The Documentarian

Guangdong | Taste China

I returned to China for another documentation project. This time, the four of us (Nick, Ringo, Irfan and myself), were going to Guangdong Province in southern China. We were invited by GD Today (Guangdong Today) and in collaboration with Chinese Culture Development Center were going to spend 11 days photographing

Sichuan | Taste of China

I, along with three other Los Angeles-based photographers, was invited by the Chinese Culture Development Center to participate in a project called - 2024 “Taste China” World-Class Photographers’ Journey Through Sichuan. (for more information on the project see the CCDC website https://ccdcusa.com/2024-taste-china-world-class-photographers-journey-through-sichuan/) The objective of the one-week

My Son's Nubian marriage celebration | Egypt

After my son, Shamseddiin was married in Mauritius to Sophia Grobler, they like my daughter came to Egypt to celebrate their marriage with their Nubian relatives. Sophia's parents, sister and husband joined in the festivities. Here are screenshots of the album I put together |

Sailing with the Sibs | Alaska Cruise

I am from a big family with three brothers and two sisters. With my father often serving overseas with the State Department for a few years and then stationed somewhere else, my siblings were who I often interacted with especially my older brother, Jeff. He has always been trying to

Scotland Impressions | A four day visit

Prior to starting our walk of Hadrian's Wall in northern England, Al and I decided to rent a car and drive around Scotland. We worked out an ambitious itinerary at a pub upon arrival in Edinburgh. After hitting the road, it became apparent we would need to amend

Hadrian's Wall Walk | England

This time my annual adventure with Al Willner would take us to northern England to walk Roman Emperor Hadrian's Wall. Al had proposed the walk and it hit a lot of things I like....history, adventure, discovery, scenic environment, and, of course, hanging out with my friend. However,

Chemin de la Liberte | France | Spain

Al and I had planned to do the six-day guided hike over the Pyrenees Mountains from France to Spain called the Path to Freedom. However, after the Tunisia Battlefield expedition, Spanish Civil War sites and just off the Hannibal Trail trek, we only had one free day before friend, Norman,

London Walkabouts

On our way back from out son's wedding in Mauritius, we stopped over in London and spend two weeks in my parent's London flat. They had bought the place some 30 years ago but after my dad passed away and my mom's stroke the

Morocco Meanderings

Last summer I attended the Covid-delayed 70th anniversary American School of Tangier reunion and met up with my brother, Jeff. Both of us including another brother, Chris, were boarders at the school in the early 70ties. After the reunion, my brother and I headed to Marrakesh to meet up with

Tintype Cairo | Imagining the past

Cairo Visit | Tintype Family Photo Album

I'm here in Cairo visiting family and, as usual, I take snaps of family and street scenes as I go about my business. I decided to use a tintype app on my phone to convert some of these relatively mundane photos and I liked the results. I had

Spanish Civil War

While planning the Hannibal Trail journey, I was checking sites in Spain on Google Maps and came across the site of a Spanish Republican bunker complex outside of Madrid and it peaked my interest in the Spanish Civil War. My friend Al Willner and I had first come in contact

My son's wedding | Mauritius

Last summer my son, Shamseddiin, married a beautiful and lovely South African girl, Sophia Grobler, at the Grand Gaube Lux resort in Mauritius. An absolutely wonderful occasion with close family and a few friends in a magical oceanside setting. Most of the photographs were done by excellent Mauritian photographer Raj

Death in the Afternoon | Madrid

My bullfighting adventure begin with a Guru Walk tour of Spanish Civil War sites in downtown Madrid. I was with friends Al Willner and Norman Engvall and during the tour we befriended fellow American and military history enthusiast Steve Jelso. After the tour he proposed visiting one of Hemingway'

Battle for Tunisia | Honored by Press Photographers Association

2022 Qtr. 2 Picture Story — Press Photographers Association of Greater Los AngelesDoug Pizac , Quarter 2 Judge This category was the most disappointing.  The definition for it is to tell a story where the loss of any images would hurt the interpretation.  Unfortunately, many of the entries

Hannibal Trail | Tunisia | Spain | France | Italy

We started on the Hannibal Trail where the charismatic Carthaginian leader met his only major defeat at the hands of the rival Romans. In 202 BC after 16 years of battling and defeating Roman Legions in Italy, Hannibal was recalled to defend Carthage. Scipio Africanus who had defeated Carthaginian armies

Battle for Tunisia | 1942-43

The Idea | Six months earlier I had made a brief visit with an Algerian colleague and friend to Carthage in what I call "Memory Lane Trips." I was born there and wanted to find the villa where my parents had lived and maybe the French clinic where I

My Daughter's Nubian marriage celebration | Egypt | Nubia

After my daughter was married in Topanga, she and her husband took their honeymoon in Italy and then came to Egypt where we celebrated their union Nubian style. Most of the henna and pre-party photos were taken by Nabra's cousin and professional photographer, Mai Mohsen. The album was

Oasis Road | Tunisia

After participating in the Oasis Road International Forum on Photography, I decided to do a book. However, unlike the other books that I have done in which I write my impressions and observations, I decided to quote writers and thinkers with their impressions and thoughts about the desert and oasis

My Daughter's Topanga Wedding | California

Last summer our daughter married her long-time boyfriend, Daniel, at our home in Topanga. It had been postponed a year because of the pandemic. The vast majority of the photos in this album are done by my friend and professional photographer, Vince Bucci. I'm posting the album I

Mauritius | Isle of Paul et Virginie

I traveled to Mauritius to see my son, Shams, and meet his girlfriend, Sophia. Shams had moved from South African to Mauritius where he is now living. I looked up Mauritius on the internet and what many sites mentioned was the story of Paul et Virginie by French author and

Tunisia | The Oasis Road International Forum on Photography

I was invited to Tunisia to participate in the 4th Oasis Road International Forum on Photography. On the third day of the forum I awoke at dawn and looked out to see this beautiful pre-dawn sunrise. I took a quick picture from the window of my room and tried to

Medium format photos | Egypt | Mauritius | Tunisia

I just returned from a great six week trip to the Middle East and Mauritius. We celebrated our daughter Nabra's marriage to Daniel in Cairo - Nubian style; visited my son, Shams, and his girlfriend, Sophia, at Riviere du Rempart in Mauritius: and traveled to the Tunisian desert

Shanghai | City of the Future

A couple days ago, a guest mentioned she had lived in Shanghai for a year. This got me to thinking about the trip I had taken there five years ago. It was, and so far, has been the only time I have been to China. It was an amazing trip.

Road Trip | Milwaukee to Topanga

I just recently returned from Milwaukee after spending over two months there doing home improvements and finding a new tenant. I think I have done the round-trip road trip from LA to Milwaukee five times. Normally, I take between three and six days to do the trip and try and