Los Angeles. October, 2007

Couldn't this be a still from an indie film? It's actually a candid photo I shot on the set of a commercial we were filming for Bose headphones. I especially like the half of an interior of a passenger jet that was recreated in the studio to illustrate how effective Bose noise cancellation was in airplanes.

Ortakoy, Istanbul. June, 2007

Istanbul has weathered military coups before, dating back centuries. Even the name of the capital reflects changing political climates and regimes: Byzantium became Constantinople became Istanbul. The people I met there were among the nicest I've met anywhere. There is a good reason that Middle Eastern hospitality is fabled in legend and in song. I have no idea who these two young men are, but they seem to be enjoying a bit of mid-morning gossip...just as you and I would.

Istanbul. June, 2007

The storied Blue Mosque (aka Sultanahmet Camii) is always filled with tourists. But they're less bothersome if you look up. I love those rings of lights found in just about every mosque. On my last visit, I noticed that the old-fashioned bulbs had sometimes been replaced with energy-efficient fluorescents.

Istanbul. June, 2007

Take the underground passageway beneath the traffic at the end of the Galata Bridge and you'll see this kiosk selling guns and ammunition with the same businesslike professionalism that you'll find at the bakery on one side of it or the electronics store on the other. A little bit shocking to this New Englander, but no one else seemed to bat an eye.

Istanbul. June, 2007

I have been served by this charming waiter every time I've eaten at Çiya, one of my very favorite restaurants in Istanbul. I have no idea what his real name is, but everyone I know calls him John Travolta and he is happy to acknowledge the compliment. Though, to tell the truth, he's much nicer looking than Travolta. Here he's seen serving the puffed bread, just out of the oven, that every diner at Çiya receives.

Edirne, Turkey. June, 2007

The signs posted said no photos allowed. But how could I resist recording this beautiful dome in the Selimiye Mosque, considered the architect Sinan's masterpiece, and the reason I had traveled all the way out here from Istanbul? Sue me.

Edirne, Turkey. June, 2007

Edirne sits at the very western edge of Turkey, right near the borders with Bulgaria and Greece. Here is a look inside the city's "Old Mosque." In Turkey, "old" is relative, but in this case it means early 15th-century. When I walked in, I was greeted by a young man, practicing his English, who welcomed me. Then, taking his leave, he walked up stairs to a pulpit, picked up a microphone, and chanted the verses for this midday moment of prayer (one of five each day) that were broadcast throughout the city.