Journal

These scenes were photographed around Osaka’s American Village, where I felt a different rhythm than in the other Japanese cities I visited. The area has a young, energetic flow — people moving quickly but with a kind of gentle order, a mix of bold fashion and everyday routines. Even in the short time I spent there, the movement felt positive and spontaneous, especially around the side streets and alleys behind the shops. This series is simply a reflection of those impressions: a small slice of Osaka’s pulse as I experienced it over a few days.

A late afternoon game of tavla somewhere between Galata and Karaköy. Three friends, a bit of teasing, a lot of strategy. One of the scenes I always think about when I think of Istanbul.

We stopped in Istanbul on our way back to Australia, the first pause before heading on to Japan. In the short time we had, the city still offered these small scenes — a cat crossing a steep lane, fishermen lined along the Galata Bridge, tea being carried down the stairs. Quiet fragments of a place we only passed through, but that still left an impression.

Late June in La Grande-Motte, South of France.

The kind of heat that reflects off every surface and turns the air heavy.

Many people in France love spending their summers here.

Concrete, sand, and a sun that doesn’t let go.

This couple caught my eye — completely at ease in the middle of it, reading under a striped umbrella, making the most of the day.

I was walking with the camera when my son stopped and said,

“You should take this one.”

He already saw the picture.

He placed himself beside the block of vegetation to show me the composition he had in mind.

All I did was stand where he pointed and press the shutter.