Andrea Johnson Photography

 

Laos

Every year I search for a new place to ‘detox’ from the stressors of my everyday fast paced life. I may have just found the perfect place to return to on a regular basis for my creative renewal. Life in Laos moves slowly, artfully – a beautiful silk wall hanging may take a year to meticulously hand weave, a pedicure two hours. The bus ride from Luang Prabang to the northern Luang Namtha province is a tortuous 12 hour ordeal, but when the road ends the two day trek through jungle wilderness to visit to the Lanten tribal village was priceless. After three weeks of enjoying constant exercise outdoors rock climbing, hiking, & walking, eating eating only fresh produce & fish, disconnecting from the internet, and a dozen relatively inexpensive deep tissue Thai / Lao massages, I was completely rejuvenated.

View from Elephant Crossing hotel over Vang Vieng's spectacular limestone cliffs, Laos


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Burma photography workshop

Robert Holmes & I led a group of 8 talented photographers on a photography tour throughout Burma. This was our second time in the country, and while the changes have been dramatic in the past 4 years the place is still magical.

Buddhist monks lighting candles, Bagan, Myanmar


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Photo gear traveling pack

Feb 2014 update:  After returning from 6 weeks photographing in SE Asia, I can now report back on these pre-trip photos of my gear I posted.

I brought this gear through the ringer, including a 4 day jungle trek where I modified the bag to carry both my camera gear and clothing.  Though the bag wasn’t designed with this purpose in mind, it performed surprisingly well. The back mesh panels wicked away the sweat,  versatility of the removable interior lens modules worked well for rolled clothing, and handy exterior pocket held water, snacks, a fleece jacket where the laptop typically is stored.  I’ve used the airport rolling bag series for the past 6 years, and while I still use that system with the larger padded belt at home for shoots with heavy gear I loved the freedom of the pack carrying all my gear and leaving my hands free.  I could never have handled the larger system walking the gangplank from boat to shore in Sittwe, Burma – on a skinny flexible bamboo plank sloped sharply uphill at at 45 degree angle I needed to be balanced!

It was quick and easy to adjust my gear for each day’s shoot and only bring the pouches needed for the lenses I carried that day.  I kept the laptop semi-hidden in the inside side pocket visible below, and though I brought the pac-safe mesh lock system to secure the entire pack I didn’t use it -simply locked the zippers together.  When traveling through airports I packed the modular lens pouches almost flat inside my large suitcase, and was ready to quickly remove them to attach to the skin belt to begin shooting immediately upon landing.

Photos below show the pack with the larger pro belt – made the decision right before the trip to use the thinner skin belt and pouches shown in the last photo. Smart decision – I was more comfortable in the lighter weight belt with the hot, humid climates & this left me room in my suitcase to bring a few extra souvenirs home I could have never fit otherwise :-).

Think Tank StreetWalker HardDrive camera backpack. Pack has an inner pocket to slide up to a 15 inch laptop, my macbook pro is inside a Brenthaven laptop case

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Aloha Rejuvination

I don’t know why it’s so difficult for Americans to enjoy time off work to relax and rejuvenate without feeling guilty, but for the last 15 years I’ve found it necessary to escape the USA to a 3rd world country for this ‘indulgence’. When a last minute opportunity arose for a trip to Molokai and Maui, I decided to return to the islands I’d enjoyed with my family and rediscover the islands Aloha spirit.

Molokai Land trust, photo by Dewitt Jones

Dewitt Jones, a National Geographic photojournalist, inspirational speaker, filmmaker, creator of “Celebrate What’s Right with the World (http://www.celebratewhatsright.com), and long time friend of colleague Robert Holmes offered us his guest house and the right frame of mind to recharge our creative batteries. Evenings were spent on his porch watching sunset over the island, and at dawn we explored the extensive natural wilderness of the Molokai land trust conservation.

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Burma

Multimedia piece: Photography Tour through Burma, Feb 2010.

Of all the places I’ve traveled to in search of authentic culture, Myanmar (aka Burma), is undoubtedly at the top of my list.  Working with Bob Holmes to lead a small exploratory photo tour was the ideal way to interact with the people in an unobtrusive way.  Everyone I met – nuns, monks, farmers, and artists – were genuinely curious and kind.  I was especially touched by the amazingly talented photographers, painters, lacquer artists, and clothing designers, all of whom expressed admiration for an American woman’s ability to travel freely and make her living as an artist.    When I asked how they felt about being photographed, they answered with the same response “I will not leave Burma in this lifetime, but at least my photos will make it to America.”  In each location we worked with a local guide, one of whom best explained the basic desires of the people:  to improve their quality of life and to be treated as a human, rights I take for granted.  “Listen to the words behind the smiles”, our guide emphasized.  “I want people to hear and know our heart.”

We plan to return to Myanmar to lead another photo tour throughout the country, please contact me directly if you are interested in details.

Me Nyein Kon temple, Bagan, Burma: 4,000 temples in 26 miles radius, these ancient temples rival Angkor Wat as one of the greatest architectural sites of the world.

Shwedagon Paya, Yangon, Burma: One of the world's most spectacular religious monuments. The gold dome is 322 feet tall and covered with 60 tons of pure gold.

Young Nun and Monk, Burma

Women hand-hoe savignon blanc vines, AyeTha Ya vineyard near Inle Lake, Burma

Inle Lake, Burma

Traditional Intha tribe fishermen paddle flat-bottomed skiff boats with one leg wrapped around a single wooden paddle to drive the blade through the water in a snake-like motion, Inle Lake, Burma

Burma from Andrea Johnson on Vimeo.