Running my own photography business has taught me so much.  I have learned about entrepreneurship.  I have learned that passion is a strong motivator, as is the fear of failure.  I have learned how to open myself up to people and to take chances on ideas.  And I have learned about the power of partnership and creative collaboration.

Three years ago I had a chance encounter with documentary filmmaker Mike Rogers.  During that first meeting we talked about our respective businesses and experiences, and we quickly learned that we shared a lot in common, both creatively and philosophically.  We became fast friends, and shortly thereafter Mike invited me to accompany him on a documentary film shoot to Bhutan.

For as long as I can remember, I’d fantasized about visiting the remote and enigmatic Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan.  It was certain to be a dream photographic adventure for me.  There was a catch though: it was a small, independent documentary production with only minimal funding, so there would be no money to pay me; if I wanted to go to Bhutan, I’d have to agree to work for free.

I decided to just go for it, clear my calendar and join Mike on what I imagined would be the shoot of a lifetime.

Accompanied by our small Bhutanese crew, my role was to shoot still photography to appear in, and advertise, the film, as well as provide a visual record of the creation of the documentary for Mike's production company.

Exploring and shooting Bhutan was indeed my dream assignment come true, and the result was the most amazing travel and photography experience of my life.

Ironically, the photography I made in Bhutan “for free” has also been the most commercially successful collection of imagery I have ever created.

Photography from the Bhutan shoot has appeared in National Geographic Magazine, The New York Times and Adobe’s Photoshop.com website.  In 2009 I was awarded an honourable mention for "Excellence in Feature Photography" by the Society of Publishers in Asia for my Bhutan imagery published by Reader’s Digest (Asia).  And earlier this year the prestigious Luerzer’s Archive selected me as one of the “200 Best Advertising Photographers Worldwide” (2010/11) for the photography I made in Bhutan to promote Mike’s documentary film.

This month, some of my Bhutan photography will also

appear in the "Himalayan" issue of Germany's GEOspecial, a bi-monthly monothematic travel magazine in Germany.

My image of the joyous novice monks careening down the hill at their monastic school will feature on the cover of the December 2010 / January 2011 GEOspecial, as well as across a double-page spread inside, while one of my Tiger's Nest photographs will run across another (nearly) double-page spread.

Mike’s film, Shooting For Democracy: The Emerging Lens Initiative, was completed earlier this year and has been screened at a number of independent film festivals across the United States.

It’s amazing to imagine where I would be if I’d not met Mike or taken the chance on our friendship or the offer of adventure in Bhutan.

My father has a great expression: You never know if you never go.

Well, I went.  And I am so glad I did.

In late September I spent a week shooting a commission in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, Vietnam for the UK edition of American Express' Centurion Magazine.

Although I've recently written a handful of posts about this trip, as well as uploaded a series of images I made during this assignment, the Winter 2010 edition of Centurion Magazine UK is published this week, and I wanted to share the completed feature "A Tale of Two Cities" written by Anthony Dennis and photographed by me.

As Anthony writes in the article, "Hanoi and Saigon (or Ho Chi Minh City, as it's officially though not popularly called) are members of the unofficial club of the world's great rival metropolises.

"Hanoi, the capital in the north, is a city of tree-fringed lakes, wide boulevardsand petite, Paris-style parks tucked away in neighbourhoods full of faded, mustard-coloured French-style mansions and elegant Belle Epoque public buildings which have somehow survived Vietnam’s turbulent times.

"While not without some Gallic flavour, Saigon...more reflects the American era, with an aggressive capitalist spirit still less evident in Hanoi.  Paradoxically, it’s the

nation’s turbulent history...that renders Vietnam such an alluring destination, particularly as seen through the prism of its two principal cities."

Although I am pretty certain which of the cities is my favourite, as Anthony notes, "experiencing Hanoi and Saigon, and deciding upon which one you favour, remains one of the joys of a trip to Vietnam.  It is a country, after all, where, when it comes to cities, it takes two to tango."

Visit my website to see a larger collection of photographs I made while in Vietnam, including imagery that doesn't appear in the Centurion Magazine feature.

Last week, a client and I got into a friendly debate about Vietnam's best city: Is it Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi?  My answer was unequivocally HCMC.

True, it is (just barely) controlled chaos on the streets of Saigon.  But it has a pulse, an energy that is infectious. Besides, having lived in HCMC in the late-1990s, it clearly holds a special place in my heart.

My client disagreed with me, bestowing the virtues of Hanoi: the climate, the greenery, the slower pace of life in Vietnam's capital city.

Personally, I think it's like comparing Canberra to Sydney, Ottawa to Toronto, Washington D.C. to New York City. Although all these capital cities are undoubtedly nice, to me there's just no comparing them to the economic and cultural hubs of their respective nations.

We agreed to disagree on Vietnam's best city.  But the conversation got me thinking about Hanoi.

Indeed, there are many great things about Hanoi; one of the best is Hoan Kiem Lake.

The heart of Hanoi, Hoan Kiem Lake is steeped in legend. The name Hoan Kiem, literally translated as "returned sword", is derived from a 15th century myth in which the gods bestowed upon the emperor a magical sword, which he used to defeat the invading Chinese.  Vietnamese folklore says that one day, while boating on Hoan Kiem Lake, a giant turtle appeared and snatched the sword from the king's hands, returning it to the gods, and giving the lake it's monicker.  Giant tortoises are said to still inhabit Hoan Kiem Lake.

A popular spot for lovers to cuddle, a fashionable backdrop for wedding photos, a favoured location for people of all ages to stroll and, each morning at sunrise, a wonderful place to watch local Vietnamese practice the ancient art of Tai Chi, Hoan Kiem Lake lures both residents of, and visitors to, Hanoi with it's history, beauty and charm.

See more imagery from my recent shoot in Vietnam here: Take It To The Streets, Cyclo and Saigon Baby Gone.

My recent assignment to Vietnam afforded me the wonderful opportunity to spend a week walking the streets and observing and capturing daily life in the nation's two major cities, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and Hanoi.

Defined by Wikipedia as "a type of documentary photography that features subjects in candid situations within public places... [and] often concentrates on a single human moment, caught at a decisive or poignant moment... giving the audience a more visceral experience of walks of life they might only be passingly familiar with", street photography is one of my favourite genres of picture making.

From left, I made this collection of six images at (1) Chua Thien Hau Temple, HCMC, (2) Tao Dan Park, HCMC, (3) Old Quarter, Hanoi, (4) Old Quarter, Hanoi, (5) Cho Thu Thiem, HCMC and (6) Old Quarter, Hanoi.

Like the Choose Your Own Adventure books I used to read in my childhood, I love the unknown element of street photography.  Literally and creatively, I can go one direction and discover a remarkable photographic opportunity; or I can go another direction and find something entirely different.  Either way, I never know what I missed.  It is this adventure that is the beauty of street photography (and, truly, all photography) for me.

I first visited Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) in 1996.

I traveled there again in 1997, before moving to live in the city in 1998 and 1999.

Cyclos still appear in HCMC's outlying districts -- such as Cholon, the city's Chinatown, where I made this series of photographs -- but there is now a total ban on registering new cyclos in HCMC, save for a few hundred brand new, shiny "tourist" ones that city officials will permit to ply their trade in the downtown areas of Saigon.

One of my fondest memories of living in HCMC was a warm Sunday afternoon, spent with three friends touring the city's outer reaches in the front of cyclos, exploring bustling local markets and tiny side streets with expert Vietnamese drivers at our healm.

It is a shame that the iconic cyclos are disappearing from the frenetic streets of Saigon, along with the colourful captains who pilot them.

Last night was the official screening of the documentary film and photographic work that Mike Rogers and I created for The Chain Reaction Project (TCRP) in Timor-Leste two months ago.

More than 100 people attended the outdoor screening and fundraiser at Singapore's Mount Emily.  I always get a little anxious sharing my photography with a large group of people, but I am proud to say the work that both Mike and I produced for TCRP was warmly received.

As background, TCRP is a non-profit philanthropic organization born in 2009 when four extremely inspirational women in Singapore -- Ting, Alex, Jas and Anina -- committed to help change lives in some of the world's least-developed nations.

United by a love of adventure and a passion for philanthropy, TCRP seeks physical challenges and local organizations that can benefit from their efforts.

TCRP's journey began in August 2009 with the Tour de Timor, a 5-day, 450-kilometre mountain bike race across Timor-Leste.  Using the race as a platform and harnessing the power of social networking and media, TCRP successfully raised awareness for Timor and more than SGD$50,000 for HIAM-Health, a Dili-based malnutrition

rehabilitation and education centre for parents and children.

This past June, TCRP returned to Timor-Leste.  But this time a group of 22 "Catalysts for Change" joined them in running the Dili "City of Peace" Marathon to raise awareness for the poverty-stricken nation and its people, as well as to continue their support of HIAM-Health.

Together they delivered a SGD$28,000 Playpoint playground and more than SGD$10,000 for the children of HIAM-Health.

This is my personal donation to TCRP: a documentary slideshow of their journey and efforts that can be used as a marketing tool and a way to garner additional sponsorship and donations for their future endeavors.

See more photography from the ruggedly beautiful nation of Timor-Leste captured on my documentary shoots with TCRP in 2009 and 2010.

To view this video in HD, click here.

**If you are having trouble viewing the video, please download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player here.**

Like the slideshow I produced for The Chain Reaction Project (TCRP) after last year's Tour de Timor, I am in the process of creating a new presentation that documents the work TCRP did on their most recent philanthropic adventure to Timor-Leste this past June.

It is a tedious task -- culling through the thousands of photographs I made in Timor, and choosing just the right images to tell TCRP's story -- but I do love it.  I was up last last night, editing and re-editing my selections and retouching the best pictures for inclusion in my slideshow, which will be completed and presented at TCRP's fund-raising event next Saturday night in Singapore.

As I worked away on my images last evening, I came across this trio of photographs I made at the river bed on the outskirts of Dili.  During Timor's dry season, the river bed is quarried for stone and gravel for the many construction projects in and around the capital city.  It is quite a sight to behold: dozens and dozens of men shoveling and throwing and sifting dirt and rock from sunrise to sunset.

From the bridge high above the river bed, the scene reminded me of armies of ants toiling away on their ant hills...

A few months ago, I spent a week in Cambodia shooting a small reportage piece for an inflight magazine.  Late one afternoon -- as the sun began sliding behind the rooftops -- I finished my assignment and snuck out onto the frenetic streets of Phnom Penh during the golden hour.

As I roamed the buzzing boulevards of the Khmer capital, I came upon a schoolyard.  The property was abandoned, save for a volleyball game being contested by half-a-dozen young men over in the corner of the field, and a young girl playing by herself on a statue of a small horse near the playground.  I watched her from afar, then slowly approached with my camera.

She smiled; I smiled.  She continued playing; I started shooting.  This is the series that I captured in those few seconds.

As I look back at this quadtych, as well as review a lot of my recent commissioned and personal work from the past year or so, I am seeing a pattern emerging in my lighting/compositional technique: I often shoot straight into the sun.  I really like the softness of the subject created by the sun's flare; it's this ethereal, nostalgic effect that moves me to keep practicing and working with this photographic style.

At more than 4,200 kilometres in length, the Mekong River is just the 12th largest river on the planet.  Yet it’s importance in Asia is indisputable: twisting and turning its way through an incredible six countries -- China, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos -- the mighty Mekong ebbs and flows, like the lives of tens of millions of people who rely on it every day.

A slow-boat journey along the winding waterway is a true cinematic experience, rich in long, picturesque expanses of quiet reflection as traditional life on the river steadily passes by like a Technicolor silent movie.  Life on the meandering Mekong seems suspended in a warp somewhere between past and present, steadily drifting to an enchanting rhythm, much like the muddy waters that envelop it.

I was fortunate enough to shoot an assignment along this splendid river early last year.  From wooden bumboats to luxury cruisers to speedboats, I spent nearly four weeks drifting on the Mekong River.  I started in southern Vietnam and floated through Cambodia and Laos before eventually ending in Thailand.  It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience, enjoy and photograph traditional river life on this magnificent waterway.

The July/August 2010 issue of Fah Thai, Bangkok Airways' inflight magazine, features this short photo essay of imagery I captured during my time on the Mekong in Laos.

Visit here to see more photographs I made during my month-long journey on the Mekong River in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

In August 2009 I visited the ruggedly beautiful country of Timor-Leste to document The Chain Reaction Project (TCRP) as they competed in the inaugural Tour de Timor adventure mountain bike race.

TCRP is a non-profit philanthopic organization comprised of four women from Singapore who search for unique sports- and adventure-themed opportunities to help change lives.  Their mantra is to be catalysts for social change through sport, and inspire others to take up a physical or mental challenge for a good cause.

The Tour de Timor was a personal initiative by Timor's President, Jose Ramos-Horta, to help raise awareness of the plight of this fledgling state on the 10th anniversary of it's independence from Indonesia.  More than 300 cyclists from across the globe raced for a grueling 5 days/450km across nine of Timor’s 13 districts.

The women of TCRP raised USD$35K in private donations and corporate sponsorship which, at the end of the race, was donated to HIAM-Health, a Dili-based malnutrition rehabilitation and education centre for parents and children.

My personal contribution to TCRP was to accompany them on this cycling adventure and document their journey; the result is the slideshow of my photography presented here.

In a few days, TCRP will once again be returning to Timor-Leste to participate in the inaugural Dili City of Peace Marathon, running 42 kilometers up mountains, through native villages and along pristine coastlines of this country that not long ago was ravaged by civil war.  Like last year, the four women of TCRP -- this time accompanied by a group of 50 "catalyst" runners -- will be competing to raise awareness for the poverty-stricken country of Timor-Leste and its people, as well as to once again help raise funds for HIAM-Health.

I will also be returning to Timor-Leste to photograph TCRP's adventure.  However, this time I will be accompanied by my close friend and documentary filmmaker, Mike Rogers, who will join me to film the journey, as well as HIAM-Health and the impact that TCRP's monetary donation is having on the facility.

More of my photographs of Timor-Leste and her people can be found here.

To view this video in HD, click here.

**If you are having trouble viewing the video, please download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player here.**