Having a busy summer and fall shooting for (American) television series, one for Food Network and another for Bravo. It’s great to be working all the time, but I find myself itching to steer back into independent documentary and narrative work. I think that will be a good goal for next year.

Fortunately, I am slated to shoot two docs which are in development right now. One has guaranteed funding but is currently on hold. The other is struggling to overcome some difficulties with access to its subject. Both are strong stories so I’ve got my fingers crossed they will be able to move forward in the coming months. Stay tuned.

Playing back a take for host Markus Koch at Volkswagon’s vast Mexico plant. Photo: Ken Kerbs.

Volkswagon’s level of automation was astounding. I still thought robots like this were only in the movies.

Deep underground in a water infrastructure project. I half expected the monster from “Alien” to drop from the ceiling.

Guitarron player, Garibaldi Square, Mexico D.F.

Last day on the road! Mucho tequila con mes amigos. Lots to celebrate.
L-R: BW, Rob Wallace, Ken Kerbs. Photo: Leah Dennington-Koch.

Final approach to NYC. I almost lost it, seeing this after 2 long months on the road. Photo: Ken Kerbs.

You can watch the series (and practice your German) at:
www.70tage.de

Click here to watch the complete episode.

It took a little convincing to get our host to “see the light” with this near-silhouette shot for the intro to our story on the Brazil airline maker Embraer. Shooting by numbers is something I try and avoid at all costs.

Landing on Polvo, the offshore oil processing facility. The week before we were there, one of the choppers was shot at so they had to alter the flight path. Hey, if you had a chopper roaring overhead every minute, maybe you would get a little crazy, too!

Rio de Janeiro. At the peak of the 2008 Dengue Fever epidemic, but life goes on.

Next up: Mexico!

I fell in love with Vietnam. Gentle people, beautiful scenery, and a palpable sense of history.

Vietnam is also all about manufacturing and hi tech. Making computer printers, below:

But still exporting enormous amounts of rice. Below: rice farmer.

The XDCamEX, I discovered, has some real magic inside when you boost the gain and play a bit with the color matrix and saturation. The gain can seem quite organic in certain cases, almost like film grain. I was tempted to go all the way with this and shoot all of Vietnam at 18dbs of gain and this sort of reversal retro look. But in Hanoi it suddenly struck me as inappropriate for a people that have moved on, and are looking forward and not back. I’m still questioning my decision but I think it was the right one.

One thing I’m not questioning is my decision to buy the EX. It’s been a very good creative tool for a project like this.