Expanded Horizons

Vagabond Vistas: Photographer David Simchock goes out of his comfort zone to offer a new view of the world.

By: Susan Van Dongen

David Simchock’s lens zooms from Vietnamese cathedrals to Nepal’s mountaintops. Above, "Cao Dai Cathedral" in Long Hoa, Vietnam.

   You won’t catch David Simchock on a tour bus, rolling through foreign countries in air-conditioned comfort, listening to a professional guide blather on about the sights.
   He probably also would opt out of the quickie tours of the Louvre with side trips to Euro Disney and time for factory-outlet shopping. He’s the kind of traveler who gets immersed in his destination. Mr. Simchock’s priority is to see, hear, touch, feel and — for better or worse — smell the authenticity of the distant lands he visits.

	Above, the convent of Santa Catalina in Arequipa, Peru.

   "It wasn’t unusual for people to refer to me as a ‘vagabond’ during my travels or, in the case of the Latinos, ‘El Vagabundo,’" says Mr. Simchock, 38.
   Hence the name of his new business. Launched in March, Mr. Simchock’s Vagabond Vistas Photography features portfolio after portfolio of black-and-white and color shots from his wanderings.
   And he did, indeed, wander — from October 1999 to October 2002, leaving behind a management career to journey across five continents.
   "What was to be a yearlong break from the corporate scene turned into a three-year journey of a lifetime," Mr. Simchock says. "It was really a life-changing experience."
   Mr. Simchock already has enjoyed some success. The travel sections of both the The Star-Ledger and The Times of Trenton used his shot of Wat Phra Kaeo — a huge Buddhist temple on the grounds of the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Thailand — as the lead image. In June, the New Jersey chapter of the American Society of Media Photographers awarded him "Best in Show" honors in its annual juried competition, for a compelling image of monks at worship in the Cao Dai Cathedral in Long Hoa, Vietnam.
   In addition, Mr. Simchock has a solo show at the new Druch Studio Gallery in Trenton through Aug. 15, and is part of an open-ended group show at the RF Gallery, also in the capital city. His work can be seen at Princeton Photo on Nassau Street as well.
   "(My trip) was divided between North America, where I visited friends and family on the East Coast, California, Quebec and British Columbia," he says. "Then I went to Iceland, Britain and Europe, where I took a month-long solo motorcycle tour of France, northern Spain and parts of Italy.
   "I spent four months in Southeast Asia, two months in Nepal and a total of about eight months in Australasia — the South Pacific Islands, Australia and New Zealand," he continues. "I also spent eight months in South America, where I visited and photographed Chile, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru."

At right, a nursery school student in Hoi An, Vietnam.

   Mr. Simchock’s trek to the Pacific Islands included visits to French Polynesia and Easter Island. In the Galápagos, off Ecuador, he took countless rolls of the famous inhabitants of the islands, first chronicled by Charles Darwin. He captured the fantastically colored feet of the blue-footed boobie on film, as well as shots of the male frigate bird, which inflates its red chest to an improbable size during mating season.
   In South America and Southeast Asia, his camera was often greeted by the smiling faces of local children, whom he charmed by joking in their native languages or tempting them with snacks.
   Mr. Simchock also spent considerable time observing and photographing ancient Buddhist shrines and the exotic figures which often adorn these sacred sites, such as the gilded dancing statues at Wat Phra Kaeo. In the mid-19th century, King Rama IV of Thailand erected these figurines to enshrine a piece of the Buddha’s breastbone. The Grand Palace was officially opened in 1785, marking the founding of the new capital and the rebirth of the Thai nation.
   Naturally, the history behind these places interests Mr. Simchock, but not as much as the folks he met abroad.
   "I don’t see travel as a checklist of things I did, or places I went," he says. "When I look back, it is the people that I remember, whether locals or fellow travelers. I particularly enjoyed my time spent with children, and staying with local families wherever possible."
   Making friends with the residents of various far-flung places is one of Mr. Simchock’s secret weapons for budgeting such trips abroad.

			At left, Sentinel Dome, Yosemite National Park.

   "People always ask how I was able to afford such a trip," he says. "The fact is, it wasn’t your standard American five-star vacation. I stayed in budget accommodation as well as with friends and local families. My cheapest bed for a night was less than one dollar during my four-and-a-half-week trek in the Everest Region of Nepal. Although my best deal was probably a full ‘en suite’ room overlooking the Caribbean on the Colombian coast in a place called Taganga. That cost about $2.50 per night."
   Many of Mr. Simchock’s best photos are taken at lofty altitudes, including the Sacred Valley of Machu Picchu, high in the Peruvian Andes. He also visited Gokyo Re in the Khumbu Region of Nepal, some 15,000 feet above sea level in the Himalayas. He’d been an enthusiastic hiker and climber before embarking on a photography career and often took his camera with him to the mountains and trails.
   Mr. Simchock is from Ewing and graduated from Rutgers with a degree in mechanical engineering. While working as an engineer for ConEd in New York, Mr. Simchock procured his master’s from the Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken and was then recruited by a British power company. He lived in England for more than five years, working in the commercial and management side of the industry.
   "The background sounds a little strange considering what I’m doing now," he says, "although I’ve always had an artistic side, enjoyed sketching and painting, but was never formally trained. My parents bought me my first 35 mm camera when I graduated from high school, and I’ve always liked taking pictures."

At right, a male frigate bird in the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador.

   He decided to take some time off and had only planned on a year, perhaps a year and a half on the road.
   "I sold everything, bought an around-the-world ticket and off I went," Mr. Simchock says. "I was doing a lot of shooting and people were starting to comment on my work when I began to realize it might be saleable. After I got back last fall, I bought some books, talked to people and learned about the (travel photography) business. The plan was to do this part time, but as I put more and more into the research, I decided this was what I wanted to do."
   Changing careers and starting a new, artistically inclined business is a bold move in these shaky economic times, but Mr. Simchock downplays this.
   "I’ve done some pretty bold things before, like picking up to live overseas, then taking off on my foreign travels, which prepared me to take on a challenge," Mr. Simchock says.
   He was in the middle of his three years abroad when he heard the news about the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. Mr. Simchock never considered aborting his trip.
   "(Sept. 11) did not deter my travels," he says. "I went on for another full year afterwards, and would not hesitate to go overseas again. Essentially, it reconfirmed that I was doing a good thing in my life, breaking out of my comfort zone, seeing the world and getting a better appreciation for other cultures. I think more Americans should try to expand their horizons whenever and wherever possible."
David Simchock’s photography is on view at the Druch Studio Gallery, 920 Brunswick Ave., Trenton, through Aug. 15. Gallery hours by appointment only. For information, call (609) 394-3698. His work also can be seen at the RF Gallery, 46 W. Lafayette St., Trenton, (609) 695-0061, and Princeton Photo, 126 Nassau St., Princeton, (609) 683-1211. For information about Vagabond Vistas Photography, call (609) 532-4876. Vagabond Vistas Photography on the Web: www.vagabondvistas.com