Mansur Kiadeh - A Journey From Havana to Riviera Nayarit

I grew up in Tehran Iran and immigrated to the USA in 1979. I have a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and for the past 30 years have been working in the high tech industry in different capacities such as director, VP of engineering and the founder of a Silicon Valley start-up. Today I am a Senior Scientist at Maxim Integrated. I hold numerous patents in different areas such as techniques to reduce camera shake, optical switches and power supplies.

Parallel with my “day job” I have been pursuing art photography for the last 20 years. Having a technical background helped me ease into new advances in photography in both camera and image software technologies. However, I am always cognizant of the fact that technology is there as a helping hand only, it should not dominate the art. For me photography has to tell a story and has to be pleasing. It has to carry the emotion of the time and place and that unique wrinkle in the light to complete the circle.

Between taking the picture and the final image there is a process involving a computer, an imaging software,  followed by a printer. This process always reminds me of the poem by Omar Khayam some 800 years ago:

Ah Love! could thou and I with Fate conspire

To grasp the sorry Scheme of Things entire,

Would not we shatter it to bits — and then

Re-mould it nearer to the Heart’s Desire!

For me the Bay of Banderas and Riviera Nayarit offer unique opportunities for photography: It provides a contrast between what happens on the tourist beaches with all the luxury hotels, to the Mexican beaches with families and their children intermingling with beach vendors and surfers.  Just 20 minutes inland life changes back to authentic Mexico with beautiful town squares, Gazebos, churches, Indians, Charros(Mexican cowboys) and a ton of friendly people.