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Early today I got to shoot an IndyCar race. I’ve taken many racing photos. But never of actual on track action. My previous shots were limited to pit lane or the garage or a stationary car. Turn 1 at the end of a fast, long straight was an entirely different proposition.

I know the racing culture very well. Mainly because of my father. I’ve come to have immense respect for the mechanics that work on teams and the photographers that capture such captivating imagery. I could never be a mechanic (I can barely handle something from IKEA) and I only dabble in photography. So I quietly respect from afar.

I can’t hold a disposable camera to my photographic colleagues from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, LAT Photo USA, Japan media, Firestone, local media and many, many more. But today I was a willing and very, very happy imposter. In fact it was unforgettable. I went out in the field and actually shot cars at speed. For real.

Dude, I shot the start of a race

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Filed under: Flickr, Motorsports by Daniel
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Late last year, a friend forwarded me a link to the New York Times website. I clicked it, and it took me to Why We Travel: Submit Your Travel Photos 2011. I was sold immediately. Travel, photography, online and writing. All things I love.

So I had 250 words to: “Share your best travel photos and tell us the back story. Where did you go and why? What’s happening in your photo? What does it mean to you? A selection of the top images will appear in the Travel section.” It took me no time to pick a pic and write.

So here is my image and my reasoning behind the shot and selection. Enjoy. PS – not sure if the NYT’s picked it or not.

Vending Machine Land

For many years I’ve dreamt of visiting Tokyo and there were many reasons for this.

Sushi (Yum). Electronics (I’m a geek). Robots (I collect them). Anime (It’s cool). Fashion (It’s so unique). Lights (It creates a great atmosphere) Bustle (The energy). Culture (I studied anthropology). Foreign (I speak English). And vending machines (It’s a culmination of the above).

I had less than 24 hours in Tokyo this past September and I enjoyed every second of it. I walked. I walked a lot. And I carried my camera everywhere, looking for any possible moment to capture.

I took pictures of the electronic and shopping districts. Train stations. My lunch. Various views. Street scenes. Hotels. Shops. You name it.

I also stopped at countless vending machines. Sometimes I knew exactly what I was getting. Other times it was a complete surprise. Now, that’s traveling.

I love this picture. I love that the frame is filled. I purposely shot this without a flash because I wanted to capture the glow of the friendly, robot-like machines. I love that it says COMICTORANOANA. I have no idea what it means – I love these moments.

I grabbed this shot late at night in a Akihabara – kind of the electronic, anime, fashion area. These vending machines represent all of that to me…in a weird sort of way.

I returned to Akihabara the next day and it was packed. The vending machines looked completely different in daylight. I’m glad I found them late at night, alone.

Filed under: Flickr, Photography, Travel by Daniel
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This is a fluff post. It’s for your viewing pleasure. It involves Flickr. And it features some of my favorite images I’ve discovered since joining Flickr in 2006. I’ve been using Yahoo! since 1999! Wow. So here are some my pick of the pics, in no particular order. Enjoy.

I love this shot because I love Tokyo and I’ve been to this location. Vincent captures this scene in a way I couldn’t.

Tokyo by Vincent van der Pas

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Filed under: Flickr by Daniel
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Back in August I wrote about my experience in racing, holding a camera. Last week, on the IndyCar blog, I wrote about some of the changes in our photographic approach for the 2011 season. Both were good, important posts for me. In a slightly sad move, it means I won’t be taking as many photos this year. But on the flip side, our photography for 2011 will feature more images, more diversity and more photographers. There’s no need for me, and I’m OK with that. I’ll take the odd shot or two, like this one from the season opener (below). But not as many.

Messing with a fish eye

I wanted to pay homage to 2010. Give thanks to IndyCar and IMS for allowing me to spend the season taking photos whenever I wanted, in any area I wanted. It’s not something I ever took for granted, and it was a complete honor, especially as a photographic hobbyist. I was able to rub elbows with some real artists – photographers I admire. Photographers that create images that move me (and hopefully race fans). This season, I get to really reflect on their work. In 2010, I followed in their impressive foot steps, snapping away, never feeling completely comfortable, but relishing the opportunity. Here are some of my favorites.

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Filed under: Flickr, Motorsports, Photography by Daniel
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So I’m slowly revealing in this blog, that I’m a less than organized traveler. Through recent tales, I’ve thrilled you with my idiotic recaps of Cuba and Capri. This post continues my Inspector Clouseau-like travel escapades, with another island. Tioman Island to be exact.

In the summer of 2008, I visited Singapore for a work conference (yeah, I’m not sure how this one happened either). And like many previous work trips, I decided to stay a few extra days for exploration. In a rare moment of maturity and personal evolution, I actually researched where I wanted to go, ahead of time. I decided I would travel up to Malaysia and visit Tioman Island, a beautiful location off the eastern coast.

Riding the subway in Singapore

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Filed under: Flickr, Travel by Daniel
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