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The picture above was made after I emerged from HJ airport Atlanta yesterday....... the light was fading....... the planes were leaving in the constant stream you always see there....... Matt was standing outside door S5 having a cigarette... I was standing with him photographing the sky....... both he and I attempting to be casual about our addictions.

I got this nice message from a friend who read my post yesterday about the George Clooney film 'Up In The Air':

Hey Jez,

I spent 10 years flying backwards and forwards from London to Joburg. Working in both places. Experienced and saw some amazing and strange things. Lived an edgy but slightly wild and unconventional life which had a beauty and was part of the African landscape. It got into my blood but made my life peripatetic. Then would work on a desk in London and love it but always left.

I thought the film was really sad and I identified with it, thats why your post struck a chord as I can understand how that lifestyle becomes normal but it can put you outside of things.

Its like there\'s a no where place of departure lounges.

But its ok if its your choice and its your world and thats quite wonderful.

H X

I wrote back :

Hey H,

I have the joy of being a Photographer, Photojournalist Reportage Artist when I get there...... I am not firing people...... it's not only the airports....... the airports and the flying gets me there to see.... facilitates my obsession with photography.

But sometimes the travel is very dominant....... and some of the corporate photography requires: shoot in the day then fly in the evening. Then arrive at the hotel at gone midnight then get up early to shoot the next day. Then fly in the evening. Then arrive at the hotel at gone midnight.... shoot then fly... shoot then fly.... this can carry on for weeks...... its kind of disorienting and tiring.

Although I am not firing people I can be having quite intense time with the people i am photographing.... they could be musicians, miners or teachers or engineers or doctors, scientists, farmers homeless etc etc........... its quite intense for both me and for them..... and editorial stories generally even more so...... Then I roll and fly get to the hotel.... then I\'m up early doing it all again the next day......... tomorrow Im shooting again in Atlanta the day after I fly to Richmond VA to shoot..... but I think I won\'t even stay over night (this is rare)... I\'ll fly straight on to Detroit then (I think) back to Atlanta or NYC depending...... then on to DC...... then..... only Matt (my agent has any thoughts beyond that :-))......... although I know I have some work in London in a week or so and I think a job in Vietnam too.....

I did a fair bit of zapping about back in the day..... when we were both were associated with N&D magazine in London..... most weeks I would go abroad..... but the actual number of flights has really increased since being based in the US...... I once told my sister that I had used all 3 of the airports in NYC in a 24 hour period..... she was of course horrified............

I choose this life.... it gives me something I need and in some sense I am addicted to the roll .... but there is definitely a price to pay...... it does you in for one thing...... and you are so often away at the vital moment...... for the wedding of friends and cousins, for births and deaths....... I am the most unreliable of friends .... always slightly outside of things as you say.

Actually it is not always wonderful.... and yet.... and yet....... I choose this life.... I have the privilege to be an artist....... I have the privilege to see so much...... but of course it means I miss things too.

Cheers Jez XXXXXX

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