Sometimes on a trip it’s important to take the pace down a notch. In the end it doesn’t matter if you squeeze in every sight or miss a few. By rushing around you can fail to really appreciate where you are and to notice the smaller details that distinguish one place from the next.
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A wonderful sense of design pervades the whole of Japan it seems, from architecture to clothing, household items to gardens … Somehow the Japanese know how to balance minimalism with intricate detail, with an apparently effortless emphasis on simple, natural elements.
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I can remember a time when wildflowers were always just that, wild. They grew randomly in places where they had self-seeded, in hedgerows or on verges. In towns they were too often seen as weeds, not part of the gardener’s plans. If we were lucky they might pop up in odd corners of our urban concrete jungles, softening them and giving us a lift whenever we spotted them.
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There’s something about both windows and doors that draws many photographers to capture them, isn’t there? Maybe it’s the intrigue of not knowing what lies within. Or perhaps it’s simply that their geometry is pleasing to the eye.
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On a mountain high above Oaxaca lies one of the most significant archaeological sites in all of Mexico, Monte Albán. This mountain top was home to the Zapotec people for thirteen centuries. It is jointly UNESCO listed, with the city of Oaxaca itself. UNESCO describe it as, ‘an outstanding example of a pre-Columbian ceremonial centre’. The listing summarises the site’s history:
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Images of a sunrise as the sun reappears over the horizon, a seedling sprouting from barren soil, or a rainbow stretching across the sky are often used to symbolise hope. They represent new beginnings, growth, and the promise of better days ahead.
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Wherever you go in Mexico you will see skulls. Why? Because the skull in Mexican culture represents death and rebirth, the cycle of life. People here believe that the afterlife is as important if not more important than your life on earth. The skull symbolises both sides, life and the afterlife.
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A few weeks ago I took you for a walk around the colourful Mexican city of Oaxaca. On that occasion I skipped over most of the major sights but promised to return to visit them later. Today is that ‘later’!
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As a photographer I’m often fascinated by the way my camera allows me to capture a single moment in another person’s life. Especially so when I travel, when I’m very conscious that my out of the ordinary adventure overlaps for that moment with their everyday. They are getting on with their regular lives while I am taking time out of mine.
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Observing or meeting children when we travel I realise that, even more than adults, they have far more in common with each other regardless of where they live than they do any differences. They enjoy play, they seek friendship, they need acceptance and respect. And of course they all need the basics of food, drink, shelter, education.
