As I do for any trip, usually international, I spend months learning about the location:  climate, people, popular sites to become familiar with, customs, food, and the travelers “dos and don’ts.”  Although in the US, I had not been to Wyoming for at least three decades, so I dedicated time to conduct quite a bit of research, particularly since the area I would be visiting was described to me as a “photographer feeding frenzy.”  I wanted to ensure I had the appropriate equipment, mentality and imagined experience to maximize my trip.  To minimize travel time, I chose to stay at The Hatchet Inn, just 7 miles from the park entrance, and was sure to reserve a Jeep Wrangler (it’s Wyoming, I had to!).

Now that I knew where I’d stay and how I would get around, I turned my preparation to learning all I could about the grizzly bear population in the park, including sites, schedules and best locations for sightings.  I learned that the grizzlies are designated by numbers and #399, #610, #793 were a few that seem to return with their cubs each spring after hibernation.  After more research, I found a few have be given names:  #793, aka Blondie, and #610, aka Felicia.  As my friend and I spoke more, we laughed a bit at our “secret agent-like” conversations that referenced these bears by number.  The more I researched, the more excited I became and then remembered, I have at least five more months!  The excitement grew as the date neared.    

While my family made holiday weekend plans to officially kick off summer at our nearby lake, I packed my light winter clothes, all-weather jacket, hooded sweatshirts and beanie and headed off to Jackson Hole, WY from my homet in Dallas.  My outbound flight was overbooked and we were not going anywhere until nine passengers, either voluntarily or involuntarily, made alternate plans.  To incentivize the deal, bidding started at $800, which quickly escalated to $1200.  Despite my excitement to get to start my grizzly adventure, I thought this is an opportunity I should answer and threw my name in the ring to get bumped.  After eight others reluctantly came to the same decision, we each walked away from the gate with $2800 in future flights and a seat on the same flight the following day.  My hotel was kind to adjust my reservation without penalty, and I flew out the next morning, but not until I ate my $31 in food voucher by starting the day with steak and eggs!

Arriving a day later than anticipated only increased my excitement to get my baggage (of course I carry-on my equipment), grab the Jeep and hit the wet road from a full day of rain.  Wyoming is breathtaking and far more beautiful than I recall from my childhood summer vacations.  Meeting up with my friend, who had been on the ground for a few days already, was a little delayed because I could not hold back from pulling over and capturing the beauty around every passing curve. Little did I know that this was a good idea because the rain kept the bears tucked in for the day.

Day two far exceeded my expectations. Not only did I capture #793 and her 2 cubs, within yards was #399 and her nursing cubs.  What started off as a few observing passerby’s turned into miles-long of onlookers, photographers and some very sweet park rangers.  The day was filled with #399 leading the way for #793, mimicking the motherly teachings of what I imagine my wife doing for our young children as they become parents.  I spent the next couple of days capturing the sweetest moments between the pair of sows and cubs, never growing tired of patiently waiting for the playful bursts of the cubs chasing birds in the tall prairie grass or chewing on the orange parking cones.  My trip could have ended here and I would go home a happy man, more importantly a happy photographer. How could this get any better?

My morning routine was pretty well set by now, so early the next day, I grabbed my coffee and drove through the park, looking for the next opportunistic shot of other beautiful creatures of the park: moose, elk, and the occasional black or cinnamon black bear.  As I settled on an area, I caught a familiar face mixing about the crowd – Tom Mangelsen – arguably one of the most celebrated wildlife photographers today, who happens to in the Tetons in search of the same stunning moments I was in search of.  Stepping in the front of the camera for a moment, I grabbed a photo of Tom and me, as well as a pop-up interview regarding the proposed reversal of national park hunting practices.  His lovingly admiration for #399 and others was so personal, and I look forward to sharing his thoughts in a future article.

Photography trips are more than just capturing images of the local community, human and bears, alike.  Photographing wildlife brings hours of idle time to meet other professionals, share stories of past or future adventures or other on-site photographic material or subjects.  This proved very helpful for my next morning as I set out to get a sunrise shot of one of my favorite birds that had been nesting nearby, the osprey or aka sea hawk (for those Seattle NFL fans out there).

As I waited patiently for one of the nesting pair to take flight, one of the other photographers I had befriended joined up with me and we received a tip that a great grey owl was nearby.  Rumor has it other wildlife photographers have spent years, 10+, to photograph this evasive creature and here I am on day 5 of my trip. Thank you to Wendy and Jeff!

My bucket list and soul are fulfilled.  My inbound flight ended up being overbooked, too, so guess what I did!  After receiving a $2000 voucher, I went back to rent the same Jeep, and set out to gather more shots. Blondie (#793 and I are on first-name basis by now) was the first bear I spotted from the main road passed Colter Bay and after she retired into the woods after about 4.5 hours, I found myself alone with a wolf for about 6-minutes before two park rangers arrived.  When I shared my good luck, they confirmed stating that neither of them have seen a wolf in years.  My days were catching up to me so I slowly made my way to Snow King resort, compliments of American Airlines, had dinner and packed yet once again before calling it a night.   

The final day was short, but I made the most of it and caught the great grey owl hunting for breakfast along the bank of the water at Moose Overlook.  Only photographers quietly trace the path of a hungry owl, hoping she looks our way or into the sunlight.  My journey ended here.  I was ready to go home, but a part of me would welcome a financially-incentivized reason to delay my flight, but opportunity did not knock and in a way I was okay with that because I’m already planning my next trip.  Thank you, Wyoming.   

The post In Search of Grizzly Bears in Grand Teton National Park appeared first on Resource Travel.

Is it to freeze a moment in time to share with others?  Is it to preserve a feeling or celebration?  Is it to increase attention to a cause?  Is it to add to my professional portfolio?  Is it because I am being paid?  Or, is it spontaneously unknown?   Every photographer responds differently and for me, the answer may be all of the above.  Regardless of the reason we capture images, one astounding purpose should be to self-critique with the goal of improving our craft and artistry that fuels us all to keep growing.

It has been almost two years since I traveled to Kenya for a 16-day medical mission trip with David Beyda, MD to capture the great work of him and his medical team.  As a non-healthcare member on a medical mission trip, I knew my contribution and focus would be different, but my passion and dedication the same as everyone else.  After landing in the capital city of Nairobi, we traveled two hours to the southern city of Kajiado, which is the equal distance from the Tanzanian border, for the first 6-day leg of the medical mission.  Each day, we would set out for a new village from our base camp for a 16-hour day.  After ending the first leg of the trip, we bid farewell to half of our team, but not until we spent two days at the Masai Mara National Reserve for a safari experience.  All of a sudden, my medical colleagues and I shared a passion – photography!  The remaining team and I journeyed north to the Turkana region, a geographic vault to the beginnings of humankind, which borders Ethopia for the final leg of our Kenyan trip.

Regardless of the medical clinic location, my goal was to tell the stories of the patients, the hardships of limited (or no) access to basic healthcare services, the victories of winning the trust of a young child and her mother, and heartbreak of disease progression that a cycle of antibiotics would have altered long-lasting (and often irreversible) effects.  During the clinic days, every sense was firing as I experienced and observed unconditional love, respect, trust, hurt, teamwork, sadness and joy through my camera.  My days did not end until I edited and wrote in my journal which pushed me through every form of exhaustion possible.  I am often asked how I was able to compartmentalize my emotions, especially as a father to three children, and I proudly share that my job was not to feel sorry or guilty for my life compared to those with whom we were treating.  When photographing life and human stories, there is a delicate line of respect and exploitation, and the use of the image determines the intention.  My photography served two purposes: create a collection for Dr. Beyda and one for myself.

In November 2017, I had a public gallery showing of a small selection of my private collection from Kenya and found myself reliving the raw emotions of each and every moment.  As I described the images to the community onlookers, my mind played as a Hollywood-created flashback scene; I was back in the environment, traveling two-hours (one way) on the dustiest, bumpiest roads that took our team into remote villages outside of Kajiado for day-long clinics.  I felt the sweltering heat and unforgiving sun in Turkana, which barely cooled for our night’s sleep on an exposed concrete slab under the safety of a mosquito net.  I felt the joy from the countless encounters with bright-eyed curious children who found interest in my tattoos, who shared smiles and giggles before rushing to see their image on the camera’s digital display.  Recounting these stories resurfaced intense emotions and reminded me of my trip’s purpose:  bring awareness to the work of the medical mission through human connection and compassion.

These images are now displayed in my dining room.  Admittedly, there is a sense of guilt experienced while we crowd around the table to share a holiday feast, discuss the newest iPhone or an upcoming vacation as juxtaposed to a wall of images that represent the lack of clean water or basic health care services and limited nutrition; however, the placement allows me to revisit the images every day as I walk about my home.  I study the composition.  I study the emotion.  I study the use of natural lighting.  I study my art.  I study my craft.  And I find there is much to learn, grow and improve.

I challenge all photographers to push beyond a project’s completion after post-editing, archiving and delivery to our clients.  In all, Dr. Beyda received more than 3,000 edited images and I kept a private collection of fewer than 300.  Print your images and study them.  Connect with them.  Grow from them and not just for the craft, but to be a better human.  You do not need a public gallery show to share your work with friends and family – have one in your home.  Display your work for your children to observe, to strike a meaningful conversation about needs versus wants, talk about cultures, traditions and values from others’ perspectives.  Ask your child to describe what they see and enjoy your work from a whole new angle.

Why did I take photographs in Kenya?  I took them to revisit a place that I will forever cherish for the kindness, gratitude, friendship and devotion to a human connection with a guy from Fort Worth, Texas.

Brandon Cunningham, founder of Snap Judgement Photography, is a travel photographer who seeks to enrich understanding, tolerance and diversity with an eye towards story-telling through street and portrait work. Read his article about a photography adventure through India. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas and can be followed on Instagram at @snapjudgementphoto.

The post What I Learned From Photographing a 16-Day Medical Mission in Kenya appeared first on Resource Travel.

My first four days were spent in Jodhpur, the second largest city in the western Rajasthan state of India and although known as the Blue City, colors were plentiful, most evident by the local’s vibrant and flowing clothing; hues of pink, yellow, orange dragged the hardened earth they lived, slept and walked, creating a stark contrast between personal beauty and the harshest environmental conditions. While my primary mission in Jodhpur was to teach photography to the young women of the Sambhali Trust, a school for “Empowering Women and Children in Rajasthan,” opportunities were endless to capture amazing portraits as I walked down the narrow streets filled with market goods under the canopy of draped tapestries. The narrow streets were a common route to roaming cattle, wild dogs and thousands of motorbikes and pedestrians. I tightly squeezed by oversized wheelbarrows filled with garlic, citrus and flowers to better position myself to photograph the smiling and aged faces of women, men and the curious eyes of children. All of whom were generous, inviting and shared their offerings of Masala Chai tea and chapatti bread with me.

The mission of The Giving Lens is to empower local communities and their youth by helping to stoke their creative aspirations. Many of the children that The Giving Lens works with are raised beliving their future is already written, and that future usually starts at a young age and involves working hard for low paying wages, long after they had abandoned their education. We aim to break the cycle by encouraging youth to continue their studies and freeing their creative minds, which may help them continue onto university and obtain better jobs when they reach adulthood. Our co-leader in India, Michael Bonocore, wrote a great piece about the mission of The Giving Lens and how our work has actually helped empower local communities and youth.

In Jodhpur, the young women of Sambhali Trust are considered “untouchables” or those who are born in the lowest level of Indian society. To me, these incredible young ladies brought me indescribable warmth and joy and reinforced my passion and fire for photography. For three days, my assigned students and I explored the markets and sacred temples that guarded the city from above. Each of my students was quick to pick up the basics of photography and had a keen eye for detail and natural lighting that others I have taught struggled to conquer. Their innocence and joy of seeing the greatness in things that seemed so simple were refreshing to experience in the middle of the absolute chaos of the city’s streets. Kindness, intelligence, humor and friendship are memories that I have taken with me. Their potential is only limited by their society and forever, I will only know them as ‘unforgettable’ and not ‘untouchable.’

Leaving Jodhpur for a 5-hour bus ride to Jaipur provided me time to reflect on the sights, sounds and compassion felt from the many strangers with whom I had already shared a human connection with in India. The hospitable, kind, loving and inviting Indian people over-shadowed the incessant honking of horns, elbow bumping and tripping over others feet due to overcrowdedness. These added layers of stress forced me to find focus and hone in on my personal photography goals, while passing along my craft to others.

Jaipur provided two particular moments that I have yet to witness anywhere else along my global photography travels and, quite honestly, I had not planned to experience. After our longer-than-anticipated bus ride that took closer to 7-hours, we started a new day in a new city (although equally as chaotic) with knowledable local guides. We traveled about an hour out of the city to an ancient Hindu pilgrimage site now home to a large colony of macaque monkeys. Monkey temple, as it is commonly called, is surrounded by a natural spring that feeds into seven ponds, creating a sustainable source of life for the monkeys. For hours, I felt like a child again. I couldn’t keep from smiling as I watched the monkeys jump, climb, run and maybe even blush a time or two as “adult” behaviors were exhibited, even at the expense of a colleague’s shoulder. Photographing wild monkeys in a sacred temple was not on my preparation list.

Approaching my last day in India, I was feeling conflicted between missing the comforts (and food) back home and preparing for the goodbyes of a country, people and experiences that filled the temporary void of my homesickness. The final afternoon was spent loving on gentle giants at the Elefantastic Sanctuary, the vision of an Indian man in 2012 to provide a safe and loving experience with Asian elephants. Akin to the childhood feeling from Monkey temple, I was even more giddy and excited as we entered the sanctuary where I would eventually meet my new companion for the day. After an orientation to the proper ways to feed, pet and care for the graceful animals, we were escorted to our individual elephant for a brief greeting and then allowed to spend time and connect through touch, talk and walk. Our connection was instant – she responded well to my soft hand on her face by emitting a deep rumble-like sound from her forehead. While hugging and loving on her for 45-minutes, I asked for her name and was not expecting the heart-pounding reaction when told, “Her name is Tara.” How can it be that my assigned Asian elephant in India on my last day of nearly two weeks away from home shares the same name as my wife? My journey then came full circle.

India was everything and more than I imagined. I prepared for what seemed like forever, but all of the preparation in the world could have made me ready for the connections, love, and inspiration that I gained in this complicated and beautiful country. Traveling photography is enthralling – no set agenda, an unbridled ability to meet strangers with the assistance of a camera, open invitations into homes and lives, and exploration of new cultures, people and traditions. While reading, talking and watching motion pictures provide some insight to the visiting community, until you put your feet on the ground, breathe in the local aromas and watch life unfold in front of your camera, there is simply no preparation for the joy and overwhelming appreciation of being welcomed into homes, families and communities. Now that I am home, I am reliving the sensory and soul overload through my photographs and memories. And with each photo that I lay my eyes on, I am reminded that I would happily return to the comfortable madness felt in the deafening and overcrowding Indian cities that I had the privilege of experiencing for 10 days. Namaste.

The post 10 Days in India: 45 Photos of Chaos, Color, and Community appeared first on Resource Travel.