Todd Lawson launches new photography site

Mountain Life publisher/photo editor Todd Lawson knows a thing or two about shooting stunning Coast Mountain scenery but his real passion is travel and photographing landscapes and people all over the world. In 2008, Todd and his partner Christina rode motorcycles across Africa and distributed mosquito nets in an effort to combat malaria in some of the poorest regions on the planet. In 2006 they rode from South America to Whistler, strictly backroads, no map, real adventure.
Last week, Todd launched an inspiring new photo website showcasing images from his travels. It’s jam packed with shots from all over the globe and offers a nice change from the usual blue-sky-deep-snow photos us Coast Mountainers are used to. HERE is the site but we asked Todd to give us a little backstory as well.

Mountain Life – How many images are up at Toddlawsonphoto.com
Todd Lawson– Oh man, I’d say more than a thousand images from 38 countries.

ML– Talk about the difference between ‘Travel’ and ‘Vacation.’
Todd – Travel is about immersing yourself into a culture. It’s about leaving without and agenda, with a one-way ticket or a motorbike, and not knowing when you will be back or who you’ll meet along the way. Travel is opening yourself up to the realms of the unexpected.

ML– And Vacation?
Todd – Vacation is more about de-stressing for a while with buckets of beers on the beach. Going for two weeks of good times.

ML– What are a few of your favourite places you’ve visited?
Todd– Venezuela for the diversity. You’ve got the Caribbean Sea to the north, 16,000-foot Andes mountains right there, and deserts, waterfalls, cities and great people. And gasoline was 4 cents a litre there. We could literally fill up our tanks with pocket change.
Also, Malawi, primarily because of the lake (Lake Malawi). There is this amazing freshwater lake that when you are there it feels like the ocean– big waves crashing, tropical fish, but it’s fresh water. It was so warm you could get up at 6am and swim and not be cold at all. It’s a breath of fresh air, that place, and the people are amazing. Very poor, one of the poorest countries, but extremely rich in how they treated us.
And South Africa, probably because of the cultural diversity and, geographically, it is mindblowing. Mountains, beaches, ocean– a real stunning landscape with lots of colours and lots of photo potential.

ML– What are some tips or tricks you have for people who want to shoot good photos in a foreign land?
Todd– For me, it’s about not busting out your camera right away and shooting people. Try to develop a relationship first. A simple handshake and a few questions about where someone is from is usually enough. Just build a rapport with people and they will be more open to you shooting a photo, especially if you tell them what you are doing with it. That old adage about a photo stealing someone’s soul is still out there so if you explain you want to show it to your friends or for a charitable website or something people open up. If you just take a few minutes to develop that relationship your images will speak volumes more.

ML– You often mail actual prints of your photos back to people you meet during your travels. What does a photo mean to some of these people? How many have you sent out?
Todd– The digital age is cool because you can show someone a photo on your camera but you can’t give it to them. But for someone in eastern Africa to have a printed shot, to have that memory of meeting a buddy from somewhere else, it’s special. If Christina and I spend some time with a person we will come home and print 30-40 different pics and mail them. We get the odd letter back too. We’re heading to Belize next week to stay with a family we met when we were there in 05. It’s nice to put pen to paper and print a photo and have a real friendship in this day and age. A lot of people hid behind email. I guess I’ve mailed at least 500 shots over the years.

ML– Tell me about the Sean Lawson Young Travelers Foundation.
Todd– It’s a bit of a legacy for my brother who was a different kind of traveler, not the typical backpacker. He really immersed himself wherever he went. He loved kids and interacting with kids so the mandate is to get kids out of their small villages and their normal classrooms and expose them to what travel is all about. We take kids, and their teachers and cooks and stuff, out on extended trips in their own countries to allow them to experience travel. Even getting a flat tire out on the open road is a real trip for lots of them. So all the money we raise from slideshows of our travels is put towards taking kids out on these field trips.

Todd and Christina are off to Belize later this week and have plans to show some local kids a bit of their countries history, jungles, and the beach.

Check out http://toddlawsonphoto.com/

− Feet Banks