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Destination Siberut / New tutorial DVD slightly delayed | Sep 10th
I am sitting on a flight from Sydney Australia to Jakarta, Indonesia. Everyone is asleep beside me or watching movies, squinting at the 5 inch screens. I think I have spent 25% of my last three years on planes. But I couldn’t be happier to do it.
I was in Australia doing a workshop. But not just any old workshop, I gave those up a long time ago after having extreme schedueling difficulties / too busy doing commercial jobs. This workshop, however, was Inspire Me ‘09, a huge event hosted by Ainslie and Mark Bernoth… The best hosts alive. So holy shit of course I was flattered to say yes.
A typical photography workshop might invite it’s students to come shoot models in a park if they are lucky. However, we had a whole production thanks to the Bernoth’s. We shot girls holding eagles, snakes, or sometimes in front of 57′ Chevi. We shot an African fire breather, and a man with large abs all the cougars in the group loved and even my friend / assistant Willem with his shirt off… All in the name of learning of course. Also teaching was Zack Arias, ‘One Light’ guru and 100% cool dude.
I wanted to release my new lighting DVD I’ve been yacking about, but even after staying up 48 hours straight before I left Brooklyn for Australia, it still wasn’t good enough. I was also worried I was extremely disullusioned from lack of sleep, and may put out a piece of crap by mistake. So I decided it was safer to fine-tune and release when I’m home in late September instead of the end of August.
The hardest part for me here in Australia was not the workshop or eating Vegemite at all though, it was waiting for what my flight screen now says is 1692 miles away.
About a year ago me and my friend Willem were sitting at my kitchen table talking about travels around the world. Willem has lived in Indonesia before and saw a very strange picture once in a store near his village of Tabek, Sumatra. It depicted a hunter/gatherer tribal man with full body tattoos and sharpened teeth. Perhaps it was a depiction of a people that lived long ago. I was hesitant. After some research, we found that this is not the case.
The shamanistic Mentawai are still very real, and remain animist hunter gatherers to this day. Although most have been assimilated by the Indonesian government or missionaries, there are a few small pockets of traditional clans remaining deep in the interior of Siberut. Tomorrow we will be gathering supplies in Padang, taking a cargo ferry to the island and trekking to the remote clans away from the established government villages. I will live with them in the jungle for about 3 weeks, oh, and hopefully get some good portraits too. The shamans will be a great addition to my Holy Men series.
We will be experimenting charging stuff with foldable solar panels. My other friend Cale Glendening will be following our every movement and mistake on camera. He had a terrible flight with a dozen stop overs because we got his dates figured out literally 4 days ago. We don’t care though, we are going to keep our chins high as we splash thru the mud and humidity of Siberut with kilo upon kilo of gear strapped to us.
I hope our encounter with the tribe will not be a confrontation, but more out of mutual respect and appreciation. I hope to gain trust and represent my subjects in images as dignified as possible. The Mentawai have a reputation of being warm and friendly to outsiders. The clans that remain are enduring and have survived on their own for a long time, but are now threatened and fragile. I feel that this way of life will not be around for much longer, so it’s time to investigate in the best way I can. I am not a relief worker by any means, and I am not educated enough to fully comprehend a problem like this. My biggest fear is that my children will grow up in a grey world with only one perspective on reality, one thought process dictating behavior. Although change is inevitable, there cannot be only one way to live, one way to perceive the world- humanity needs diversity to sustain itself. Now I sound like a god damned hippy, but I believe it.
Let’s move on now, this is way too deep a subject for a blog post where I’m planning to post my gangster rap about photography .I am not taking pictures for people to look back on and imagine these people as historical figures, I am going to live it so I can share the story myself. We’ll see what happens.
Wish me luck. Needless to say, I won’t be tweeting.
Joey
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Rabi:(Aug 10th - 14:28) You probably won't read this until you get back, but good luck and have fun with the Mentawai. Looking forward to seeing your shots when you get back. Regards, Rabi
Sean McCormack:(Aug 10th - 14:30) All I can say is wow! I hope it goes well and that it is indeed non confrontational. Enjoy.
Isabell:(Aug 10th - 14:58) hey, don't stop yourself! it's so interesting to read about what you think!!!! I wish you all the best for the trip, good luck and I'm sure you can convince them to let you take more wonderful photos! and don't get lost, hurt or something...
Dominik Deras:(Aug 10th - 15:53) Hi Joey. Nice post. How big is this elinchrom octabox? Are you using Cokin system?
Andre:(Aug 10th - 15:53) Hey, didn't know you were in town. Well, in case you're coming back to Sydney after your adventure in Indonesia, maybe we could make a photowalk or alike. Have fun André
Dominik:(Aug 10th - 15:54) Hi Joey. Nice post. How big is this elinchrom octabox? Are you using Cokin system?
Leanne:(Aug 10th - 16:35) Geez I'm looking forward to seeing these images. Have a safe and real trip, and thanks for the time spent teaching us old ladies at the workshop. Leanne
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james saleska:(Aug 10th - 18:51) great stuff.
Jenna Julianne:(Aug 10th - 19:45) Joey may the force be with you!!! If anyone can reach out to that tribe with passionate respect, it would be you! WOW the Australian photoshoot must have been RAD!!! There are NO limits to photography...and thats why I am captivated!!! :) Can't wait for your new light dvd!
George:(Aug 10th - 23:25) Great update JoeyL. I admire your work. I'd like to meet you in person whenever you are in Toronto. I'm looking forward to your DVD release. Regards George
Ainslie Bernoth:(Aug 11th - 06:12) Joey and Will, two of the most amazing young guys I have ever come across - Australia misses you both!! Thank you for everything , for coming so far to teach us, and for being SO generous with your time and talent. You are a phenomenon Joey...Thank you!!
Danielle Hamilton:(Aug 11th - 13:04) um...you, my dear, are wiser than your years. so happy our paths have crossed and I got to hear a bit about your stories. here's wishing all the best to you, Cale and Will on your Indonesian adventures. Be safe, for God's sake... will be anxiously waiting for news from you guys and also from the release of the dvd and rap album! glad you liked my backstage shots ;) xx Danielle
Melody:(Aug 11th - 13:51) Joey it was so awesome having you in Australia! Thank you & Will (affectionally known as Muffin Top)! You totally made the whole experience AMAZING! Best of luck for your travels and I hope we cross paths again one day soon!
fiona andersen:(Aug 11th - 15:56) Wat am I the only cougar to comment... ????Wish you and Will the best and safest trip!!!. xx
Lisa Lent:(Aug 12th - 00:54) Joey!, had no clue you were in Sydney..I would of shown you around.. I am literally one hour from Sydney. Hope you enjoyed your stay and you got to enjoy some aussie hospitality.
Kellie Turner:(Aug 12th - 01:37) Hi Joey Your workshop was fantastic - I learned so much and it was great to watch you weave your magic. Good luck for your trip - it sounds awesome! Can't wait to see your portraits and hear more about the lives of the Mentawai. Kellie (Inspire Me '09 - Group 3)
Elena Hernandez:(Aug 12th - 12:13) Safe Travels Joey...can not wait to see what adventures you will be taking me on when you get back with the images...I live vicariously through you... Blessings, Elena
Billy:(Aug 12th - 15:50) You know, I was actually thinking the other day, if you were ever going to photograph the Aboriginal tribes here in Australia. Instead, you were fiddling with gadgets! ;) Enjoy Siberut.
Melissa Harrysingh:(Aug 16th - 12:55) Hey Joey, when you wanted to take photo's for your album cover I didn't know you really could rap! It was awesome working with you and truly a memorable experience. I look forward to seeing the pics of You, Will, Faith and I "gangster style". Keep in touch - Mel
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Kevin:(Aug 18th - 01:28) Look forward to reading/seeing your travels. Hope it is more than you hoped for.
Erik:(Aug 18th - 01:47) I'm curious, did you talk to people of the tribe beforehand or do you just leave and hope they'll let you stay for three weeks? :)
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Sam:(Aug 29th - 00:36) Sounds like a brilliant journey! Stay safe and can't wait to see what images you create :D
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shoshonee:(Sep 15th - 23:28) I think your work is really breathtaking and very original. When i see your pictures i can tell they are yours; the are very unique and very inspiring. And your attitude about it is great. You have fun and it's seen in your photos. I cant wait to see what you do next.
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Jason Harris:(Jan 12th - 12:47) Hi Joey.. Love the concept of the bird of Prey. do you have a fininsh image to view? Jae