Lederhosen for Beginners *wallpaper 9-30-11
Beer. That is all. At least that is all I talked about last night. Through some mutual relationships I got invited over to a guy named Trent’s garage who I was told ‘brewed his own beer’ and that we were going to ‘just chill’ at his house for the evening. As it turned out, it was a great education in brewing and a good reminder that anything good is best when shared.
It was a long bike (about 30 minutes) so right off the bat I wasn’t too stoked, but an invite is an invite ….and free home brew is free home brew! It’s usually a good sign that you came to the right place when you first walk into some stranger’s garage and they hand you a cold pint even before they shake your hand. That’s what I call friends forever. For the next 3 or so hours Trent shows me all his (mostly homemade) brewing equipment, educates me on the intricacies of brewing beer (water pH what?), and alas allows me to taste the 5 different styles of home brew he has on tap or bottled up. And by taste, I mean a pint sized taste.
Then we move on to the basement that’s full of an incredible variety of beer from all over the world. The most amazing part of it was when he opens the beer fridge and says everything on the bottom is yours to open and enjoy – experiment and try something new, and if you dont like it someone else here probably will. Just don’t open the expensive top shelf bottles – they’re for special occasions. Not just a nice guy who likes beer (a lot) and will talk your ear off about what it took to get the last batch of IPA to carbonate, but a true ambassador to the art and love of a craft, as he would share it with anyone who walks in his door – even the one he has just met.
This weeks wallpaper is in honor of the wonderful Oktoberfests going on all over the world this month
September 30th, 2011 – DOWNLOAD --> Lederhosen for Beginners - May Fest Chicago (1440x900px) (76)
A Hard Day’s Night
It was a hard day’s night…and I was working like a doc (wa whaaa)
Please excuse my lame humor with The Beatles reference – I just couldn’t resist. My girlfriend says I have “dad humor” meaning that when we’re out in public and I think I’m saying something funny (I usually take the lame angle) she just stares at me with an embarrassed look like she’s saying “you are embarrassing me in front of my friends!” Although its probably not your highest level of humor, sometimes it’s needed to break the ice for photo/video shoots.
Anyways, at least the photo isn’t very lame! This last week I got to shoot interviews for a series of video vignettes for the Great Planes Regional Medical Center in North Platte, Ne and lets just say I learned a lot about how to look like a real doctor. The video spots will highlight their brand new Heart & Vascular Center where they offer intervention and diagnostic cardiology procedures as well as cardiac rehabilitation. This images was just after a diagnostic procedure I had the opportunity to be in the room and film. The giant, very expensive looking machine behind me swings around and takes near 3-D video x-rays of the catheter and blood flow in real time. And I thought I had expensive camera equipment! (…see what I mean)
Now its time for the real fun to start and spend days in front of the computer cutting the video. Updates to come soon….
Side Note: You can see in the background the patient watching videos of his own heart beat from the procedure. Pretty sweet!
Road to Somewhere – Democratic Republic of the Congo *wallpaper 9-8-11
If you travel though a country (wheels on the ground) for long enough you will likely see anything – especially in Africa. By anything of course I mean goats, bikes, chickens, guns, churches, mud holes, mud huts, fried bugs, grilled monkey, machetes (with blood), tubas, laundry out to dry and the endless red dirt line winding its way through countless villages. I like this particular image because this was our view for most of the duration of the trip since the DRC was a fairly dangerous place (in general) at the time and we had to stay inside the truck – but our front window seemed like a window into another world. The bumpy road just kept rolling underneath, the daily life of the Congolese passing by, and if your stomach could handle staring out the window….you did.
I hope you’ll get a sense of another place too. September 8th, 2011 *wallpaper – DOWNLOAD -> Road to Somewhere – Democratic Republic of the Congo (1440x900px) (78)
Off the job – Demacratic Republic of Congo, Africa *wallpaper 8-18-11
August 18th, 2011 – DOWNLOAD ->Off the Job - Demacratic Rep. of Congo, Africa (1440x900px) (93)
Like most residents in many other developing countries, it’s early to bed and early to rise. Life is hard and work is generally tough and hot – but an afternoon snooze to escape the heat is often necessary for everyone including roosters. Not only do roosters crow early in the morning, they constantly crow all day long, and when there are at least 10 of them in every household it can get pretty annoying. So an afternoon snooze for the rooster is another escape for everyone else.
Linchpin of History – Arc de Triomphe *wallpaper July 28, 2011
July 28, 2011 DOWNLOAD -> Linchpin of History - Arc de Triomphe - Paris, France (1440x900px) (100)
Ancient Trades – *wallpaper 7-21-11
July 21, 2011 DOWNLOAD -> Ancient Trade - Turkish Mosaic Hanging Lamps - Istanbul, Turkey (1440x900px) (96)
House of Buddha – *wallpaper July 14th, 2011
July 14, 2011 DOWNLOAD -> House of Buddha - Chiang Mai, Thailand (1440x900px) (94)
The Temple and the Sea *wallpaper for July 7th, 2011
July 7, 2011 – The Temple and the Sea (1440x900px) (100)
Hang this print on your wall! Purchase a print copy of ‘The Temple and the Sea’ here.
A week already? (NEW *walpapers)
This weeks wallpaper is special because it’s my birthday. Bonus wallpapers for everyone!
June 30, 2011 – Summer Surfer - Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (1440x900px) (98)
June 30, 2011 – Full Moon on the Rise - Nangi, Nepal (1440x900px) (106)
Nepali Sunrise *wallpaper
Im adding a new section to my website called *wallpapers! Each Thursday I’ll be adding a new image for you to download for your fancy wallpaper background for FREE. Change it up every week with images from around the globe!
This week comes from Nangi, Nepal – the sunrise over the eastern Myadgi foothills 
Download Nepal Sunrise wallpaper (1440x900px) (111)
Buzz and Buck
At a recent assignment to shoot a Children’s Museum I ran into Mr. Lightyear, with an inquisitive eye for a stuffed deer.
Portrait of a Doer: Mahabir Pun
Originally posted on The Himalayan Gap blog on 5/23/11
A visionary with his projects, Mahabir explains how one of his newest endeavors, a shitaki mushroom farm, will bring jobs and create a better diet for the community and surrounding areas. “We must show the villagers what they can do, then they will understand what’s possible” Mahabir states. Although some projects are more successful than others, he remains optimistic that someday they all will benefit the rural communities more effectively.
Continually fixing, updating and expanding. That’s the future of Nepal Wireless – a non-profit organization that has brought wireless internet to more than 140 remote villages across Nepal. Here Mahabir updates equipment at the 3,650m Khopra ridge - one of the highest relay stations in Nepal Wireless’ network. From the footstep of the Annapurna I & II (shown in the background) the signal bounces to many villages miles across the valley.
Mahabir checks a faulty network connection, fixes it, then checks his email. A great networker in the social sense, Mahabir has had help from many volunteers from around the world to get the network off the ground (especially from Australia, US, and Japan). He is currently working with the Nepali government to expand the network to the Chitwan National park to facilitate security cameras in an attempt to protect the endangered One Horned Rhinos from poachers.
Mahabir smiling next to the hut where he was born more than 50 years ago in the village of Nangi, Nepal. It has been his life’s work to bring a better life to not only the villagers of Nangi but to all of rural Nepal starting with quality education and ending with income generating projects that work. Many wonder how he does it. He doesn’t ponder that question though, he just does.
From collecting the bark to binding the book
- The Lokta Paper-Making Project in Nangi, Nepal
In Nepal, people have been making Lokta paper for centuries. The Papermaking Center (Est. 2005) in Nangi, Nepal is just one of the income generating programs that benefit the prosperity of the Himanchal School as well as the local people of remote village. To date, the Center has created jobs for 8 women of the impoverished village.
This informational video was created to assist the efforts of humanitarian Mahabir Pun and The Himanchal Education Foundation. The purpose of highlighting these projects is to show Nepal, other third world countries, and the world ways of overcoming geographic isolation, poverty, and an unstable government. With creative ambition and the use of local resources, possibilities prove to be unstoppable.
Watch the process unfold as we follow 4 of the workers into the forest. It is an intimidating scene as several women carry sickle knives at their side. Upon locating suitable shrubs, they begin hacking away, but with impressive precision. The Papermaking video is a small taste of our experience in Nepal, as we continue production on The Himalayan Gap documentary.
For inquiries on buying books or paper sheets contact: jane@himanchal.org or chitra@himanchal.org
For more information on The Himalayan Gap Project and the Himanchal Education Foundation visit: http://thehimalayangap.com/blog/ – http://www.himanchal.org/
Photo by Michael Nyffeler, Text by Chele Norrie via The Himalayan Gap.com
The oldest of the old.
One of the oldest, most important temples in the Kathmandu valley the Changu Narayan Temple is believed to have been constructed in the 4th century and is known for it’s hilltop panoramic vistas of the Kathmandu valley. The temple is also one of seven structures cited by UNESCO – demonstrating the historic and artistic achievements that make the Kathmandu Valley a World Heritage Site.
Last Mountain Sunset (video)
Our last night in the village of Nangi after 6 weeks was a memorable one for many different reasons. This felt like a very fitting way to end our time in the village, watching the clouds flow over the mountains in silence and humbleness – it felt like the first time we arrived here sitting in awe of the massive grander of the Himalaya and finally being brought back full circle in a way. Here’s a quick time-laps I captured from the highest point in the village – on top of an old slate stone roof of a squat toilet haha. To the left you can see the 26,795 ft Dhaulagiri mountain (7th highest peak in the world) and in no way – even at 1080p fullscreen does this do justice to the scene we witnessed. I just hope it will inspire YOU to someday follow your adventure that is inside you.
Filming for the future, we’re not alone
The following guest post is from The Himalayan Gap Project Blog – writen by Chele Norrie and photography by Michael Nyffeler
As we wondered around the village one afternoon, we witnessed a group of students and a teacher carrying a tripod. A tripod sticks out like a sore thumb in the village—especially to a photographer. We had to stop them! They briefly explained that they were shooting a movie about Nangi. Of course, this sparked our interest and we quickly made plans to follow them around on their various days of filming.
“The students have been shooting their movie for three months,” explains Krishna, the film’s director and HEF Mathematics teacher for the last 12 years. The script was written by Hemkumari, an upper-level Science and Education teacher at the school. As a very influential and active member of the Nangi community and surrounding villages, Hemkumari illustrates the value of education in the film’s script–in addition to the new opportunities that can be created in the form of jobs by being educated. At the moment, she is also writing a thesis on ‘women empowerment.’
The length of the currently untitled film is just under two hours. The film is not only for entertainment however, the purpose goes much farther. The objective is to educate — to teach people that there are other options and opportunities for their future, even in the rural areas of Nepal. It is the school’s very first attempt at making a movie. The movie takes place in Nangi and highlights two 
different families that live inside the village. Both families are poor, economically, and both families each have one son—both of whom are educated. Just before the age of 21, the two young men are assessing their options for the future. One man decides to stay in Nangi. The other decides to go abroad to Qatar, as many Nepalese people do to find work, due to the lack of jobs available in Nepal.
Krishna says, “Ninety percent of the village’s population leaves Nangi to find work in cities or aboard in countries like Qatar or Malaysia.” Therefore, much of the young generation goes abroad to find work. Unfortunately, as the film points out, many are exploited as workers or some never find work at all despite promises from agencies.
The process of going abroad to find work is illuminated in the film. Many students are attracted to agencies that claim they will “set everything up for you abroad.” This is a standard fee of 100,000 Nepalese Rupees (a little more $1,400 USD) – a lot of money for a villager of rural Nepal. The family will usually acquire the money by taking out a loan through local groups or organizations in the village or surrounding cities. Like any loan, interest occurs. Therefore it is imperative that a well-paying job is available overseas. Throughout the story, we find that one man decides to go abroad even though the other man advises him to stay, that he 
can stay and still find work. “Because he is educated, he can find or even create work [at home],” explains Krishna. “You do not need to go overseas to find work, you don’t have to be absent from your family, especially when there is no guarantee of finding quality work abroad,” he goes on to say, “If you have skill and you are educated you can create jobs here.” This is exactly what the man who chose to stay does. He starts a very successful chicken farm in the village of Nangi.
Toward the end of the film, we find out that the man who borrowed the money, and went overseas, ends up not finding work. When he returns to the village, he visits his friend at the chicken farm. He ends up working at the chicken farm and begins the process of paying off his original loan.
Because of the wireless Internet, the Himanchal school, and the income-generating projects that have been instigated by Mahabir Pun and self-sustained by the villages, many students are now able to forgo traveling abroad to find work. Upon completion, the film will debut in several surrounding Myagdi district villages. “Together we are building a building. This movie will be one stone. It takes many stones to build a building. We don’t know if it will change the minds of the villagers but we do have hope.” -Krishna Pun
Room to learn (with a view)
The Himanchal School rests at only 8,052 ft but it has a million mile view. On a clear day students sit in the small dusty classrooms with the peaks of the 26,795 ft Dhaulagiri and the 26,545 ft Annaperna range out the window. Many of the 11-12 year students (like the ones pictured playing volleyball) come from surrounding villages as far as a day’s walk to learn at Himanchal school. Bim (below) a 12 year student poses in his dorm room as he studies for Himanchal’s final exams.
Place to lay my head…
My bed for the next few months in the village of Nangi, Nepal. This is where we will be staying while we work on The Himalayan Gap project – talking to students, teachers, and community leaders about the impact the internet has made on this remote village on the footstep of the Himalayan mountains. We will also trek around the district and into the Annapurna Conservation Area – home of the 10th highest peak in the world, Annapurna 1 (26,700ft) to visit other schools and wireless access points to better understand how this introduction could revolutionize rural Nepal with the rest of the world – for better or worse. 
Terra Vivid
Terra nullius: land belonging to no one, nobody’s land, an empty land. The vivid colors of no man’s land in Queensland, Australia.
The Bare Bones –
Wooroonooran National Park, Queensland, Australia – Dec. 2010
The bare bones of life are there to be discovered, in the details.
The temple and the sea
Pura Luhur is a Balinese Sea Temple built in the 11th century at Uluwatu in southern Bali. Still very much sacred to the Balinese people while increasingly becoming popular site for tourists. It hosts a lively commune of wild macaque monkeys as well as a sunset fire dance along the cliffs. Each of the temples is traditionally said to be visible from the next, forming a ‘chain’ of protection around the coast of Bali.
You Rang, Sir?
The Great Hall at Warwick Castle, Warwickshire, England
The Courtyard at Warwick Castle, Warwickshire, England