I’m preparing to leave the lovely country of Sri Lanka after three weeks spent here. Located off the coast of India, with a population of some 21 million, the country is a tourist’s delight. Since the signing of the peace treaty with the terrorist Tamil Tigers two years ago, the country is now focused on developing its infrastructure, which is badly in need of repair (after driving its roads, my back is howling). Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon, means “Pearl of the Indian Ocean” and, believe me, it lives …

I’m very excited to announce that the newest eBook in my The Photographer’s Eye series is now available. Titled People 1, the eBook takes you behind the scenes as I explain the how, why and technical challenges I faced for ten selected images I have taken of people over the years.

Following on the heels of my first eBook, Landscapes 1, the newest addition describes in detail the process I went through to take images of people that my editors and clients have loved. You’ll learn the dos and don’ts of …

This is a strange tale, but one worth telling. I was in New Mexico, speaking one day with a Native American about the protocol for visiting sites considered spiritual. What many tribes did was to leave an offering, perhaps a sprinkling of tobacco or a keepsake, as a gift to Mother Earth for allowing the visitor to take away some of the spiritual essence of the special place.
A few days later I just happened to be photographing on a trail and considered climbing to a higher spot for what I …

This week I visited Sky City, an ancient pueblo atop a 370-foot tall mesa in the high desert outside Albuquerque. The day was windy, overcast and cold, dust blowing everywhere. Yet, despite the weather, I was struck by the very special, even spiritual feelings this tiny village exudes. Built in the 12th century, archaeologists believe the community chose the mesa for defensive purposes. It’s sheer walls are pretty impressive, to be sure. Still, the tiny pueblo was decimated by the Spaniards, who killed 90% of the men, women and children …

Life is a rich stew of pain, pleasures, new discoveries and chance meetings. I’m waxing philosophical here because of my Internet friendship with James Winters, a professional musician and amateur photographer, who comments frequently here on my blog site. I’ve written about James’ heart-felt photography before (http://blog.lesterpickerphoto.com/2011/03/31/an-eye-for-photography/).
In a recent post on the Nikonians website, Jim credited me and another photographer with inspiring him to think more seriously about his gift. Sure enough, a day later this other photographer sent me a blog comment and so, curiously, I visited his website …

Every so often an amateur photographer will write to me with comments on my images or to ask for advice. I enjoy both, even if the comments are negative, because I like to understand what about my images turn people on or off.
In most cases, if my reader includes a website or Flickr account, I check it out. I invariably enjoy the images, which give me insights into the person, his or her likes and dislikes, and their eye for photography. It’s one of the more enjoyable aspects of what …

I’m currently doing some preliminary research for a proposed photographic workshop I’ll be leading to Egypt in November, 2012. Egypt is one of the most photogenic places on Earth, not just for its antiquities, but for its warm and friendly people. I have been to Egypt several times in my career and I find that I can never get enough of it.
In any event, in putting together an itinerary that I think photographers would enjoy and that would add high impact images to their portfolio, I knew that it would …

There is a village in this small corner of Vanuatu, Fiji where several years ago a group of indigenous Fijians came together to discuss a plague that threatened to destroy them. Their children were being abducted by corporate marketers hawking products irrelevant to their preferred way of life. Their people were abandoning centuries old values, ones that uniquely defined them. In short, they were in danger of losing their culture, yet another victim of the relentless spread of western consumerism.
They talked, they debated and they listened as a community, and …

Once in a while I’m blessed with a wonderful surprise as a travel photojournalist. I get to visit a place for which I had no expectations, but which brings forth hidden jewels. That was the case when I visited Lifou, one of the Loyalty Islands in the archipelago of New Caledonia.
New Caledonia: A New Future
New Caledonia is currently a French protectorate, but is slated for a vote on independence in 2014. Recognizing that its future economy will, in large part, depend on tourism, the island group is busily preparing. Even …

Viti Levu
Fiji is actually a tropical island archipelago consisting of more than 300 islands and 500 tiny islets. Only 110 islands are populated (by humans), but 87% of the population lives on the islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, the largest in the chain.
And so, bound by our ship’s schedule, we stopped at the capital of Suva on the eastern side of Viti Levu for a day, followed by a one-day stop in Lautoka, on the west side of the island.
In one of my past blogs I talked about …