With the official end to combat in Iraq today I thought it would be appropriate to post a few photos from the brief time I spent there. I went there with no expectations, no biases, and an open mind. I spent time in homes, eating meals, and hearing stories from all walks of life- Christians, Muslims, Modernists, Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds, Deputies, Secret Agents, Sheiks, the rich, and the poor. Whether the war that “officially” wrapped up tonight with the President’s speech was “wrong” or “right,” Iraq is  home to people-people like you and me. Children, mothers, fathers, and grandparents. Some individuals I spoke to fought for Saddam because that is what they had to do to feed their children. Others cheered in the streets because they were freed from his tyranny. Still others rolled their eyes and spoke matter-of-factly about the U.S.’s desire for oil. We will for years be processing the War in Iraq, remembering the lives lost, and the life given. I will personally always remember the time spent there and the stories I heard. You can read some more from my trip in my archives or my Iraq Gallery on my website. Below are a few photos from that trip that do not do justice to the beauty that are the Iraqi people.

Sunset in Iraq.

Two children waiting for class to start. Somewhere between Mosul and Sulaymaniyah.

My friend walking home in the rain. Blood in the street. The contrast goes well beyond the image.

A lone rose sprouting from the concrete ruins of a gated prison where many were tortured by Saddam. A symbol to me of the Iraqi people now after the war.

Satellites were nowhere to be found during Saddam’s reign. A view from a rooftop now reveals at least one on every roof for as far as you can see.

The future of Iraq.

All photographs in this post ©photography by Chad Cress shot for Discover The Journey.

Below are a few “side shot” type photos from my catalog shoot with Quiksilver Waterman Collection. The shoot was for Spring 2011 so most of the photos won’t be seen until then. I thought I’d post some of my favorite portraits as well as some classic Hawaiian vibe images. The images below feature Shayne McIntyre, Jamie Mitchell, and Makaha’s Mel Pu’u.

Here are some photos from Morocco that have never been posted. Maybe they will inspire a little wanderlust. Enjoy.

The last batch of photos from my cross country voyage.

They say that the grass is always greener on the other side, but no one ever mentions anything about what goes on between those two sides. After traveling through Texas I now know why this saying exists.

Beautiful in its own way

Adam Sjoberg

On our way through Mississippi Adam and I stopped in Vicksburg Mississippi. It was as if we had driven 500 miles only to step back in time by about fifty years. Children played along the bank of the river as tug boats were being tied to the dock. The giant steamboat sat in the harbor looking over the tiny humidity soaked town. Families were setting up for the farmers market and businessmen chatted over cold drinks at the Coca Cola store where the first bottles of Coca Cola were  bottled. As I walked down the street into a roomy, musty antique store with no air conditioning, I was met by two older ladies who offered me a fan to cool my face. For the next thirty minutes we talked about everything from the last neighborhood barbeque to their remodeled bathroom and their family in San Antonio. They told me about the gas station where you can order Dairy Queen at the pump and the drive through liquor store down the road. I don’t even think we exchanged names as we chatted and fanned the afternoon away.

There are certain defining moments in our lives that foster our further growth into adulthood. This last week was one of those as I packed up furniture, boxes, wedding gifts, and headed west. It was not necessarily the three day trip across the southern part of the United States that was so intense, but the fact that I was following in the many footsteps of individuals that have made a move like this. There is something quite sweet about packing up and just driving; kissing my fiance and thinking about creating a life somewhere new. Driving through the hills, mountains, fields, rivers, and plains to reach the oposite coast. Looking back and thinking “so that’s what’s over those hills.” I have always been a “flyer.” I have flown all over the world, but this was the first time I have really taken my time to drive through to the destination no just fly to the destination. The photos that will be posted over the next few days are from this journey and I hope you can enjoy them and get a taste of what lies in the middle.

No, this title is not metaphorical language….these really are just textures…of the Middle East. Enjoy.