Stairs to No Where

As the world goes through its economic cycles, civil wars bring turmoil to nations and corporations fail to ask for assistance and reconcile their behavior, I find myself frustrated. However, I realize that life goes on, nations will rise again and the world will be at peace someday. This is so far above me that I have to remember to stay positive and have faith that people's intentions are good and foundations will hold strong. Hope came to me in an article from the UK, they state that they may have found the cure to breast cancer and are starting trials with in this year! A cure! This was amazing to me, I know people are using these technologies we posses for great things! You can read the article for yourself here.

I decided to keep the themes going, the stairs are somewhat inspired by hope and going somewhere unknown, somewhere maybe beautiful, maybe dismal and dark, somewhere new. I recently had a friend come back into my life who lives to travel, hearing of his adventures and excitement of all the world has to offer and show you was inspiring. I am excited to start on my adventures in due time. My family is abroad traveling in Europe for the next three weeks, this also sparked the travel bug in me. Being the brilliant photographers they are, the pictures of Spain are breathtaking, I am excited to hear all their tales and see the rest of their pictures. So cheers to those who find beauty in the world, who are not afraid to try something new. You inspire me.

"The world is a book and those who don't travel only read one page. What no one tells you is that it's no easy read. There's one thing that I can say, whatever it is you're looking for, beauty, salvation, enlightenment, danger, or just to disappear, this will only be a fraction of what you find. I'm just trying to read the whole book."
-Sipping Jetstreams

Loving this song right now! Broken bells is the lead singer of the shins and Danger Mouse, pretty sweet.

World News

 

As countries fall, wars go on, oil ruins our oceans and volcanoes spew a dark cloud over Europe I am slowly becoming weary of the world's future, economically as well from an environmental standpoint. I truly hope that people see that this earth is too precious and fragile to handle as we do. There are a few people who have captured these events in such a way that makes them beautiful and peaceful, they inspired me. My desire to question governments and corporations is at its highest. I hope you see the beauty and the sadness in these photos and videos, I hope they inspire you to make a change in your lifestyle to better the world we live in and make for a beautiful place for generations to come. I also hope that if you have not been aware of the events that are going on, this encourages you to get informed.

Sean Stiegemeier has an amazing eye both for photography and film his photos have such and intensity to them, a depth beyond most. I truly hope to be able to go see the places he has been in real time. Truly astonishing work.
Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull - May 1st and 2nd, 2010 from Sean Stiegemeier on Vimeo.

Protests in Bangkok

"democracy cannot be built on revenge"

The oil spill in the gulf






These next photos are shot by a photographer by the name of Örvar Atli from Iceland. He an amazing photographer, who has gotten so many amazing opportunities and has been able to go and see some of the most remarkable places in the world. I want to look at things through his eyes, or at least his lens.

Eyjafjallajökull, The erupting volcano in Iceland

Some inspiring quotes from the Dalai Lama
"I find hope in the darkest of days, and focus in the brightest. I do not judge the universe."

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive."

"There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies. My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness."
"The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual's own reason and critical analysis."

Hands of our time

Aside from captivating eyes, another body part that I love photographs of are hands, in particular weathered or dirty hands, it somewhat tells a story of where they have been, it can be a subdued element of the photo or the main focus but a great feature none the less.

These last two photos are hands that have been elaborately painted and photographed by and is the work of Italian artist Guido Daniele , I got a forwarded email with 20 of these spectacular creations, titled "20 reasons never to wash your hands." It is a shame that these are so short lived. It takes him roughly 4 hours to create one of these works of art.

"For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin--real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life." - Alfred D. Souza

window to the soul

I have always had a great love for photographs of unique individuals in their element, in particular close ups when they are looking into the camera, I feel a connection to the individual, their joy or dismay. Something about staring directly into their eyes captivates me to the point I feel as though I am standing in front of them. Here are some of my favorites.

The last two photos were taken by my brother Ray Gadd on his surf trip to El Salvador, a group of them collected funds to provide a computer to a school there, these were a few of the children who attended the school.

Got to see Yeasayer not too long ago, these guys are awesome in concert, cool light shows, trendy apparel and an awesome vibe.



"There are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. I hope you see things that stop you. I hope you feel things that you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life that you’re proud of and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again." -Eric Roth