School lunches from around the world, May/June 2010 issue of Afar Magazine. My photo is the white plate on the red table cloth, bottom right.

If there is one thing I really love about the world of photography these days, it is this: it is easier than ever to connect with Photo Editors’ and for them to take advantage of where you may be travelling to.

Let me explain.

In late December 2009, an email popped up in my inbox asking for shots of school lunches from around the world. The PE at Afar Magazine wanted to assign the job to multiple photographers, in multiple countries. With my January/February trip to the Maldives already booked, I put my hand up for the Maldives and was assigned it.

Now to be honest, this wasn’t the most glamorous of assignments, but it was actually a lot of fun. In the Maldives I hooked up with my Maldivian friend and fellow photographer, Ahmed Zahid. Together we went to the boys school in Male’ and after explaining what I was after to two different people, we were given permission to do the shoot (well, take two photos – shoot is a bit of a stretch!).

The photo taking bit took about 8-minutes. The getting permission bit took about 22-minutes. That night I uploaded the hi-res images and sent them to my editor.

In June of this year I was killing some time at Bangkok airport waiting for my flight to Japan. What did I spot in the newsagency? None other than the May/June 2010 issue of Afar. Flicking through I found the double page spread and let me tell you, it looks great!

If you haven’t seen Afar magazine yet, then make sure you get a copy. One of the things I really like about it is the print quality and colour reproduction. I’m not sure what paper they use, but it has a great pearly type feel to it. As for the colour reproduction, it is fantastic. The content is great too. Grab a copy and have a read.

Thanks to Tara from Afar Magazine for assigning me the Maldives.

Afar Magazine

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Three men clad in aprons and rubber boots, cleaning, cutting and disposing of Yellowfin Tuna, at a tuna processing plant in the Maldives, on the 31 October 2007. The Yellowfin will be processed into tuna steaks for export to the European market.

This weeks photos comes from inside a small tuna processing factory on Hulhumale’ Island, just across the way from Male’, the capital of the Maldives.

Many times the hardest thing I do as a photographer is figure out a way to arrange access to specific locations. As a photographer I rely on friends-of-friends as well as people known in the industry as Fixers. As the name implies, Fixers fix stuff. And by stuff, I mean anything that I may need, whether it is arranging a meeting with a person to gain access to a facility, organising transport, translating in the field…the list is almost endless.

The best Fixers are the one’s that become your friends.

In the Maldives I was fortunate to become friends with Ahmed Zahid, who was instrumental in getting me access to countless places throughout the country. Zahid arranged the meeting with a person that knew a tuna factory owner. That person then arranged another meeting for me with the tuna factory owner. I knew that when I met the tuna factory owner that I would have to be bringing something to the table. Rocking up and asking for access to take photos simply because you are a photographer, is rarely a good enough reason.

While I try and limit what I am offering in exchange for access, in this instance the tuna factory owner would only allow me access if I provided a selection of hi-res images for him to use to promote his business. In the end, I negotiated unlimited photographic access to the tuna factory processing floor. In exchange I provided a selection of images for the tuna factory owner to use. They weren’t the best photos, but they were good enough for what the tuna factory owner wanted.

I would later go on to license a number of the images (separate to the one’s provided to the tuna factory owner) to Serendib Magazine to accompany an article I produced on tuna processing plants in the Maldives.

[This photo can be licensed via Aurora Photos. Just double click on the photo to license it].

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It was 6-months before I managed to get myself onto a commercial fishing boat. I had taken a regional flight from the capital Male’ to Addu Atoll, the southern most atoll in the country. I met Ahmed Zahid – a friend-of-a-friend – who knew some fishing captains. Not long after I found myself boarding a 30-metre super dhoni (traditional Maldivian vessel), along with 15 or so Maldivian commercial fishermen, all of them strangers.

For the next 24-hours I drank endless cups of Nescafe 3-in-1 (think the sweetest, strongest instant coffee you can find), I slept on damp decks with fish smelling nets as pillows and I dealt with constant nausea from the open ocean swells. In between, I shot 600 plus frames of the fishermen doing what they do.

That day I learnt that even some of the tallest stories can be true.

It was true that fishermen use a barbless hook and they literally hook and flick the tuna onto the back deck of the dhoni. It was also true that they can catch tons of tuna in just one day. This trip alone, the crew pulled aboard 7-tonnnes of Skipjack Tuna.

I successfully sold this story (photos and words) to Sri Lankan Airlines Magazine Serendib, which was subsequently published in the November/December 2006 issue.

In my next installment I’ll recount my second commercial fishing trip, which lasted 5-days. The first, second and fifth image are available for licensing via Aurora Photos. Just double click on the image to license.

Commercial fishermen searching for bait fish at night in a lagoon, Addu (Seenu) Atoll, Maldives, on the 6 June 2006. Commercial fishing in the Maldives is the second largest employer after the tourism industry. The main fishing industry is centered on pole and line fishing for Skip Jack Tuna and hand line fishing for Yellowfin Tuna. The Maldives is a major exporter of tuna to European and Asian markets.

Commercial fishermen sleeping on the back deck of a commercial fishing dhoni (traditional Maldivian boat), off the coast of Addu (Seenu) Atoll, Indian Ocean, Maldives, on the 6th of June 2006

Commercial fisherman sleeping on the back deck of a commercial fishing dhoni (traditional Maldivian boat), off the coast of Addu (Seenu) Atoll, Indian Ocean, Maldives, on the 6th of June 2006

Commercial fishermen pulling aboard a Skip Jack tuna on a commercial fishing dhoni (traditional Maldivian boat), off the coast of Addu (Seenu) Atoll, Indian Ocean, Maldives, on the 6th of June 2006

A commercial fisherman pulling aboard a Skip Jack tuna on a commercial fishing dhoni (traditional Maldivian boat), off the coast of Addu (Seenu) Atoll, Indian Ocean, Maldives, on the 6th of June 2006

Commercial fishermen getting ready to unload Skip Jack Tuna to a processing vessel, Addu (Seenu) Atoll, Maldives, on the 6th of June 2006

Commercial fishermen getting ready to unload Skip Jack Tuna to a processing vessel, Addu (Seenu) Atoll, Maldives, on the 6th of June 2006

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I first visited Soneva Fushi on assignment for Serendib Magazine in 2007. It was during that first trip that I met many of the wonderful staff at Soneva Fushi and learnt first hand how the resort was changing the  way it runs things, all in the name of the environment.

This trip was for a commission with Bangkok Airways magazine. As the article hasn’t been written, or even published yet, I can’t talk about the subject matter. Instead, I thought it would be a good idea to provide a run down of my two days on the island, just to give readers an idea of how busy some of my resort visits are.

Day 1:

11.15 am: I meet good friend Ahmed Zahid at the Airport Jetty, for the 10-minute trip to the International airport. A photographer in his own right, Zahid offered to assist for me with the portrait shoots.

11.45 am: Picked up at the International airport and driven to the sea plane terminal, a 7-minute shuttle.

11.52 am: Escorted to the VIP lounge; complete paperwork; quick drink; then escorted to Twin Otter sea plane.

12.18 pm: Sea plane departs for Soneva Fushi, with a 10-minute stop at Soneva Gili Resort to pick up some passengers.

1.16 pm: Arrive at floating dock in a lagoon adjacent to Soneva Fushi. The water is an incredible turquoise blue. Just stunning!

1.21 pm: Transfer to a dhoni (traditional Maldivian boat) for the trip to the resort.

1.32 pm: Arrive at Soneva Fushi. Straight to lunch.

2.15 pm: Shown to villa. Settle in; repack equipment, then off to first interview and shoot.

2.30 pm: Interview, then portraits.

3.30 pm: Back to villa.

3.45 pm: Back to the main dock for boat trip with staff to the nearby sand bar for afternoon/evening cocktails.

4.05 pm: Arrive at one of the most spectacular sand bars I have seen in the Maldives. Photograph staff setting up.

5.15 pm: First guests begin to arrive from resort by speed boat.

7.30 pm: Leave the sand bar, returning to the resort.

7.45 pm: Sit down for dinner with the GM and other guests. The food at Soneva Fushi is superb!

9.00 pm: Finish dinner, then back to villa. Download the days photos; do a rough edit; check schedule for the morning. To bed at midnight.

Phew. A busy day. Great to be back out on the islands with Zahid again and to reconnect with some of the people I had previously spoken to at Soneva Fushi. Day 2 tomorrow.

A few favourite photos from the day.

Beautiful abstract reef patterns near Soneva Gili Resort Maldives.

Sea plane transfer with Soneva Fushi Resort, Maldives.

Approaching a sand bar, Maldives.

Soneva Fushi Resort staff setting up on a sand bar, Maldives.

Guests enjoying evening cocktails on a sand bar, Maldives.

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Early morning light at Damnoen Saduak Floating Markets

A Maldivian friend of mine – Ahmed Zahid - is in town, so this morning we got up nice and early and made the hour long trip out to Damnoen Saduak floating markets.

We left Bangkok at 5.40 am and arrived around 6.45 am, just in time for the first rays of light to start hitting the narrow canals. Not only did we score some nice light, we also enjoyed the calm before the storm. Two hours later, the place was packed with people like Zahid and myself. It is a very touristy place, though you can get great meals for reasonable prices right on the water.

If you are ever headed out to Damnoen Saduak floating market, know that your driver can drive you to the markets, where you can get out and walk around.

Some drivers take their passengers to a longboat provider, who will insist that the only way to the markets is via boat and yes, you really do need to pay $3000 Baht each. Which of course is total rubbish. The driver gets a kick back too.

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