BBC Travel recently had a brilliant feature titled 50 Reasons #To Love The World in which it asked a range of people, from writers and chefs to musicians and photographers, to share one experience from the last year that truly inspired them. A travel experience that reminded them why they love the world.
It provided me with the inspiration to do my own Reasons to Love The World series, which will consist of photographs of my travel experiences over the past decade or so, that left an indelible impression on me, and that made me love the world we live in.
In no particular order, I started the series with a photograph made in a tango milonga in Buenos Aires during the 2011 Foundry Photojournalism Workshop. I sought to produce a multimedia project of the tango culture in the capital of Argentina, and was fortunate to meet generous people (one was a student of mine) who helped me in understanding the intricacies of the dance rituals.
Whilst photographing in the milonga halls, I imbibed the rhythm and melodies of this incredibly complex and sensuous dance, and although my Spanish is imperfect, I understood the sadness of many of its songs. The rituals followed by both men and women; often strangers, were fascinating...a sort of theater scene in which the protagonists had to follow the rules.
The experience, albeit not profound, filled me with a sense of wonderment, and an absolute love for this world.
More photographs of my Reasons To Love The World will periodically be posted.
The Seduction of Tango multimedia project:
