Jacques' Photo Blog
For the foreseeable future, I'll be living part-time in both New York City and Kazakhstan. While I'm abroad, Happening Photos cofounder Steve Hart will continue to serve our clients in the US, and I will expand Happening Photos' service area into Central Asia. Within just a few days of arriving in Kazakhstan, I had already booked two event photography jobs in Almaty and a wedding in Dushanbe. This blog will be my primary vehicle for sharing experiences, information, and photos about places I visit and my work as a photographer. I hope you enjoy it, and I welcome comments, questions and story ideas. Please feel free to use the guestbook to share your thoughts.
Housing Boom in the Hills Above Dushanbe
September 11, 2013
•
Leave a Comment
Weeks ago, I noticed a ridge on the other side of the Varzob River that I thought might afford a good view of the mountains in the distance. I checked a map and saw that a road ran along the ridge. Recently I packed up my little traveling pouch of camera and lenses and headed out the door for a quick stroll up the ridge. Well, you know how the top...
Read the Full Post »
New Photos of Old Amusement Rides at a Local Park
September 11, 2013
•
Leave a Comment
I found a bunch of charming old amusement rides at a local park near my house. I was so excited to find them, as I'd seen something similar in Khujand but not had time to photograph there. Some of the rides are clearly decrepit, and at first I assumed they were all long out of service. After I walked around for a while, though, a fellow running a r...
Read the Full Post »
Easy HDR for Better Landscape Photos
September 05, 2013
•
Leave a Comment
New software tools are helping me make even better landscape images with proper exposure throughout, even under contrasty light conditions. The technology is called High Dynamic Range (HDR) or exposure stacking, and it involves shooting an exposure bracket - multiple photos of the same subject with exposure settings optimized for the shadows, the h...
Read the Full Post »
Rangorang Silk Road Heritage Festival
September 02, 2013
•
Leave a Comment
The Rangorang Silk Road Heritage Festival featured handicrafts from around Tajikistan as well as both traditional and pop musical & dance performances. It was organized by VSO Tajikistan and held on August 31 at the groovy old Soviet-era cable car station in Victory Park. You can see more photos in the Rangorang gallery.
Read the Full Post »
Seashells on a Hilltop
June 14, 2013
•
Leave a Comment
All of the decorative stone cladding on the cable car station in Victory Park has countless small seashells embedded all through it. Which seems ironic on top of a hill about 600 miles from the nearest large body of water. Despite its disuse, the building is still a striking example of Soviet-era architecture.
You can see more photos on the Dushan...
Read the Full Post »
Summer Starts in Earnest
June 10, 2013
•
Leave a Comment
The roadside shade trees, the pastel colors on buildings, and the overhead grapevines in courtyards are all starting to make sense now as the mercury climbs over 100 degrees.
You can see more photos of Dushanbe on the recent work page.
Read the Full Post »
Concert Photos On French Embassy Website
June 09, 2013
•
2 Comments
My photos of a local music event have been published on the website of the French Embassy in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The June 1 event was organized by the Bactria Cultural Center with support from the French Embassy and held at the Serena Hotel in Dushanbe. It featured French band Caragoss' as well as Tajik band Jergai and others. I was there with on...
Read the Full Post »
Sketchy Electricity Supply
June 03, 2013
•
Leave a Comment
Electrical power here in Dushanbe can be sketchy at times, which makes a voltage regulator or uninterruptible power supply (UPS) a good investment if you've got computer gear or other voltage-sensitive equipment. Fortunately, these items are readily and cheaply available at local electronics retailers here in Dushanbe. The last few nights we've had...
Read the Full Post »
Making Friends at Victory Park in Dushanbe
June 02, 2013
•
Leave a Comment
A new local friend introduced me to a great little getaway spot on the east side of Dushanbe. Victory Park is on a hill overlooking much of the downtown area, and it features a nice little outdoor café. There's a cable car that stopped running to the top about a year ago. Now, access is on foot or by taxi. The café seems to be doing a good business...
Read the Full Post »
Second Day Out In Dushanbe
May 29, 2013
•
Leave a Comment
After spending yesterday learning how to tend our new veggie, fruit & flower garden, today was my second day out with a camera in Dushanbe. I got my first clear view of the snow-capped mountains in the distance, which promise a cool respite from the 100+ degree temps that are coming.
In order to preserve the wide range of tones in the bright sunli...
Read the Full Post »
© Jacques Cornell Photography