Portraits: of people and the places they live

On his many trips around the world travel writer Michael McCarthy has met thousands of people in nearly fifty countries, sometimes only for a few seconds or minutes. Most of the photos in this book are not posed or composed in traditional portrait style, but are merely quick snapshots of a magical moment that came and went. Michael's technique is to be always ready for that magic moment, with background and lighting pre-selected. Also, to make the subject of the photos feel at ease and to trust the photographer. Michael claims that a clever joke, Mark Twain-style ("Everybody complains about the weather but no one does anything about it") usually works well to elicit a natural smile.Many of the photos in this book portray a "sense of place," whether in the Cajun swamps of Louisiana or the highest inhabited villages in the Himalayas. Remote destinations and unique lifestyles are what draw Michael to wander the world, watching carefully for the opportunity to make friends and catch the memory to cherish forever. Michael's photos take the viewer on a journey that encompasses both people and the places where they live.