Josh Meister Photo: My Life

Middle East: UAE

Posted on August 21, 2015October 4, 2016 by joshmeisterphoto

Back in December, on Christmas day, my wife comes running into the room shouting that there is some crazy deal for Etihad Airways – we can go to the UAE for only $155 each roundtrip. At first I wasn’t sure I wanted to travel to the Middle East, but Shari, with her persuasive ways, convinced me. She purchased the tickets, and next thing you know, it’s May, and we’re on a flight to the UAE. There is a lot to do and plenty to see. It is amazing that a once nomadic people had settled down in the desert and built such amazing cities. We stayed in Abu Dhabi a couple of days, but spent the majority of our time in Dubai.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque – There are mosques on almost every corner (much like where I live in Atlanta with a church on every corner!), but this one blows the rest away. The Grand Masque is beautiful. There is no expense spared, and it’s being cleaned non-stop.

Vendor at the Textile Souk.

Dude taking a break in the Textile Souk.

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Window display – loving the patterns.

Some of the goods at the fish market.
A vendor showing off his product at the fish market.

Some locals doing the shopping on the weekend. Which is Friday and Saturday by the way!

Trying to cool off a little in the shade.

A vegetable vendor.

Dune Bashing. This was probably one of my favorite activites.

A few friendly camels.

I really enjoyed encountering and documenting the hard workers and the culture that really makes up who the locals are. This was one of those trips were it was so much fun to just walk the streets and see the people, check out the markets, and witness a different world.

Europe: Southern Spain

Posted on December 18, 2014 by joshmeisterphoto

During our trip to the Iberian Peninsula, we drove 3000 km (1854 mi) and stayed in 7 cities. This doesn’t even include the distance to Morocco and back. I can’t even describe how amazing it was. Below are some pics from a few of the places we stayed in Spain. España is definitely a country to visit in your lifetime. Incredible food, amazing architecture, and beautiful people. The countryside alone is worth seeing. During certain times of the year you can go skiing in the Sierra Nevada mountains and then drive an hour south to the beaches on the Alboran Sea. It is definitely a place I could see myself living one day.

Cured meats seem to be a staple in the Spanish diet. I have always considered myself a meat lover. I didn’t think it would ever be possible for me to overdo it. Spain put me in my place.

I especially loved all the outdoor eating. Every restaurant seemed to spill into the streets. I wish I saw this more in the States.

The churches are amazing! There are so many of them, and just when you think you have found the biggest and most magnificent, there is another one right around the corner.

This is the ceiling at Catedral de Salamanca. This was one of our pitstops on the way to Lisbon. The detail is unbelievable. Pictures don’t do it justice. You have to witness it with your own eyes.

This is the outside of the Catedral de Salamanca. Almost every city in Spain is built up around a cathedral similar to this one. However, this is definitely one of the larger ones.

This is overlooking the gardens of the Alcazar Palace in Seville. This place was so big it seemed almost impossible to get a picture to really show it off.

A couple enjoys some tapas at a small bar.

This is the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballería de Sevilla. This bullring was built in 1749. One of the advantages to visiting Spain in the late fall is the lack of tourists, but it sadly meant that we also missed bull-fighting season and didn’t get to see a match. But we did take the tour!

This bizarre building/structure is the Metropol Parasol. It was designed by J. Mayer H. Architects and built in April 2011. It is meant to draw in tourists and to become the new contemporary urban center.

This is the view from the top of the Metropol Parasol at sunset.

A couple enjoys a boat ride around the Plaza de España.

After we left Morocco we headed to Granada, Spain. Along with Seville, this was my favorite city in Spain. I love how the city was nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. There is skiing 45 min up the mountain and a beach an hour or so south. Oh, and did I mention the free tapas with every drink you order! I think I will live here.

Oh, you know, just a couple of badass spanish guitar players sitting on top of a wall overlooking Granada and the Alhambra.

The Alhambra at sunset.

Next stop was Valencia. I could have done without going to this city, but I didn’t know this until after the fact. It just didn’t have that same charm as Seville and Granada. However, it did have some really cool architecture.

These futuristic buildings sit on the southern tip of the Cabecera Park in Valencia. This one is the Museo de las Ciencias Príncipe Felipe, which is the science center for tourists and children. It reminded me of Scitrek in Atlanta, old and run down. I think that because Spain is in an economic downturn, this park and the buildings are being neglected.

This is L’Hemisfèric, and in the background is the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, which is an opera house and cultural center. It was designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, with design beginning in 1995. It was finished and opened in 2005.

Our trip to the Iberian Peninsula was, to say the least, incredible. The region has it all! I can’t wait to go back and travel the northern side of Spain and possibly even pop in to France. Thanks for checking out my work and journey!

Europe: Lisbon, Portugal

Posted on December 17, 2014 by joshmeisterphoto

To start off the trip to the Iberian Peninsula, a.k.a. The Spain Trip, we headed to Portugal. Our First stop was Lisbon. What an amazing city! This is a must see if you go to Europe. I think I like Portugal better than Spain. I will just have to go back again to find out for sure.

This is the beautiful view of Lisbon during sunset from the Castelo de Sao Jorge.

This is a Republican National Guard (GNR) of Portugal standing watch in front of Comando Geral. They all looked tough and cold but are surprisingly nice.

This monument that looks like it is something straight out of a sci fi movie is to commemorate the soldiers who died in the Portuguese Colonial War also known as the “Overseas War”. I happened to walk by right as they were doing the changing of the guards.

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A soldier standing watch in front of the monument for the Portuguese Colonial War.

There are old street cars all over Lisbon in the old city. They twist and turn up and down all the narrow streets. I highly recommend riding one if you ever find yourself in Lisbon.

Tourists zipping around the streets of Lisbon in their little mini three wheelers.

There are street musicians and artists all over Lisbon. They range in all skill levels. It is such a common thing, sometimes it seemed like no one even notices them.

One of the many back alleyways you can get lost in. There was grafitti all over the place. My buddy Phil sits to give his feet a rest. He didn’t even notice “The Warriors” tag over his head until after the fact. I love how it seemed so perfectly placed over him.

Throughout the day there were locals just hanging out their windows and doors watching the daily hustle.

This is Pena National Palace. It was built by King Ferdinand in the mid 19th century. He constructed the palace on top of an old monastery from the mid 15th century. It is definitely a place worth checking out.

This is the Castle of the Moors which was constructed during the 8th to 9th century, during the period of Muslim Iberia. It overlooks the lands around Lisbon.

Portugal is incredible. The people are all super friendly and willing to help out a tourist. I will definitely be going back.

Africa: Tangier, Morocco

Posted on December 15, 2014September 15, 2016 by joshmeisterphoto

My wife Shari, my buddy Phil, and I took a trip across southern Spain towards the end of October. We decided that since we were so close to Africa we had to take a detour to check it out. We hoped on a large ferry which quickly jetted us across the Alboran Sea to a little city in Africa called Tangier. Tangier is located in Morocco near the most northwestern point of mainland Africa. This is right where the Atlantic Ocean and the Alboran Sea collide at the Strait of Gibraltar. Since we only had a quick 24 hours to check out the city I hired a private tour guide (Said Tours) to run us around Tangier. We had less than one day to meet the people and learn as much about the city and the culture as we possibly could in such a short time. On this trip I took my new Fuji X-T1 and put it to good use moving at full speed around the city. We had a blast and definitely rocked the Kasbah! I definitely need to go back and see more of Morocco.

A local sits and watches the morning traffic as he drinks his coffee.

The local snake charmer of Tangier.

A woman who lives in the Kasbah waits with her water jugs. There is no running water in the houses so the locals go to the well to fill up.

Not too far outside of Tangier is the lighthouse at Cap Spartel which is the most northwestern point of mainland Africa. This is where the Atlantic Ocean and the Alboran Sea meet.

Just down the beach these two handsome gentlemen give tourist the ride of their lives on their camels who would rather lay on the cliffs looking out at the ocean than pick my big butt up.

One of the many entrances to the markets in the old city of Tangier.

An olive peddler taking a well deserved break after a long day in the market.

Morocco is well known for its many colorful textiles. This man surrounded by his goods for sale makes another beautiful blanket.

Some of the local boys play a fun game of football after school.

Towards the end of the day people gather at Cafe Tingis for a warm mint tea. They sit and admire the people heading home.

Central America: Costa Rica

Posted on February 26, 2014February 26, 2014 by joshmeisterphoto

I got to take a trip to Costa Rica recently and pretty much couldn’t put my camera down. I visited Jaco, Dominical, and Manual Antonio, and all of it was beautiful. There’s a ton of waterfalls, including a few that you have to work pretty hard to find. I highly recommend going if you haven’t been. You won’t regret it.

I really love the way these images look in black and white and sepia tone. Costa Rica offers lots of color; however turning these black and white seems to really bring out the peacefulness in them.

Walking along the beach brings many surprises and neat little hideaways. It would be amazing to have a piece of property like this on a beach one day.

This device is used to press sugarcane in order to get the sweet sweet liquid from it.

I also came across many great places to stop and grab a bite to eat and a coffee. You can meet some really friendly people along the way.

You can always find a great place to stop and grab a nap too.

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I wish I could say this killer Toyota Land Cruiser was my ride. This is what I imagine I would own if I lived in Costa Rica.

The images look pretty cool in color as well. The hues are so amazing in Costa Rica. It’s hard to show all of these images in just black and white.

I wanted to cross this bridge so badly; however, being in the middle of nowhere, I decided to skip it since I had no clue how close I was to the nearest hospital.