I first met Ian in Phnom Penh about 10 years ago when I was probably one of only two Western Planners in Thailand. He was just about to move to Bangkok to do the same job so we had something in common from the get go. Ian was quickly cynical about the advertising proposition process (long before it became fashionable to diss propositions) so he wrote a bit of code that produced an auto proposition generator. I found it hilarious (and unnervingly accurate given the politics that goes into that process).
Since then we've both moved on from the high octane world of consumer materialism. Aside from being a truly gifted photographer, Ian is the single most interesting Asia adventurer and traveller I know. He just got back from a resumed Kayak trip down the coast of Burma and Thailand as the first attempt had to be cut off due to some exotic tropical illness he picked up. Probably from eating wild roots and strange sea marsupials or something.
Last time we hooked up for a chat Ian had me gagging at the bit to fly to Calcutta with tales of poets and Marxist philosophers trying to hold onto some sort of anti materialist ideology in the face of rampant consumerism and erm not much money. I'd fit in there wouldn't I?
Ian's now pinging between Hong Kong and Bangkok a bit more. All of his photography makes me envious but if there's one thing Ian nails better than anyone it's his kids shots. Go check his work out over here if you want a guy to squeeze a great photo out.
