or draw several conclusions all of them near, far, or right on the dot as to what has unfolded over the past few weeks. The short version is that I left Bangladesh to attend an intensive course in photography/journalism back in my home country. The decision to do so was not easy nor one I took lightly. It was also one that was needed so

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-4341025935633131032009-02-16T09:04:00.002-05:002009-08-03T10:03:10.188-04:00

IV. The countries population continues to grow by roughly 2% each year. Under current population projections Bangladesh will see its boarders fill to an estimated 190 million people by 2025 and a larger population of 231 million people by 2050. Trying to fathom the first 150 million people already existing in this tiny country is like trying to count a sack of pennies while in the front row of

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-45904057862767817102009-02-02T05:38:00.002-05:002009-08-03T10:02:48.430-04:00

III. Dhaka is a vibrant pulsating city. The streets are filled with Rickshaws as colorful from the first days of Technicolor movies- saturated and overdone. At night, the only chance to dart around from shop to shop without gaining the attention of dozens of onlookers seeing a foreigner walk down the street, the city changes tone dramatically. Calls for the evenings last prayers from the mosques

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-36536289880973248182009-01-26T22:11:00.003-05:002009-08-03T10:02:37.799-04:00

II. So too, the challenge of trying to communicate the scale of what Bangladesh is going through seems at times feeble. It is clearly one worth attempting for how can one become educated if they don’t know what is going on in the world around them? Yet, even those who are in the mix of the international development field can find it difficult at times to grasp what they are seeing is real. I

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-67361742273826144462009-01-19T00:32:00.005-05:002009-08-03T10:02:25.820-04:00

Starting with this post and going on for the next three weeks I will be posting a one-paragraph post focusing on one particular aspect of life as a development volunteer. While previous postings have covered this topic before the aim with this series is to frame the context of volunteering within the confines of a snapshot so to speak. Each paragraph could stand alone, but together they build an

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-61899027385353270942009-01-10T22:40:00.010-05:002009-08-03T10:01:08.001-04:00

After holding their first successful election since 2001 Bangladesh saw instances of violence against various political parties reach the newspapers almost immediately. These acts of striking out led to the harassment and deaths of a handful of political constituents across the country. Both heads of the Awami League and BNP have made subsequent press statements admonishing the violence and

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-78122103863792912282009-01-04T06:04:00.012-05:002009-08-03T10:00:44.387-04:00

To begin, I did not end up living in my apartment like a hermit during the elections. I did demonstrate caution though and stayed at home during what felt like appropriate times. For example I didn't go out the night before the election. Nor did I walk around to the various polling stations in my part of town - though I wanted to. The voting over who would have control of the government and

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-89135969008728770622008-12-27T01:35:00.006-05:002009-08-03T10:00:11.991-04:00

On December 29th Bangladesh will hold it's first national election since the caretaker government took control of the country in 2006.The official state of emergency was lifted on the 17th of December. Since then the streets have been filled with marches, bands, and loud speakers attached to rickshaws and CNGs all blasting the positions of the election candidates. The energy here is heightened

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-19051985948569136862008-12-17T04:48:00.027-05:002009-08-03T09:59:50.825-04:00

Rewind.It is 5:30 in the morning and I am awaken to the first (Fajr) call to prayer. It's getting colder here and I realize, as I hear half a dozen or more azan (calls to prayer) bellowed out by muzazzins all over my neighborhood, I need to buy another blanket to keep me warm. My ears have now woken up just enough to hear an incessant low scratching noise coming from my dresser cabinet. It's been

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-69312183593714440092008-12-13T02:29:00.006-05:002009-08-03T09:58:55.154-04:00

December 29th is the planned date for the coming national elections. Bangladesh has been under a caretaker government since the winter of 2007. I thought it would be good to give some give some historical context surrounding this coming event. For a comprehensive timeline please click here.1947- Partition from India - East and West Pakistan were formed.1952- The language movement, Bangla becomes

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-21972196219166534172008-12-10T04:40:00.011-05:002009-08-03T09:58:18.957-04:00

I just posted some pictures from Eid celebrations. It was a full day of photography, eating really great food, and getting to know those in my part of town that much better. You can see all of my pictures by clicking here. Please note that some pictures from Eid-ul-Azha or the "Festival of Sacrifice" are of animals being sacrificed around my neighborhood. Muslims throughout the world on this

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-27248232557767420052008-12-08T01:52:00.003-05:002009-08-03T09:57:19.912-04:00

I am constantly mystified by trash. Not by why it exists, but why it can be found in all sorts of places other than where it has historically been placed - the dump. I have never been able to fully understand why we continue to place whatever we deem we no longer need almost immediately on the street, ground, or in our water systems. No matter how much we place in our dumps there is always an

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-74429421312930124902008-12-01T02:43:00.005-05:002009-08-03T10:01:24.204-04:00

The daily reality of some 400,000 people in southwestern Bangladesh is far different than the one most of us live out. For over half the year dire water-logging, caused by human error, leaves thousands of people's lands and homes underwater. Centuries of river management have left many of Bangladesh's most poor and under-represented to fend for themselves. Yearly floods affect the businesses,

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-69162977028045089212008-11-23T13:39:00.002-05:002009-08-03T09:55:39.668-04:00

1- Motorcycles will drive on the sidewalks whenever they please2- Eating with your hands is a great way to live in the moment3- Poverty and environmental degradation are global problems4- I wish I had my banjo5- Bangladesh = resilience 6- Crossing the street is always an adventure7 -It's important to laugh at yourself 8- The word green was invented here9- Totally benign looking food can burn your

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-6497939687192513502008-11-17T10:03:00.001-05:002009-08-03T09:55:12.584-04:00

My fingers are still stained yellow from lunch yesterday. I have forgotten how much of a challenge it is to eat with just my right hand. Currently my ability to eat rice and dhal is that of a refined mess. As my colleagues and I sat around a large table eating lunch my section was the only one with rice all over the place. Awesome.I am excited to finally be working with the NGO Uttaran (Uplift).

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-12566163391811158672008-11-10T06:02:00.006-05:002009-08-03T09:54:54.112-04:00

I have been in Bangladesh for a month now! And while I have learned a lot - what types of programs VSO Bangladesh is running, the location of key places (grocery stores, etc), how to negotiate for a taxi, and an introduction to the language, there remains a certain level of uncertainty. This is of course natural. Only here there a few added opportunities for learning. I like to think of what I

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-86878836035903518192008-11-03T01:59:00.005-05:002009-08-03T09:54:26.368-04:00

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-78210351310004278602008-11-02T22:51:00.007-05:002009-08-03T09:54:08.045-04:00

Our group of new volunteers spilt up this past weekend to go to two different field sites. Each group was hosted by current field volunteer. Four of us headed down south to the Khulna district town of Patuakhali. I would like to be able to describe every last detail- but am unable to for to capture the essence of the journey would take volumes. Some highlights though included tea with the captain

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-90113355675095320782008-10-28T07:23:00.007-04:002009-08-03T09:53:30.729-04:00

A few days ago a tropical storm Rasmi, building strength in the Bay of Bengal, hit landfall in the southern region of Bangladesh. According to Reuters some 15 people were killed and roughly 300 injured. Power and phone lines were disrupted, cropland damaged, and houses left in disarray. River siltation, continual loss of coastline, and overpopulation are already norms in one of world’s most

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-86262793871461847962008-10-22T08:12:00.007-04:002009-08-03T09:52:59.773-04:00

Here in Dhaka, like most of Southeast Asia, the most of toilets are of the squat variety. This takes some getting used to as most travelers from the Western world use the seating/bowl style. Now, normally such matters of preference and comfort levels, and well taking care of personal relief, is best not to be talked about aloud. Why then for such openness?The other night I was preparing my

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-52788924995259308322008-10-16T04:32:00.005-04:002009-08-03T09:52:24.503-04:00

I arrived to Dhaka four days ago- safe and sound with all my bags too. My first day consisted of meeting the rest of the new in-coming volunteers, getting lost at night tying to find my apartment (quite funny and at the same time not), and partaking of the VSO Bangladesh training course.How can I begin to explain Dhaka? The maze of my neighborhood, and the entire city for that matter, is not for

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-75110462747525350182008-10-09T11:23:00.006-04:002009-08-03T09:51:46.168-04:00

It has been well over a month since I last posted anything. My apologies. The quick version is my assignment in Dhaka was supposed to start on Sept. 25th. Around the end of August I received an email from the VSO office in Ottawa telling me the the VSO Dhaka office was now going to be closed for the entire month of Ramadan. That said my short trip to Washington DC ended up being a month long trip

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-34669156555370512892008-08-01T15:56:00.007-04:002009-08-03T09:51:26.968-04:00

A quick primer on where I am going:Geographical location: Southern Asia, bordering the Bay of Bengal, between Burma and India.Map Coordinates: 24 00 N, 90 00 EThe total area of the country: 144,000 sq km (slightly smaller than the US state of Iowa).Formally known as East Pakistan. Gained independence as a country (Victory Day) from Pakistan on December 16, 1971.Total Country population:

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-39450262284878228462008-07-02T12:04:00.009-04:002009-08-03T09:50:46.620-04:00

There are many great volunteer organizations out there. Each with their own mission and program needs. VSO just happens to be the one that matched what I was looking for in a volunteer recruitment organization. For those thinking about volunteering internationally, either for a short or long term period, I suggest first writing out a list of what you want to achieve. After that, search the

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6289509416220717850.post-65972189548876470242008-06-30T08:38:00.022-04:002009-08-03T09:50:10.373-04:00

The idea of wanting to become a volunteer to actually becoming one started about a year ago. After months of research, informational meetings, and deliberation I decided to fill out an application with the international development agency Volunteer Services Overseas (VSO).VSO has several volunteer recruitment offices around the world. Interested applicants from Canada or the United States are

Floating Planetnoreply@blogger.com