This series of travel blogs from February 12th to March 1st is made possible by WIEGO. Georgia Street Media is proud to partner with Director/Producer Lori McNulty (http://www.lorimcnulty.ca/) to produce a short documentary for WIEGO and help tell the story of informal workers around the world and their health care issues.
Hey everyone, Jordan here! Over the next couple of weeks I’ll be writing fairly regularly about my travels to Thailand, India, and South Africa on this blog. In a nutshell, the purpose of this trip is to film a short documentary for WIEGO (Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing), focusing on the challenges these low-income street vendors and home workers have when it comes to health care access.
After a short connection in Japan, my plane is just about to touchdown in Bangkok as I type this, and after 18+ hours of travel from Vancouver, I feel like the term “Baggage Claim” has a different meaning: At this point, it’s more about rocking the sleep-deprived bags under my eyes than it is about keeping them open long enough to spot my luggage on the conveyor belt.
Finding this sign in the washroom in the Thailand airport elicited a big ol’ “NOPE!” from me
Update: It’s 3:30 a.m. and I’ve made it to my hotel in Thailand. Check out the view from my window:
It really is amazing to be able to travel to places like this for my work and I’m always grateful for the incredible things I get to see and experience on the job. This really came to mind again when, a couple weeks ago, I was helping out a student with a school project by answering a few questions about my work as a photographer/videographer. The process really made me realize just how making images has shaped me as a person. I’ll end this first blog post by sharing some of my more relevant answers:
- What is the one thing you wish you knew when you started taking photos?
Nothing. I enjoyed the learning process and think the journey (with all its ups and downs) was important to me being the photographer I am today. Of course I look back at my old work now and cringe at how poorly the images were shot and edited, but I wouldn’t give up those phases for anything – I learned so much through my failures
- Do you find yourself always looking at the world wondering how it would look as a photograph?
Sometimes I feel like my eyes have been replaced by lenses and my brain by a digital sensor, yes. Whenever I walk down the street or into a room, I find myself subconsciously thinking about the lighting and colour temperature of the environment and how I would shoot it
- What would be some tips you would give to a beginning photographer?
Carry your camera with you often, and find the beauty in the mundane to capture. Study other artists’ work and critique it for yourself. Also, always remember to once in a while just put the camera down and enjoy the moment
- What are your favorite things to photograph?
I like exploring the outdoors and chasing the perfect light, so landscapes are generally my favourite subject. Unlike people, they generally don’t move and so I can take my time and really enjoy composing my shot
- What is your favorite photograph that you have ever taken?
This one of village children in the Solomon Islands swimming: https://500px.com/photo/46434316/village-children-swimming-by-jordan-lee?from=set&set_id=1951307
It represents all the things I love about photography – seeing beautiful places and people; finding myself in situations that I wouldn’t otherwise be in if not for my career as a photographer/videographer
- Is there something you always ask to yourself/think just before you push the button?
Does this shot tell a story or help tell a part of a larger story? If not, then why am I taking a picture of it?