“Our lives are but specks of dust falling through the fingers of time. Like sands of the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.”
―
On the way to school the other day, Quinn asked me what was on my bucket list . . . before proceeding to run through his entire list, starting with “have a beer with my dad at 21.”
That brief conversation left me inspired to begin documenting a list of places I’d love to photograph before I pass or return to again with better equipment. I’ve been blessed to have already visited some amazing places in my lifetime, but it’s always fun to dream what might be next!
And just to be a complete nerd, I’m going to call it my Bokeh List. Bokeh is the Japanese word for “blur” or “haze” and in photography refers to the intentional blurring around the subject in an image caused by a shallow depth of field.
Below are just a few of the destinations on that list so far, in no particular order. I’ll continue to build it out throughout the year.
Maybe this will help speak them into existence.
. . .
Charity: Water Project
If you’ve been following Joetography for a few years, then you know that our collective community has raised and donated over $20,000 to charity: water — giving clean water to over 600 people in developing countries. I think it would be amazing to visit one of the projects we supported and capture life around the well.
Volkswagen Bus Cross-Country Road Trip
A couple years ago, my family rented a VW Westfalia Camper for a couple nights and it was just as amazing as I hoped it would be. To me, there was something magical about pulling off the road, cooking food in the back seat, and sleeping out under the stars. I’d love to one day do it again on a coast-to-coast trip, staying off the expressways and using some of the iconic highways, byways, routes, and roads that crisscross across the U.S.
Sustainable African Safari
To do this one responsibly would take some research. While there are many safari trips to choose from in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia, etc., I wouldn’t want this to be a fully self-indulgent trip. I’d rather find ways to experience and capture this exotic landscape in ways that respect the people, cultures, wildlife, and environment.
. . .