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Heading to Mexico in a couple of days. Not going on the motorcycle this time, but flying to the furthest airport from Austin, and then wandering my way back up North in which way I can. Most likely by bus. I'm excited to be heading back to the Yucatan because the last time I was there as before digital photography!

It's the rainy season right now so that could dictate my plan somewhat. I know that's a deal breaker for folks who go on vacation to lounge on the beach, but there's just something about being alone in a primitive thatch-roofed hut in the jungle listening to tropical rain fall and the intense fragrance of new growth and the echo of howler monkeys in the distance.

I have absolutely no plan at all, but will probably spend some time in the jungles of Chiapas after the Yucatan area. After that I'll be wandering wherever the wind carries me. And, away from machine-gun fire and swingin' machetes! ;-)

Here's more info and where I'll be travel blogging this trip HERE

In Jan/Feb of 2011, I traveled in Mexico for a month. Each place I went I made a short stop-motion video clip with an iPhone 4. This video virtually compresses the whole month-long journey down to about 5 minutes.

Check out more of Skip's Mexcio 2011 travelog HERE

You can find more photography + art+ travel + sound + text by Skip Hunt @ kaleidoscopeofcolor.com

For your pleasure! Shot & edited 100% on iPhone 4.



Skip Hunt
Austin, Texas

I've started something new. Every now and then I'm going to publish a new issue of a magazine/photobook that I'm calling "Skip Hunt 20/20". These are perfect bound, beautifully printed via HP's Indigo presses on great paper stock... 20 pages with 20 photographs only. (20/20) Play on vision and the actual number of pages/photos. :-)

They may be a segment of a journey or they may be a collection from a past trip. Or, they may just be a collection of favorite images I'd like to display together.

These will be ongoing and I will make $2.50 for each one purchased that will go to help fuel and finance my next adventure!

The entire 20/20 Collection can be previewed HERE

kaleidoscopeofcolor.com + skiphuntphotography.com

Well, it’s official! I’m proud to announce that soon, I will be able to say my work is hanging in the Smithsonian Castle on the National Mall in Washington D.C.

This image was selected to hang in the “Editors’ Picks: The Best of Smithsonian Magazine’s 7th Annual Photo Contest.” From July 1st through February 2011!

Dear Mr. Hunt,

I am pleased to inform you that your photograph was chosen for display in the upcoming exhibit, “Editors’ Picks: The Best of Smithsonian Magazine’s 7th Annual Photo Contest.” The exhibit, which is currently in production, showcases 30 of the 50 finalists from Smithsonian Magazine’s 7th Annual Photo Contest. It will be on view from July 1, 2010 through February 28, 2011 in the first floor of the Smithsonian Castle on the National Mall in Washington DC.

Last year, more than one million visitors viewed our previous exhibit, and likely, a million more will view your image this year.

Congratulations on a job well done.

They didn’t mention anything about cash, so I’m guessing I didn’t win the prize money for my category. But, to be honest… although cash is nice, being selected for this show was all I was really after. ;-)

So if you’re in Washington D.C. between July 2010 and February 2011, stop by and have a look. Planning of visiting in November to check this one out myself. :-)

Are you looking for that special unique gift? If the idea of just heading out with no particular plan and exploring the majestic beauty of the American Southwest on a motorcycle gets your heart pumpin', then look no further!

Written in an "On the Road" style while traveling from Austin, Texas through spectacular landscapes of New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California and Arizona, this book serves as a virtual trip when you just want to take an adventure and just get away from it all.

This book is packed full (over 100 images) of beautiful fine art travel photography as seen through the eyes of Austin, Texas based photographer Skip Hunt!

And for a very limited time, take $5 OFF using this special holiday discount code (95DDMH65) on check out at this link "Skip Hunt Go West!"

(See a few images from this book HERE)

(Read reviews on the Amazon PRINT version and KINDLE version! Please note that this special holiday discount code (95DDMH65) is for the in this message, but it's the exact same book)

Give that special person with wanderlust this amazing book, or better yet... pick up a second copy for yourself!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I'm offering a very special discount code that is good until 11:59PM DEC13th 2010.

For this sale I've put three sizes (sm/med/lg) on-sale of any image in my 801 image inventory.

You can use the following code to get $100 OFF your order. OR, if you want more than one image you can place separate ordes and get $100 OFF EVERY ORDER! This means if you wanted 3 images you'd get $300 OFF if you place 3 separate orders. Now that's holiday spirit you can believe in!!!

This is a very limited time and the last shipping dates to get your art in time for the holidays are drawing near:

Domestic Shipments (United States) In order to guarantee delivery by Christmas Eve, all domestic orders must be placed by 5:00 PM Eastern Time on December 12th (Ground Shipments) or 5:00 PM Eastern Time on December 15th (Overnight Shipments).

International Shipments FineArtAmerica.com will ship to any international destinatation. Since shipping times vary significantly by destination, please place all international orders no later than 5:00 PM (Eastern U.S. Time) on December 12th, and specify overnight delivery as your shipping method.



Use this code on checkout: KGDRAY



Happy Holidays Everyone!!!

Please forward this email to anyone and everyone you think might dig my work. :-)

Cheers,

Skip Hunt ~ Austin, Texas

Made it from Austin to Albuquerque via the Lincoln National Forest, etc. on a motorcycle.

Here's an excerpt:

Or, it could be times have changed and life’s just a bit more raw around the edges these days. I think I’ll try to concentrate and see if perhaps I can summon up the genies again. One thing was odd though, as I remembered my grandfather while I was at the track... it felt like he was right there with me... by the simple act of remembering him, it was like he was alive again.



You can continue reading HERE

Sitting in a small Tibetan cafe in Dharamsala, India (home of the Dalai Lama's government in exhile), I chatted up with a young Tibetan monk over chai. He asked, "How do you know what to take a photo of, and what not?.. How do you know when there is something worth taking a photo of?..." I told him that everywhere you look there are images worth saving. You just have to pay attention. To illustrate the point I leaned back and pointed my camera out the window of our cafe booth and said, "See that window across the alley? I think even THAT would make a nice image. Especially for those who aren't here."

I snapped this and showed it to him. He asked, "A window? I see that every day. It doesn't look that interesting to me." I thought a minute wondering if perhaps I'd picked a poor subject to make the point.. then answered... "To you and me this window is just part of our everyday background, but when I get home I'll see this image and be instantly transported back to this cafe and will see your face in my mind's eye.. and remember our lovely conversation... Someone else will see this image and see something completely different. That's what I try to do." He smiled, looked at the window again, nodded, and then finished his chai.


"dharamsala RED" ~ Dharamsala, India © 2010 Skip Hunt

At last a rusty 3rd class Bluebird bus arrived in a cloud of fine dry dust. Not too many passengers except a dusty dred-coiffed couple. The young fella looked as if he might be Mexican, but his companion was Japanese. I generally avoid these types because they're fairly cliquish if you don't sport the same rasta uniform. That... and, they tend to attract la policia.

We arrived in Wadley and the rasta-boy asked me in English, "Is this Wadley?". Couldn't make out the accent, but it sounded Israeli. I confirmed, and said, "See ya 'round... It's a small place.", then bolted for the hacienda of Don Tomas. The camp compound was deserted so Don Tomas helped me remove some piles of metal rod and wood planks that had taken up residence in my preferred larger tin-roofed cinder block room since my last visit. As always, he re-reminded me not to carry peyote into the town and to keep it out of the camp. He advised to just eat it in the desert and you'll have no problems. In the last ten years I'd rarely seen la policia, nor encountered anyone who'd been busted in the desert, but the 3rd party stories were always rampant so I usually heeded the advice.

Off I went into the desert, called Wirikuta by the Huichol, to get my first vomit laden "break-in" trip over with. After the first peyote induced bout with severe abdominal distress, I tend to acclimate and can avoid the whole ugly digestive mess on subsequent journeys.

I started out heavier than I should've. Ten plants, and I paid dearly. I won't trouble you with the details, but the ill portion of the excursion lasted 3hrs. After paying my dues, the rest of the evening was quite pleasant. Magical in fact! Mescalito finally gave me a break and I was able to drift off into Technicolor dreamland.

The next morning, after I'd stocked up on fresh goat cheese, tomatoes, tortillas, and water as the young hippy couple stopped by the empty compound. They'd also taken a room from Don Tomas, but he'd put them up in the camp closer to the railroad track. A less desirable locale since the train passing feels like a mechanized earth quake every hour or so, tough to sleep... but you do get used to it, eventually.

The couple introduced themselves and we made a bit of the usual comparative travel small talk. After I realized these were the new arrivals who earlier Don Tomas was asking me if I'd indoctrinate in the proper harvesting, cleaning, and dining of peyote, I asked if they'd be ready to head off in an hour or so. They seemed nervously thrilled to have an English speaker run them through the ropes the first time, as they didn't speak a word of Espanol. We all parted to pack the essentials, ie. a few oranges to choke the plants down, a good knife, water, smokes, etc.

I was a little apprehensive about volunteering to hang with a couple of dred-headed neo-flower children, but I'd recently misjudged the character of one straight-laced and alleged American attorney in Mexico City, so I figured I'd give these two a chance.

As the afternoon blazed, and after we'd all made it past the complimentary nausea hump, we built a nice fire and drifted through loose conversational threads as we gazed at occasional stars shooting down from the milky way. I told stories, that looped back into other stories, and they shared as well. Turns out the young fella had spent his 3 years in the Israeli army, had to do a bit of fighting except he said it wasn't much of a fight, "They had rocks, we had guns." The memory seemed to weigh heavy on him and I asked if he'd ever had to kill anyone. I could actually feel the pain in his eyes, and it hurt me to know such a gentle character had to endure such a horrible experience. He said he thought he probably had killed, but he couldn't be sure.

I changed the subject as much for his benefit as mine. I've learned from experience that it's not generally such a grand idea to delve into such topics when the mind is so vulnerable.

It was a beautiful night and I was sad when they had to move on the next day. I'd miss them, but would look forward to catching up to them one day in India where they now make their home in between trips to Japan to sell handicrafts and jewelry.

They'd already been gone for a few hours when I went to take refuge from the heat and found a dear letter from them under my pillow. They each thanked me kindly for showing them "the way" and urged me to look them up the next time I'm stumbling through India. :-)

~~~

"John and Yoko 2000" ~ Near Wadley, Mexico © Skip Hunt

Like a swift subway blast of subterranean wind, I was carried around the corner. Into the plaza I wandered and tried to get a grip on what might have happened. After a brief dizzy sensation that I'd blamed on the hot afternoon vapors, it was as if I'd actually drifted out of time and walked right into some forgotten Cuban plaza. I'd never been to Cuba, but this looked like the picture I had of it.

I wandered around the plaza looking for some clue... some evidence that it actually exhisted. But, I remember that it seemed as though no one could see me... like everyone could see right through me and I could move freely undetected. I snapped photos as personal proof that I had in fact been there... in case my mind later attempted to convince me it'd all been merely a dream.


"Plaza Shine" ~ Mexico City © 2010 Skip Hunt