Western Mongolia, pt. 1

Mongolia. Where do I even start? My month spent in the land of Genghis Khan was unreal — horse trekking, milk drinking, meat eating and lots and lots of photo taking. The landscapes were unbelievable and the people were as hospitable as described in each travel book I read. I traveled to Mongolia with Rustic Pathways, the same group that sent me to Costa Rica last summer. Like last year, I was hired to help the company with images for marketing, as well as assist high school students as they traveled. This year I was also invited to lead an Advanced Photography Workshop with high school photographers. For this two-week workshop, we traveled to Western Mongolia to the Khovd Province, which is where most of the country's Kazakhs live.

During our stay, we're were lucky enough to catch a Naadam celebration taking place in the village where we were living. A Naadam is a festival of sport. It celebrates the country's long-time love of wrestling, horse racing and archery. Here are a few images from my time in Khovd Province.

Naadam Horse Race. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Naadam Celebration. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

A Dinner for Honored Guests. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Making Fleece. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Village Life. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Family Photos. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography.

Naadam Horse Race. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Village Life. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Naadam Horse Race. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Naadam. 2012. Khovd Province, Mongolia. ©Jill Richards Photography

Nobuo Fukuda

Nobuo Fukuda at Nobuo at Teeter House. 2012. Phoenix, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Grapefruit and Hamachi. 2012. Phoenix, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Nobuo at Teeter House. 2012. Phoenix, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Nobuo at work. 2012. Phoenix, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

I have a deep, unwavering love for Nobuo Fukuda and the food he so carefully prepares each night at Nobuo at Teeter House. So excuse me for this incredibly loose edit of redundant pictures — I couldn't help it. I dream about his beloved grapefruit and hamachi dish — four luscious pieces of hamachi folded around grapefruit and avocado, sprinkled with white truffle oil and a Kung Fu Girl Riesling and then gently, lovingly placed in spoons. Nobuo has been creating some of the most exciting food in Phoenix for a long time. He was the 2007 James Beard winner for the Southwest and named best new chef from Food & Wine. He is as kind as he is creative and we're so lucky to have him.

Hot in the City

Civic Space Park. 2012. Downtown Phoenix, AZ. ©Jill Richards Photography

Phoenix is hot as Hades in the summer, even in the evening. Yet, people still come out at night to sit in the grass, listen to live music and enjoy the urban parks. Downtown Phoenix is ever-changing. The skyline is growing upward and outward. New businesses are finding great success — restaurants, bars and even a small local movie theater. I love this scene at Civic Space Park. The modest crowd and local cover band are set against a backdrop of new and old buildings, each one filled with light and color. Janet Echelman's incredible art installation, made with steel, twine netting and lighting makes me thankful someone thought public art was important. It's all coming together. And that makes me happy to live here and excited to see what's next.