Images of Bangkok’s Golden Mount
I’ve just added more photos to the ever-expanding collection of Thailand images. This time, it’s Bangkok’s Golden Mount.
The brilliant chedi on top of the Golden Mount would make the trip up the 300 stairs worth it, but cool breezes and lovely views of the surrounding city provide further incentive for the climb. The artificial hill rises above all other structures in the immediate area and lets you gaze down on the orange rooftops of Wat Saket immediately below.
New Photos of Calgary
In celebration of my return home, I have just posted some images of Calgary, my hometown. Included in these photos are updates to the following galleries: Calgary Skyline, Downtown Calgary, and the Centre Street Bridge.
In addition to the new photos posted in those galleries, I have also posted a couple of new sets of images: photos of the Calgary Tower and photos of the Board of Education Family of Man Sculpture.
Photos of the Marble Temple
Today brings another group of photos from another Bangkok temple, Wat Benchamabophit.
Normally, an explosively bright sun would have irritated my photographic sensibilities, but this day stood as another of the rare exceptions in my month of overcast Bangkok skies. Not to mention that the temple fared quite well in the bright sun with the white marble gleaming in the light. Its best side was uniformly exposed to the afternoon sun and harsh shadows weren’t much of a problem.
The temple itself was, of course, lovely. It’s not as grand as some of the other Bangkok buildings, but it had a European influence to its architecture that made it unique. And with far fewer tourists cramming its walls, the atmosphere of the temple was much different from its larger cousins.
Photos of Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn
Another collection of images has been posted, this time it is photos of one of the symbols of the city of Bangkok: Wat Arun also known as the temple of the Dawn.
As with most of my photos of Bangkok, I was lucky to get any clear skies at all since my time there was plagued by what seemed to be a never ending supply of overcast weather. While visiting the temple, I was fortunate to have the blue peep through the cracking clouds.
The central prang/spire is said to be approximately 82 metres high and is an impressive construction, but what may have been more interesting to my eyes was the courtyard and galleries surrounding the main ordination hall. Long rows of golden Buddha images line the shady halls and small stone Chinese figures hid in the corners ready to jump into action. I would have stayed and wandered longer in that enclosed area, but I was ushered out rather hastily by a groundskeeper who seemed to have some urgent business in there. Not sure what it could have been, but I hope it was important!
Photos of Sanam Luang Field
On one of the few days during my time in Bangkok, nothing beat going to Sanam Luang, the park next to the Grand Palace to watch everyone letting their kites soar in the windy skies. Since I already discussed my day there in this post, I won’t go into too much detail here and simply invite you to check out a few photos from my time there.
Photos of Bangkok’s Khao San Road
For a place I called home for a month, I don’t actually have that many photos of Khao San Road. Perhaps it was because I was so close to the spectacle of backpacker central that I neglected to take more shots. After all, how often do you take photos just around the corner from your house? Then again, how many of you have your house next to such a vibrant and bizarre area?
Of course I have a few photos to share with you from Khao San Road and I invite you to take a look. After going through my selected images, I know I should have taken more – it really was a sight to behold.
From the vendors who fed me ridiculous amounts of spring rolls, falafels and other veggie delights to the tuk-tuk drivers who were so convinced they were going to be able to persuade me into their rides to the dreadlocked hippies living out their bohemian dreams in the backpacker mecca, the whole place was teeming with characters. I watched cultural performances of Khon dancing, impromptu games of football, and even a Bollywood video shoot.
The stores and vendors will sell you just about anything you may need and plenty of things you don’t: purses made out of recycled cans, body parts that looked like they had melted when you threw it against a flat surface, radio-controlled flying saucers, and hair extensions galore.
The characters of the road were also always entertaining. As an example, there was a woman with iron lungs who, during every hour of daylight would shout a sing-song “Hello! Orange juice, ten Baht!” every time a potential customer passed. And people never stopped passing. I have no clue how her vocal chords didn’t just fly up out of her mouth. I never really talked with her, but I’m sure she, like everyone else there, had a good story to tell.
Like anywhere else in the world, you take the bad with the good. Khao San Road isn’t always smiles (yes, even in the supposed “Land of Smiles” you won’t find a grin around every corner), but I won’t dwell on the downsides of Khao San Road. Instead, I’ll savour the memory of a cold fruit shake in hand in the tropical heat while wandering up and down the road, wondering what weird sight I will see next.
And as always, a couple preview photos:
Photos of Wat Phra Kaew
The work of adding photos from Asia to the gallery continues and I invite you to check out my images of Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha located inside the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
I spent a good portion of my time in Bangkok waiting for some decent weather that would allow me to shoot the temple in the best conditions, but whenever those opportunities arose, it seemed I was across the city an unable to head back in time to make the most of the blue skies. I wanted to be able to show off the gleaming golden architecture with the blue skies serving as a backdrop.
On the day I decided to finally go to the temple, I had to wait three or four hours to be able to see any patches of blue sky and they only lasted about 20 minutes. During that time, I ran around the (by now) thoroughly explored temple, trying to get the shots I wanted. I succeeded in a few places, but it would have been nice not to have to hustle around the temple with all my camera gear in the midday sun.
But if there’s a good place to spend a few hours in Bangkok, Wat Phra Kaew is probably it. The architecture is varied, ornate and frequently stunning. The crowds filtering through the temple make for fun people watching. The murals on the walls surrounding the temple are imaginative. And the interior of the main hall is a fine spot to sit, relax and contemplate the mysteries of the universe with the Emerald Buddha presiding over your ruminations.
For all the photos, click here and here’s a quick sample:
Travel Photography at Home
Freshly home after travelling for months? Feeling a little bit bored by the offerings your home town has to offer? Wishing you could fill up your day with culture and spectacle?
Yesterday, I answered yes to all of those questions. But since a quick hop over to Asia wasn’t on the agenda, I had to make due with Calgary’s offerings. Fortunately, Calgary’s offerings were a bit more interesting than usual.
My afternoon was occupied by a trip into Chinatown where I was able to feed my addiction to Asia. I’ve had the chance to visit that area a few times since being home and each time has offered me a glimpse of that part of the world that has become my second home. I’ve become comfortable in the oddities of Asia and I miss being bombarded by its endless surprises.
But yesterday, Chinatown was even more appealing than usual. A Street festival took over the area with a market hawking Asian wares and a stage featuring performances from the area. Karate, Thai dance, Chinese Opera and more entertained the sun-baked crowds and of course, I was there in the front row, snapping away.
After spending a couple hours in Chinatown, I wandered downtown for a while where a host of wedding photographers and their subjects were swarming around the Hudson’s Bay building. Brides and grooms mingled and I could hardly figure out who had married whom.
I then headed over to Mark and Kara’s where they and James were getting ready for our evening of fireworks. Calgary’s Globalfest was wrapping up its final night and the final night of the fireworks competition was the main draw.
The four of us headed in the direction of Elliston Park but not before stopping for some fantastic Indian food (there’s another country I’ll have to visit).
At the park, we claimed our spot in front of the lake and waited for darkness to fall while the mosquitoes hovered over my head. Kara, James and I all had our cameras propped up on our tripods leaving Mark as the only one of us that probably maximized his enjoyment of the show.
I have to admit that I have been a bit spoiled by some of the fireworks extravaganzas I’ve witnessed in Japan. They seem to have a surplus of explosive material in that country which leads them to draw out their displays for a good 90 minutes or more. This finale at Globalfest lasted around 20 minutes, but it was an impressive 20 minutes. A good diversity of colourful blasts and bursts were well coordinated with the music and made for a fine spectacle.
A day like that was just what I needed. After some of the adventures I’ve had this year, it’s certainly an adjustment to be back home, back in a world where everything seems familiar and sometimes even predictable. Maybe I just need to look a little harder to find adventure, trouble, and fun – it’s not always going to fine me as seems to happen when travelling.
More Photos of Kyoto Temples
On my last full day here in Bangkok, I have another couple sets of photos to present to you. I have just uploaded a couple more groups of photos of temples in Kyoto: Sanjusangendo and Ginkakuji.
Sanjusangendo is home to 1001 human-sized Buddha images inside Japan’s longest wooden building. Unfortunately, photos are prohibited inside the temple. As it turns out, photos of the inside of the temple are also prohibited from the outside of the temple. I found this out after I snapped a shot through an open doorway and one of the caretakers promptly shut the door in front of me. Thus, I only have one shot of the Buddhas and it only gives a tiny sample of the grandeur inside.
Ginkakuji is referred to as the silver pavilion despite not being silver at all. Long ago, plans were in place to have it covered in silver to make it more like its cousin across town, Ginkakuji, the golden pavilion. That goal was never reached but the building’s wooden frame still retains its metallic moniker. It stands in front of a pool, carefully-sculpted zen gardens and lush hillside forests.
Photos of Kanazawa
While living and working Japan, my office at the Board of Education in Ichinoseki planned a trip to Kanazawa. Both Sarah and I were invited along, so we took the chance to go see an area of the country that wasn’t especially accessible from our northern position.
The big draw of Kanazawa is the garden of Kenrokuen which has been labelled one of Japan’s three most beautiful gardens. Yes, the Japanese like to make lists like this. But, in this case, maybe they got it right. Of all the gardens I visited in Japan, this was definitely towards the top of the list.
On our first evening, we partied with the folks from our section and I was treated to my favourite bit of dialogue ever heard from my supervisor. As we were leaving, he and his best buddy at work were the last ones out of the room with me. With arms around each other and faces flushed red with the evening’s sake, they turned to me and my supervisor said rather seriously in his meagre English, “We… are drunk.”
He then proceeded to break into song, “We love love love love drinking!” while doing an uncoordinated dance all while never letting go of his friend’s shoulder (a wise idea since I’m sure it was about the only thing keeping him upright).
The next day, I woke absurdly early to walk over to Kanazawa Castle to catch the morning light then hustle back to the hotel to meet the rest of the group to part together for the day’s activities.
And yes, I got to be a Japanese tourist. On a precise schedule, we rode through town never lingering too long at our stops and being suitably impressed at each site along the way. Happily, we had some extra time at Kenrokuen and it was just enough time for the afternoon’s rains to momentarily so that I could take some photos of the gardens.
I would have gladly stayed longer, but of course, that’s just not how you do things in Japan.
Photos of Kiyomizudera Temple
I’ve added yet another batch of photos to the gallery. Photos of Kiyomizudera temple in Kyoto are now available for your viewing pleasure. It’s both interesting architecturally and ritualistically. Countless locals visit this temple to worship, to find luck and to taste the water that pours from a nearby spring. The long lineups to sample the spring suggest that the rumoured healing properties of the water may be worth a substantial wait.
Photos of Odaiba in Tokyo
The photo processing machine keeps rolling on here in Bangkok. I have again opted for some images from Japan with some photos of the Odaiba district. This series of man-made islands in Tokyo bay features futuristic architecture that will make you feel like you are in a video game while the Rainbow Bridge arcs across the horizon back to Tokyo’s the glow of distant Tokyo. I only visited during the evening, but that is when I imagine Odaiba is at its most futuristically surreal.
Photos of Sensoji Temple in Tokyo
Just as with my photos of the Petronas Towers, I noticed that my photos of Tokyo’s Sensoji temple were not representative of a few visits I had made there. I’ve stayed in the Asakusa area and walking over to the temple with camera in hand is a great way to spend an evening. It may not be the most architecturally ornate or elegant of Japan’s temples, but the size of the gates, the iconic, five-story pagoda, and the active visitors of the temple make it a great shooting location.
Photos of the Petronas Towers
Last night, while trying to decide what photos I should next process and upload, I realized that my photos of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia did not include one of my visits to the twin towers. I had only uploaded some shots I took on my second time around in Malaysia, but the first shots I took there were idling on my hard drive. So, to right that wrong, I quickly went though the earlier photos and now a few more shots can be found in my Petronas Towers Gallery.
Photos of Osaka
I was only able to spend a few short days in Osaka when I was travelling through Japan. It seemed, even more than Tokyo, the very definition of ‘urban.’ Many people have a vision of Japan as a futuristic, modern city that covers virtually every inch of the archipelago and if they only visited Osaka, they would be justified in believing that.
The photos I have uploaded include images of the Osaka Skyline, the Dotonbori Shopping and Entertainment District and The Umeda Sky Building. When time permits, I also have images from Osaka castle and Osaka Aquarium that I intend to process and upload as well, so stay tuned.
And as always, a few samples:
New Photos of Japan
A few new sets of images from Japan are now up in the gallery section. This time it is a bit of old and new with photos from two Kyoto Shrines (the Yasaka Shrine and the Heian Shrine) as well as the brightly-lit Ginza shopping district in Tokyo.
And of course, a few examples of what to expect in the galleries:
Images of Himeji Castle and Okunoin
As I mentioned in my previous post, instead of being busy exploring Bangkok (I told you, I have plenty of time here!), I have been busy working on processing some of my older images. And perhaps it’s just because Japan is still fresh in my mind, or perhaps it’s just due to my fondness for the country, but I have decided to upload some images from the country I called home a year ago.
I have uploaded images from the Okunoin cemetery on Mount Koya (Koyasan) as well as photos of Himeji Castle. Okunoin is a magical place where ghosts must certainly be happy to roam. It’s a mystical place and is either my favourite or second favopurite cemetery that I’ve visited. (I know some people may find it weird that I like cemeteries, but really, some of them are just beautiful.)
Himeji Castle is a great remnant of Japan’s feudal past. It has survived the ages and countless disasters to remain towering over the city of Himaji.
Here is a couple of samples:
Photos of Japanese Cherry Blossoms
This April, I was lucky enough to catch the ephemeral Japanese cherry trees in their full spring regalia. The previous year, I circumvented their arrival in Japan by heading on a vacation to the south of the country at exactly the wrong time to catch them.
So I was quite pleased to find myself in a static position in the north of Japan this year and I could let the fleeting flowers come to me and I could see for myself why the Japanese loved these tiny, pink flowers so much. The sakura really are spectacular, though they seem to have special significance to the Japanese and for them, each tree almost seems imbued with divinity.
I have just now uploaded a gallery of photos of cherry blossoms and their arrival in Ichinoseki, Iwate, Japan.
Photos of Bakong in Cambodia
I have just posted a few more galleries of photos from Cambodia. Most of them were shot one gorgeous morning at Bakong temple in the Roluos group, West of Siem Reap.
Inside the moat of Bakong lies not only the ancient, crumbling temple, but also an elementary school with curious students and a practicing monastery with friendly monks willing to make your acquaintance.
Here are some samples from the galleries:
Angkor Wat Photos
Angkor Wat was one of the most magical places I have had the good fortune to visit. The spectacle of the temple has endured for centuries, but I can’t even imagine the grandeur of its appearance at the height of the Khmer empire. To witness Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, the Bayon or any of the other spectacular temples in the region when they were full of the life of their creators would be a worthy destination for any time traveller.
As it is, without defying the laws of physics, visitors can feel transported backwards to a different era. Yes, most of the bodies populating the temples are tourists, but it’s easy to look beyond them when the scenery is so gorgeous.
I have recently finished processing some of my photos from the area and I have uploaded them to dsphotographic.com. In the gallery section, you will now find images of Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, and also a gallery of photos featuring the different monks I met at Angkor Wat.
These are, of course, only a few of the sets of photos I have available from the region. As I process photos, more galleries will be available.
Read more about my time spent in the Angkor region here and here.
Lastly, here is a taste of what you will find in the galleries:
Photos of a Shinto Shrine in Nakasato
Not content to have yesterday’s gorgeous weather pass me by while I stayed inside and worked all day, I was compelled to visit one of my favourite places in Ichonoseki, Japan: the shrine on top of the hill in Nakano district.
The cedar-forested hill is as peaceful as you can imagine – the only hint of movement is the slowly undulating shadows on the forest floor as the light passes through the gently swaying tree tops. At the base of the hill is a small garden where a butterfly landed on my cheek as I approached – evidently, with my fully-sprouted beard, I now resemble lichen.
Long stone steps begin at the entrance to the forest and lead up to the shrine. Less than halfway up the steps is a group of miniature stone houses where spirits undoubtedly live. A red-bibbed Jizo statue also chooses this isolated location to loiter.
The shrine itself isn’t Japan’s largest, most beautiful or most holy, but it certainly gets high ranks for peacefulness. During my whole time there yesterday, I only saw one other person willing to hike up the plentiful steps to reach a piece of privacy. I can only imagine the experience of visiting some of Kyoto’s temples in such solitude. If it was ever possible, lonely visitors to those places were lucky.
I took along my camera despite the harsh midday light. Here are my three favourite shots of the visit:
Travel Photos of the Poi Sang Long Festival
When re-launching the site, I couldn’t very well go ahead and put up a new site without adding some new images. That just wouldn’t do. So, in an effort to give some fresh content, may I present you with my my photos of the Poi Sang Long Festival in Chiang Mai.
This fantastic event celebrates the ordination of the new novice monks that belong to the Thai Yai and Shan peoples of the area. For three days these boys are dressed up as princes and carried around by their family and friends – their feet aren’t supposed to touch the ground the whole time.
Their brilliant dress, makeup and headwear made for a spectacular scene that was only overshadowed by the joy of the festivities.
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
