Day 1: Welcome to Jerusalem

Jerusalem, how do i begin...? How do I explain to somebody else an experience I still haven't grasped myself. I set out to create images in a land in which I had never been before in a style that I had yet to try for a purpose that was still unclear. Yep, that about sums it up. As much as I tell students to experiment before it matters and do not try a new process if it is of a non repeatable subject I found myself not listening to my own advice. I was in Jerusalem with an idea that was vague at best. I did have my sister Tianna along for moral support/sudo tour guide/impromptu model/camera operator when I needed to be the impromptu model. That was a nice comfort.

(I must refer people to my sisters blog if you want a more detailed travel-log.)

Seeing how I was in unchartered territory without a map, I found myself resorting to what I knew for comfort. I kept playing the role of the artistic tourist. I kept taking pictures that could almost be used as stock images. (i.e. pictures of everything and nothing that I can sell for whatever later.) To be honest I needed to play the tourist a little bit...I was in Jerusalem for crying out loud. My first real jaunt out of the country and my first need for a passport. I must enjoy the experience.

So a lot of the pictures I will post here will be of that nature, the artistic tourist. For those that would like to see the other pictures that were the impetus for the trip and that I discussed earlier, you may check out my other blog where I post new images as I finish them. Here are a few links: 1 - 2 - 3. I will post images and commentary in multiple blogs, probably by day, that way they won't become too big.

Here goes, day 1:

Ok. So the first day was a little slow. Getting to Jerusalem is a whole other story that I will reserve for a different time. It was late when I arrived at the Jerusalem center and by the time we got to our hospice and found something to eat I was already beat. Also I was still a little nervous unsheathing my camera for fear of thieves and such so unfortunately I only have three pictures to show for my first day. The first was a view from the Jerusalem center over the old city. Second was my first meal in Jerusalem at a restaurant right at the end of our street. (Talk about a cultural experience-we ordered pizza-I'm a lame tourist) And the third is a view of our bedroom windows. Makes you feel all warm and fuzzy to see all those heavy bars right where you are sleeping. Unfortunately it wasn't enough to block out the 4 am 'call to prayer' being blasted over the loudspeakers.