"Recapping the Kenya trip..." 18•Dec.•11

Well, I've been home a full week now and I honestly think it took that long to get over another case of serious jet lag. Flying back from East Africa is no joke, and adding another full day to the front end of last weekend's travel itinerary made it all even more difficult. The airline (Turkish Airlines) offers transiting passengers a hotel room if their layovers in Istanbul were more than 12 hours, so it was great to finally put my head down in a nice, comfortable room near Ataturk Airport on Sunday morning. You see flights originating in the East usually depart past midnight, and considering I'd left the coast Friday evening on an overnight bus (below left) back to the capital, Nairobi - which entailed another 8+ hour ride, I was totally beat. (Yea, those are mechanics fixing a flat on my bus at 3AM at the halfway point rest stop!) By the time we'd arrived back in Nairobi on Saturday morning, did some laundry by hand, had a decent lunch and started packing, it was nearly time to head to the airport, for the first of two long haul flights. Not to mention arriving back home into JFK on Monday evening and then right back to work the following evening. It must've taken 4 or 5 days for my body to adjust to the time differences and finally get into a regular sleep routine. Although I'd initially set out to try and get up into the Somali refugee camps in northeast Kenya, as well as search out a few other stories, logistics and scheduling just didn't allow for all I'd hope to accomplish. Tack onto those issues, the price of fuel, finding reliable drivers and secondary fixers, and before I knew it, I was into my second week of the trip. The only thing left to do for my few remaining days in country was to head down to the coast and explore familiar beach towns like Mombasa (above), Malindi, and a very peaceful beachfront area at Watamu Beach in Gede (right) on my last official day in Kenya last Friday. Swimming in the calming, warm waters of the Indian Ocean on that day really took a lot of the stresses away. It was all nearly perfect for those few moments on the white sands of East Africa...

ISTANBUL, TURKEY. Turkish Airlines aircraft are serviced by ground personnel at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, Turkey on Monday, December 12, 2011. © me.

By the time I arrived in Istanbul and got over the intense travel schedule I'd imposed on myself for this personal shooting assignment (can this 50+ year old body continue to function like this I silently wondered?), I was completely exhausted and had to abandon any thoughts of touring the city for the afternoon. Fortunately the airline offered it's transiting passengers with extended layovers a hotel room near the airport, so that was a blessing in itself. I've spent more than my share of overnights in airports. The weather was grey and overcast, so any earlier ideas I'd had on making stock images in the Old Town neighborhood of the city faded really fast. In fact, my room was right in the glide path on final approach into Ataturk Airport, so I did manage to make a few generic aircraft images (left), and there were a few Bedouin women (right) roaming along a running stream within sight of my modest room as well. Pop on the 300mm and the 1.4X tele-extender and I was back in business for the afternoon, well at least until I collapsed for the night...

"Kenya v5.0" Nov./Dec. 2011

Here's a look at what I've been shooting this first week back in Kenya. It is my fifth time working in the capital, Nairobi and surrounding areas, and the eighth trip to Africa in the last ten years... "Asante Sana" (Thank you) for looking. ~cg.

REWIND - Images from the Archive.

ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA. An orthopedic patient tries on new orthopedic shoes and leg brace received from the charity Cheshire Services Ethiopia at the Black Lion Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Thursday, December 1, 2005. © Chet Gordon / THE IMAGE WORKS

REWIND - Images from the Archive.

A showcase for some of my favorite images here on the blog that aren't particularly in the working portfolio. Look for this occasional feature where I'll highlight a single image that's meant a lot throughout my career. Enjoy. ~cg.

"What is it about Bermuda...?" 31•July•11

*(Relaxing is hard work here in paradise...) I'll be posting a slideshow from the week once a deep re-edit is complete. "Cheers!" ~cg.

ST. GEORGE'S, BERMUDA. Tobacco Bay in St. George's Parish, Bermuda on Saturday, July 30, 2011. © Chet Gordon/THE IMAGE WORKS

Bermuda Cup Match. Day #1 28•July•11

My take so far from the first day of Cup Match yesterday here in Bermuda. "Cheers...!" ~cg.

Day #1 in Bermuda for Cup Match Week. July 26 - 31, 2011.

ST. GEORGE'S, BERMUDA. St. George's Cricket Club bowler Stefan Kelly (above) views the pitch during practice at the St. George's Cricket Club in St. George's, Bermuda on Tuesday, July 26, 2011. The annual two - day Cup Match Cricket Tournament between St. George's and Somerset begins Thursday. © www.chetgordon.com/blog

I have been waiting nearly 10 years to see, experience and cover Cup Match here in Bermuda. The week's festivities and celebratory atmosphere were all I ever heard about from Bermudians during my numerous trips here to the island. It is already shaping up to be a wonderful week for making images. Stay tuned... ~cg

St. George's will host Somerset in the annual two-day cricket tournament known as Cup Match beginning Thursday. Cup Match was introduced after the abolition of slavery in Bermuda. Men from Somerset and St. George’s met in a friendly rivalry and held celebrations of Emancipation by holding annual picnics to mark the anniversary of the abolition of slavery. One of the highlights from the picnics was a friendly cricket match played between lodges from the east and west ends of the island. In 1901, during a cricket match between two major Friendly Societies, an agreement was made to play for an annual trophy. Members of the Friendly Societies and Lodges raised funds and in 1902 a silver cup that was played for annually was introduced.

"Clink...!"

#51. "It's been some ride so far..." ~cg.

A breakfast toast with my friend and fellow photographer Ivan Shapovalov of Moscow, in the dining room of a hostel for Russian Railroad employees in Irkutsk Siberia, Russian Federation on Wednesday, June 15, 2005. Ivan and I were just beyond the midway point of our 11-day journey on the Trans-Siberian Railway across the Russian Federation. © www.chetgordon.com/blog

www.chetgordon.com/transsib/

REWIND - Images from the Archive.

"Untitled." Yarosliavsky Station in Moscow, Russian Federation on June 22, 2005.

REWIND - Images from the Archive.

A showcase for some of my favorite images here on the blog that aren't particularly in the working portfolio. Look for this occasional feature where I'll highlight a single image that's meant a lot throughout my career. Enjoy. ~cg.

*To see my previous posts of this ongoing retrospective, click HERE.

Jordan. (re-edit) April • 2006

Spent some time over the weekend doing a deep re-edit of my images made in Petra (4) and Amman, Jordan (bottom 4) back in 2006 while there for a medical client. (I was briefly living in Mombasa, Kenya at the time.) It sure was sweet to examine these images again, especially since most were shot on RAW. Another 100 or so images to ship to the agency. Here are a few favorites. ~cg.

The Treasury (El-Khazneh) in Petra, Jordan on Friday, April 28, 2006. Petra is considered the most famous and gorgeous site in Jordan located about 262 km south of Amman and 133 km north of Aqaba. It is the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2000 years ago. Admired then for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels, Petra is now a UNESCO world heritage site that enchants visitors from all corners of the globe.

© Chet Gordon / THE IMAGE WORKS

AMMAN, JORDAN. Iraqi women comfort each other as their children undergo surgery at the Jameel Tatonji Hospital in Amman, Jordan on Tuesday, April 25, 2006. © Chet Gordon/THE IMAGE WORKS

AMMAN, JORDAN. An Iraqi father and son look out of a window at the Jameel Tatonji Hospital in Amman, Jordan on Tuesday, April 25, 2006. © Chet Gordon/THE IMAGE WORKS

AMMAN, JORDAN. Jordanian shopkeeper sips tea at right as pedestrians walk past his shop in Amman, Jordan on Thursday, April 20, 2006. © Chet Gordon/THE IMAGE WORKS

AMMAN, JORDAN. Young Jordanian sheep herder near the Jameel Tatonji Hospital in Amman, Jordan on Tuesday, April 25, 2006. © Chet Gordon/THE IMAGE WORKS

REWIND - Images from the Archive.

BOLEZENO, SIBERIA. RUSSIAN FEDERATION. Train engineer pauses in a railway wagon during a change of locomotives stop along the Trans-Siberian Railway at Bolezeno Station in Bolezno, Siberia, Russian Federation on June 10, 2005. © www.chetgordon.com/blog

"Yea, I've got a serious thing for trains. What some describe as being a "train buff." Making this 11-day journey across the Russian Federation sealed it for me. Can't believe it's been 5 years ago already. Thanks again Ivan..." ~cg.

View a selection / slide show of my Trans-Siberian Railway journey by clicking HERE.

REWIND - Images from the Archive.

A showcase for some of my favorite images here on the blog that aren't particularly in the working portfolio. Look for this occasional feature where I'll highlight a single image that's meant a lot throughout my career. Enjoy. -cg.

"Haiti. 6 Months On..." 12•July•10

Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A man views the collapsed Cathedral in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Saturday, January 30, 2010. A massive 7.0 earthquake struck the Caribbean island nation on January 12th., killing upwards of 230,000 people. © Chet Gordon / THE IMAGE WORKS

It's been six months since the catastrophic earthquake struck the island nation of Haiti on January 12th. of this year. I volunteered my time without hesitation when longtime client Operation Smile called, asking if I'd document their initial team of orthopedic & trauma surgeons and support staff treating victims of one of the world's most tragic natural disasters. The call came on a Thursday afternoon and I found myself hustling through two airports at first light the next morning to make connecting flights from Newark (EWR) to Charlotte (CLT) and into their HQ in Norfolk, VA as the team was scheduled to be flown by a U.S. Marine cargo aircraft directly into Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (PAP). After a few logistical delays, we were flown by corporate charter into Santo Domingo, DR two days later. I was only in Haiti for a week back in late January two weeks after the earthquake, crossing over the border from after a tiring 5 hour van ride from the Dominican capitol. It was to be my third trip to Haiti and every assignment to the country - either self-financed, or for a client, has been emotional for me. How could it not be? You can view my earlier posts here on the blog from the Operation Smile mission here. (I have posted the slideshow of my work in the NGO camp & in Port-au-Prince below.)

The independent radio & web broadcast show Democracy Now! aired a very detailed show today on location on how things are transpiring in Haiti. A second day of reporting from Port-au-Prince on DN is here, including an interview with two-time Academy Award winning actor Sean Penn, who's running an NGO he founded in Haiti. He's been there 6 months. Please continue to follow this story as there are still 1.5 million Haitians left homeless and living in tents in Haiti... ~cg.
*(Use the arrow at the bottom left of the player or click the image to start the slideshow. Enable full screen viewing by clicking the 4-way arrow icon above the credits button at lower right of the player. Pause the portfolio slideshow in the right column by clicking the "II" pause button. There is no audio track with this presentation.)

"ANC..." April • 2005

ARLINGTON, VA. Horse drawn caisson with the US Army Honor Guard sentries of the 3rd. US Infantry, known as "The Old Guard" proceeding after a military honors funeral in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA on Monday, April 18, 2005. © CHET GORDON / THE IMAGE WORKS

A story broke yesterday out of Washington about the care and maintenance of grave sites and those buried there at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) in Virginia. As a veteran (and onetime frequent visitor to the Washington, DC area) I found the facts behind this story troubling, if not worse.

This from today's NY Times:

Inquiry Finds Graves Mismarked at Arlington

WASHINGTON — "The remains in more than 200 graves at Arlington National Cemetery may be incorrectly identified, the secretary of the Army said Thursday, as he announced a shake-up in the cemetery’s management. In some cases, remains were found in graves listed as empty, and occupied grave sites were unmarked... An Army report listed dozens of deficiencies in the day-to-day management of the cemetery, including an outdated record keeping system that may have contributed to many of the errors at Arlington, which was first designated for military burials in 1864. An inspection, which began in August 2009, found problems at 211 sites..."

Full links here and here. ~cg.

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REWIND - Images from the Archive.

KRASNAYORSK, SIBERIA. RUSSIAN FEDERATION. A man sits with his crutches as bridal gowns are seen on display in the background in September 1999. Krasnayorsk, Siberia. Russian Federation. © Chet Gordon / THE IMAGE WORKS

*As good a time as any to re-examine some of my older file
images made in the Russian Federation... ~cg.

REWIND - Images from the Archive.
A showcase for some of my favorite images here on the blog that aren't particularly in the working portfolio. Look for this occasional feature where I'll highlight a single image that's meant a lot throughout my career. Enjoy. -cg.

"I Gotta Get a Bigger Luggage Cart..." Back from Glens Falls, NY 22•March•10

Packing up my gear at 12:30AM including the Apple 12" PowerBook, (4) head DynaLite arena strobe kit, (4) digital cameras, lenses, remote mounting hardware, tools, heavy duty extension cords, and Pocket-Wizard kits after four NYSPHSAA Tournament games in the Glens Falls Civic Center on Saturday, March 20, 2010. Times Herald-Record/CHET GORDON

Yea that's it, a bigger cart. That'll do it. Kept reminding myself throughout the weekend up in Glens Falls, NY for the Boys HS State Championship Tournament - that I go through all this for high school basketball. Looking back at the last month or so of just basketball preparation and coverage, I've installed full arena strobes at two college gyms for the sectional playoffs here locally and then tackled the almost monstrous task of hauling in all the lighting gear to light up West Point's Christl Arena last weekend for the two HS State Quarterfinals games. It wasn't the first time I'd spent 12+ hours in a sports venue - nor will it be the last.

While mumbling (I guess you could call it) to myself up in Glens Falls about how working this hard felt like I was back covering NBA games earlier in my career, a younger photographer at courtside said it's only high school. To which I replied, "No it's about making the best images possible..." So I guess a sturdier cart will be on the shopping list for next season.

I will be embedding a slideshow of the weekend's work in a bit. Still moving file images and loading a slideshow to the paper's archive and website. Thanks for looking - stay tuned. ~cg.

REWIND - Images from the Archive.

TOMSK, SIBERIA. RUSSIAN FEDERATION. A "Babushka" (Russian elderly woman) keeps an eye on things from her property in Tomsk, Siberia. June 2001. © www.chetgordon.com/blog

REWIND - Images from the Archive.
A showcase for some of my favorite images here on the blog that aren't particularly in the working portfolio. Look for this occasional feature where I'll highlight a single image that's meant a lot throughout my career. Enjoy. -cg.

"All the Way Back Home from Haiti..." 07•Feb.•10

So I've been back home for a week now from the earthquake in Haiti. Barely had enough time to do laundry, and get to the stack of dishes that seemed to grow in my kitchen sink. Those of you that travel hard for international assignments must know of these feelings. This was the third earthquake zone I've been to, as well as hurricanes, tornadoes, mudslides and areas of militarized conflict around the world. It usually takes a few days for me to "re-adjust" to the everyday and sometimes mundane happenings here at home. Besides, I was thrown right back into the work schedule on Tuesday afternoon covering a couple of big HS and community college basketball games, on strobes no less. Yesterday it was HS swimming and immediately after, HS girls indoor track championships at West Point. But Haiti hasn't been out of my thoughts for a single moment all week. I've thought about producing this slideshow and how to present it. Even recorded a Haitian girl last Saturday singing a gospel tune in Creole in the camp before I left for a day of shooting in Port-au-Prince. Not sure yet if I'll add any audio to these images. Quite honestly, I think they're powerful enough. Thanks for looking and having an interest in my work - I appreciate all your comments. -cg.

*(Use the arrow at the bottom left of the player or click the image to start the slideshow. Enable full screen viewing by clicking the 4-way arrow icon above the credits button at lower right of the player. Pause the portfolio slideshow in the right column by clicking the "II" pause button. There is no audio track with this presentation.)

Port-au-Prince, Haiti. 30•Jan.•10

This is Port-au-Prince today, two and a half weeks after the earthquake that killed an estimated 200,000 people. More on all this later when I return to CONUS and am able to add a slideshow here to the blog. These are the images that we all as photojournalists push ourselves to create. No matter where it is when the call comes. I was last here in 1999 and prior to that in 1993 with two former colleagues on my first international shooting assignment. "Thanks Funch for encouraging me to tag along on that first trip back then. I have felt your spirit here all week..." -cg.

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Haiti. 29•Jan.•10

Bon Jour from Fond Parisien, Haiti. We didn't have internet for most of the day yesterday, so I fell a little behind in the editing / transmitting routine from here on the border of the DR. (Dominican Republic.) Here's an idea of how it looks from my end to be working here, documenting the work of trauma and orthopedic surgeons operating on Haitian earthquake victims.

I haven't worked this hard since, well, my last volunteer surgical mission... -cg.

Haiti. Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2010

Fond Parisien, Haiti: Putting in a lot of hours. It is not easy. It's hot, dirty and tiring, but the rewards are many. The smiles and the happy glances from the grateful Haitians acknowledging that this surgical team is helping them here in an IDP (Interally Displaced Persons) camp in the mountains is immeasurable. That is why I am here. -cg.

"Haiti..." January 2010.

Young Haitian orphaned boy at the Love a Child Health Center in Fond Parisien, Haiti on Tuesday, January 26, 2010. An Operation Smile orthopedic and plastic surgical team from Penn State Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, PA are in Haiti treating victims of the 7.0 earthquake earlier this month.
© Chet Gordon for Operation Smile

Fond Parisien, Haiti. Welcome back to Haiti - This is truly "The Zone..." (more on this mere phrase later.) Returning to Haiti two weeks after the massive earthquake that struck this island nation is obviously overpowering - almost traumatic if you will. From earlier posts you'll know that I'd traveled here in the Fall of 1993 on my first international self-assigned shooting trip. More like a mission. Or a calling, if you will. The images that are constantly produced here by any number of photographers are always powerful. Haiti tests your strengths and passion as a photographer, even if you don't realize it at the time. There is something about the people, the language, and oh this beautiful Caribbean light here. But I am not here on a mere nostalgia visit. This is the real deal, because as the world knows - the shit really hit the fan here two weeks ago. That is why I am here. Without question, without hesitation. Working as a volunteer for Operation Smile of Norfolk, VA means the world to me. Always has throughout my career. It has all sort of been a blur through the weekend and the continual travel, last minute change of plans and logistical nightmares of sorts so far. The medical team I'm documenting are settled into refugee camp called the Love a Child Heath Center about 20 kilometers from the Dominican Republic border, here in the mountainous region of Haiti. Most of the team are now sleeping in tents left by a team from Camden, NJ that pulled out today after two weeks here in country. That's right, I said American trauma and plastic surgeons as well nursing staff are sleeping out under the stars. I prefer and empty storage room we've converted from a classroom in one of the buildings on the grounds of this compound. In fact, we were initially going to work at a field hospital on the Dominican Republic side of the border, but when the need was realized here by our administrative and advance people, swift decisions were made to move the team here for the duration of their stay.

It's late. I feel extremely lucky to have internet connectivity and hoping it'll be reliable for the rest of the week. I'll work hard to add a few more posts here during the week on the blog, after I've moved files to the client. You can read more of how this mission is going for Operation Smile here in Haiti by going Here. -cg.

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