Where time stopped, the clouds remained, where turtles swam in the shallow waters, and green lights from the fishing boats light up the night, where the moon turned blue and thunder and lightening rained down~ Koh Tao Thailand

Over the past 3 months I have shared some of travels on here on my Steady 70 blog, on my steady70 facebook page, on my steady 70 twitter page. Some of the things I have shared have about Thailand’s Street Foods, Street Art “Graffiti” the colorful shades of Thailand’s sub culture art ~ then I met Monk Ven Noi; We spoke About his work with Life and Hope Association in Seim Reap, Cambodia~  Before that I introduced you to The Heart & Soul of what is Thailand!

Now we are taking a little trip to the island of Koh Toa~ Where time stopped, the clouds remained, where turtles swam in the shallow waters, and green lights from the fishing boats light up the night, where the moon turned blue and thunder and lightening rained down. It was Island time and we were high on a hill at a place called High bar in Koh Toa watching life down below. 

I am now sitting  drinking my coffee on a deck in New York flipping  through my images of Thailand,I can clearly identify my friends laugh, my friends accents or see their body language as we walk through the streets. I can recall that moment prior to snap of the shutter. I can recall and retain everything of that moment leading up to the decision to hit the button with my finger. What I have left are pieces of life, 

slices of time, suspended moments.  That’s the moment’s I save in my minds eye.

 Through out my travels there were days, nights, mornings, afternoons, evening and whether shooting on a boat, shooting on top of a mountain, shooting from scooter, shooting from a bus, shooting anytime or anyplace and as fate or life would have it I could not get my setting’s correct on my camera. Simple settings like color temp, speed, or my focus was off, for some reason my being out of sync with my camera only meant that I had to connect more with the places I was at and people that I was with and met.  There was one morning that everything went to shit…my lenses repeatedly fogged up, it started to rain, my then more rain clouds, then more shit and we all have had those types days.  It made me laugh at myself, it made me just retune my chi. With in minutes there was a sudden shift in my step. I was here not to just shoot pictures, I was here to experience, I was here to learn, I was here to get affected, I was here to………. Do and do and do I did! On the island of  Koh Tao….

QUOTE

"At some point you have to make a decision. Boundaries don't keep other people out, they fence you in. Life is messy. That's how we're made. So you can waste your life drawing lines... or you can live your life crossing them.   Here's what I know: if you're willing to take a chance... the view from the other side... is spectacular." GA

~Long Live the King~ June 2014

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Graffiti in Thailand ~ Street Art ~ Whats better then ART~

Some bigger then life graffiti I've come across throughout Thailand..  I love street art.. 

From Bangkok, From Chiang Mai, From Hua Hin, From Phi Phi, From Koh Samui, From Koh Tao, From Chiang Rai.... I have been shooting walls of graffiti as much as I can.  

 

                

                   It never get's boring seeing graffiti, it is never the same artist's, it is all amazing... 

  

          I love it when artist's take over abandoned buildings, I Love it when they leave there mark... 

It never get's old..... 

                 These are just some of walls and murals I have photographed. Much more to come later...

    

        The colors are a amazing, they bright and so vibrant, so rich these wall are truly worth sharing with the world...

THAILAND"S  GRAFFITI~  

Images by Steve Levine, photos of graffiti by steady70, Photo by Steve Levine; photo by steady70; photo by Steve Levine steady70; Steady70; www.steady70.com Steve Levine global assignment; getty images; getty travel photographer; Steve Levine getty photographer; images by steve levine; images by steady70; image by steve levine steady70; photo by steve levine steady70; photo by steve levine; Steady70.com; gettyimages.com; steady70.blogspot.com; facebook.com/Steady70; twitter.com/Steady70; http://steady70.blogspot.com/ Steady 70 2014; http://www.steady70.com; Steady70 photography; Photography; photographer; photography; travel; Travel photographer; Travel Photography; Images for Graffiti in Thailand,บางกอก กราฟฟิตี้ , Graffiti and Street Art In Thailand,BkkGraff,Bangkok Street art and Graffiti,ไทย กราฟฟิตี้ = ศิลปะ + การท่องเที่ยว,THAILAND GRAFFITI TRIP, Graffiti Walls In Bangkok, tag in Thailand graffiti, tags in thailand graffiti, graffiti art of Thailand, street art Thailand, photos of graffiti in Thailand , Thailand best graffiti, graffiti in koh samui, graffiti in koh tao, graffiti in hau hin, graffiti in phi phi, graffiti in the floating market Thailand, amazing graffiti in Thailand, the best graffiti in south east asia, photos of graffiti, images of graffiti, steady70 in Thailand, Street Art In Chiang Mai Graffiti, Chiang Mai Graffiti,Wall graffiti, steve@steady70.com,

Street Foods of Thailand ~

Foods of Thailand from fresh street meat, live fish, vegetables, tangy fruit, insects,  that are all prepared for you.

Man I love this country~ the food I am almost getting used to the spice and the rich  flavors.  As a foodie I am in heaven,  I found time to pull, edit, retouch and write a little about what I have eaten, seen and…….

What I see is colors so vibrate,  I’ve tasted the freshest hand picked fruits and veggie’s, eaten freshly killed pork, chicken, duck and eaten it either raw or cooked~

What lingers in the air is peppers, fish sauce and BBQ and the sweet smell of wood burning. The heat rises off the grills and the temperature spikes just when you think it cant get hotter it does, it must be the Thai peppers or the green curry!

With that being said I am combing through thousands of images from all over Thailand: Bangkok, Chiang Nai , Chiang Rai, Koh Tao, Lumpang, Koh Samui, Mai Sai, Hau Hin,  Phi Phi  and everywhere else I’ve seen…

 So with that being said Bon appétit people….

Sitting and speaking with Monk Ven Nol in Cambodia ~ About his work with Life and Hope Association in Seim Reap~

Sitting and speaking with Monk Ven Nol in Cambodia ~ About his work with Life and Hope Association in Seim Reap~


Have look and lend a hand~

Life and Hope Association,www.lifeandhopeankor.org,www.facebook.com/lifeandhopeangkor , Ven. SOMNIENG, Executive Director,LHA’s Vision
LHA is a non-profitable, non-governmental and non-political organization,LHA’s Vision,Phone: (hand-phone) (855-092)929 962,Email  lifeandhopeangkor@gmail.com,Prof. Peter J. Hammer, board chairman, Michigan,USA, Email: ar7084@wayne.edu,Prof. Christopher Bartlett, member, Vermont, USA, Email: cbartlett@hbs.edu,Wat Damnak in Siem Reap, Cambodia,Wat Damnak, WAT Damnak in Siem Reap, Cambodia,wats in Cambodia, Monks in Cambodia, Travel in cambodia, Cambodia monks, Cambodia travel, travel to Cambodia, Meeting monks in Cambodia, Monks, e are committed to breaking the cycle of poverty by providing compassionate care and access to education to the poorest and most vulnerable in Cambodia - especially children and disadvantaged young women,Bringing HOPE into LIFE through EDUCATION,The Life and Hope Association (LHA) is a non-profit organization run by the monks of Wat Damnak in Siem Reap  Cambodia,,The Life and Hope Association (LHA) is a non-profit organization run by the monks of Wat Damnak in Siem Reap, Cambodia,Cambodia KEY WORDS FOR  Life and Hope Association,

The Heart & Soul of Thailand ~ Long live the King!

When I was thinking about Thailand I had to stop thinking about what others had told me, I had to remove myself from all the books, all of the pictures I have seen just so I could focus on what was going to come or came my way.

On the plane I had dreamed of colors, bright colors, When I landed I just followed the white light, the white out of clouds meeting the sun meeting the pollution, the heavy dank air was more damp, more humid then I thought. As I walked through the streets my feet always seemed to be in water, as I was zigzagging on the street on the side walk. The water was hot the pace of my walk slowed as water drip-lets  sprayed up the my legs as I walked. I smelled ash, I smelled fish sauce, I tasted sweetness in my mouth that I could not describe.  I was in Bangkok. I was lost in thought, I was lost in the sites, I was lost in music but most of all I was just lost.

This part of journey started days ago, months ago, years ago when I was first thinking of South East Asia.  It was then that Thailand began to resinate in thought, it was then that I that I thought that the path of NYC was going to take me here, but instead I ended up in Vietnam. I have returned to South East Asia,  I have listened to my inner voice and now Bangkok it is.

Like a child walking with out a parents hand to guide them.  I snaked along main roads and back roads, in and out of Wats, it lead me to meet a few amazing people, it lead me to more then a few monks, it lead me here atop one of the most spiritual journeys up to the sky, up high over looking the city of Bangkok, it lead me into a 50 foot Buda which lead me another flight of stairs and under 4 huge bells, or chimes, it lead me to sit beside myself. I sat quiet, I sat under the umbrella of the most perfect peaceful reflection of the golden sun. I was content, I am content, I am awake I am in deep thought, I am thought less, I am just here I am under the hot sun, I am under no obligations to do anything, I am here to find self, revive my chi & explore life....

After a long pause, after a long break in my day, after I have drank more then enough water to drown a few seals.  I am up again, I am refreshed, I am over watered and ready to be drained & have every last drop of water purged out of my body. 

For some reason I just don’t care. I don’t think about anything my mind is blank, I have slowed down, I have stopped thinking and I am barely even breathing, I am connected to semi chipped large stone step that I followed.

The silence the quietness is perfect, the craziness of Bangkok is below me but I hear nothing. I begin to realize that I am not alone, I realize I am one of the millions people before me that have walked, hiked and climbed,  that so many people have done the exact same thing before and there will be many others that will follow, that will feel, that will repeat my every step in every way that I have. This is the journey.

                                                                            

                                    

Bangkok took a hold of me, it gave me inner peace, Bangkok gave me a new walking pace, Bangkok gave me exactly what I needed & then I left. That was 5 weeks ago…  I give you pieces of what I saw along the way…. 

From foods I’ve eaten to roads I’ve crossed, to parades I’ve marched in, to signs that popped out in front of me, to the ever blooming lotus flowers & water lillies, to chefs that I ve met, to the djs that controlled the vibes in the clubs or on the streets, to the Thai police & security guards that always allowed me safe passage into or behind the walls. To stepping over the left over dirty dishes that piled up in the street markets, to the discarded coconut shells that lay on the sidewalk , to the street vendors that made me try everything. (beetles, larva, worms, frogs, dried fish, dried fruits to whatever was on a BBQ) 

To all the people that made me laugh, made me feel at home, who made me take a step back in order for me to focus on the bigger picture, (* pun intended) Bangkok was / is just the beginning. So much more to tell, so much more to show... ""With that I say More Time""

I say please and I say thank you… Long live the king!


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The Candy Colors of Acro Yoga.... The Start of the book........

As my moods have changed as well as my curiousness about Yoga! My attempt at yoga over the years has been an experience. Lets just say, sometimes the mind can do more then the body wishes... But it is my fascination with yoga, the purity of it, the art of it, and the relationship of self that has brought me here. One of the best feelings for me is when class has ended and I have the feeling and sensation of walking on bubble wrap with out the popping sound.

My appreciation for the art and love of yoga has grown into an addiction. Every session teaches me a new lesson, which incorporates the art of achieving a higher level of mind, body & soul.

Then I met Dawn and Mark Oliver at Yogiiza on Miami Beach. My outlook on yoga did a 180 it completely changed simply by them inviting me one night to there studio and introducing me to Acro Yoga... 

I was hooked, I watched and I was pulled in, I saw balance, I saw the strength which it took to control of the motion. I saw how the partners worked together cohesively, breathing, hands in hands, legs twisting, torsos flexing and then locating the exact body location for support that is needed to achieve some of the most difficult posses to form the most brilliant statue like poses, Trust, no fear, believing and repeating it over and over again until it is absolutely perfect.  It is a dance it is a graceful exchange of weight, of breaths of air, it is the most perfect action of 2 souls coming together.

Which has brought me to here and now.

With the help of Renee Dillman my assistant, together we came up with an idea, we wanted to create images that were not ""pure"" in the sense of how we think about yoga, how we practice yoga in the perfect place, where we are able to open and begin breathing and moving into a state of mediation * there would be no amazing beach, there will be no studio over looking a great valley in some remote jungle, there would be none of that.

And then my mind went black and I wanted to take this beauty I wanted to take the most perfect bodies, the most advanced acro yogi's I could find and then taint it.  

What we did was started seeking out locations that were the complete opposite of a typical locations for us to shoot the beauty of one Yoga Master, One perfect yoga person at the most desirable bluff, or studio with a view. Been there done that more then a few times for clients. 

Now we have solo yogis, we have acro yoga partners, we have acro yoga couples, now we have these amazing, gifted people contacting us to partake in our shoots.

We found old cement factories, we found recycled tire plants, we found junk yards, we found gun ranges, we used the walls of Wynnwood, we used a studio of a guy who rebuilds old classic motorcycles, All the locations were found through friends, through friends of friends and believe me this is the just the start.

(Thank you guys)  

These are all great locations but my next group of images that I'm currently shooting are very dark and very morbid. This is the trail that we are on, because we are again focusing on that yoga is a mind set that no matter how old you are, no matter what shape you are in, no matter of social class, no matter of your level of experience or location anyone could achieve this higher level just by attending a few classes. Finding inner peace during the most intense situations, How your breathing relates to your energy, to the color of your hue around you. 

At first I was hesitant on showing any of the images. I wanted to keep it hidden I wanted to keep working on this project and the reflection it is having on me personally. It is still a growing body of work that is evolving into something more unique, something richer for me internally and that is the driving force of why I am sharing some of the images now. 

Special thanks to my assistant Renee Dillman without her hard work and dedication this series would not of had a starting point for a new beginning.

Without the following we would not have had any shoots:

Craig at We Love Colors www.welovecolors.com for providing us with all the leggings, tops, socks and more. 

On to the people who found the time, drove the extra mile, took a chance, climbed a tower, worked on the ropes over battered, broken cars, who bend over backwards 25 feet off the ground across two stones 4 feet apart, jumped over fences, barbed wire, crawled under god knows what to get in and many other things we needed to do to get what we got....:) AWESOME, AWESOME  AWESOME! 

If in Miami, Fort Lauderdale you want to meet and get involved with Yoga or Acro Yoga:  Here’s your chance to work and meet some the toughest, kindest, warmest, friendliest and above all amazing yoga teachers and students here in South Florida: 

A huge shout out to: 

Charly Acro Om and Arianne Traverso :TRIO - Mind Body Spirit Studio and AcroYoga

Jessica Chin Fong: Yoga Teacher at Yoga Connection

Rob Newmans and Megan Johnson the Slacro-duo  ACRO YOGA,

Victor Nieves, Brice Lafosse, Bethany Sheriden, Karen Arias, Aziza Lubaya~ 

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Friendships & personalities: Working in the unknown~

What I love most about life is the unknown: the nervousness at which I exit an airport in a new city for the first time, the unknown streets, the unfamiliar smells, the change in my step as I walk, realizing that I am not hearing English as droves of people pass by me!

What I love about traveling is one thing that and only this ONE thing: people glancing at someone and holding that gaze for a split second prior to the smile or the smirk that is open, receptive, unmasked inviting~ young or old, male or female, street punk or societies child, it does not matter to me about language or class, or environment, what matters most is that connection that moment that says it all.

The eyes, the hands the body language, the smile, the hello, the hand gesture to go forward~ The eyes lock on the hand extends and the introduction has been made, the connection is there, the time is right~ 

Timing, exploration the unknown seeps inside my head, the words rise to my lips as I say hello or slightly bow my head as to offer myself to this moment, acceptance is the ultimate reward. My passion, my life centers on this moment! My job depends on these moments. These relationships are real they are tangible they are here and now.  The once unfamiliar smell becomes my smell, my walking stride becomes that cities stride. I am home, I am comfortable, I am aware that I am only a guest, I am conscious of my role, I am immersed in this moment. I get infective, I get affective.  I absorb it and I give it back~ I give in, you give in~

I capture this moment I tattoo it into my memory, I etch it on my skin, I reach out for the second time and snap the shutter. I am a photographer, I am working, I realize that this moment is now gone. I am that person that understands that I will never see you again. I will never have that connection again! We both understand that this moment is ours, that language does not matter, but what matters most is the time.  

I leave that path that destination and I return home. I turn on my computer I open my email. I am pulled back to your city, to our time! Your emails come in 10 at time, from the beach, from the bar, from the yacht, from airport, from the streets, from the market, from the club, from the hotel, from every where~ I take it all in I digest it, I click out of my emails without opening one of them.

I stare at my desktop,  I glance at the folder on my computer I click on it and I know that once I open it I am transported back,  I am returning home again,  I am lost in your city,*( our city)  I am lost in our conversation, I am lost in thought as I flip through all of our images. Hours have passed and the emails continue to pour in. I’m already apologizing for the delay, I am already writing that email in mass quantity in my head: Saying thank you, saying everything about our time and how special it was, How we should stay in touch, and  yes the images, yes I know how much they mean to you, how excited you are to see them.  How much it meant that you took the time your time to allow me to do what I do.

I recoil into my thoughts as I’m selecting photos for my client, for you my new friends~ For you I am up at 3:52 am, for you I am retouching our images, for you I am ever thankful to you for making my life a  little easier on the road!~  

              

                                                               -MORE TIME-