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Seeing the Light, 2009 was a wonderful success. Old friends and new explored what it means to be a photographer, and what it means to see – both before the shutter is clicked and after. Stay tuned for a 2010 announcement!

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I must have passed this cross covered with leis twenty times before I noticed it on the solitary stretch of Kamehameha highway by the sea on the island of Molokai. It was located on a blind curve so I franticly took my frames while standing in the middle of the road as a friend of mine spotted oncoming traffic.

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20% off custom framing ends in 4 days, 14 hours, 14 minutes use the code “HolidayGifts09″

August 17th, 2009

Aurora photographer Jonathan Kingston’s image of a pair of boots recovered from a German battlefield was published recently in the June 2009 edition of National Geographic. The boots (whose original owner is currently unknown) are being used by the Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) to try and identify the fallen soldier so that his remains can be returned to his family. JPAC, established in 2003, is a response to the Pentagon’s recent efforts to try and find the 84,711 US military men and women still missing after various US engagements all over the world. It is home to the world’s largest forensic anthropology lab.

When asked about the shoot, Kingston said, “Assignments such as this one epitomize what assignment photography entails — problem solving, people skills, and performing well under pressure. I feel honored to have played a small part of bringing the story of what JPAC does to the world.”

To see more work by Jonathan Kingston, visit Aurora Photos.

Highest sea cliffs in the world, Molokai, Hawaii.

Luang Pragang, Laos

Elliot Erwitt once famously wrote: …photography was little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.

It is with this thought in mind that one of my mentor’s Paul Liebhardt and I decided to craft a photography workshop to be offered on the beautiful island of Molokai, Hawaii this October. While much photographic instruction today focuses on the HOW of doing things, very few workshops focus on perhaps the most important part of all in photography — SEEING. If you are a reading this, and interested in being inspired to see more deeply, this workshop is for you!

Click here for more details on Seeing the Light photographic workshop on Molokai.

Cross posted from the Aurora News Blog Here

When Aurora photographers Jonathan Kingston, Dan Patitucci and Janine Patitucci, along with 7 other photographers, traveled to India to document the annual Pushkar Camel Fair in Rajasthan, they were not expecting to end up with a book. However, after seeing the collective archive of imagery created by the 10 participants, they decided to gather them into a book, titled Pushkar – Gurus, Gods and Camels, which was published by CreateSpace on March 27, 2009. To view the entire book online, or purchase a copy, visit www.gurusgodsandcamels.com.

The group of photographers traveled to Rajasthan to recharge and inspire themselves creatively among the thousands of Indian nomads, gypsies, sadhus, pilgrims, camels, and tourists who travel to the Pushkar Camel Fair annually. When asked about the resulting book, Jonathan Kingston said, “Every morning we would go our separate ways before sunrise and every evening we would meet again well after sunset for dinner and an exchange of stories from the day. One evening towards the end of the fair, another photographer on the trip suggested we pool our collective images into a book and put me in charge of the project. I immediately deferred my new-found responsibilities to the Patitucci’s, who wrangled the images from each photographer, and spearheaded the production of the book. This project goes to show that spontaneous creativity happening collectively can be a powerful force.”

Image by Jonathan Kingston

Images by Janine Patitucci (left) and Dan Patitucci (right)

Image by Dan Patitucci

View more work by Jonathan Kingston, Janine Patitucci and Dan Patitucci at Aurora Photos.

Evening light on conifers near Juneau, Alaska.

The days are long in Juneau this time of year, and there are long spans of beautiful light as the sun slowly sets over the mountains. Juneau underwater photographer and local camera shop owner Art Sutch, just reeled in his first King Salmon of the season and was kind enough to invite me over to his home along with Flip and Linda Nicklin to partake in the feast. I, along with the other guests did our level best to assure there was very little left of the 25lbs of fish by the time we finished eating. As we were saying our goodbyes the golden light falling on the conifers next to his house caught my eye. A visual feast as simple and delightful as the King Salmon happily digesting in my belly.

A bald eagle and sea lions on a buoy in front of the Point Retreat lighthouse near Juneau, Alaska.

While a student at Brooks Institute of Photography, one of the highest complements that I could receive from one of the upper division professors in regards to my prints was “your image doesn’t suck”.  The statement was of course, tongue in cheek — and always made me glow with pride when I heard it.  In the same vein, I’m happy to announce that it is official - Alaska does not suck.  After arriving here earlier this week to teach a photographic workshop with friend Flip Nicklin, my initial impression of Juneau wants to categorize it as a hybrid between Switzerland, with its vast peaks towering over crystalline lakes, and the east side of the damp Cascade Mountains in Oregon.  Throw in bald eagles plentiful enough to almost be considered pests, humpback whales languidly growing fat on plentiful krill and a number of yet to be see grizzly bears, (or in the parlance of Juneau speak “Brown Bears”) and you begin to get the picture.  Over and out from this nomad for now from Juneau.