In a parallel universe... - A mini photo essay of a journey in Morocco while I should have been in Iraq.
In a parallel universe…
I wouldn’t be talking to the sea in Casablanca
I love talking to the sea
Maybe it is because the sea is connected to the heart of the moon
And everytime we speak
she lets me hear her thunder and her storms
the embrace of her waves
sometimes with delicacy
and sometimes with all her passion
and all of her rumbles
But when she is sad
I always tell her
That someone gifted me once a box full of darkness
but in the end that darkness will make you shine bright
brighter than a dance
under a thousand stars
I love talking to the sea so much…
And I would trade every
single
day
to say to her…
that my favourite season is autumn as well
despite
I sometimes
feel like a fading burning sun
In a parallel universe…
I wouldn’t be walking in tiny streets
With walls that stretch far into the sky
like concrete trees
and magic doors
Magic doors
so special
that if you walk through them
you will end up
End up in a place
Where your heart gets hugged
and where a song starts playing
for only those who listen with their soul
can hear
In a parallel universe…
You would not have set me down on that stool…
asking me to tell me about my day
and just to make sure
I was perfectly fine
I would have left if it wasn't for you
you know…
one of your poems was about rain
Maybe that's why I stayed
I would have left if it wasn't for you
you know…
I am sure
it was because
I recognized your rain as well…
because it looked so much like my own
And told you
self-love should be the very first romance…
In a parallel universe…
I wouldn’t have had a dream about a proud old man and a horse
Out of nothing
I heard a voice which sounded like thunder
it was a dark horse
and his name that sat on him
was life
I rode with him
until his legs were tired
but was ready to rest with a giant smile
you will be fine, my friend
he said
despite sometimes
it just takes a while…
Story behind the mini photo essay…
The initial plan for end of spring was to visit my friend in Iran. But because they had their own plans to travel, I opted to go and visit my friends in Iraq. And while I was there also create a photo essay as well. Specifically the autonomous region of Kurdistan.
When I was ready to board the plane and waiting in front of the gate with a bag full of film, and presents. There was just simply no airplane to take me to Iraq.
The solution of the airline was to stuff me into a hotel in Istanbul to wait for the next available flight. But the airport personnel here figured out that all of the upcoming flights where grossly overbooked as well, so that would be being stuck in Istanbul for way too long. And while Istanbul is an amazing city, it still would have meant I would lose valuable time in Iraq itself. And you don’t go to Iraq for a lightning quick visit if you have the chance. You want to enjoy the country to it’s fullest.
So I opted to get my money back. And as soon as I got my money back I checked for the other airline that would fly to Erbil. But that website was down…
Eventually I picked Morocco instead and gave myself a a forced holiday which I haven’t had in years! I mean I travel regularly and it is always fun. But it is always with a purpose. I am just very bad at sitting on my ass…
People who know me personally can vouch for that.
The only flight that was available which fitted in my schedule was one to Casablanca. The idea was when I got to Casablanca to take a bus to Essaouira and just chill…
But fate decided to rock my world again and gave me food poisoning right before a six hour bus ride… And if you have ever had food poisoning in your life, you would know that the only place where you feel safe is the shower… A bus is the last place where you want to be… Especially for six hours…
Of all the chances a nurse came sitting next to me, and the wonderful conversations I had with her made me feel good enough to arrive in a proper manner. Thank you Imane. :)
Eventually…
Eventually in Essaouira I couldn’t resist to do nothing at all despite I needed more than a couple of days to recover fully. But in the end I just love photography so much… It is my way to make sense of things… So I did what I could with the severe limited amount of time I had.
The other bonus was that I met some amazing people over there. People that really touched my heart in ways that I couldn’t imagine.
But that is the downside of travel…
The biggest upside of traveling is like reading a thousand books… But saying goodbye always feels like breaking your heart.
For the tech geeks…
I shot a combination of film and digital. I just grabbed the camera I was in the mood for and didn’t want to think about things too much. Also it is no secret that I use everything that a Carl Zeiss can be attached to. In the end it doesn’t matter though. A good photo is a good photo… And they still need to be printed. So from some I will create negatives and create silver gelatin prints anyway.
Photography is all about the printing…
There were of course more images taken. But those will be shared on a later moment.
Ending words…
In the future I will go back to Morocco again. And when fate allows me I will still have to plan to go to Iraq. Can’t wait to see my friends.
All will be fine in the end… And if it isn’t fine… It isn’t the end…
Thank you Halima Haloumi Goldfish, Marcus, Imane, Jakob, Marwane, Pierre, David. And all the others amazing human beings I ran into in that short of a time. Without all of you beautiful souls I definitely wouldn’t have had such a wonderful time.. You will forever be in my heart.
That is a promise…
~ Cristian
If 2021 was a secret agent... It would have been Cary Grant in Charade.
Christmas Eve…
It is Friday night and three seconds just have passed since I took the first sip of a disgusting alcohol free beer… Why in gods name did I choose this period to go alcohol free for a while… My god, it is horrible! A good beer is priceless, and it is actually one of the things that genuinely makes me happy. Fresh developer, fresh film, and a fresh New England IPA.
Well, of course there are plenty of other things. But that would just make a really long list and creates less of an entertaining story.
Whenever a setback happens I just take my time to feel like shit for a brief moment. And as soon as that has passed and I have dusted myself off, I double down on reinventing myself. One of the perks you get I guess from having a shitty childhood. So as soon as the Netherlands was thrown into another lockdown in the blink of an eye, it was a good moment to dust myself off and make sure I would turn it into something positive.
So that means becoming better at my craft which is photography, and a workout every day. Despite I am already fit, that stupid rona is not going to get me. But the reality is: It is either abs or IPA’s. You can’t have both. And ever since I stopped competing in Olympic Weightlifting those IPA’s tasted a little bit too well…
Channeling…
Slowly taking another sip, and when I put my glass down it seemed like the perfect moment to reminisce about 2021. And one of my other goals is to channel my emotions better into art without any distractions. Reminiscing is a good catalyst to do that. And hopefully the more time progresses I will become better at it. The main goal of art is not imitating your heroes, but unapologetic personal expression.
An LP of Marie Laforêt is playing in the background and I hope I can finish the sentence before I have to turn the record to the other side. I succeeded…
Since I have had an outlet I always summed up my year and what happened to me. That too seems like a fruitful exercise. To reflect… To see what can be done better. Or what I did well… Did I follow my heart and was I true to myself?
So far so good…
2021, my most successful year so far… And also a super sad one…
The biggest mark 2021 has left on me is not the success I have had this year as a photographer. It was the loss of my little nephew whos life was lost during a car accident in October. Cremating the little fella just two days before my birthday was the most surreal thing ever. It is a scar that will be hard to heal. And for my sister, his dad, his bonus dad, and my niece every day feels like drowning while the rest of the world is breathing.
It also made me indefinitely pause the project about my dad for a while. They say projects are never finished, but just abandoned. And that is completely true… I just couldn’t anymore. Not now.
The project did bring me a lot though. It made me better… It made me learn. And even better… It gave me eleven freaking exhibits which three of them were festivals… And one of the locations was in a castle! And also a book! Which is crazy! If you would have told me that at the end of 2020 I would have never believed it.
Bluebird, if you are reading this… I could not have done this without you.
Yes I am talking to you. There is only one person in the world that I call bluebird.
You have no idea how special you are to me. I will keep saying that till the end of time and until you feel it, not just hear it.
And when I start slacking, I hear your voice with your unique accent in the back of my head like you said in one of your voice messages saying: “But you are not a lazy photographer…“ And that is the moment I continue my grind.
Plus, no one in my entire life has ever told me they are proud of me. But you did…
It is a beautiful realization how important it is to have the have the support of people you care about. In the past I always did things just by myself. Didn’t have people I could spar or reflect with. Or just vent… And most of the time I was just not understood. When I was still a weightlifter I had my coach. He maybe didn’t always understand me, but he always made a effort and did his best. And that goes for the two people who are prominently right now always supporting me without them even maybe knowing how big their impact is. Bluebird, and mister “rare dingen“.
Goals are never easy. Especially if you have big ones… I know I have to work my ass off. So yes, sometimes it feels like grinding. Taking photographs is not easy. And no one will ever come knocking on your door and say: “Hey do you want to be in my gallery?“ I approach things the same as I did with my sport. Just work and work. And eventually you get there. Just never give up. Even if you know you still have a long way to go and a lot of growing to do.
I did start two new projects though. One of them will be made as a visual poem. And the other one will be about masculinity done in a way that is not that typical. I want to break through social boundaries with that. More on that in 2022.
So if 2021 was a secret agent… It would have been Cary Grant in Charade.
Charade has become one of my favourite movies. And whenever I felt down I started watching it. Behind those muscles and that beard lies a hopeless romantic which still believes in fairy tales and magic and literally daydreams all day.
Cary Grant plays a character named Peter Joshua. Not the main character though! That is the lovely Audrey Hepburn… He is working on a case about stolen money and experienced a copious amount of setbacks. In example he got sliced by a man with a hook on his hand, shot at, did weird dance moves with a piece of fruit and the bosom of a big lady…
Even when the woman he fell in love with dropped ice cream on his suit he still managed to make everything right.
2021 felt a bit like that… It has had ice cream on it’s suit, but it still made it right. Freaking lockdowns or not I still went to Egypt. Had exhibits. Made new friends. And had fun!
Didn’t count how much rolls of film I shot this year, but it was a lot. Also made plenty of prints, so that made me happy as well.
So what will 2022 bring…
I have totally no idea… And neither do all of you… I can name some of my goals though. And one of those is to get gallery representation with a gallery that is a good match. With an emphasis on a good match.
Improve myself as a human being and a photographer.
Paris Photo.
Being a better printer.
I want to go to Iran to see my friends and travel to Kurdistan as well. And see what other place I can go too.
Write more poetry.
And attend one of those freaking opening drinks! Can I just for once go to one of my own opening drinks!!!??? It is not about the drinks itself. But every success how little or big should be celebrated. And I am tired of celebrating on my own. It is just not the same… And it is lonely…
When time progresses the list of course will change up a bit. And despite it is a short list here, no worries. My list is in reality waaaay longer.
As long as it is magical it is all good…
Another thing that I want to explore is the idea what happens to a person’s identity when the scars or pain is gone… Eventually you have to be on your own again because life will come and get you. So what happens to your identity? Who are you when you can’t rely on it anymore and use it as a crutch? Who is your true self?
It is a subject matter that made me curious.
And upside down end…
These closing words were written in the evening of December 30th… Marie Laforêt has turned into Glenn Gould playing his version of The Well-Tempered Clavier. Book 1: Prelude No. 22 in B-Flat Minor… It indeed takes that long to write something. To me it is important that every word is well thought out. I want them to have weight and meaning…
Slowly getting sleepy because from at one point in my life being a night owl, I have become an early riser. I will see and fall in love with the earth before the sun does…
Hopefully the moon will not be upset… No worries moon, it is a different kind of love… Not a lovers love. Another reason is also to make sure these words will be ready to read for you on the 31st…
So that leaves me to this.
I want to say thanks to anyone that either follows me and my adventures. Supports me in either my personal life or outside. And everyone that has ever crossed my path. It may have crossed for just a short time, or maybe even for a long while. But I have become a better man by meeting you. One way, or the other…
So happy New Year to you all…
Make it magical… And chase those dreams whatever they are…
I know I will…
~ Cristian
Some random photographs that were taken through the year…
Some sun and some prints...
Finally… The sun was out…
December third was the last time I have updated my blog. The whole reason for that? Work… I think it took me about to the end of December to finalize my Myanmar work. Than came all the emailing, contacting, printing, writing, and so much more! Also research for my projects this year… So much research…
Now it is February already and it feels like a second winter here in the Netherlands.
Luckily the sun was out last Friday so that meant I could shoot some street. You can find those at the end of the post. And as you can guess. It is not going to be a long one.
Two updates…
One:
I made five prints in my darkroom which are up for sale in my print store. It is one of Phaw and is printed on Ilford Multigrade RC warmtone paper with warmtone developer. Click here to go to my print store so you can order one if you like it.
It is matted, signed, and numbered, and ready to frame and hang on your wall.
Like I said, it is a run of five. And all handmade by myself in my darkroom. Old school silver gelatin hand work.
Will print more later on. But printing in a darkroom takes a lot of time and energy. It is a different and also difficult craft besides the photographing and developing itself.
The second one:
March 6th there will be article out on Emulsive. Of course when it is live everyone will be spammed. It will be one about my Myanmar project. So super excited about it.
Looking for a gallery:
Also I am looking for a gallery to exhibit my Myanmar project. So if you are reading this, and you are a curator. Don’t hesitate to contact me. I sincerely appreciate it.
Some photographs…
Like I promised. Here are the photographs from last sunny Friday. I have shot it with my regular Ilford film. Some Rollei Retro 400s I have found in my fridge. And Even a roll of Acros.
But I hate talking about gear and gear related stuff. In the end it’s the photograph what counts. Even more so… In my humble opinion. A photograph is not a photograph until it is printed.
Not on the internetz…
*click the photographs to make them bigger.
I am the richest man in the world... The story about me in Myanmar.
Cris you are the richest man in the world…
That is what she said when we ended lunch. Or at least something similar… It doesn’t matter in the end though. It is what she meant what counts.
A cold Saturday back in the Netherlands and she finally gave me the words that I needed to start writing again. I has been a while since my last decent story. But that is okay. It was a busy time.
Just returned back form Myanmar photographing one of the most beautiful things I have ever experienced. What a trip…
I left…
*Note: Some photographs, and people I want to thank at the bottom.*
At the beginning of October I left the Netherlands to go on my adventure. Objective of the adventure: Try to tell the story of the indigenous tribes in Myanmar and how they deal with modern times.
First a small stop in Bangkok and from Bangkok I flew to Yangon, Myanmar. Too many airports, especially because I was traveling with a ton of film. But luckily all of the customs where so nice. Especially in Asia. They noticed me standing in line with my big see through bags full of film and my film was hand checked as soon as I got through customs myself. The airport in France on the other hand… They need to work on their manners a bit… But that is story is for another time… CDG, you suck.
In Bangkok I stocked up on even some more film and I was ready to go. For the people that are interested in what cameras I brought. It was my trusty Nikon FM2n and a old Yashica Mat 124G. As a back-up I brought my Nikon D810. A digital one. But that camera has never left my bag. My mind was determent this was going to be a analog only trip. If they could do it in the old days, it could be done now. And so I did.
Arriving in Yangon…
My arrival could have gone better. As soon as I got in the taxi I started feeling sick… What could it be… I never get sick… I shared the taxi with a girl which I have met at the airport and I tried to keep myself in order. Cracked open the window to get some fresh air, but with all the rain and thunder going on it was not the smartest of ideas.
As soon as I arrived in my hostel the food poisoning which I apparently had, kicked into fifth gear. Locking myself up in the toilet was the only option. Too bad the hostel turned off the water right at that exact moment.
Fuck.
Preparing for my last leg…
After being knocked off my feet for almost two days I got outside to get some fresh air and bought some Royal D. That is some sort of electrolyte drink and I needed that. I was so dehydrated… What I didn’t need was to be in a bumpy bus later that day, but I had no choice. I had to. Loikaw was up, and I just really wanted to go there. My final destination.
Luckily I met a super cool guy in the bus. And what do you know. I ran into him on the way back too.
The country had so many similarities to all the other countries I have been… And as soon as I arrived at the bus station right outside of the city it immediately felt like I was in Iran.
The whole country for me was the perfect combination of the kindness of the people of Iran, the amazing food of Vietnam, and the energy of the streets of India…
Beautiful…
Faith and a doorway to a store full of Longyi…
There she was. Standing in the doorway of a shop that sold longyis. A super big smile on her face, and so on mine. A split second was only needed before we recognized each other.
Victoria…
One of the beautiful souls that helped me so much on my way. Without her… I think most of my project would have failed. Or at least more difficult.
Professional photographer!!! it sounded!
Aaaaaaaah Victoria! So good to finally see you for real!
We exchanged a lot of messages over WhatsApp before my arrival and how she could have be of help. I ended up at random at one of her stores. I just went for a stroll to check out the city and stretch my legs, so faith decided I would meet her immediately without even texting her.
I love faith.
Me and the Chinese motorbike…
As stubborn sometimes I can be the first day I got myself a Chinese motorbike. Victoria warned me not to take that one. But me being Dutch and wanting to save money made me decide to take that one.
My ass did not thank me for that decision…
I took the motorcycle to drive to one of the first villages. It is not allowed to stay in the villages overnight, which I think is a really good thing. So the plan was to drive every morning to at least one of them and drive back before sunset.
But as unpredictable as life is… So was the rest of my journey…
Let me tell you about Moly…
Hair braided and hanging to the side with an umbrella in hand she walked towards me and asked me: Are you Cris?
The only thing I could think was she was like a beautiful young princess that could have walked right out of a Disney movie. Young and and early in her twenties I noticed she was the only one wearing western style dress…
Yes yes… I am Cris! I answered…
You must be Moly?
Moly was my interpreter in the village. I was so happy I immediately ran into her. This because after enjoying the beautiful landscapes of Myanmar I got lost, and it started to rain like Odin cried his heart out. The poncho I brought did it’s job perfectly. Camera dry, and my body too. My feet not so much, and so weren’t my glasses.
An interpreter is needed because all of the villages of the indigenous people around the country of Myanmar have their own language.
We were standing in the middle of the road, a soccer match to the left, a garrison of armed soldiers on the right. And us discussing what my plan was for the day and maybe the days later, and was I was to expect.
She hopped on the back of my Chinese motorbike the same way an amazon warrior does and told me to drive out of the village to one further away…
And so we drove…
Mulon…
I was honored to meet and have a talk with Mulon… She was one of the grandmothers of the village. She was cooking rice and preparing food for the community so Moly and I joined her for the cooking.
But what do you talk about?
I mean I am sort of good in conversation. And I have seen a lot in my life… But if you arrive finally at the place you have been preparing for, for a long time. And also, let’s be honest, seeing an old but beautiful woman with a neck almost twice the size as mine, I mean… That made me a little bit lost for words.
But after a short while the first jokes were cracked. And in the end we talked about everything that life is about.
The beauty is. And I think one of lessons you always learn no matter where you go in the world. We have more in common than we think, and we all long for the same things in life…
We ended with a portrait session…
Evil spirits…
I said goodbye to Moly for the day and made plans to return upcoming days. Because in an instant, this place already captured my heart.
Victoria made sure I was going to other places. Thank god for Victoria. I think I almost would have lived there already. So good of her that she kicked my ass into gear. Also she got me a way better motorbike.
So one of the mornings I went to the farthest place away… It was a three hour ride over mountain roads that were not always that good anymore. So a driver was needed. To share costs I joined a Spanish blogger, Manuela. And two young vibrant Burmese women, Sandar and Marina.
I cannot describe where we ended up in but it was so amazing. I think it was way to describe all of the times I arrived at a new places.
Manuela was put into traditional clothing, and off we went to the courtyard of a house in the middle of the village.
Pot and pans everywhere. A dead pig in some burning bushes. And than it started…
There was some commotion…
A rifle shot…
Playing of drums began…
The shaman was doing his ceremony with spear and shield, walking on the beat of the drum. And on some of the drum beats, more rifle fire.
They were old rifles… So old and bent, I think if you want to go out and shoot something with it you will probably hit yourself in the foot. Or any other place other than the target.
But that is okay. For the ceremony it did exactly what it had to do…
The shaman was doing all of this to get the evil spirits away from the house. Catch them. Put them in a basket with some bamboo strips and chicken bones. And bury it outside of the village where they can do no to anyone.
At one moment more rice wine…
My stomach still wasn’t settled but I drank it anyway. I mean, you only live once… And I actually quite like it. And luckily it is without alcohol I learned later. That’s a good thing… Because a couple of days later on my birthday I drank a lot more!
Fuck, it’s my birthday…
My phone started ringing early in the morning… It was Victoria.
Happpppppppyyyy Biiirrtthhdaayyy Crrriiiissss!!!
She remembered and she was actually the first one to congratulate me. Later that day she was also responsible for one of the three times I celebrated it.
I never celebrate it like a normal Dutch person does. I like it and don’t like it at the same time. I always try to be away but with Victoria around there was no escaping it.
But I had to put some clothes on… Super excited. Because I was going back to the first village and meet up with Moly and her grandmother.
Moly’s grandmother was not alone. She brought her best friend… Phaw…
For my birthday we went to their favorite place. A rice field somewhere in the mountains. It was quite the walk, but those two grandmothers walked like the wind. 78 and 74 years old but so strong and agile.
At one point we ran into a cow herder and he asked Moly where they hid me. This because I was so big in comparison to the locals and it is not allowed to stay there overnight. I had to laugh. In the Netherlands I am just normal… At least my length. My body is still that of an Olympic Weightlifter.
Soul Sisters…
They told me some amazing stories during the walk. The one I remember most vividly is that of when they were young they both had the dream of marrying a boy from the same village so they can stay together forever. And so they did… Still together as best friends in the same village…
Well if that isn’t the most beautiful and romantic story you have ever heard I just don’t know anymore…
True soul sisters and they found a way to stay together trough all of the difficult times and conflict the country has known…
The rest of the day we spend on the porch and drank some rice wine. Moly has secretly gotten me a gift gift for my birthday. A handmade scarf she made herself. It is just a gem. But what she didn’t realize, is that spending my day with her, having lunch with her family, drinking wine was the best gift I could ever have…
Even when the little kids asked me if I was in an accident because my entire body was covered in Thanaka. I was completely sunburned by now. And it was the only thing that helped.
I had to laugh a bit.
No I am fine haha. It is just a sunburn.
Time passes on…
Like I always say… Time is the most precious commodity in the world. It can’t be stopped or bought… And you can only spend it once…
That makes the rest of the day even more special. Victoria showed up at the restaurant with the biggest birthday cake I have ever had. Literally I never had such a big one! My name was on it and even a camera. How in the name of god could she have fixed that so quickly!
Time can maybe never be stopped. But these are memories I will forever carry with me…
End of my main objective…
The rest of my remainder of my time I continued photographing as much I could find of the local villages and there was gas in my motorbike. I you have any clue how difficult that is. Normal street photography rules don’t apply if you step into a different world. Not if you want to tell their real story and to be honorable about your work at the same time. Photographs are always given…
The story is also far from over…
Villages with dragon hats, got stung by a bee in my eye, got lost again…
But at one point I had to travel back…
Back to the biggest city of the country…
Back to the former capital…
I shed a little tear when I said goodbye and off I went, back into the night bus…
But it was not all bad. Met up with Sandar again and also gave me a birthday present and took me out for dinner. My third birthday party!!!
Had some amazing conversations with Natalia which I have also met in Yangon. And also Tyler my beer guzzling Australian buddy.
Time to relax after. After all my Holiday sort of started now I was done…
So Cris, will you ever come to the “you are the richest man in the world” part?
I will no worries…
If you have made it this far you have sincerely earned it…
Thank you for that…
The story so far sounds amazing. And honestly by itself it is a once in a lifetime experience. And I could already measure my richness in just this trip. But you probably have discovered that richness for me is not in money…
One of the topics discussed during the lunch is also being proud of who you are and that it is allowed to let it be part of your story… And also that it is allowed to be proud of yourself.
If I look at my life in retrospect I have plenty to be proud of and not in an arrogant kind of way. But I have never stood still for real about that. I mean I know it, but I also know nothing more than grinding… Working hard… Because in my monkey mind that is the only way to achieve my dreams…
My dad dying…
So let me tell you a little bit about myself…
My dad dying was and is still a big reason why I do what I do. Maybe it is also my souls path. But still…
I was only three years old when it happened but thinking of it now makes me remember his funeral very vividly… His coffin, how hard I cried, and the people I sought comfort with.
After my dad died my stepfather did something so atrocious to one of my family members we had to run away in an instant and were literally without a home for a while…
Of course sleeping at your grandparents and uncle at one point is still a roof. But still it’s not a good and healthy way to grow up.
When our family has been through many court sessions and other things we finally found a place for ourselves in the worst neighborhood of the city I lived in.
Waking up from gunshots… Stepping over junkies in the morning to grab my bike to go to school… No money…
The mailman even got beat up. And my gym owner learned me how to shave.
Growing up like that with literally nothing. I was so driven to make most of my life. That of course came with a shitload of mistakes. But the drive was always there. Working, training hard, studying. All at the same time. Too bad days only contained 24 hours… I made myself a promise to escape that life if it was the last thing I did.
And so I did…
I did so many things I am proud of but these are the ones I want to mention.
I achieved something later in age in Olympic Weightlifting I thought I would never do when I picked up my first barbell when I was fifteen.
And became an successful IT engineer at one of the best companies in my country. The same company also gave me the opportunity to follow my dreams to become a photographer and work part time for them.
Even learned to play three instruments and played in an awesome metal band and did some awesome shows.
And now, traveling the world…
With my camera…
As a storyteller, meeting nothing but beautiful souls along the way…
How in gods name can I not be the richest man in the world?…
~ Cristian
Some special mentions I have to make after this story. And if I forgot you. Don’t worry. You are indeed in my heart.
Victoria. Moly. Sandar. Natalia. Sai Arkar Min Tun. William. Marina. Manuela. Stephan. Leonard. Kaitlin. Nick. Lukas. Tyler. Luiza. James. Batman. Sky… My friends back-home. Tino & Alina. Wing. Eelco.
Without you nothing of this was possible.
*Note: Some photographs below. Working on these kind of projects is hard and is not free despite it is super cool to do. And also shooting analog makes it even more expensive and difficult. I still have to work on the side you know… I know my art is not affordable for everyone but there are so many way to support me. Share my name. Share a post or article. Buy a digital print which is cheaper. The options are endless. But please do not distribute my photographs without my consent. In the end when I have developed everything and the editing process will be done it will be up as a project and some handmade, high-end fine art prints will also be available.*
Some phone snaps…
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2025
- Jan 19, 2025 New Platinum Palladium print Jan 19, 2025
- Jan 14, 2025 Work in progress Jan 14, 2025
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2024
- Dec 31, 2024 Closing words for 2024... Dec 31, 2024
- Dec 18, 2024 New print. New work. New process. Dec 18, 2024
- Nov 18, 2024 Duncan Miller Gallery's Group Show Nov 18, 2024
- Oct 25, 2024 My swan went around 74 countries Oct 25, 2024
- Oct 2, 2024 YourDailyPhotograph Square Print Sale Oct 2, 2024
- Aug 14, 2024 Cyanotype Aug 14, 2024
- Aug 6, 2024 Experimental Gelatin Silver prints Aug 6, 2024
- Aug 2, 2024 I am ready to photograph humans again... Aug 2, 2024
- Jun 23, 2024 “When I see you again…” Jun 23, 2024
- Apr 26, 2024 I went to the forest and everyone knew your name Apr 26, 2024
- Apr 10, 2024 Last night's thunderstorm and something with rain. Apr 10, 2024
- Mar 12, 2024 New series: "The lost art of having a deep conversation... " Mar 12, 2024
- Feb 18, 2024 "Heavier than heaven..." Feb 18, 2024
- Feb 14, 2024 Happy Valentine's Day. Feb 14, 2024
- Feb 7, 2024 The Hand Magazine issue 43 Feb 7, 2024
- Jan 24, 2024 Grid of moons Jan 24, 2024
- Jan 8, 2024 Salt prints on unconventional paper and other news Jan 8, 2024
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2023
- Dec 11, 2023 Yet untitled addition to "I started writing you this letter in autumn..." Dec 11, 2023
- Dec 2, 2023 Small update on the matter of things and a print. Dec 2, 2023
- Nov 26, 2023 Self Portrait Nov 26, 2023
- Nov 4, 2023 and if something ever flows... Nov 4, 2023
- Sep 21, 2023 OD Photo Prize long list Sep 21, 2023
- Sep 20, 2023 Small print(s)... Sep 20, 2023
- Aug 24, 2023 A lumen print and a poem... Aug 24, 2023
- Jul 14, 2023 Artdoc Magazine - Project Feature "I started writing you this letter in autumn..." Jul 14, 2023
- Jul 9, 2023 15th Anniversary Screening during Les Rencontres d’Arles Nuit de L’Année Jul 9, 2023
- Jun 9, 2023 Istanbul - Me, my camera, and sometimes a pen... Jun 9, 2023
- Jun 6, 2023 Art Doc Magazine Exhibit - Eniga of Life Jun 6, 2023
- Jun 3, 2023 Istanbul. May, 2023. Jun 3, 2023
- May 5, 2023 Self portrait 05-05-2023 May 5, 2023
- Apr 7, 2023 Handcoating silver gelatin. Apr 7, 2023
- Mar 8, 2023 My grandfather was an alcoholic... Mar 8, 2023
- Feb 12, 2023 Moon... Feb 12, 2023
- Feb 8, 2023 Prints... prints... prints... Feb 8, 2023
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2022
- Dec 31, 2022 Goodbye 2022... Dec 31, 2022
- Dec 24, 2022 A colour blinds man attempt to colour photography... Dec 24, 2022
- Nov 29, 2022 The autumn leaves... Nov 29, 2022
- Nov 16, 2022 Back from Paris Photo 2022... Nov 16, 2022
- Oct 25, 2022 Paris Photo 2022 Oct 25, 2022
- Oct 23, 2022 I always feel you there in my dreams... Oct 23, 2022
- Oct 9, 2022 Still Melancholy Oct 9, 2022
- Sep 23, 2022 Experiment in oak toning Sep 23, 2022
- Aug 23, 2022 a dandelion Aug 23, 2022
- Aug 9, 2022 on a dreamy autumn night Aug 9, 2022
- Jul 29, 2022 I like broken things... Jul 29, 2022
- Jul 7, 2022 In a parallel universe... - A mini photo essay of a journey in Morocco while I should have been in Iraq. Jul 7, 2022
- Jun 1, 2022 My eyes were sore from staring too much into the sun Jun 1, 2022
- May 13, 2022 "Is the really the end, or a new beginning? A new reality..." May 13, 2022
- Apr 28, 2022 Hi my name is Cristian Apr 28, 2022
- Apr 9, 2022 There was a gust of wind... Apr 9, 2022
- Mar 18, 2022 Seen by CLAIRbyKahn Mar 18, 2022
- Mar 12, 2022 Lith printing. Mar 12, 2022
- Feb 1, 2022 I swallowed the sun... Feb 1, 2022
- Jan 30, 2022 Me at work (short) Jan 30, 2022
- Jan 3, 2022 Untitled addition to "You, me, and the trees..." Jan 3, 2022
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2021
- Dec 31, 2021 If 2021 was a secret agent... It would have been Cary Grant in Charade. Dec 31, 2021
- Dec 18, 2021 But who was listening? It was not God... Dec 18, 2021
- Dec 1, 2021 Dante 2021 Dec 1, 2021
- Nov 10, 2021 Secret Garden Nov 10, 2021
- Nov 8, 2021 They managed to hide from me for four weeks! Nov 8, 2021
- Nov 3, 2021 A couple of new photographs and putting myself out there... Nov 3, 2021
- Oct 20, 2021 Inspired... Oct 20, 2021
- Oct 7, 2021 Something has changed... Oct 7, 2021
- Sep 27, 2021 I will bring you to my lake one day... Sep 27, 2021
- Sep 12, 2021 My Egyptian secret window... Sep 12, 2021
- Aug 28, 2021 KAUNAS PHOTO festival. Aug 28, 2021
- Aug 8, 2021 Patty. - Memories of a man once there... Aug 8, 2021
- Jul 30, 2021 I didn't know if we were going for a ride or watching a sunset... Jul 30, 2021
- Jul 16, 2021 Kirsten Jul 16, 2021
- Jul 6, 2021 Dante 2021 Jul 6, 2021
- Jun 25, 2021 Winter tea in summer… Jun 25, 2021
- Jun 23, 2021 Opening Reception Mono - Kromatik Praxis Arts Center. Jun 23, 2021
- Jun 20, 2021 Happy father's day, dad. A letter to you... Jun 20, 2021
- Jun 11, 2021 Portrait of Tom de Haan Jun 11, 2021
- May 30, 2021 Opening reception at the PH21 gallery. May 30, 2021
- May 27, 2021 Photographs are not always about the photograph... May 27, 2021
- May 1, 2021 Life as a colorblind (photographer)... May 1, 2021
- Apr 2, 2021 Shorlisted for the Belfast Photo Festival... Apr 2, 2021
- Mar 31, 2021 "Embracing Stillness" Group Show at the Humble Arts Foundation, New York. Mar 31, 2021
- Mar 17, 2021 I found this old bench... Mar 17, 2021
- Mar 16, 2021 Monochrome exhibit at the Blank Wall Gallery. Mar 16, 2021
- Feb 18, 2021 Nothing... Feb 18, 2021
- Feb 8, 2021 A low light was suddenly present. Feb 8, 2021
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2020
- Dec 31, 2020 Waní-wí-ipȟá - A reflection of 2020... Dec 31, 2020
- Dec 14, 2020 It's so good to see you once again... Dec 14, 2020
- Dec 10, 2020 Exhibit at the waterfront studios Brooklyn, New York. Dec 10, 2020
- Nov 30, 2020 Hands of a poet... Nov 30, 2020
- Nov 18, 2020 What-is-love? Nov 18, 2020
- Oct 17, 2020 Dear future Cris... A birthday letter... To me... Oct 17, 2020
- Oct 6, 2020 We went to the beach once. Fed the birds... Oct 6, 2020
- Sep 28, 2020 Some days it is okay not to be okay. But the next day I want to smile all the bad stuff away... Sep 28, 2020
- Sep 14, 2020 A gateway to another dimension... Sep 14, 2020
- Aug 27, 2020 Publication in Lens Magazine. Aug 27, 2020
- Aug 25, 2020 Edge of Humanity Magazine - Souls of Iran. Aug 25, 2020
- Aug 16, 2020 A fistful of fifties and a day without fear... Aug 16, 2020
- Aug 9, 2020 Support me on Ko-fi... Aug 9, 2020
- Jul 10, 2020 Diary entry during a pandemic once forgotten... The death of my father... And a flying snowman... Jul 10, 2020
- Jun 17, 2020 Solidarity protest against anti-black violence in the US and EU. - Haarlem, the Netherlands. Jun 17, 2020
- Jun 10, 2020 New prints available. Jun 10, 2020
- Apr 19, 2020 My COVID-19 notes... And a heart that broke. Apr 19, 2020
- Apr 1, 2020 F-Stop Magazine: Issue #100 April - May 2020 — Past/Future Apr 1, 2020
- Mar 7, 2020 Article in the French magazine L'Œil de la Photographie Mar 7, 2020
- Mar 6, 2020 Article on Emulsive. - People of Myanmar: The Kayan and Kayah Mar 6, 2020
- Feb 9, 2020 Some sun and some prints... Feb 9, 2020
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2019
- Dec 3, 2019 Remembering my grandfather... Dec 3, 2019
- Nov 20, 2019 I am the richest man in the world... The story about me in Myanmar. Nov 20, 2019
- Aug 30, 2019 Featured on Emulsive Aug 30, 2019
- Aug 19, 2019 Funding upcoming photography project print sale. Aug 19, 2019
- Jul 2, 2019 Featured on the JCH website. Jul 2, 2019
- Jun 3, 2019 Coffee in the old city of Jerusalem, Sore feet, and defining your why... Jun 3, 2019
- May 27, 2019 "My 35mm time machine..." also on Phot News Canada. May 27, 2019
- May 17, 2019 Guest article for the Ilford website: "My 35mm time machine..." May 17, 2019
- Apr 16, 2019 Playing with color... Apr 16, 2019
- Mar 17, 2019 Andante - Portrait series of the soul. No 2. - Reham Mar 17, 2019
- Mar 11, 2019 Women's March 2019 Mar 11, 2019
- Feb 23, 2019 Digital vs Analog, Israel, testing stuff, and other project updates. Feb 23, 2019
- Jan 28, 2019 A quick date with Kodak Tri-X. Jan 28, 2019
- Jan 4, 2019 Learn from this mistake... My adventure with Ilford PAN F and a jetlag. Jan 4, 2019
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2018
- Dec 22, 2018 Going to Vietnam, Listening to an old lady singing Celine Dion songs, and freezing in China Dec 22, 2018
- Dec 3, 2018 Ilford HP5+ at box speed, a Nikon FM2n, and a people in yellow vests... Dec 3, 2018
- Nov 19, 2018 The small KOZP demonstration photo series... Nov 19, 2018
- Nov 3, 2018 The monkeys did it! - My days in Varanasi, India... Nov 3, 2018
- Sep 3, 2018 Make A Wish... Sep 3, 2018
- Aug 12, 2018 The one about how photography is looked upon across the world. A sour market salesman. And you and your work are important. Aug 12, 2018
- Jul 11, 2018 Introducing Andante - Portrait series of the soul. No 1. Jul 11, 2018
- Jul 4, 2018 Nothing About Us Without Us. Syrian refugees. And a human rights organization named Kompass. Jul 4, 2018
- Jun 15, 2018 Did Instagram kill photography? Jun 15, 2018
- Jun 3, 2018 The most awesome publication... A cover in Iran. Jun 3, 2018
- May 8, 2018 Five things I learned about (Life) going to Jerusalem the second time... May 8, 2018
- Apr 19, 2018 Five things I learned about (Photography) going to Jerusalem the second time... Apr 19, 2018
- Apr 5, 2018 Aida and Dheisheh refugee camp... Apr 5, 2018
- Mar 27, 2018 Snaps during national demonstration "No racism in the council." Mar 27, 2018
- Mar 19, 2018 F##k instant gratification. Mar 19, 2018
- Feb 21, 2018 Finally my Iran work in physical form! Souls of Iran as a Zine! Feb 21, 2018
- Jan 11, 2018 Art exhibition Park Hotel starting January 19th Jan 11, 2018
- Jan 4, 2018 The importance of printing your work... Jan 4, 2018
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2017
- Dec 20, 2017 Who are you shooting for? Dec 20, 2017
- Nov 13, 2017 Capturing Kick Off Alliantie Genderdiversiteit Nov 13, 2017
- Nov 1, 2017 Armando Aid Fundraiser - November 18th. Nov 1, 2017
- Oct 12, 2017 Voorlinden Empty Meet. The results! Oct 12, 2017
- Oct 7, 2017 Voorlinden empty meet! The info! Oct 7, 2017
- Aug 8, 2017 Souls of Iran... Aug 8, 2017