2013 - Varanasi, India
Dawn is breaking, and a Sadhu slowly enters the holy waters of the Gange to bathe and cleanse himself. To take the shot, I do the same. When he turns, I shoot the picture. He gets out, I show him the picture, we have a laugh. He puts on his makeup of white lines on the face, and let me take another picture. I moment I'll remember.
2013 - Galapagos, Ecuador
Up close to a giant tortoise reminded me more of a voracious dinosaur than a slow grass eater.
2013 - Yangshuo, China
Bothered by the many tourists around beautiful Yangshuo, I got on a bike and started cycling on a dirt path towards who knows where. I got a small village in between farming fields, with a school in the middle. One step led to another, and I started to play rock paper scissors with the kids - here I am clearly losing with my rock!
2013 - Lumbini, Nepal
The birthplace of (the latest) Buddha is said to be Lumbini, in the South of Nepal. Lots of temples dot the landscape - in one of those I got invited by a group of kids to share lunch with them, which began with chanting prayers and saying thanks for the meal, a typical dal baht: rice with lentil soup.
2014 - Jerusalem, India
Pilgrims, old and young, praying at the Wailing wall. Rarely I've seen such a deep connection with a historical landmark.
2015 - Kanazawa, Japan
Performing geishas at Kaikaro Tea House, two years after my first encounter with Sozuka (yes, the one on the left is the same as in another picture ! I brought them all Swiss chocolate, and one of my visit cards that picture her - check out my blog, I've written the story there!
2013 - Bhaktapur, Nepal
Taking a break, smoking one, a glimpse of a normal day.
2013 - Half Moon Island, Antarctica
3 penguins wander on pebbles with no apparent goal - just hanging out
2013 - Pushkar, India
It's lunch time at Fior di Loto's school! The girls, all wearing their beautiful pink uniforms, dig into their lunch boxes and get a mouthful of tasty rice. This is the school I am supporting with this website, please do check out the "contributing to Fior di Loto" section!
2013 - Pushkar, India
I got to meet this girl from a family of musicians while walking in Pushkar. She sang for me with her oncle, and I could take a couple of pictures of her beautiful eyes, contrasting with the bright colors of her sari.
2013 - Quito, Ecuador
One of the many kids employed to shine shoes of locals and tourists in exchange of a couple of coins, not likely to remain in his pockets.
2013 - Galapagos, Ecuador
The bright colours of a crab, shying away in their rocks hidings.
2013 - Kyoto, Japan
A maiko, an apprentice geisha, walking in Gion to one of the tea houses.
2013 - Chengdu, China
A guy with a "funny" personality, as he engaged in a conversation with this statue of a child, to whom he would also feed some yoghurt later on. Such a caring fool.
2013 - Chengdu, China
A panda in the local reserve, chewing on his bamboo sticks. Even though he looks more lik a gang boss smoking a cigar.
2013 - Kathmandu, Nepal
The patient and caring look of an old lady that was just so kind.
2013 - Galapagos, Ecuador
A watchful mother takes care of his young puppy, no more than a couple of weeks old.
2013 - Jaipur, India
A cigarette break for an attendant at a local palace I visited.
2013 - Varanasi, India
Ladies wearing coloured saris in Varansi, close to the firing pits were people are cremated and whose ashes are dispersed in the holy waters of the Gange
2013 - Macas, Ecuador
I was playing and drawing with a bunch of kids in the streets of Macas, a secluded town close to the Amazon forest. Suddenly, a friend of theirs popped out of a corner wearing such a funny smiley nose, running away a couple of seconds later.
2013 - Amritsar, India
One of the many pilgrims that traveled to the Golden Temple of Amritsar in northern Punjab.
2013 - On my way from Amritsar, India
Another great encounter while travelling second-class on the Indian railway. Many travellers decide to upgrade to first class with AC and less chaos, but they miss out on so much. This guy just sat in front of me, and could not avoid being a bit transfixed. Not many Sikhs wear the long sword, but this one was such a wonderful complement to his rolex. I ended up having him trying out my iPod, but I don't remember which song ;)
2013 - Kanazawa, Japan
One of the pictures I hold the dearest. After having visited an お茶や (ochaya, a tea house) during the daily hours, I got to meet the owner: Baba-san. Such a lovely lady, we engaged in a very pleasant conversation about the role of the tea houses as the historical locations where private parties with geishas are held, consuming a kaiseki dinner, playing games and being entertained by the arts geishas specialise in: singing, playing instruments, acting. I got invited to attend, behind the rice-paper doors, one of such parties held by a local doctor, and was amazed by it. Later, before they would leave the tea house in a taxi already waiting for them outside the door, I got introduced to Sozuka, and could take a nice portrait of her. For me, one of the most exciting and memorable moments of my travels.
2013 - Varanasi, India
A group of sadhus - holy men - and others on the streets of Varanasi. Quite a controversial story for me. I bought them a bag of freshly cooked samosas, to thank them for letting me take a picture. Later, I ask to take another photo, but they request money - which is a very uncomfortable feeling. I don't wanna shoot people by paying them, butI comply this time as I had a shoot in my mind I wanted to take. I then realise I only have a big bill, and cannot split it among them. very naively on my side, I give it to the one in the front, and kindly ask him to share it with the others, which of course he won't do. People started getting agitated, grabbing him and me, which led me to kind of flee the situation. My mistake - learned a bit from that.
2014 - Garden Route, South Africa
A brief encounter at an ostrich farm on our way on the Garden Route.
2014 - Scotia Game Farm, South Africa
Encounter with the king, majestic and... will, kind of sleepy (he just woke up from a nap!)
2014 - Addo National Park, South Africa
Facing a big, steady, massive elephant.
2015 - Kyoto, Japan
Two girls wearing yukatas and strolling the streets of Gion in Kyoto. They first asked me to take a picture of them, but then wanted a picture of them myself - lovely yukatas!