Shooting, not shopping

While traveling in other countries it's the people, the culture and the landscape that capture my attention. It's more fulfilling for me to meet the villagers, learn a few words of their language, ask questions, take notes and shoot with wild abandon.

There are places to shop, little businesses that sell local crafts, and I always have the intent to investigate but I rarely follow through. Only later, when I look at some of the photographs in the comfort of my own office do I wish I had made the time.

Of course I do end up picking up a piece here and there - (and I've been known to literally pick things off the street - friends Michael deMeng, Stacey Mattraw and the gang from Cortona...you know what I'm talking about!) - but to spend time shopping means less time shooting.

Now that I've shot these images, now I want to shop these images!

In Bali, the markets have a colorful array of ceremonial supplies. I really wanted to know what each piece was used for, watch how they are made, etc.






I don't recall what was in this shop...never got past the window!




Fabric! So tactile!




Sure, those are postcards. But shooting the feathers in the foreground (intentionally using shallow depth of field) was more interesting:




An antique store in Singapore:




There's always time for a cold drink on a hot day in Bali: