MICK STETSON

Mick Stetson is a photojournalist and freelance photographer specializing in documenting cultures and people from remote regions within Asia.

Although Stetson is primarily self-taught, he has studied with some of the top professional photojournalists and editorial photographers in the world: Bill Allard, Jay Maisel, Steve Mccurry, and Joe Mcnally.

Since 1997, he has been based in Asia, first in South Korea and now in Japan. Living inside these vibrant, dynamic cultures has enabled him to gain a deep understanding of Asia's multicultural diversity.

As he explains: "Asian culture is a mosaic of language, traditional customs, beliefs, and cultural behavior that eludes simple analysis, description, and clarification. To the uninitiated audience, and from the cursory perspective of the traveler, Asia can be an extraordinary and complicated subject that is difficult to communicate — visually — its essence. It takes time to get a sense of something so elusive it doesn't show itself to you right away. It's like 'Satori' in Zen Buddhism or 'Darshan' in Hindu philosophy."

Living inside these vibrant, dynamic cultures has enabled him to gain a deep intuitive understanding of Asia's multicultural diversity. So over time and by immersing himself in these environments, he has learned to see and experience Asian culture from an insider's perspective.

Stetson photographs people and culture. His sensitivity and intimate knowledge about his subjects allow him to record