I am the lensman

I look at the world through the training of a journalist, the eyes of an artist and the lens of a camera

[lensmanbv]

Monrovia, Liberia It was a tough assignment, documenting the work of Liberian Red Cross burial teams at the height of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Already one of the poorest countries in the world, LIberia was ill-prepared for the shock of Ebola and the disease quickly spread from outlying rural communities into the much denser population of Monrovia, killing thousands. A key component of the strategy to combat the disease is the safe and dignified burial of Ebola victims and suspected Ebola victims which, in Monrovia, was a task entrusted to the Liberian Red Cross. Nikon D800, 24mm-70mm

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Collins My friend Collins came to visit me in my studio recently and I made this portrait of him. A few people have told me lately that they prefer my portraits to my landscapes and lately I'm beginning to feel the same way. It's a whole different ballgame. Nikon D800, 85mm

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Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, Berlin Composed of 2,711 concrete slaps on a sloping, 5-acre site in the heart of Berlin, the Holocaust Memorial certainly gives inspires reflection upon what was perhaps the most shameful episode in European history, all the more relevant given that it happened within living memory. Deigned by Peter Eisenman, the memorial at times evokes a cemetery of anonymous graves. Completed in 2004, it is not without controversy, most notably when it was revealed that the anti-graffiti substance used to coat the slabs was manufactured by a company called Degussa, a subsidiary of which had manufactured Zyklon-B - the same substance used in the gas chambers of Auschwitz - during WWII. Nikon D700, 50mm

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Mezquita & Catedrál, Córdoba, Spain In this picture, Islam meets Christianity in a wonderfully intricate and symbolic piece of architecture. Over the centuries during which the south of Spain was under Moorish rule, an elaborate mosque had developed in Córdoba. But, with the Reconquista, Córdoba fell in the 13th century and the victorious Christian Kings decided to build a cathedral within the mosque complex. It is a wonderful fusion of Gothic, Moorish and Renaissance styles that reflects not just the passage of time but also the rise and fall of civilizations. Nikon D800, 14mm-24mm

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Frankfurt, Germany I wandered into this shopping mall in Frankfurt on a dull afternoon, but still there was plenty of natural light coming through the twisting, webbed structure of the roof. The architecture immediately appealed to me and I shot this with the intention of combining maximum depth of field with maximum angle of view (14mm) and maximum dynamic range. A million people must have walked past this same spot over the years, but I wonder did anyone see it the way I did? Nikon D700, 14mm-24mm

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Budapest, Hungary Today it is one of Europe's most elegant cities, cut in two by the broad majestic sweep of the Danube, but until unification in 1873 Budapest was two separate cites - Buda and Pest. Viewed here from Buda Castle, the capital of Hungary is especially beautiful at the "magic hour" when natural light is fading and the city lights - particularly those on the Chain Bridge - begin to come on. Nikon D700, 14mm-24mm

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Tulip Field, North Holland The tulip season in Holland is as brief as it is beautiful. There are only a couple of weeks from late April to early May when the flowers are in full bloom and before they are cut for sale so last week I grabbed my camera and headed north. Many of the fields had already been cut, but every now and again I would come across fields of stunning color. And, once in a while, there was a windmill too .... Nikon D700, 14mm-24mm

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Queensday, Amsterdam

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Manhattan, New York City It's hard not to like Manhattan in New York. It is the heart of the archetypal 20th century city. But what particularly interests me, as we move deeper into the 21st century, is how it is aging. It is one of the few cities in the world that has skyscrapers dating from each of the last ten decades. Looking up in downtown Manhattan gives you a cacophony of elements competing for the sky. Nikon D700, 14mm-24mm

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Motovun, Croatia Motovun is a beautiful, medieval, hilltop village in the Croatian province of Istria. Though ceded to Croatia almost a century ago, many of it's inhabitants are Italian speakers. It is a walled village and it's location on top of a hill gives it commanding views of the surrounding valley below. Nikon D700, 24mm-70mm

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Rovinj, Croatia I do like a lot of the religious iconography that can be found in Catholic countries, particularly those venerating the Virgin Mary. In years past I would obsessively document with my camera every such icon I found, but I eventually tired of it. However, every now and again one catches my eye, and I can't resist, like this one in Rovinj. Before I would concentrate solely on the icon, nowadays I try to give it more context. Nikon D700, 24mm-70mm

[lensmanbv]

Rovinj, Croatia Sometimes, when I'm working with wide lenses, people enter my shots without realizing it. When this happens, usually I wait patiently for them to leave. But sometimes I feel they add to the shot and I include them. I had set up this shot on a back street in Rovinj because I liked the lines and the textures and the composition as a whole. Behind me, two boys were playing with a ball. The ball came into my shot, followed by the boy. And for a few seconds he stood there, playing with the ball at his feet, seemingly oblivious to my presence. But I knew he added a strong component to the image, and he was standing exactly where I would have placed him. So I took the picture, he went back to his friend, and I went on my way. Nikon D700, 24mm-70mm

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Twilight, Croatia In Senj I spotted his guy fishing in the waters of the Adriatic. It was the twilight hour and the fading light and clear water combined to create a special mood. _Nikon D700, 14mm-24mm

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Plitvice National Park, Croatia Famed for its colorful lakes and cascades, Plitvice in Croatia is one of the oldest National Parks in Europe. The water is rich in algae and limestone which deposits to form natural dams made of constantly growing tufa. This beautiful and delicate ecosystem attracts about one million visitors a year, who pass along elevated walkways to minimize their impact on the environment. Nikon D700, 24mm-70mm

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Early Morning, Brač, Croatia Zlatni Rat, otherwise known as the Golden Horn beach, is considered by many to be the most beautiful in Croatia. And it true that this long, triangular shaped beach with it's crystalline waters is quite stunning - when viewed from the air! But I didn't have an airplane and, as I discovered when I arrived just before dawn, it's hard to capture it's essential beauty from the ground. So I took a different tack and retreated into the nearby trees, swapped my usual wide angle lens for something a bit longer and got this shot. Not my usal shot, but then again it's not my usual lens. Nikon D700, 24mm-70mm

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Makarska, Croatia This week I'm in Croatia and, although I'm looking forward to getting some great shots, the weather forecast for the week is not good. In fact, it's terrible. The last time I was in Croatia was in 1993 under very different circumstances. There was a war going on, mainly in Bosnia just behind the mountains you see in this photo, and I was visiting refugee camps with a relief organization. Despite the tragedy of the situation back then, the beauty of the landscape all along the Adriatic coast impressed me. I remember the water, in particular, was so clear. I resolved to come back when things were quieter. And here I am. Nikon D700, 14mm-24mm

[lensmanbv]

Covilha, Portugal I went to a wedding in Portugal recently in a small town called Covilha, up in the mountains. After the wedding I had time to explore the town a little. I was looking for interesting examples of ceramic tiles on walls. It was a Sunday afternoon and the streets were quite deserted. I found a church with lovely blue ceramic tiling on the outside, but these walls were competing with their graffiti-stained neighbors for attention Nikon D700, 20mm