Dr. Merrin Pearce is a Sustainability Consultant working through Coordinate4U. His thoughts and ideas reach me a few times a week, mostly when driving in the morning. A frequent speaker on Hong Kong's English public broadcasting channel, RTHK, Merrin usually chimes in to comment with updates on environmental/conservation issues. I've known Merrin for years, although mostly on the periphery of this or that conservation campaign. This was the first time we sat for a chat. I imagine we'll have a Pa...
May 24, 2021•57 min•Season 2Ep. 62
In Episode 53 I had a revealing, powerful, and moving conversation with photographer Julia Broad. When we were done, she said I should connect with Kristin Zeising – sure to be a fantastic guest. So I reached out and we finally met for this episode. For more than 15 years, Dr. Zeising has worked with all kinds of clients at mental health clinics, hospitals, group practices, and her private practice. Originally from California, she is now in Hong Kong, focussing on sex therapy. I personally get o...
May 17, 2021•59 min•Season 2Ep. 61
I spotted Daphne's name and work on a snake page I'm part of. Counting more than 10,000 people, the tag people use when there's a great photo but that isn't a snake is 'NASB' – not a snake but... Well, Daphne was singled out for being shortlisted as a wildlife photographer and I was quickly impressed. I reached out and we set up a time to meet. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Daphne Wong is a wildlife photographer and filmmaker with a passion for wildlife and the outdoors, especially neglected and...
May 10, 2021•43 min•Season 2Ep. 60
I met and have seen Karina all around Sai Kung, if not Hong Kong. Typically, I've seen her organizing and coordinating efforts to protect the feral cows that wander around Sai Kung, in Hong Kong. There are several herds all around the territory, and they're often a surprising part of the urban and rural landscapes. They are a sweet and unexpected side of Hong Kong's softer side. Since we're neighbours, I often see 'Kaz' around, either when I'm driving or just making my way around town. I also kn...
May 03, 2021•55 min•Season 2Ep. 59
Going back to the vault to Episode 037, I'm reissuing this one because we just passed Earth Day and I felt the ideas and message were really important. Enjoy! Doug Woodring and Ran met at one of Hong Kong's bustling social enterprise hubs to discuss the state of plastic recycling in the world today. After moving to Hong Kong from the USA and spending hours in the water, he decided to turn his frustration with plastics in the ocean to direct action that would make a difference. Doug described how...
Apr 25, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 58
Years ago, at a meeting of great groups doing amazing work to protect the ocean and seas, I was introduced to a guy called Doug Woodring and his group Ocean Recovery Alliance. He was featured in episode 37 (link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJf-a1VJ8yI). Doug seems so well connected and while speaking he said if I can swing it, I really should talk with his friend, Erden Eruç. As in, REALLY. So I reached out and we set up a call. For standard interviews, it's really important to do rese...
Apr 18, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Jayne and I met at her house, where she invited me in and offered me a delightfully strong coffee and an hour's chat around her life as a working photojournalist. I LOVE THIS STUFF! Starting in Australia, she eventually made it to London, covering the most incredible moments offered up by the newsdesk. From there, she has made her way around on eventful shoots, building an impressive portfolio of photos and experiences that will inspire any budding photographer. From meeting Queen Elizabeth to b...
Apr 12, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 56
I met Michael when Doug Woodring invited me to host a panel discussion for the MAD ABOUT THE OCEAN initiative he put together. I had already seen the effect of Michael's work, as a dramatic Kids Ocean Day was held in Hong Kong and a powerful image of a shark being finned was shared across media and promoted through Shark Rescue. We met a couple of times and I heard him speak on why he's so motivated to drive Kids Ocean Day. At the heart of it is a deep and lasting love – yes, LOVE – of the ocean...
Apr 05, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 57
On a beautiful spring day more than a year after the pandemic hit, I visited Francesco at his apartment in Causeway Bay. Perched high above the harbor on Hong Kong Island, I wasn't sure of who or what I should expect. I knocked on the door and was warmly greeted by a guy I had heard about but never met. From the tasteful furniture to the art on the walls, Francesco obviously knows how to turn a concrete space into a warm home. It didn't take long for me to learn how this dedicated painter was bo...
Mar 29, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Sometimes, life throws you a curveball, and it's how you react that can set your future. When I set up a meeting with Julia, it was pretty much according to the usual script: email or message introduction with a link to the podcast. The request for 3 or 4 photos we can use to frame the conversation, setting the date to meet or call, and then the session. Julia and I got to the last step and I was following up to know if I could please get the images? And that's when everything changed... The sam...
Mar 21, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 53
Andrea met up with me at Tamar Park, off of Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. With helicopters, landscapers, coffee machines, and other distractions filling up the soundscape, the two still managed to dive deep into Andrea's incredible work. To make sense of the incredible disruption the world has suffered through the pandemic, she launched the '100 Days' series, which has been showing in her Hongkong Solo Photography Exhibition. With solid training in and mastery through medium-format cameras, And...
Mar 15, 2021•39 min•Season 2Ep. 53
Launching Season 2 of Shooting it RAW was a conversation with Hemant, one of my beloved friends going back to... Jeeze-Louise, something like 1941 or something. We talked about the tension that connects and lives between all parents and children, if not caregivers and their clients, or anyone else who depends on another. We also talked about Japan, coffee pots, and what's involved when someone tries to share their level of mastery in whatever domain. Enjoy and here's to a fantastic second season...
Mar 08, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Barrister and dedicated animal-welfare advocate Kim McCoy sat with me in Hong Kong. We talked shop about photography, how COVID-19 can force a person to launch new projects, and why we must expand our appreciation of animals in our lives. Specifically, Kim highlighted why he founded the Hong Kong Animal Law and Protection Organisation – HK-ALPO – and the need to mobilize the law to get a lot tougher on animal abuse. We laughed! We cried! It was better than Cats! **** Learn more about HK-ALPO at:...
Mar 01, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 50
In this episode, my cousin Maya Bilalis joined from Sydney, Australia to share a bit on what she's been up to. From what it is to be an entrepreneur to using the Wim Hof breathing and ice-bath techniques to give your insides a reset, we reconnected and had a few laughs. Can you pick out the gem that revealed itself about online coaching in times of COVID? **** More from Shooting it RAW: https://www.shooting-it-raw.com/
Feb 08, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 49
Delphine and I connected as best as we could, with Delphine calling in from the Indonesian island of Gili Trawangan and me from my home in Sai Kung, Hong Kong. Delphine shared the two passions that have carried her across her life: horses and the water. Starting in Paris, she eventually landed on the island paradise of Gili Trawangan where she both rehabilitates horses and is the head of the eco-tourism and conservation charity, the Gili Eco Trust. Listen in as Delphine shares what it's like to ...
Feb 01, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Asher is a self-described perfectionist who found inspiration to take the leap into professional photography when COVID-19 put her and her family in quarantine for two weeks. She kindly invited Ran into her joyous, bright home for a chat and a view into her life. What communicated loud and clear was Asher's generosity, warmth, surprisingly big heart, and the love of people. It's kind of a must-have if you're aiming at creating meaningful portraits, capturing an event's energy, or making a lastin...
Jan 26, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 47
Jo and I met at Jo's studio in Chai Wan, a massive district at the northern tip of Hong Kong Island. Nestled away in a large industrial building is Jo's studio, where we exchanged on what it is to dedicate yourself to photography. In Jo's case, she's been inspired to find and document women from across cultures and how some have gone to what 'we' consider are great, maybe even questionable lengths in the pursuit to attain physical beauty and group acceptance. From women who bind their feet in Ch...
Jan 17, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Elizabeth and I caught up online for an inspiring call around what it's like to be a 'committed' artist in these COVID-19 times. From her work as an artist-in-residence in Hong Kong, she tried to complete some international travel to Turkey, only to realize Hong Kong raised the mandatory quarantine from 14 to 21 days. Sharing her experience with being processed, treated like a pariah, and locked in a 200 sq/ft hotel room, Elizabeth remains thankful for her ability to still travel and complete he...
Jan 11, 2021•46 min•Season 1Ep. 45
In this second check-in with 'Dr. E', Yael and I spoke from Café Rona about the shame and consequences associated with a COVID-19 infection. Like last time, the conversation got off the rails soon enough, again moving from Shooting it RAW to maybe Shooting it Wrong. Tune in, have a laugh, and maybe even learn something valuable about how to protect yourself and your loved ones. Together, we can fight the VID, Rona, My Sherona, or anything else. *** Listen to the previous episode with Yael here: ...
Jan 03, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Living legend. Personal hero. Conservation champion. This is Paul Watson. We met for an inspiring conversation around his work in marine conservation, how Sea Shepherd came to be, how the organization has grown into a thriving worldwide network, and more. At the heart of our greatest challenge, says Paul, is humanity's ability to adapt to a world that is continuously being diminished because of most people's inability to respect how we fit in our incredible biosphere. How do we know this is true...
Dec 25, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 43
How do you react when the world serves you a double-scoop of bad luck and unexpected loss? What do you do when things fall apart? Tim and I reconnected to discuss the healing power of travel, the unexpected generosity that surrounds us, how we can sometimes find beauty and wonder when you least expect it, and what it's like to be there for other people at their greatest times of need – personally and professionally.
Dec 21, 2020•53 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Join us as I interview my daughter on what it is to record our experiences with photography. The backdrop of this episode is the COVID-19 coronavirus health scare that has shaken the world, and how a small family has coped with making sense in these CRAZY times! Enjoy this window on the world from an articulate eight-year-old's eyes. - See the photo and find out more about Shooting it RAW at: https://www.shooting-it-raw.com
Dec 18, 2020•20 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Ying Ying Liu and I met to discuss the power of sound to reach a deeper level of connection and understanding with ourselves and the outside world. Ying Ying shared how her deep training in classical music and performance was the foundation on which her commitment to preserving the environment, and then Lumivoce was born. 2020 has been such an extraordinary year. A great many people have lost loved ones, feel stressed, isolated, and hurt. The world needs much healing. What better way to do this ...
Dec 14, 2020•53 min•Season 1Ep. 41
How do you see the world? Not only what shapes your perspective and point of view, but also how far can you accept what your eyes and mind tell you is the world as it actually is? In this fascinating conversation with David Stuss, he shares his thoughts on what it is to be a thoughtful educator, a perceptive individual, and a person who'll go to great lengths to get the perfect image. But don't call him a photographer. **** See more of David's photos on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phara...
Dec 08, 2020•55 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Gary Stokes has been a conservation champion for years. Working as a photojournalist and dive instructor, he would often see first-hand the destruction of marine habitats around the world. Often commissioned to underwater photojournalism and videos, Gary eventually realized he simply had to get involved. This commitment eventually had him join Sea Shepherd on various expeditions as their team photographer, and then as the leader for Asia. He eventually launched Oceans Asia, a conservation group ...
Nov 29, 2020•58 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Sasha is an accidental photographer... A happy-accident discoverer of what it's like to inspire others, thanks to surprising, powerful images. Listen in as Sasha describes how she suddenly discovered the hidden beauty, charm, and even cuteness of jumping spiders and other tiny animals living all around us, waiting to be discovered. Be inspired! **** Find more of Sasha Haldane's great photos on her Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/haldanesasha/ **** More from Shooting it RAW: https://...
Nov 23, 2020•44 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Doug Woodring and I met at one of Hong Kong's bustling social enterprise hubs to discuss the state of plastic recycling in the world today. After moving to Hong Kong from the USA and spending hours in the water, he decided to turn his frustration with plastics in the ocean to direct action that would make a difference. Doug described how he spearheaded campaigns that were decades ahead of the curve. From his work with the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Bank, the Clinton Global I...
Nov 16, 2020•53 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Lisa joined me from Montreal, diving into what it's like to be a journalist who steps forward to cover stories that must be told. She's a journalist and editor with nearly two decades of professional experience in the Middle East, New York City, and Canada. She covered the major events in Israel-Palestine and the region between the Second Intifada and the Egyptian uprising of 2011, including the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war and the 2005 evacuation of Israel's settlements in Gaza. During that period s...
Nov 11, 2020•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 36
How long does it take and how much do you have to invest to become a great photographer? These are big questions that Robert can talk about. He's been pushing himself to learn and master the craft of wildlife photography, and you can see that he's clearly dedicated to making the kind of incredible photographs that inspire so many and win awards. We met in Hong Kong's Lion Nature Park to shout against the wind, fend off the mosquitos, and dive deep into how to evolve into a true master photograph...
Nov 02, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Did you know the world's oceans are under major, critical threat? Did you know that you have the power to help make a difference? The answers to these questions are how Andrea and I reconnected at the Hong Kong Shark Foundation's offices in Hong Kong. After learning about sharks and the unsustainable shark trade, Andrea volunteered and eventually became the HKSF's Managing Director. Listen in as we catch up on the current status of shark conservation, how Andrea is tirelessly raising awareness t...
Oct 26, 2020•50 min•Season 1Ep. 34
