Mount Machhapuchchhre from Tadapani
Photo of the Day
There’s little better than being able to wake up, walk outside and see a view like this. That’s just what you can do if you’re staying in Tadapani, Nepal whilst hiking the Ghorepani Loop.
Here, fellow lodgers at the local guesthouses have woken early to watch the first rays of the sunrise hit Mount Machhapuchchhre also know as Fish Tail for its distinctive double-summit shape.
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The View to Lhotse
Photo of the Day
There comes a point on the Everest trail when you find yourself incapable of properly watching your step because of the views. The mountains that were already towering above you somehow find a way to become ever more dramatic and iconic. Their permanently snowy peaks inspire awe and before too long, you have to stop not just because the altitude has made you breathless, but the view demands that you pause to appreciate it.
Here is one such view as Lhotse, the fourth tallest mountain in the world, rises behind a stupa built as a memorial to Tenzing Norgay above Namche Bazaar.
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On the way to Everest, Above the Clouds
Photo of the Day
It’s been almost a year since I visited Nepal. That’s far too long for me to have a cache of unshared photos from that wonderful country, so I’ll try to rectify that over the next little while.
The highlight of the trip was standing with the Himalayas towering overhead. For this photo, I woke before dawn and hiked up from Namche Bazaar to a lookout point where I could watch the clouds roll up from the valley below. About a minute after taking this photo, I was enveloped in grey and couldn’t see a thing.
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Singapore Esplanade Panorama
Photo of the Day
Here’s another of those rare instances where I took a panoramic shot on my travels in Southeast Asia and, yet again, it makes me wish I had done more.
This one is from Singapore, a city that has probably already changed quite a bit since I took this shot. This shot features the Esplanade (a.k.a. the Durian, the performing arts centre in Singapore) and the city’s financial centre.
If this shot wrapped any further to the left, I know it would be rather out of date by now since there has been a massive amount of construction on the other side of the bay.
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Hong Kong Island Skyline Panorama
Photo of the Day
Here’s one of the many place in Asia I hope to revisit someday. This shot of the skyscrapers on Hong Kong Island is a few years old, so, with how quickly things change there, I imagine the view is a little bit different today. I’ll have to go back and compare…
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Ta Prohm Panorama
Photo of the Day
Why oh why didn’t I take more panoramic shots when I was in Asia? I had not yet developed a fondness for stitching together images and, when looking at this image, I kick myself for that because I love how this turned out.
This is one of the few panoramic shots I took during my travels in the far east and it is now motivation for me to plan a trip in that direction again.
This is Ta Prohm, a temple near Angkor Wat in Cambodia. The trees that almost seem to melt down through the ruins give it an amazing Indiana Jones atmosphere that’s only topped by the more isolated Beng Mealea.
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Photo of the Day – Hanoi Portrait
Hanoi was one of my favourite places for street photography, largely because everyone is always in the street. Many businesses that would normally carry out their day-to-day operations inside are frequently found occupying the sidewalks of the motorcycle-choked, labyrinthine streets of the old city. Shoemakers, carpenters, metal workers and other trades and craftspeople are on full display and with a little rudimentary Vietnamese and a friendly smile, you can find some great subjects for your shots.
One of my personal favourite shots from the time I spent there is the one below. Again, this is another one from my brand new portfolio site, this time from the people section. Click on the thumbnail to see the full size:
This guy just looked badass. He was hanging out on the corner, not getting up to much of anything – just checking out the scene and listening to Hanoi’s ever-present motorcycle-horn symphony.
As tough and mean as he looked, I couldn’t bear passing by him without at least trying to get his consent for a photo. I could have walked across the street, slapped a long lens on my camera and covertly snapped a candid, but I had a feeling I wouldn’t be altogether pleased with the result. His appearance was so engaging, I felt I would lose some of that by putting a huge distance between us. Not to mention, I generally think it’s polite to ask when the opportunity’s available.
Armed with one of the few Vietnamese phrases I was capable of speaking, I approached him and the local words for “Can I take your photo?” managed to stumble out of my foreign mouth. The worst he could do was say no and I would have lost nothing except an opportunity for what would have been a somewhat unsatisfying candid shot.
But instead of saying no, he looked at me silently, nodded and then proceeded to take this pose while I got my shot. My Vietnamese was, by no means, good enough to tell him to “act natural” or “cross your arms and look tough.” I got a bit lucky with that, but, to a degree, you make your own luck and this shot wouldn’t have happened without performing the simple act of asking to take the photo.
I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not always easy to overcome the intimidation factor, but you just have to keep telling yourself, “the worst they can do is say no.”
I’m hoping I can follow up this brief visit of my time in Vietnam with a slightly more lengthy stay there – I would like to gather up some of my favoured shots from there into a “best of” gallery on this site. It’s a fantastic, beautiful country that deserves a longer look than this little blog post here. Stay tuned.
Darby Sawchuk is a Canadian-born photographer who currently resides in Manchester, England. He has travelled to over 40 countries and is always adding more to the list. He creates stock for multiple agencies and is available for assignments.
+44 0790 992 8932
