You know those “free desktop wallpaper” sites? For some reason this image always appears on them, it’s like it is included in the toolkit used to build the sites it is so frequent! I get nothing from it, usually not even credit but hey… people seem to download it regularly and that hopefully means it brightens their day when they see their desktop.
Long time visitors to the blog will have seen a number of Web3/NFT/Crypto posts over the past few years. From early explorative discussions I had while walking the Camino to my own drops more recently. It’s a part of the tech world that fascinates me and has been a hugely interesting experience to delve into. One of the greatest aspects of that has been the community experience and often the real-life connections that have been made. Here’s a fun post from one of the people I’ve connected with along the way about how Web3 has changed his and his family’s life… featuring a little bit of me. ๐
A version of this photo/location currently sits as my 2nd most viewed image ever on Flickr but this one I quite like too. Something went a bit mad with the sky in this one during processing, but it was a happy accident that I decided I liked. That weirdness works well with the crispness of the lower half of the image, I think.
I love it when architects have a bit of freedom to go mad with their building designs. It happened quite a lot in China over the past couple of decades and it was great to see something similar in NYC!
The Thiruvalluvar Statue, located atop a small island, near the town of Kanyakumari on the southernmost point of the Indian peninsula. Here two seas (the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea) meet an ocean (the Indian Ocean) creating some epic scenes.
The sun was setting over the Gulf of Thailand as we arrived on the other side of Koh Samui. The fishing boats were already coming in, their colorful sails waving in the breeze. But I was drawn to the oyster farmers who were working in the shallow water. I waded out to join them, curious to see how they worked. They were using a simple technique: they would make a small clicking sound with their fingers, and the oysters would react in the sand below. I didn’t know why this worked, but it did!
I don’t think I mentioned this before, but we set up a fun online gallery space for my images, some with animation and music. You can check it out over here. Have fun exploring! ๐
Soaring over the city of Dubai in a helicopter with the wind whipping all around I could feel the adrenaline coursing through me. It’s such an amazing way to see most cities but Dubai was even more interesting than many. The massive skyscrapers, gleaming white buildings, sparkling canal and Palm Jumeirah, an artificial archipelago shaped like a palm tree surrounded by crystal-clear water. I’m always so impressed by Dubai. It’s a city that is constantly growing and evolving, and it’s always full of surprises and you never know what new aspect you’ll see from the ground, or above.
On a previous trip to Hong Kong one of my goals was to explore as much of the government housing as possible, getting away from my usual haunts in the main city. My new friend Simon, a local Chinese guy, was the perfect person to show me around.
We started our day in the Tsing Yi district, which is home to some of the most iconic government housing estates in Hong Kong. The estates are massive, towering blocks of concrete that are home to thousands of people. They may look a bit intimidating at first, but Simon assured me that they were full of life and character. We wandered around the estates for a while, taking in the sights and sounds. We saw people of all ages, from young children to elderly grandparents, going about their daily lives. We saw people playing games, chatting with friends, and just hanging out. It was clear that these estates were more than just places to live; they were also individual communities.
After exploring the estates, we headed to the nearby Sham Shui Po district, which is known for its vibrant night market. We wandered through the market, snacking on street food and browsing the stalls. We found everything from fresh produce to electronics to souvenirs. It was a great way to experience the local culture. Here is one of the final shots of the night, as we continued to explore, just before I headed off back to the hotel with sore feet but a mind racing with memories of the day.