Udi Goren | The Travel Photographer

A Day Behind the Lens: new campaign for the Mia Four

udi — Mon, 24 Jul 2023 12:03:43 +0000

A Day Behind the Lens: new campaign for the Mia Four

July 24, 2023

As a photographer and videographer, I pride myself on being a one-man show. From capturing stills and videos to piloting drones, I can handle multiple aspects of a shooting day by myself.

I recently had the chance to use those skills on another successful collaboration with Yair Younger, the VP of sales at Mayer Group, that have recently begun selling the phenomenal Mia Four quadboard. We wanted to capture its essence in two distinct and captivating locations: the awe-inspiring Ramon Crater, renowned for its striking desert landscapes; and amidst the lush embrace of the Ella Valley’s thick pine forest. The contrast between the barrenness of the desert and the verdant beauty of the forest helped us create two very different bodies of work in one day.

After carefully planning out the shoot, the script, the shot list and the itinerary long in advance, we left Tel Aviv at 2 am and headed south. We got to the heart of the Ramon Crater before sunrise, just in time for the “blue hour”. Recognizing that the light was initially too low for video, I decided to start by capturing still shots. The magical blue light falling on the surrounding hills inside the crater, paired with the yellowish hue of speedlight used as a key light, created a perfect combination of colors and tonalities. I got totally caught up in shooting when in addition to that, the sun came up right behind the models as they were posing.

I had to remind myself to keep moving so I keep following my shot list diligently, as we had to also film the story we planned out. As I was rushing to keep shooting and making sure everybody is on the same page, I also had to make sure I remained flexible, adapting to the spontaneous moments that arose from the models’ interactions and Yair’s suggestions. Balancing both structure and spontaneity was essential to ensure we got the outcome we were aiming for, while embracing the unexpected.

Throughout the shoot, my focus extended beyond merely capturing the vehicle: we had a story to tell. This was the hardest part of the day: to keep wearing both my director’s hat, while keeping the DP hat on (and having postproduction in mind).

Once we were done with the crater, we headed an hour north for a whole different scene. At that point, we were more relaxed since we knew that the media we’ve created early in the morning was a winner. So, we played around, which led to completely different shots than before. It also left us time to make the video’s storyline more about the MIA Four’s compactness, agility and ease of use.

In the realm of creative projects, collaboration is key. Yair is the visionary without which the shoot wouldn’t be possible. Additionally, he picked two champs to model for the shoot: Gal Rubin (who also participated in the Israeli version of “Survivor”) and Roie Nitzan- real fearless pros, who made the MIA Four look even more awesome.

So, there you have it: in one day of shooting (and many days of prep) we managed to produce enough media to last for an entire campaign and boost sales with quality content. Until next time!

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Squills in the fall

tomeronen — Fri, 04 Nov 2022 17:30:00 +0000

Squills in the fall

November 4, 2022

In Israel, squills are a cultural representation of fall. We have songs about them and some local phrases relating to them being the precursors of winter and the cold. By one of the beaches in central Israel, I came across dozens of them and challenged myself to create as much variety as possible within a given area using different lenses, angles, and light directions the goal was achieved. All the photos were taken within 20 minutes of each other.

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Sinai with a gopro

tomeronen — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 19:14:29 +0000

Sinai with a gopro

October 19, 2022

Playing around in the clear waters of the Red Sea in Sinai with a friend who is a former freediving instructor. All photos were shot with a GoPro. Don’t forget: it’s the photographer that matters more than the camera. Even when shooting with the GoPro, which is a very limited tool, note the variety and different types of shots in order to create an interesting and diverse sequence.

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Kyrgyz Baker

tomeronen — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 08:57:23 +0000

Kyrgyz Baker

August 24, 2022

What do you do on a photo trip?

This is a baker of traditional Kyrgyz bread (tukuch) in Narin, the capital of a district of the same name in Kyrgyzstan.

On our photography trip we stopped at the Narin market, spoke to the baker and he allowed us to photograph him inside the bakery. Since we could shoot inside, most people’s initial instinct was to get as close as possible, but that’s not always the right thing to do.

In the first picture we see him up close at work. The charred bakery walls make for an interesting and relevant background, but as it is – you can’t really see what he’s doing.

So we took a photo from the outside (second photo) – that way, we see the pile of fresh bread loaves and also the charred walls. The bread provides us with the visual context for the image (what this man is actually doing). Beyond that, it also adds content to the front of the image, which creates another visual layer for us. That, in turn, adds depth to the image – something we usually strive to do to simulate the three-dimensional world in which we live.

After we’ve added the loaves of bread and spoke about the technical aspects (exposure, focus, etc.) and the composition (as described before), we can move on to the highest level of photo creation: the decisive moment. Taking a photo of him at work, with a loaf in the air, makes the third photo the most interesting of this set.

So what do you do on a photo trip? You practice this thought process several times a day in amazing locations, with an instructor who is focused on improving your skills (that’s me!). There is no better way to improve your photography.

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Of flamingos and composition

tomeronen — Sat, 06 Aug 2022 09:02:12 +0000

Of flamingos and composition

August 6, 2022

Before they start showing off with their pink, flamingos come into the world pretty monochromatic. They get their colors from the pigment beta carotene, which is found in the crustaceans they feed on (that’s what they do with the beak upside down in the water all day). For the same reason, those who eat huge amounts of carrots will find that their hands turn orange over time…

Beyond the bird talk, this image illustrates a composition rule that I always emphasize when guiding: creating layers. We instinctually tend to shoot two layers in an image – subject and background. It usually makes for a picture that is relatively devoid of a sense of depth. Adding another layer between us and the subject is giving a visual cue to the viewer that there is depth in the image, thus making it more three dimensional.

Here, for example, the flamingos are the subject and the background is actually the reflection of the tree (the water is not really considered a background in terms of creating the composition because it has almost no texture nor color). The waterfowl, which are soft (not sharp), add another layer between the viewer and the subject- thus adding depth to the image. And another small touch – there is a very out of focus branch in the foreground, even in front of them. It’s not there by mistake…

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Laylat al-Qadr

tomeronen — Sat, 30 Apr 2022 07:49:38 +0000

Laylat al-Qadr

April 30, 2022

Wednesday was the night of al-Qadr, the holiest night of Ramadan, on which the Qur’an descended from heaven and was given to man. On al-Qadr, good deeds are multiplied and angels descend to carry prayers up to heaven. And there is no better place to say your prayers than the Al-aqsa compound. That is why tens of thousands of Muslims from all over the country come to Jerusalem to pray on this day.
After a day-long Jerusalem Seminary, I realized that I happened on a perfect date to shoot in the Old City.

If you look at google’s calendar, you’d see it’s marked for Thursday (and not Wednesday). That’s because Nobody knows in advance when it’s going to be during Ramadan. It depends on the exact state of the moon and it’s determined only a day or two beforehand.

As it’s still during Ramadan, the event begins close to sundown, or to be more exact: close to breaking the daily fast (the Iftar meal). The Damascus Gate area, the heart of Palestinian Jerusalem, was filled with dozens of vendors selling everything imaginable: from toys to shish kebabs, green almonds to a bubble maker. The sun went down slowly as people began to flow into the walls of the old city. Swarms of people – elders helped by their canes, youngsters on electric bikes, women carrying their kids and teens laughing, each with his or her own goals: participating, taking selfies or praying.

I began to make my way to the gate plaza, browsing the stalls, photographing the people. I chatted with people who seemed easy going. I put on my tourist face, wearing hiking pants and leaving my camera hanging and looking very unprofessional. I didn’t see any other tourist. To be honest, I didn’t see anyone who was an “other” – not Jews, not tourists and not even media. Somewhat surprising, given the fact that this is Israel’s second largest annual mass event (after the Rashbi celebration on mount Meron).

I got in early enough, when there was still no problem moving around the old city. The first thing I noticed when walking into the market across the gate was both absurd and charming: right next to the guys selling 4 bottles of water for ten shekels, there were vendors who gave away water bottles to the people walking up to al-Aqsa – they literally shoved bottles in the hands of the people going to pray. It turns out that it happens every night on Ramadan, but on al Qadr it’s especially meaningful: handing out water and food to pilgrims. If you see an open package of dates on the way, don’t hesitate to take one – it was left there especially for the worshipers.

As I kept walking towards the entrance to al-Aqsa, the alleys became narrower and more crowded. Occasionally I had to walk out of the crowds into a side alley to take a break from the hustle and bustle. One of those short breaks into a market alley gave me a chance to photograph the Iftar (meal that ends the daily fast) of the shop owners. Fathers and sons, workers and employers, sat among the jewelry, clothes and souvenirs and broke bread together.

Two friends who saw me standing aside, overlooking the event, asked for a picture. Despite my distaste for the generic “bro-photos” of two people with their arms around each other and smiling directly at the camera, I never refuse to take them. You never know where it’ll lead and what conversation will come out of it. So I took the picture and we began talking. In less than a minute they had already shared with me the food they had and then poured out what they had to say. One previously worked at IKEA in Netanya, the other drives a truck. Young guys, a little over twenty. They said it was a difficult month in the old city facing the police. They couldn’t understand why, according to them, the police usually try to escalate tense situations instead of resolving them. I didn’t argue.

I reached as far as the cotton market. I’ve never seen it this bright, festive and crowded. Non-Muslims are not allowed in al Aqsa during the last ten days of Ramadan (and I also had a train to catch), so that was where I turned back to go out from the Damascus gate. At least, that’s what I’d hoped…

An hour and a half had passed between entering the city and the moment I wanted to leave it. During this time tens of thousands of people flocked in. Depending on which newspaper you read, between 100,000 and 250,000 people arrived in Al-Aqsa in a matter of a few hours. At some points, it was impossible to move.

After the third stop of the Via Dolorosa the alley became so narrow that the two-way flow of people almost stopped. People moved inch by inch towards the gate, cramped and compressed. Children, elderly people, women. A disaster waiting to happen. My time was pressing and I had to get out to make it to the train. The border police (who looked at me as if I were an alien) advised me to wait a bit and continue in the same direction, but then they directed me to another gate.

I recognize large parts of the Old City, but this maze still doesn’t make sense in my head as a whole. So after a few minutes of brisk walking to another gate, I found myself in the exact same spot, in front of the same Border policeman who was amazed to see me again. The crowd was still hardly moving and I set out again vigorously for a different gate.

In order not to make the same mistake again, I asked police for directions (while thinking to myself that although I feel safe talking to people around me, my instinct still sends me to talk to the Jewish, Hebrew speaking police for guidance). I saw the apprehension in their eyes. While I saw people celebrating, their eyes kept scouting for potential violence. As we were talking, there was a thing with a teenager that put them on alert. A type of chicken and egg scenario. One policeman scolded me and another one advised. In any case, they both said that I’m not to continue where I was going, but instead go the exact opposite direction – to reach the Western Wall and leave from there. They even said they would let me go through the Western Wall tunnels to get there.

The tunnels were already closed, the train to Tel Aviv was long gone and the only goal I had was to get out of the old city walls. I kept walking in the direction where I thought the Western Wall was. After a few minutes I found myself, again, at the exact same spot near the border policemen. I was living “Hedgehog Day”, only I was running around with a bag and a camera and Andie MacDowell wasn’t there.
I was debating whether to listen to the police and walk to the Western Wall through the extremely narrow and crowded alleys where I was before or just continue to the Damascus gate until I get out and just get it done with. It was Muslim quarter kind of day and the Damascus Gate won. I walked into the swarm of people that was crawling delicately and patiently towards the exit.

After a few minutes in the stream, I became a part of it, with no option to go back or forth independently. Then I began to hear muffled calls coming from the people coming in: someone called, others answered. Then again. And again. And at the end everyone yelled together. The calls came nearer and I was being drifted towards them. Within a few seconds the words became clear: Allahu Akbar. God is greater. So far, so good. Someone called, others answered. Then the second part began: “In spirit and blood we will redeem Palestine” and immediately after that the other infamous slongan “In spirit and blood we will redeem Al-aqsa”.
This is where I started to feel very uncomfortable.

In general, crowded masses are unpleasant.
Blatantly being a stranger in a crowd isn’t that great either.
Being a stranger in the midst of nationalist calls- well, that’s already a real bummer.

Thoughts that went through my mind:
“Am I going to be that stupid leftist in the paper tomorrow?”
“Was the cops’ paranoia justified and I’m blind to the danger?”
And also “Could it be that in order to save a few minutes of walking and prove a point I risked my life?”

I kept moving at the edge of the stream and occasionally glanced at the shouters. Youth in their mid-teens or early twenties. Energetic and stuffed with hormones, yelling mainly to themselves, making sure they’re seen. The adults reacted with silence or even a half smile, but did not join the shouting. Who wants trouble on a day like this aside from these kids?

I realized that I knew them because I had seen them many times before, just looking different: wearing a kipa on their head and a talith under their cloth. Nationalism and religion mix all the time in this country.

I tried to normalize the situation in my head: in other places in Israel, too, I sometimes had to move away from groups that had a violent energy around them. In the current situation, with all the elderly and women, they had some bark and very little bite. After all, these calls are for their friends, not for me. They are not even for the cops because the calls faded away as they got closer to the policemen. In retrospect, it seemed to me that I should have just started photographing. Photographers are usually seen as spectators, both in their own eyes and in the eyes of others. But at that moment I was a tourist, who is also a Jewish Israeli, for whom these calls are a trigger.

In the end I made it out. The cool Jerusalem air replaced the stuffed air between the walls. The smell of shish kebab was everywhere, a guy tried to sell a soap bubble gun and thousands were still going in through the gate into the walls. What a night … Lailat Al Qadr!

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