Part two; Vanishing Cultures & Tradition - rare photos of ceremonial & tribal Aboriginals from Arnhem Land, Australia.
The story behind the photos… Tribal Aboriginals from their sacred land in Arnhem Land to rare ancient rock art & burial ceremonies. (Part two)
Dreamtime… tribal elder, Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
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Seldom seen images that date back some 30 years, shot on Kodachrome and Ektachrome film, way before the digital age.
Going back in time…Dreamtime “forgotten” cultures and tradition of the Australian Aborigines,
Part two. Arnhem Land Northern Territory.
Please remember that I can't show all the photos I have in my archives, and I also had to keep the text brief, otherwise I end up with a Book.
There were many more images I saw, but could NOT record them in respect for the Aboriginals and their believes, recorded only with my eyes, but the memory still lives very deep inside of me.
“At times I am very contend to take home the memory, instead of pursuing the image, this in turn will gain you respect.”-GD-
Tribal elder in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
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During the mid 80th I visited Arnhem Land and Kakadu National Park many times, and during the cause of my visits became friends with some Aboriginal tribal elders. I am grateful for their spiritual guidance that I got to know some places seldom visited by others.
But even more important, I learned how to take care of our environment and only take from the land what is needed to survive.
I like to thank my dear old friend “Nipper” for his friendship and trust for allowing me into areas normally not visited by any outsiders.
Hunting in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
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Australia's Aboriginal culture probably represents the oldest surviving culture in the world, with the use of stone tool technology and painting with red ochre pigment dating back over 60,000 years.
Arnhem Land is strictly an Aboriginal Reserve located next to Kakadu National Park in the tropical north of Australia. Travel to outside persons is restricted and visitors must obtain an entry permit.
Mysterious Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
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There are no paved roads and getting around is difficult most of the time but in particular during the wet season when rivers swell and flood the swampy marches. The rivers, swamps and billabongs are also abundant with the large Australian Salt Water Crocodiles and care should be taken when camping near waterways.
An alternative to Arnhem Land is to visit Kakadu National park, which is more accessible, and the Aboriginals left their mark here too, in particular at Obirri Rock, a fantastic gallery of detailed ancient rock art. Or a visit to the spectacular Jim Jim and Twin Waterfalls along the Arnhem Land Escarpment is just breathtaking.
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The Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus) is a tall long-necked wading bird in the stork family. It is a resident species across south and southeast Asia with a large population in Australia and is very common at “Yellow Waters” in Kakadu National Park.
A visit to Yellow Waters in Kakadu National Park is a must once in the area, a swamp (flood plains) with its amazing variety and abundant of wildlife, huge congregation of water fowls, white breasted sea eagles on trees, monitor lizards and saltwater crocodiles that make this area a haven for wildlife photographers.
The Aboriginal people of the Northern Territory have left a great legacy of their culture in the form of art that can be found in caves and rock overhangs where it is protected from the elements. One of the richest of these areas is in Kakadu National Park, the traditional lands of the Gagudju people, in the Top End, west Arnhem Land. There are superb examples of Rock Art in the galleries of Nourlangie Rock and Ubirr, where you can view them easily.
Selection of not so common rock-art in Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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Compared to the arid region in Central Australia, it comes as no surprise with such an abundance of wildlife in the area that in ancient times the aboriginal artist had a lot of motives for their rock art. The area is not only a source of food but played an important role in their spiritual life “The Dreamtime”.
Ubirr, or Obiri Rock for example in the north east of Kakadu, has some of the finest examples of "X-ray art" in the world. The artist not only painted the outside but also the bones and internal organs of the animals, mostly fish like barramundi, but also turtles, birds and reptiles.
A rare detailed painting of an unusual "Hand stencil", more of a
painting then the commonly found Hand stencils.
Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
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Hand Stencils are also common all over Australia and some can be dated to 50,000 years old. Aboriginal rock art was still being retouched during my visits in the 80th as seen in the photos from Arnhem Land, thus making it the world’s longest lasting artistic tradition at that time.
Aboriginal art in Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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Detailed Bark painting from Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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Aboriginal rock art being retouched in Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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A not so common rock-art in Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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Dreamtime… Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
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Rock-art in Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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The “Ruined City” near the Roper River Aboriginal settlement in Arnhem Land is called also “ruined city of the Moon.” The Aboriginals call this place “Burrangie” the legendary home of giant people who live in the realm of dreamtime.
The “Ruined City” is considered and ultra-sacred Aboriginal site and is strictly off-limits to outsiders.
The "Ruined City" before sunrise in Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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In the early 80th I was extremely lucky to gain permission from the tribal elders in visiting and exploring the area on foot for a couple of days. This is an amazing and eerie place and no wonder it is considered very sacred to the local Aboriginal tribe.
Burial Cave in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
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After my visit to the “Ruined City” a burial ceremony took place a few days later at the Roper River aboriginal settlement and after some discussions with the Elders I was permitted to take part in this ceremony…well at least for the first part of the burial, an experience that I never forget.
As for the second part of the ceremony, the elders denied permission and no outsiders were allowed to take part, it is known as the most sacred part of the burial ceremony.
Burial ceremony Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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Burial ceremony Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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This is another important time for ceremonies on the death of a person, when people paint themselves white as seen in my photos, cut their own bodies to show their remorse for the loss of their loved one, and conduct a series of rituals, songs and dances to ensure the person’s spirit leaves the area and returns to its birth place, from where it can later be reborn.
Burial ceremony Arnhem Land,
Northern Territory, Australia
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Burial ceremony Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia
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Bathurst Island, home of the Tiwi people, just of the coast of Darwin the capital of the Northern Territory. The facial and body painting of the people here have been described as the most colorful and elaborate of any Australian group.
Bathurst Island - The decorations essentially relate to the Tiwi people occasions for major ceremonies, for example the pukumani (mortuary or burial) by painting their bodies with white clay and pulling out their beards.
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A deep red ochre is obtained from the oval polished red stones found on the beach, which are ground then mixed with water; yellow is obtained from a soft yellow ochre stone, also ground to a powder. (The Tiwi sometimes burn the yellow to produce red.) White is generally taken from a clay found all over the island, and black is obtained from charcoal.
Traditional food sources... Northern Territory, Australia
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Aboriginal women collecting fresh water turtles and File snakes in the vast swamps of the Northern Territory. (Freshwater streams and billabongs of the Northern Territory are home to the non-venomous file snakes; the Arafura file snake gets its name from its rough, baggy skin, which feels like a file. A nocturnal reptile, the Arafura file snake keeps in the shadows of overhanging trees during the day and forages for food during the night.)
Dingo running across the dry flood plains in
northern Australia, Northern Territory,
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The Australian Dingo plays an important role in Aboriginal society but they did not arrive in Australia with the first aboriginals some 60,000 years ago as previously thought.
They arrived some 6000 years ago in Australia and were then adopted by the native aboriginals. Dingo bones first appear in faunal deposits between about 3500 and 4000 BP.
Please Note: The following LINKS provided me with some information on the Australian Aboriginals; they are also a good source for further and more detailed reading. Thank You!
GD
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corroboree
http://www.aboriginalculture.com.au/index.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-necked_Stork
http://ozoutback.com.au/Australia/rockartkakadu/index.html
http://www.janesoceania.com/australia_aboriginal_mythology/index1.htm
http://www.aboriginalculture.com.au/religion.shtml
http://ozoutback.com.au/Australia/rockartkakadu/index.html
NEWS RELEASE - Exotissimo Travel Launch Specialist Photography Workshops in ASIA led by International Photographer.
Exotissimo Travel Launch Specialist Photography
Workshops in ASIA led by International Photographer
See below the official release:
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(Bangkok, 19 January 2012) Exotissimo Travel, Asia’s leading DMC has unveiled a collection of niche photography workshop tours covering four top destinations in Southeast Asia. Each tour lasts between 6 – 10 days and is hosted by international photographer Gunther Deichmann who passes on his expertise in the field.
This novel selection of tours are open to all ages and abilities with professional photographer Gunther Deichmann teaching new techniques from basic to advanced over the course of each. It’s a fantastic opportunity to ask questions and gain first hand tutorial as you practice new methods. Gunther’s passion and friendly approach make his tours extremely popular and there is no doubt this series will prove just as well-liked.
All the essential elements of photography are covered with guests leaving confident in knowing how to compose the perfect shot. With over 30 years experience as a professional photographer, Gunther has worked in more than 25 countries with his camera and travelled extensively in Asia. His existing knowledge of the people and places means no time is wasted on these tours.
It's a rare opportunity to explore the unique cultural practices of a country while gaining insight into the architecture and heritage of a destination that few tourists see. The chance for spectacular photographic opportunities is unrivaled in these tours while also witnessing dramatic landscapes and meeting intriguing people that make remarkable subjects.
Gunther said, “I am delighted to be working with Exotissimo on these unique photography workshop tours. Each destination covered has its own distinctive qualities and cultural practices that we expose ourselves to, capturing the essence with our cameras while learning new techniques along the way.”
Ranging from 6 to 10 days, Exo are covering four of the most desired destinations in these photography workshops. This includes the alluring Vietnam, raw and charming Myanmar, stunningly beautiful Cambodia and enchanting Laos.
Click the LINKS to see the itineraries.
These tours have been designed by photographers with astounding photographic opportunities at every turn. They also encompass Exo’s philosophy of connecting with the people and culture of a place, as they take guests to many areas off the well trodden tourist path and into local areas where its possible to interact with villagers and learn about their way of life.
Gunther is also available for private tours. Please use contact details below for further details.
About Exotissimo Travel
Exotissimo Travel is a premier destination management company that specializes in tailor made tours in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia and Japan. Established in 1993, the company is now a network of 17 locally based offices staffing over 550 travel professionals, with sales offices in Florida, Paris, Berlin, Barcelona and Melbourne.
For more information, please contact:
Exotissimo Travel Group – Head Office
Tel: (66 2) 633 9060
Email: marketing@exotissimo.com
Travel Photography: Destination tips, Island Portraits from Chuuk - Pohnpei - Yap & Palau, Micronesia.
It can be fun going back in time & digging through your archives…
I found some cool Island Portraits from Micronesia in the process.
High school student Chuuk, Micronesia
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A short break from Asia; traveling back in time to some other amazing places like Chuuk, Pohnpei, Yap and Palau in Micronesia.
While going through my archives the other day I thought hey why not share some images from the past, some taken on Kodachrome Film and others digital.
Traditional Chuukese blowing the shell as a welcome, Micronesia
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Young girl on a rusty Landing Craft, remnants from the IIWW,
Chuuk or also know as Truk Lagoon, Micronesia
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These are some of my favorite Portraits of people in Micronesia from the remote Island of Pohnpei with its mysterious ruins of Nan Madol (also called the Venice of the Pacific) or to Chuuk know better as Truk Lagoon where a whole Japanese fleet was sunk during WWII.
Of course then there is the charming and ever so traditional island of Yap with its still intact culture and tradition, very little has changed here over the years.
Traditional Palauan Girl during a ceremony,
Palau, Micronesia
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Late afternoon sun on this Palauan Boy near the waters edge
where he is playing, he is holding a large rock then jumping
into the water to dive, the rock is his ballast for easier diving.
Palau Micronesia
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Palau the magical Islands of the pacific needs no introduction…
a sheer paradise above and below the waves, natures awesome creation and for sure a highlight in the pacific.
I have written articles on all those remote destinations before but when I flipped through my archives the other day I decided to select some portraits of people I encountered during my visits.
Traditional Palauan, Palau Micronesia
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See below also some useful information and excerpts from Wikipedia and Palautours.com which by the way has a very nice Photo Gallery on Palau.
Yap Village Chief resting against Yap Money,
Island of Yap Micronesia
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A young boy during the Yap day festival, the culture
in Yap is thriving and very much alive
Island of Yap Micronesia
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Excepts from Wikipedia:
Yap, also known as Wa'ab by locals, is an island in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean. Yap's indigenous cultures and traditions are still strong compared to other neighboring islands. The island of Yap actually consists of four continental islands (hence the alternative name of the Yap Islands). The four are very close together and joined within a common coral reef and entirely formed from an uplift of the Philippine Sea Plate.
Yap is notable for its stone money, known as Rai: large shaped, carved disks of up to 4 m (12 ft) in diameter.
Many of them were brought from other islands, as far as New Guinea, but most came in ancient times from Palau. Their value is based on both the stone's size and its history. Historically the Yapese valued the disks because the material looks like quartz, and these were the shiniest objects around. Eventually the stones became legal tender and were even mandatory in some payments.
Women young and old are topless not only during ceremonies and festivals but all year around, you even get greeted at the arrival at the airport by traditional dressed women, for the women being topless is a very normal and cultural part of this island. Island of Yap Micronesia
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Chuuk — formerly Truk, Ruk, Hogoleu, Torres, Ugulat, and Lugulus — is an island group in the southwestern part of the Pacific Ocean. It comprises one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), along with Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Yap. Chuuk is the most populous of the FSM's states. Geographically, Chuuk is also part of the larger Caroline Islands group. Chuuk means mountain in the Chuukese language and was known mainly as Truk (a mispronunciation of Ruk), until 1990.
It is not known when the islands of Chuuk were first settled, but, based on archaeological evidence, these islands had originally been settled more than 2000 years ago. Based on archaeological evidence, it seems that, after about 200 AD, there was no continuous settlement until about 1300 AD.
Pohnpei "upon (pohn) a stone altar (pei)" (formerly known as Ponape) is the name of one of the four states in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), situated among the Senyavin Islands which are part of the larger Caroline Islands group. Palikir, the FSM's capital, is located on Pohnpei Island.
Pohnpei Island is the largest, highest, most populous, and most developed single island in the FSM. The islanders of Pohnpei have a reputation as being the most welcoming of outsiders among residents of the island group.
Pohnpei is also one of the wettest places on earth with annual recorded rainfall exceeding 300 inches (7,600 mm) each year in certain mountainous locations. Pohnpeian historic society was highly structured into five tribes, various clans and sub-clans; each tribe headed by two principal chiefs.
Young girl playing with yellow price tags along
the road on Pohnpei Island, Micronesia
Excerpts from Palautours.com
The magnificent islands of the Republic of Palau, fondly called Belau by its friendly inhabitants, were named by early explorers and have been known to the outside world at one time or another as West Caroline Islands, the Palaos, the New Philippines, Panlog, and the Pelew Islands.
Notwithstanding Palau's intriguing variety of names, in 1696 survivors of two canoes full of seafaring natives from the Micronesian island of Yap told Spanish priests about the islands' existence after they washed up on the shores of Samar Island in the Philippines. What followed were several determined attempts to reach them, but only in 1710 did Capitan Francisco Padilla – in command of the Santissima Trinidad galleon – finally discover and land on the Palau island of Sonsorol, where they were met with open arms by friendly natives.
The Republic of Palau comprises the westernmost group of the West Caroline Islands, an integral part of Micronesia. The country's local language remains Palauan, despite the many foreign influences ranging from Spanish to Japanese, German and English. Palauan is spoken throughout the island, except in the Southwest Islands where inhabitants speak a Yapese dialect.
Palauan is primarily a spoken language, with much confusion on correct spelling in its written form. In many cases words are “Americanized” so they become easier to pronounce. With an approximate 20,000 inhabitants, the islands are sparsely populated.
Within its composition the populace has a rather big “generation” gap. The older generation, mostly raised during the prewar Japanese era still speaks fluent Japanese, while the younger generation, mostly raised under American influence, speaks English.
Families who can afford to do so send their children to the United States mainland or to Hawaii for their education. Many who finish do not return primarily because of more lucrative job opportunities abroad, resulting in a serious shortage of young Palauans to fill pertinent vacancies.
Thus outside workers have to be hired, and they are conspicuously present among the population in the form of a large foreign workforce, mainly Filipinos. In terms of the public versus private sectors, about 45 percent of the population works for the local government, with the balance involved in either the tourism or fishing industries.
Travel Tip:
If you like to visit some of these amazing places and you happen to be at the Duesseldorf Boot Show in January then you have to check out the Booth of Sam's Tours and the Palau Visitors Authority.
Duesseldorf, Germany - Boot Show -
21st - 29th January 2012
Pls. Note: All images have been processed with Aperture 3 and no manipulation.
Check out also the GD Photo Workshop Calendar for 2012 & 2013.
For more info please Click this LINK.
GD
Travel Photography: The story behind the photos, female Elephants dress up for the occasion, kaleidoscope of colors Rajasthan, India.
The story behind the photos…
female Elephants dress up for the occasion.
The envy look…female Elephant full body make-up, Jaipur, India
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Fancy meeting an Elephant in a beauty parlor, now that would be something right, but this is what happen in Jaipur with the exception the parlor is outside.
Who is going to be the prettiest today? Elephant body decor,
Jaipur, India
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During the Jaipur Elephant Festival Elephants turn into a kaleidoscope of colors not only decorated with body paint but also with elaborate glittering materials made form cloth.
Some of these majestic animals are covered from head to toe literally, ready for the yearly parade in Jaipur that is held and coincide with the Holi Festival. (festival of colors)
In India Elephants are regarded very precious since the old days and this is well illustrated in the Hindu Mythology.
The modern look...Elephant body decor, Jaipur, India
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According to some legends at the time of ‘Samudra Manthan’ when demons and Gods were busy in churning the ocean Gods were fortunate to receive an elephant called “Airavata” which later became the divine vehicle (vahana) of India
Since then the Elephant has become a symbol of royalty in Indian culture and many festivals are associated with it.
Jaipur Elephant Festival is perhaps the only festival where Elephants are given prime importance.
Lady in blue… Elephant body decor, Jaipur, India
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Flirting with me… Elephant body decor, Jaipur, India
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"Elephants cute manicured toe's", Jaipur, India
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During the festival, Jaipur comes alive with elephants, dancers and musicians, which draw visitors from all over the world. The elephants parading their decorated trunks and tusks however the most noticeable feature of this festival is that all Elephants who take part in this festival are female Elephants.
So there you have it, even in the Elephant world females go to the Beauty Parlor and dress up in the best attire for the occasion.
Besides having a raging bull in the crowed could spoil all the fun and festivities.
Wow…what a nice behind… Elephant decor Jaipur, India
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If you like to experience this amazing kaleidoscope of colors and roam around those gorgeous female Elephants then why don’t you join us on our GD Photo Workshop in 2013.
Part of our itinerary is Jaipur before leaving for Jodhpur the Blue City and the Thar Desert with its Camels.
For more info please Click this LINK.
Pls. Note: All images have been processed with Aperture 3 no other software or Photoshop has been used.
GD
What a pretty girl…ready for the big day…
Elephant decor Jaipur, India
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Discover & Explore ASIA with GD Photo Workshops: Updated Calendar & site for 2012 & 2013
Updated Calendar & GD Photo Workshop Site for
2012 and 2013.
We are pleased to announce a complete update and revised Calendar for 2012 & 2013 on our GD Photo Workshop Site. Added new destinations and exciting places like Indonesia-Australia plus additional special Myanmar tours.
All 2012 dates are confirmed, our itineraries and full details are available upon request or by our agent's Exotissimo website. We're traveling to some places rarely visited by others, hence making our workshops more unique and flexible that makes a lifetime experience for you to remember.
Take for example our new and next Myanmar Journey in 2012 - this Special Trip was designed by Photographers for Photographers.
June 29 - July 09, 2012 - 11 special days of pure adventure and amazing photography.
Max. of 10 Participants only
On this journey we will explore the remote parts of the country but also some of the known places. We promise that this will be a very exciting and special trip.
For more info and details please CLICK this LINK.
GD
Published article in Asian Geographic - A Walk Through Time - Phnom Kulen, Cambodia
A Walk Through Time…
Kulen's past and present.
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Below is a very short excerpt from a seven (7) page article in the latest Asian Geographic magazine on Phnom Kulen and its hidden treasures in Cambodia.
| Asian Geo 1/2012 (WHEN MOMENTS MATTER) |
I am grateful to the publisher/editor/graphic designer for publishing this article from my beloved Cambodia and of-course my gratitude to Jamie Irena Rayer - Keet who wrote the excellent text for this story. Love you Sis!
But I like to thank also Didier Faraud from the Heritage Adventures and Heritage Suites Hotel without his help and input this article could not have been possible.
GD
It may only be forty-six kilometers away from the august Angkor Wat but this is one Cambodian paradise where you won’t be seeing busloads of Teva-sandaled, video-cam toting tourists anytime soon. An hour’s drive northeast of Siem Reap, past the hordes of out-of-towners traipsing all over the remnants of the 10th century temple Bantey Srei, lies the serene lushness of Phnom Kulen. A hilly terrain famed for its extensive history and natural resource of red sandstone, Phnom Kulen also boasts a national park, refreshing waterfalls, peculiar rivers and a massive 8m long Buddha reclining at its summit.
With more than two-dozen ancient brick temples scattered around the mountain, Phnom Kulen holds more mysteries than the average Mount Meru. Over the centuries she has played host to hermits, communist revolutionaries and even royalty. Lately however, she has been seducing archaeologists and leaving intrigued historians trailing in her wake, gambling life and limb as they tread through her dense jungle in their quest to unearth more of the secrets embedded within her elusive rupestrian treasure…
READ MORE and other amazing stories in the latest ASIAN Geographic Magazine â—‹ no. 86 issue 1/2012 | 97
Travel Photography: One beautiful afternoon at the U Beins Teak Wood Bridge, Myanmar
Just one beautiful afternoon in Amarapura,
Mandalay, Myanmar.
Thank you for your continuous support, wishing you all
a very Happy New Year!
It was during our last GD Photo Workshop near Mandalay in Myanmar when we visited the U Beins Teak Wood Bridge in Amarapura at sunset. What a beautiful afternoon it turned out to be, blessed and lucky with the weather we encountered some stunning light right up to dusk.
U Beins Teak Wood Bridge in Amarapura, Myanmar
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The 1.2 km wooden footbridge (longest teak bridge in the world) built by the mayor U Bein salvaging the unwanted teak columns from the old palace during the move to Mandalay.
U Beins Teak Wood Bridge in Amarapura, Myanmar
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Local boatman at the U Beins Teak Wood Bridge in
Amarapura, Myanmar
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Join us for another breathtaking journey through Myanmar on our upcoming GD Photo Workshop in June 2012, visiting not only the well known places but also more remote parts of this truly amazing Country.
Please check for more information and complete itinerary with our exclusive travel agent & partner EXOTISSIMO Website.
Testimonials from previous participants please CLICK THIS LINK.
U Beins Teak Wood Bridge in Amarapura, Myanmar
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U Beins Teak Wood Bridge in Amarapura, Myanmar
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For our other published destinations: Sri Lanka - Central India - Bhutan - Vietnam - Laos & Cambodia please CLICK this LINK our Photo Workshop Calendar in ASIA for 2012
GD
U Beins Teak Wood Bridge in Amarapura, Myanmar
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Local boatman near the U Beins Teak Wood Bridge in
Amarapura, Myanmar
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U Beins Teak Wood Bridge in Amarapura, Myanmar
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View more images from Myanmar and other destinations in my Photoshelter Archives & Galleries, please click this LINK
Travel Photography: Bizarre, strange, utterly weird & disgusting, photos from along the road.
Bizarre, strange, utterly weird & disgusting…
photos from along the road. 
What happen to this Buddha Statue?But I love the colors.
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During most of my travels I come across the nice and beautiful things our planet has to offer. The funny, bizarre and strange encounters, but sometimes I see things rather unpleasant. Like the time I discovered the unloading of massive shark fins in Indonesia, and I am talking about massive!
Little explanation is needed for most of the photos below, with the exception of the disgusting ones.
This is a small collection of unusual images from my recent trips.
GD
From the Van window… Christmas shopping?
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Strange Bubbles…at a local market.
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Weird food…but actually very nice.
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Strange…no explanation needed.
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Bizarre…Novice Buddhist Monks and Guns…
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Wow! Hi-tech at the Cambodia/Thailand Border crossing
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A weird outdoor bar with bargirl/barboy?
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Utterly weird & strange food…
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Totally disgusting and very sad…
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Strange…drying meat.
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Totally disgusting and very sad…Bear Paws
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Totally disgusting and very sad…
Bear paws are considered a delicacy, and have been priced at $250 each.
Here they are inside a glass with Alcohol, drinking this concoction
is supposed to be a remedy for different types of illnesses and an
Aphrodisiac…what a lot of Bull….
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Through the Van window…
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Travel Photography: Twelve Asian faces from 2011; thoughtful, bizarre, happy and sad plus one sleepy. See you soon at the ONE ASIA Festival Singapore.
Twelve Asian faces from 2011…
thoughtful, bizarre, happy, sad + one sleepy.
India 2011
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In a few more days 2011 is coming to an end and I am now preparing for my last trip this year to Singapore, leaving in a couple of days.
I am part again of the ONE ASIA Festival - Celebrate the Images of Asia as a Speaker and Judge for the Asia Without Borders Photo Competition.
I am really looking forward to catch up again with Michael Yamashita who was there also last year, and get together with Steve McCurry, Michael Freeman and Manuel Librodo plus many others, and of course with some good old friends.
Hope to see some of you there; for detailed information on the ONE ASIA FESTIVAL please click the LINKS.
But before I report from Singapore (I know the connection will be fine this time) I like to share with you some images taken in 2011, people from Cambodia, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Myanmar.
“The bizarre, happy and sad.” People of all walks of life; their culture, tradition and every day life.
Nepal 2011
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India 2011
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India 2011
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Sri Lanka 2011
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Myanmar 2011
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Sri Lanka 2011
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Cambodia 2011
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Myanmar 2011
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Myanmar 2011
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Myanmar 2011
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THINK! Nepal 2011
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Just one more…and sleepy.
Myanmar 2011
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PLEASE NOTE:
Check our updated GD PhotoWorkshop Calendar for 2012, with exciting and new destinations throughout ASIA.
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/gdphotoworkshop/page1/calendar.html
Travel Photography Asia: Beautiful People & true Colors from Laos, Cambodia & Myanmar.
The Journey continues through Laos - Cambodia & Myanmar
its beautiful people and true colors.
A question I get ask all the time, and a quote by Imogen Cunningham sums it up nicely.
“ Which of my photographs is my favorite?
The one I’m going to take tomorrow." – Imogen Cunningham
Inle Lake, Myanmar
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Laotian Monks looking towards Thailand, it is here where the
Mekong River separates these two Countries, Vientiane, Laos
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I am always in search for true colors and besides the question above, which is my favorite photograph I also get often ask about my colors. The colors in my images are real and have not been manipulated using editing software.
"I have seen colors which I thought didn't exist, but they do." - Gunther Deichmann
One of many Battambang's Monasteries, Cambodia
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Amazing colors are all around us, finding and seeking the right combination one needs to see; no need to distort something which is already provided by nature or human. It is all out there, in front of us ready for the taking with what ever camera you use, let your eyes guide you, separating colors from the background.
Lets look at the world through our eyes, not through photo-editing tools. But have said that, we almost don't get a choice these days…in the digital age we have to use Computers and editing softwares; I am still looking for a roll of Ektachrome to be processed, that I shot recently in Cambodia. My last roll of film? If I ever get it processed…
Festival time on Inle Lake, Myanmar
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Battambang, Cambodia
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All my camera settings are pretty much set on default and my images are processed with Aperture 3 using only the RAW Image conversion, color temperature, slightly sharpening, a little contrast and the usual cropping/straightening tools and of course getting rid of sensor dust, that little evil thing in digital photography.
During the film days we didn't have all those tools, you had to do a lot of bracketing and if you missed it then that was-it. Now we have all these options, but I honestly believe in Travel, Nature, Journalism, Geographical Photography etc., we should tell the truth.
Bagan, Myanmar
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Mandalay, Myanmar
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Luang Prabang, Laos
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Luang Prabang, Laos
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Moving Nuns - Kyauk Se Monastery, Myanmar
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Phnom Kulen, Cambodia
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Just one more...
Tonle Sap, Cambodia
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Essentially, I have made no changes since the good old Kodachrome film days on how I approach and create images today. My approach and my soul are the same, and this is my philosophy about light and color.
GD
Adventure Travel Photography: Tourists to the rescue…& another Deja Vu at Tham Theung Caves, Laos
The endless Journey Continues…
Working with what you've got…even Tourists come in
handy sometimes, the story behind the photos.
During our recent GD Photo Workshop in Laos we visited the Pak Ou caves overlooking the Mekong River some 25 km from Luang Prabang in Laos; it is here where the mouth of the River Ou meets the mighty Mekong.
A group of caves on the left side of the Mekong river, about two hours boat ride upstream from Luang Prabang.
I had visited the lower cave called Tham Ting (lower cave) some 20 years ago and with the exception of more tourists swarming around and more Buddha statues were deposited, little had changed over the years.
Hundreds of Buddha statues and relics in all shape and sizes have been brought here over many years by loyal Buddhist devotees.
Mind you 20 years ago I was the only visitor to this cave and actually could crawl around more easily, but that is not possible anymore.
20 years ago Pak Ou Caves Tham Ting (lower cave)
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It is a difficult task to shoot or create interesting Images when so many Tourist get in the way…
but I guess they also have the right to be there.
Oh my… I am so glad I visited this place 20 years ago…
hmmm sounds a bit selfish.
Pak Ou Caves Tham Ting (lower cave) Sept. 2011
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After about 45 minutes our Group decided to move on to the upper cave Tham Theung in the hope for better shooting conditions. I had never been to this cave before and someone told us it is some 150 steps up…ha, ha, it felt more like 300 steps.
After some puffing and sweating we made it… only to find out, there is zero light insight. Oh boy…did I sweat and puff for nothing?
With no Tripod and only the little pop up flash on my Nikon D300s (left my D700 in the boat and was in no mood to climb the stairs again) I thought this is going to be a tough one, besides this cave was big.
Upper Cave Tham Theung - Sept. 2011
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But luck was on our side, at the entrance of the cave a local woman selling flashlights for hire to Tourists. Upon entering the cave I realized that even with these flashlights there is no way of getting any decent images…
I almost gave up, when all of a sudden a large group of Italian Tourist appeared, all equipped with the for hire flashlights; and for sure a good business day for the local lady at the entrance, ha, ha.
Upper Cave Tham Theung - Sept. 2011
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The only thing left for me to do… finding a suitable “Tripod” a crack, a ledge, anything on the cave wall facing the right direction.
I got it… jammed the camera into a crack, pushed hard and holding on (you might end up with a few scratches on your Camera but other then that, it works, besides holding your breath) now I instructed my assistant Arj to shine his torch towards the temple area.
There was also Mojan left behind from our Group, who at the time of the exposure was still wondering around and exploring the cave; of course this added a bit of extra light too.
Upper Cave Tham Theung - Sept. 2011
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But I still did not get enough light for a good and usable shot… then the Italian Tourists entered the cave and came to my rescue… shining their flashlights in all direction…wow and thank you.
I left the shutter open for about 4 seconds and let the Tourists paint the cave for me with their flashlights.
I might mention that my ISO setting was not very high either, I try to avoid using super high ISO setting whenever possible.
My setting for most of these shots: Focal Lengths 18mm, 640 ISO f/5.6 and varying the exposure between 4 and 6 sec. bracketing my exposure as much as possible and NO flash.
So there you have it, sometimes Tourist’s do come in very handy and in this case they added also scale to the image.
On the other hand how could I have done these shots 20 years ago? There were no Tourists and the upper cave was off limits...
GD
Travel Photography: Deja vu…recreating a Photo at the same location...but 12 years later.
Deja vu…recreating a Photo at the same location…
but 12 years later in Myanmar, the story behind the Photo
I visited Nyaung Shwe also known as Yawnghwe) a town a few kilometers north of Inle Lake in the Shan State of Myanmar for the first time some 12 years ago.
While driving through the town I spotted this amazing Monastery build out of Teakwood during the 19th Century with a Novice Monk standing at the oval shape window.
Oh boy… what a nice image I thought…so I loaded another roll of film in this case Kodachrome Pro 200 ASA and started to shoot. Years have past now and many images have been produced by a variety of Photographers with and without Monks at this Monastery.
I might add that the shot I took 12 years ago was not at all a setup; it just so happens that this Monk was actually standing at the window when I spotted it and this photo was later published many times.
Now 12 years later and during our GD Photo Workshop last October we made a stop at this remarkable Monastery again.
Kodachrome Pro 200 ASA or Digital?
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I had actually planned this all along to re create the image I took some 12 years ago, but of course there was very little hope that a Monk was standing again at the window. Well…we arrived and sure enough there was NO Monk standing there.
Kodachrome Pro 200 ASA or Digital?
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OK I thought, let’s recreate the images and I ask politely one of the Novice Monks to stand in about the same position at the window, then I went outside and took the image.
I normally don’t set shots up, but in this case I found it interesting what I could come up with, shooting digital instead of Kodachrome film from the same location but 12 years later.
An interesting exercise and the Monk I had picked was about the same age from what I remembered years ago.
I let you decide which of the two images featured is Digital or Kodachrome 200 film, I might add that the digital image was shot at the same 200 ISO and no Photoshop or other manipulation has been used.
I only used Aperture 3 with the raw conversion, some straightening, a little cropping (the same in the Kodachrome Image) added a little contrast, minor sharpening and adjusted the color temperature to daylight taken in to consideration the overcast sky.
This amazing teakwood monastery has not changed much at all except for the surrounding areas that have now additional more modern looking buildings, other than that it was pretty much the same.
The monastery is over 150 years old and sits on sturdy stilts, a protection for occasional flooding coming from the Inle Lake.
The temple next to the Monastery
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Next to the monastery you can find a small but very amazing temple that is absolutely worth a visit, housing hundreds of little Buddha statues and incredible artwork along the walls.
The temple next to the Monastery
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So, there you have it 12 years later, little has changed and I hope it will stay like this for many more years to come.
GD
Travel Photography:The story behind the photos, “A little Girl and her simple way recycling soft drink cans.”
The story behind the photos…
“A little Girl and her simple way recycling soft drink cans.”
This is the story about a little Girl at Phnom Sampeou, (Killing Caves) in the rural area of Battambang.
It was during our last Photo Workshop in Cambodia and we just finished the day at Phnom Sampeou, worn out and thirsty!
We bought some soft drinks at the local store and waiting for the million of bats to appear out of
a cave at dusk along the road, it was our last shoot for the day.
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All of a sudden this little girl appeared, collecting the empty cans, sorting them out and given me the occasional shy look.
I was watching her and kept shooting a few frames now and then, as she playfully emptied the leftovers before she arranged the cans along the road.
By now it was getting very dark and I had to push my ISO higher as she kept arranging the cans in a very playful manner and I was wondering…is she collecting them or is she just playing?
Vehicles and pushbikes going by, but this little girl was paying no attention to the traffic or our group, she just kept on lining up her cans.
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Now neatly arranged, she suddenly started to jump up an down flattening the cans with her feet, picked them up and disappeared as quick as she had arrived.
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The process of a very simple recycling was complete, I am sure the only thing left to do for her was to take the flattened cans and sell them for a few Riel (Cambodian currency) at the local Village.
GD
Laos-Cambodia-Myanmar, the first post after a long Journey with the Travel Adventure GD Photo Workshops.
For todays post only a collage but soon I upload all the separate photos from "Behind The Scene" & also the "Students Work."
Ouch…it has been more then 6 weeks since my last Blog post but the last Journey was a long one, traveling in areas with non-or poor Internet connection.
Then I got home and had to shake of a bad cold for a week. But to be honest, I survived without the net nicely and had more time on the road creating images and looking after my Photo Workshop participants in Laos-Cambodia and Myanmar.
Before I go into more details let me first thank all of the participants who joined my last Journey Through Color and Time.
Thanks to: Ladies first… Christina and Vi. Now the Boys: Bob, Tony, David, Bebet, Mojan, Rod, Mojan, Loy and Richard and Arj my trusted assistant. (Thanks for your tireless help in Laos and Cambodia unfortunately you could not make it with us to Myanmar)
It was a wonderful group and most of them joined all three destinations covering Laos-Cambodia and Myanmar by road and air. It was an adventure for sure, with very rough roads in Laos and Myanmar, monsoon rain drenched us or the scorching sun hit us in Myanmar.
All in search for the ultimate image, but everybody hang in there. Well, I might add we had some veteran amongst us who travelled and participated in previous workshops with me, e.g..
Like the never tiring Tony, David or the energetic Loy…but even the new comers did extremely well, in particular Mojan who constantly was on the move even during our stop over in Bangkok prior departure for Yangon.
But I also like to thank all the great people, we photographed (without them no images) and of course my gratitude to our Guides and Drivers through out the Journey who made our travel so much easier and pleasant.
My special thanks also to Alexia and all the staff from Exotissimo who have done a superb job, the staff and management from the Satri House in Luang Prabang, Laos (what an amazing place) and of course to the Heritage Suites Hotel and Heritage Adventures in Siem Reap Cambodia.
Left: The cool Telephones in our rooms at the Satri House, Luang Prabang, Laos, they still work real good believe me.
Right: The super tasty Cake at the Heritage Suites Hotel, thanks again and to Rod who took that shot, somehow Arj was missing in action at that very moment.
I might mention, this year was very special in many ways; for 20 years I have been traveling to Cambodia and 5 Years of the GD Photo Workshops with the Heritage Suites Hotel in Siem Reap (they surprised me with a super cool “Birthday Cake” on our last night) yummy… I can still taste it…and Mojan could not help himself and had three slices, mind you it was a real big Cake.
Buddhist blessing ceremony for our Group at the Heritage Suites Hotel poolside.Thanks Arj for taken these shots.
Then there was the fantastic and real Buddhist blessing Ceremony at the Poolside at the Heritage that really made our last day, thank you so much for everything.
2011 was also my return to Laos after 20 years and Myanmar after 12 years, a very special meaning for me, detailed articles will follow with impressions and changes after so many years.
Well, almost an UN gathering with participants from Spain, Germany, Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong and the USA. This was particular evident in the evenings during our critic and assessment of the daily assignments.
I am preparing now the photos from “Behind the Scene” (some very funny ones again) and of course “The Students Work”, a selection from each and everyone’s favorite take.
You might take also note that we have moved the “Behind the Scene” and “The Students Work” now to the GD Photo Workshop pages and removed it from my Blog.
Everything is under one roof now and we leave also the previous workshop pages active, which would not have been possible on my Blog.
Check the LINKS above; the latest ones will be up soon as mention above.
We also managed to update my Home Page on my main website with new photos and the SE Asia 4 Gallery has now been completed with some of the latest images.
A complete selection of recent images from all three destinations are also available on PhotoShelter within the next week or so, I keep you posted.
Of course it goes without saying Aperture 3 performed fantastic and non of my images have been processed using PS…all the way Aperture.
Plus stay tuned for some interesting articles on my Blog, which I try to post soon, starting with Laos. Ha, ha I am connected again running a good speed Internet connection…
As a reminder we’re finalizing right now our next Workshops for Sri Lanka – Central India and Bhutan and have only few more spots available.
We have scheduled also an additional very special Workshop for Myanmar for the end of June 2012; full details will be announced shortly.
Until very soon…and no more six week breaks for a while.
GD
Photography: How I love this Quote by Ernst Haas & so fitting prior my Journey to Laos - Cambodia & Myanmar
Through the car window… using the iPhone & my little
Leica, plus my favorite Quote by Ernst Haas.
Through the Taxi window with the iPhone, Manila Philippines
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Finished the last Aperture 3 advanced tutorial at the Power Mac Center last week, got some important meetings out of my way and now the TIME has come…the packing has started (mind you very light) for our Cultural - Archaeological, Travel and Adventure GD Photo Workshops to Laos - Cambodia and Myanmar.
I report whenever possible but my Blog Posts will be a bit thin from now on, however I try to stay in touch via Facebook and Twitter.
Through the car window with the iPhone, street vendor during heavy
rain selling Sampaguita ... the national flower of the
Philippines, Manila Philippines
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With the iPhone, on the road from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh
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In todays post, definitely the last one prior my departure (next one I have no clue from where) I have chosen only images taken with my iPhone and my little Leica D-Lux 4 which are my companion most of the time and the reason for my favorite quote by Ernst Haas; read the complete story below:
Street Children - through the Taxi window with my little Leica,
Manila Philippines
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Ernst Haas commented on this in a workshop in 1985:
Two laddies from Nova Scotia had made a huge effort to be there and were great Leica fans, worked in a camera store, saved to have them and held Ernst on high for being a Leica user (although he used Nikons on his Marlboro shoots, when the chips were down).
About four days into the workshop, he finally maxxed out on the Leica adoration these kids displayed, and in the midst of a discussion, when one of them asked one more question aimed at establishing the superiority of Wetzlar;
Ernst said, "Leica, schmeica. The camera doesn't make a bit of difference. All of them can record what you are seeing. But, you have to SEE."
Nobody talked about Leica, Nikon, Canon or any other brand of camera equipment for the rest of the workshop.
He also said, "Best wide-angle lens? 'Two steps backward' and 'look for the ah-ha'."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Haas
Street Children - through the Taxi window with my little Leica,
Manila Philippines
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Street Children cleaning the car windows for a few centavos -
through the Taxi window with my little Leica,
Manila Philippines
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Just one more…
Ferme le Lundi - French for "Closed on Monday"
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Yep, that is me in 1992 outside a French Cafe in Phnom Penh and my first visit to Cambodia covering a story on the Mekong River for Animan Magazine, no digital…no laptops, etc. just the good old film…and a bit younger mind you. Since then I have been visiting Cambodia almost yearly, continuously discovering the undiscovered…
and definitely Ferme Le Lundi!
Now the endless Journey continuos…until soon from where ever I might be…GD.
Travel Photography: Asian Geographic Passport just published a cool article & soon reporting from Laos, Cambodia & Myanmar
Shoot it! People & Culture in Asian
Geographic Passport Magazine August 2011
Click the image above or this LINK for a
larger view and the pdf file, click on SPREADS.
Asian Geographic Passport Magazine has just published an article on People & Culture, Tips and tricks on travel Photography, for more info and other interesting articles get your copy now. (August Issue 2011)
This will also be one of my last Blog posts before I am leaving for Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, not enough time while on the road and some areas have non or very poor internet connection. However I try to update everybody via my iPhone on Facebook and Twitter now and then. Of course and this goes without saying, I try my very best to post an update here on my Blog when ever it is possible…the endless Journey continuos.
Shortly we start our last major GD Photo Workshops for 2011 to Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar and for those who could not make it (we're fully booked) check out my report/Blog posts on my return with photos from behind the scenes and selected image by our participants. For previous photos behind the scene, testimonials and photos by the participant click the LINKS.
For information on all our GD Photo Workshops in 2012 use this link.
An exciting Journey just around the corner with some very cool surprises and announcements along the way, not to mention our 5th year anniversary in Cambodia which we celebrate at the Heritage Suites Hotel our base in Siem Reap.
Thanks and welcome to our NEW Partner in Asia EXOTISSIMO,
more information about this very exciting news very soon. 
Laos is going to be amazing with its mountains and spectacular scenery and our base in Luang Prabang at the Satri House, in Cambodia we venture into some of the lesser know areas by 4x4 wheel drives, then in Myanmar we have a the full moon with us in Bagan and on the Inle Lake intercepting a very cool Burmese festival along the way.
Thanks again to all my participants for joining this Workshop and I am sure all of them getting ready and excited now to discover the undiscovered.
Our new mini Poster available as pdf upon request.
If I don't find the time anymore for another post prior my departure pls. stay tuned or check your Twitter and Facebook for updates via my iPhone.
GD
Preview of three amazing destinations; Laos - Cambodia - Myanmar, with the GD Photo Workshops Asia.
Laos - Cambodia - Myanmar…
three amazing destinations with the GD Photo Workshops.
Hill Tribes at the Thai-Lao Border
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Hill Tribes at the Thai-Lao Border
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September is only around the corner before we set off to another adventure, traveling from Thailand on the 22nd by road to Laos, from here we go overland to Luang Prabang exploring this amazing country by road.
I have included some photos from my previous trip to Northern Thailand and Laos, images I took on assignment covering the Mekong River for Animan Magazine in Switzerland, a three month Journey many years ago and taken on Kodachrome film.
After about a week in Laos we travel from Luang Prabang by plane to Pakse and then again by road to Siem Reap in Cambodia for our second GD Photo Workshop.
BTW this is our 5th anniversary for our workshops in Cambodia and I am sure we find some time to celebrate it with some drinks at our Base the Heritage Suites Hotel. After Siem Reap we hit the road again to Battambang where we spend our remaining days in Cambodia exploring this amazing town with its french colonial buildings and the surrounding areas including a trip to Phnom Ek and the Killing Caves.
After Battambang some participants will join me for the road trip from Siem Reap to Bangkok, here we wait for others to arrive before we fly out two days later to Myanmar for some 10 days… discovering the undiscovered.
I am sure everybody is getting excited by now, including myself for this truly adventures Journey soon to start in Bangkok, only a few more weeks and we're on the road.
I am also happy to announce that we're fully booked for all three workshops and for those who missed out this time please check our Calendar for 2012, exotic destinations are planned to Sri Lanka - Central India - Bhutan (for Bhutan only two more spots available) Tibet - Mongolia and later in the year Vietnam - Laos - Cambodia (for this one we have worked out a very special Itinerary, this one will be awesome). We're also taking bookings now for Sri Lanka-Central India and Bhutan.
For more info, testimonials from previous participants, behind the scenes, students photos, bookings/reservations and Calendar just click the LINKS, thank you.
My thanks to all our partners who have been instrumental in preparing and organizing some of theses difficult destinations; Alexia from Exotissimo Travel Thailand and Laos, The Heritage Suites Hotel Relais & Chateaux and The Heritage Adventures in Cambodia and the Satri House Relais & Chateaux in Laos.
But most of all my sincere thanks to all the participants who are coming from the USA, Australia, Germany, Spain, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia and the Philippines…almost a United Nations gathering…ha, ha.
Of course once on the road I try and report from our locations and update my Blog, but that depends on the internet connection and speed, however you can follow me on Facebook and Twitter for some short updates via my iPhone.
Laos
Laos has a rich history stretching back 10,000 years. At its height, it ruled over present day Laos and much of neighboring northern Thailand. Landlocked and laid-back, it’s a unique spin on the Southeast Asia experience.
Luang Prabang, Laos
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Luang Prabang, Laos
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Here Buddhism permeates every facet of life, change comes slowly, and cities bed down early. The perfect place to break from office politics or put a pause in a hyperactive travel agenda, this land of mountain, mists and untamed natural beauty tempts with unrivaled peace and serenity.
Open your heart, open your mind, and let the genuine faith and generous hospitality of Laos replenish your soul.
Cambodia
Situated on the Indochinese peninsula, Cambodia is bordered by Thailand and Laos on the North and Vietnam on the East and south. The Gulf of Thailand is off the western coast. The size of Missouri, the country consists chiefly of a large alluvial plain ringed by mountains with the Mekong River to the East. The plain is revolved around Lake Tonle Sap, which is a natural storage basin of the Mekong.
Angkor Wat Siem Reap, Cambodia
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Siem Reap, the provincial ancient capital of Cambodia serves as the gateway to the millennium-old temple ruins of the Angkorian-era Khmer Empire. Designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the Angkor Archaeological Park encompasses dozens of temple ruins including Bayon and the legendary Angkor Wat, whose artistic and archaeological significance and visual impact put it in the same league as the other iconic wonders of the world like the Pyramids, Machu Pichu and Taj Mahal.
The temple ruins of Angkor, Cambodia
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To experience an inimitable Cambodian culture, history and life, you will visit historic monastic complexes like Pre Rup, Preah Khan, Ta Prohm and Phnom Kulen and the Tonle Sap Lake.
Shy Boy at Angkor Wat, Cambodia
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Butterfly's at Phnom Kulen, Cambodia
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Bayon and its many faces, Cambodia
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Not to be missed are Heritage sites like Angkor Wat and The Bayon as well as the Cambodian sunrise, which all provide great photo opportunities for you to hone your photography skills and capture your tapestry of Siem Reap’s rich culture, people and heritage as seen through your Eyes.
Hidden temples during the wet season, Cambodia
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Buddhist Caves
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Depending on weather conditions, we always have a couple surprises visiting also places seldom seen by others. This might change our original itinerary slightly...but this can certainly be very interesting and adventures.
Amazing Myanmar
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Myanmar/Burma
Slightly smaller than Texas, Myanmar occupies the Thailand/Cambodia portion of the Indochinese peninsula. India lies to the Northwest and China to the Northeast. Bangladesh, Laos, and Thailand are also neighbors. The Bay of Bengal touches the Southwest coast. The fertile delta of the Irrawaddy River in the South contains a network of interconnecting canals and nine principal river mouths.
Hill Tribes in northern Myanmar
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Myanmar Silk
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The ethnic origins of modern Myanmar (known historically as Burma) are a mixture of Indo-Aryans, who began pushing into the area around 700 B.C. , and the Mongolian invaders under Kublai Khan who penetrated the region in the 13th century. Anawrahta (1044–1077) was the first great unifier of Myanmar.
A happy face amongst eggplants, Yangon Market, Myanmar
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In 1612, the British East India Company sent agents to Burma, but the Burmese doggedly resisted efforts of British, Dutch, and Portuguese traders to establish posts along the Bay of Bengal. Through the Anglo-Burmese War in 1824–1826 and two subsequent wars, the British East India Company expanded to the whole of Burma. By 1886, Burma was annexed to India, then became a separate colony in 1937.
Just one more…
Monk watching a local Soccer Game, Yangon Myanmar
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GD
Announcement: Important info for GD Photo Workshops in Asia, effective new dates Sri Lanka - Central India - Bhutan 2012
New confirmed and final dates for
Sri Lanka - Central India - Bhutan 2012
Check our GD Photo Workshop Calendar for more info
SRI LANKA - INDIA 2012- 5 more spots available
March 11 to March 25, 2012
Max. of 10 Participants
Join us for two amazing Adventure GD Photo Workshops to Sri Lanka and Central India.
Breathtaking wildlife and awesome scenery in Sri Lanka plus amazing culture including the Dambulla Cave Temple dating to the first Century BC and a lot more will be on our itinerary. Explore the beauty of Sri Lanka and discover the undiscovered. Our central India workshop will take you back in time; to some seldom seen Cave temples, namely the Ellora and Ajanta cave system.
BHUTAN 2012 Only 3 more spots available, hurry this workshop is filling up very fast. Bookings will close by latest September 15th, 2011
March 27 - April 05, 2012 - 9 Nights
Max. of 8 Participants
This trip covers the highlights of Western Bhutan and focuses on Talo festival. Talo Tsechu is held in the ground near Talo Dzong or Monastery. The village of Talo, high on the hills above Punakha is located at an altitude 2800m. The village is scattered along the hill slopes. Talo Sangnacholing is built on a plateau with has majestic view of surrounding villages. More details and the complete itinerary is available soon.
For bookings and reservations CLICK this LINK
Exciting updates on GD Travel Adventure Photo Workshops, Culture & Nature expeditions through out Asia and beyond.
"My creative process begins when I get out with the camera and
Interact with the world. A camera is truly a license to explore.
There are no uninteresting things.
There are just uninterested people." - Jerry Uelsmann -
Discover the undiscovered… with Gunther Deichmann, Expedition Leader and international multi awarded Photographer. For his full Bio please click this LINK.
These Photo Workshops take you beyond the normal tours, designed for only small groups to give you the maximum attention throughout the Journey.
(Depends on our destinations max. number is between 8 and 12 person.)
Adventure and fun at the same time, stress is not on our agenda, everyday has its little surprises and rewards, from culture experiences, wildlife encounters and fantastic photo opportunities and the whole search is for the unknown, so you can really expect the unexpected.
Learning alongside Gunther, with his vast experiences in Asia and Australia who has traveled these parts of the world for international Magazines for over 30 years.
Gunther’s experience and knowledge brings you closer to your subjects and you learn how to see things in a very different way and light. It is Gunther’s Philosophy about Photography that exposes you to a very different kind of image… a quote by Oscar Wilde says it all; “To look at a thing is very different from seeing it."
GD Photo Workshops are unique in many ways…besides creating beautiful images and experience different cultures there is always an element of fun amongst the participants no matter what nationalities attending. Read some of the testimonials from previous workshop participants. Click here.
More from Behind the scene from our last workshop and the students work click the LINKS.
We take Photography very seriously but at the same time find the precious hours after the shoot to relax and talk about our daily adventures, sharing each other’s experiences and the images we created.
Gunther will also guide you through the process after the shoot, the Digital Darkroom, he has years of experience on a variety of Software including producing Multi Media Presentations.
He is on the Apple Aperture Advisory Board Asia and an Apple Certified Pro Aperture Trainer.
But most of all... "Lets look at the world through our eyes, not through photo-editing tools."
Please Note: Our workshops for Laos-Cambodia 2011 is now fully booked and we have only one more spot for Myanmar but if you're still interested you have to confirm your bookings by the 20th of August.
We have also announced our destinations and Calendar dates for 2012 and working very close now with one of the Top Travel Agencies in Asia (soon there will be a major announcement regarding this exciting new development)
Besides Sri Lanka and Central India in 2012 we travel also to Mongolia - Tibet and a very exciting adventure Journey through Vietnam -Laos and Cambodia by road.
Please note the dates for our Bhutan Trip might change slightly due to some festivals which we don't want to miss, we advise very shortly. There are only 3 more spots available for this amazing Journey into Bhutan. Booking for Bhutan closes by September 15th latest.
Vietnam Delta
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In 2013 Gunther will lead a very special trip to Australia his home Country which he knows only so well; the outback and the amazing wildlife of Kakadu National Park. A 14 day Journey to some places seldom seen by others. More details will be announced later @
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/gdphotoworkshop/page1/calendar.html
Rare Aboriginal Ceremony Central Australia
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Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia 2010
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“Journey means travel. The more you travel, the more you
broaden your horizon and experience different cultures.
And to me that translate into photography." - GD -
Travel Photography: Sri Lanka’s beautiful people, caves and Buddhism culture, the story behind the photos.
The Journey continuos in Sri Lanka...
Dambula Rock Caves, Sri Lanka
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This is the final part from my last journey to Sri Lanka and Central India; well Sri Lanka was actually the first part of my trip, don’t ask me why this became last, I honestly don’t know.
I have selected just a few photos for this short but rewarding Journey and if you like to see more please feel free to check out all the other photos from Sri Lanka on my PhotoShelter Archives and Galleries.
Paintings and statues inside the Dambula Rock Caves, Sri Lanka
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I left from Manila with my friend Hubert Weber via Bangkok and arrived just after midnight in Colombo, a long day indeed.
After an hour drive we got to our Hotel and managed to get a few hours sleep, but it was more like 2 hours since we had to hit the road to the Dambula Cave Temple in the morning…oh my gosh it was morning already.
Tiered but the adrenalin was doing a good job, it was after all my first visit to Sri Lanka, and right from the arrival I had a very good feel about it, the people seem to be very nice, actually super nice as we discovered during our entire trip.
On the way to the Dambula Caves there were lots of photo opportunities along the road, from Rubber plantations, handcrafted Batik, the famous Ceylon Tea,and so many other interesting subjects including a snake charmer with a huge Python and Cobra and of course Dambula which had been on my agenda for many years.
Dambulla is a part of the Cultural Triangle declared by UNESCO is on the main road from Sigiriya to Kandy about 19Km from Sigiriya. There are over 80 caves in the surrounding and some of them have been used by monks as meditation locations.
Buddha statues inside theDambula Rock Caves, Sri Lanka
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The Corridor outside the Dambula Rock Caves, Sri Lanka
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Major attractions are spread over 5 caves, which contain the statues and the paintings. Since it's founding in the 1 century BC by King Valagamba, many improvements and additions have been carried out to the sculptures and paintings over the years. Hindu statues are believed to be of the 12 century AD and the latest paintings are of the late 18-century. The temple is a perfect location to view evolution of the ancient Sri Lankan arts.
We reached Dambula mid afternoon…by now we felt the long hours without sleep, only to be told by our charming Guide that we had to climb (a lot of steps) to the Temple Cave.
I almost collapsed half way up…my energy was fading fast from lack of sleep and long hours on the road, puffing… I had no choice but to hire a friend of our Guide who just happen to be there to help me and carry my backpack …or was this planned?
Uhhh… we made it, just in time for the nice afternoon light which blessed us for the remaining few hours before sunset, and what a sunset it was…all the hard work paid off.
Sri Lanka another place I have to return too, not only for its amazing culture, but also for its Landscapes and rich Wildlife. As a matter of fact we’re having a GD Photo Workshop in 2012 to Sri Lanka and Central India - discovering the undiscovered, for example the not so frequently visited Rock Cave Temple Aluviharaya near Matale.
Aluvihara cave temple Sri Lanka
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Aluvihara cave temple is surrounded by hills, 30 km south of Kandy on the Matale-Dambulla road is having a great historic importance. The history of Aluvihara is traced back to the 3rd Century B.C. in the reign of King Devanampiyatissa.
Aluvihare is one of the most important cultural sites in Sri Lanka.It was believed to be, Buddhist doctrines were first recorded on Ola leaves after passing through orally, here in the 1st century BC, during the reign of King Vattagamini Abaya.This Dhamma record is known as 'Thripitakaya' and to day it is concern as main guiding Dhamma book of Theravada Buddhism.Aluvihare is significant for the huge rocks which leads to classified it as a rock temple.
People of Sri Lanka
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People of Sri Lanka
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People of Sri Lanka
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Of course Kandy was on our itinerary, the last royal capital of Sri Lanka that is now a major tourist destination. (115kM from Colombo at 465 meters above sea level). Famous for the Temple of the Tooth and many other temples, the city could be called the cultural capital of the island.
I short…Sri Lanka is an amazing place with its friendly people, rich culture, amazing landscapes and unique wildlife, truly inviting for many more visits.
Batik handycraft, Sri Lanka
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Meditation at the temple of the Tooth, Kandy Sri Lanka
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Worshiping and meditation at the temple of the Tooth, Kandy Sri Lanka
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Just one more...
Young boy with incense, Sri Lanka
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Oh did I forget to mention all the Elephants? But that is another story…my next post will be from Bangkok, Thailand, so please stay tuned.
GD
Travel Photography: Medieval Labyrinth, Bats & a replica Taj Mahal, discover the undiscovered in India.
A Medieval Fort... a Labyrinth with Bats & a replica Taj Mahal,
discover the undiscovered in Incredible India.
Muslim School Children in Aurangabad Town, India
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Daulatabad Fort Aurangabad, India
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Medieval is putting it mildly... after I paid a visit to Aurangabad and discovered the undiscovered, in particular roaming around all day at the Daulatabad Fort with its spooky labyrinth and fortifications.
This was definitely going back in time… Daulatabad Fort is also very different from other Indian Forts I visited before…medieval is the right description for sure.
But there are many other interesting sights, like the perfect replica of the Taj Mahal or the Aurangabad Caves, yet another interesting cave system.
The Aurangabad Caves are small in comparison to Ellora and Ajanta but showcasing yet another achievement from ancient times.
Located close to the city these caves are visited less by tourists, but rather more often by local teenager using them as a lover’s hideout.
Daulatabad Fort and the Victory Pillar is 210 feet high and is a very good specimen of Persian art in India.
The minar was constructed in memory of a victory over Gujrat,Sujrat, by Sultan Al-ud-din Bahamani (Ahamadshah II ) in 1435 A.D. Aurangabad, India
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The city of Aurangabad is known for its medieval monuments and cultural heritage. It was the seat of the Mughal Empire for a short period. The city boasts of Bibi-ka-Makbara, a tomb that has some resemblance to the Taj Mahal.
I found out later that even most Indians don’t know that there is a “second Taj Mahal” in the country, a perfect replica but only about a third in size in comparison to the Taj in Agra. This mausoleum is also termed as 'poor man's Taj Mahal' owing to it being a poor replica of the Taj.
The importance of Aurangabad is great, owing to its proximity with world heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora. These sites have Buddhist, Jain and Hindu temples.
Aurangabad the Bibi-ka-Maqbara, India replica of the famous Taj mahal Mugal architecture
build in 1678 by Aurangzeb's son in memory of his mother Bgum Rabia Durani, India
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Replica of the famous Taj Mahal, Aurangabad, India
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The heritage of Aurangabad is linked with different Muslim rulers and dynasties of India. The city was founded in 1610, on the site of a village named Khirki, by a local Muslim noble Malik Ambar.
Muslim walking outside the the Bibi-ka-Maqbara,
with shadows of replica of the famous Taj Mahal
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His son Fateh Khan ruled it and named the city as Fatehpur in 1626. Aurangzeb, the last great Mughal ruler, took over this city in 1653 and renamed it as Aurangabad. Due to its strategic location in peninsular India, Aurangzeb made Aurangabad his capital. He used this city as a base to quell the rising power of the Marathas.
Daulatabad Fort and the Victory Pillar is 210 feet high and is a very good specimen of Persian art in India. The minar was constructed in memory of a victory over Gujrat,Sujrat, by Sultan Al-ud-din Bahamani (Ahamadshah II ) in 1435 A.D. Aurangabad, India
Inside the Fort there is an amazing Labyrinth build as a defense for invading forces, here you see bats hanging of the ceiling, a must but spooky walk.
Oh…how I love these sorts of places…and this one was right up my alley!
Bats in side the Labyrinth at Daulatabad Fort Aurangabad, India
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The ceiling is covered in the Labyrinth with thousand of bats
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My local guide made jokes about it before entering the labyrinth, teasing and trying to scare me…well he didn’t know me yet. After I went through the passages I said to him that like to go back and spend more time inside to get additional photos of the Bats…
he looked at me strangely and said… you’re the first person I met who really enjoyed this… I answered him…
my dear friend, I thrive on this!
A local Girl at Daulatabad Fort Aurangabad, India
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Aurangabad is a good base for visiting the Ellora and Ajanta Caves that I described in my earlier articles and one can spend easy a few days here wondering around discovering the undiscovered.
Aurangabad is definitely worth a visit and I shall return again to this part of the world, yet another Incredible part of India.
Aurangabad Caves excavated between 1st and 6th Century AD, India
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Indian Sikh at Daulatabad Fort Aurangabad
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In 2012 our GD Photo Workshop will take place in this area and if you have a sense of adventure, a love for Photography then why not join us to one of the lesser visited places in India.
GD
Just one more...
Monkeys roaming the Daulatabad Fort
in Aurangabad, India
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Travel Photography: India Part 3 - Kailasa the unrivaled centerpiece of Ellora & the story behind the photos continuous.
“Discover the undiscovered.” – Kailasa Temple; awesome
architecture and the unrivaled centerpiece of Ellora.
My first impression was nothing less except...WOW!
It took almost a century to build and is considered as the world’s
largest monolithic structure. Kailasa the unrivaled centerpiece of Ellora, India.
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You’re speechless once you stand in front of this awesome architecture know as the Kailasa that is certainly the unrivaled centerpiece of Ellora, and it was only a few days ago when I stumbled up on an article on the web from the
“PopPhoto” Magazine with the Headline “The 25 Best Places to Photograph on Planet Earth”.
Sure enough, under the subtitle ”Ancient Worlds” the very first image was that of the Carpenter Cave in Ellora that I described recently in part 2 of my Blog.
Amazing I thought…I have just been there a couple of month ago. The other place mention under “Ancient Worlds” of course was no other than Angkor Wat in Cambodia a place that I have been visiting since 1992 and do so again this coming September.(GD Photo Workshops Asia: Laos-Cambodia-Myanmar)
View from above the Kailasa Temple Ellora - India.
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Kailasa Temple covering an area about double the size of Parthenon in Athens,
and was covered initially with white plaster trying to portray the similarity to
the snow covered Mount Kailash in Tibet.
So, let me introduce you to this amazing temple (Cave 16), also known as the Kailasa or the Kailasanatha, yet another place I can return to over and over again!
Designed to recall Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva and looks like a freestanding, multi-storied temple complex… but this one was carved out of one single rock!
The Kailash temple like all other caves in Ellora are covered in astonishing frescoes that are masterpieces of Buddhist art.
The construction of this cave was a feat of human genius — it entailed removal of 200,000 tones of rock, and took some 100 years to complete.
Kailasa carved out of a single rock, Ellora - India.
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Its builders modeled it on the lines of the Virupaksha Temple
in Pattadakal. Being a south Indian style temple, it does not have
a shikhara common to north Indian temples.
Just so awesome and impressive...
Kailasa carved out of a single rock, Ellora - India.
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Photography was extreme difficult again due to mixed light sources inside the temples and not been able to use a Tripod or Flash added another difficulty.
A real challenge, however with experience, a lot of patience and a steady hand I managed quiet well. Of course picking the right time of the day is very important too when taken photographs outside, there are plenty subjects to choose from with in the outside temple area.
Like with all the other caves, Ajanta and Ellora all photos been processed with Aperture 3 only, using in most cases only the basic RAW file adjustments, however in some of the cave images additional adjustments were required, mainly adjusting the White Balance using also Aperture 3 this was required due to the extreme mix light conditions in these caves.
No other software or other manipulations has been applied.
Awesome sculptures, detailed frescos or just playing with shadows and light and occasionally adding the ever so colorful Indian women into the frame.
Movement, visitors to the Kailasa temple Ellora - India.
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The spectacular carvings are done in more than one level
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The temple is a splendid achievement of Dravidian art. This project was started by
Krishna I (757–773) of the Rashtrakuta dynasty that ruled from Manyakheta in present
day Karnataka state. His rule had also spread to southern India, hence this temple was
excavated in the prevailing style. Ellora - India.
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Now, if you ever get the feeling or the urge to go back in time discovering the undiscovered, then a visit to this amazing place should be on you next travel Itinerary.
Or join our next GD Photo Workshops Asia 2012 to Central India for an amazing journey into the past, visiting Ellora, Ajanta and other amazing places. At least for a few days you can be “Indiana Jones”, or simply sit back and imagining what it was like hundreds of years ago.
The courtyard is edged by columned galleries three story high with huge
sculpted panels, and alcoves containing enormous sculptures of a variety of
deities that punctuate the galleries.
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These Indian women adding scale and
color to the Kailasa Temple
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Please stay tuned for my next travel adventure blog when I take you to Aurangabad, my base from where I visited Ellora and Ajanta. I keep you a bit in suspense now… but Aurangabad is another awesome place seldom mention, mysterious and very rewarding as I discovered the undiscovered.
But now I have to run... I am long over due for a glass of good red wine at my favorite Cave Werdenberg Wine Bar, yet another Cave but this one is a bit different... until soon,
Cheers GD
Travel Photography India:Part 2 the challenge continuous at Ellora Caves, unsurpassed in Indian art & the story behind the photos.
In one of my previous post I gave you an introduction to the Ajanta Caves in India,
a marvel in Indian history and art that is unsurpassed, today I take you to the
Ellora Caves another marvel in human history.
The Buddhist "Carpenter's" cave (Cave 10) Ellora India.
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In between my usual travel articles I had to take short break due to the announcement and a few important details re.the new Final Cut Pro X, Motion 5 and Compressor 4. Then more news about the new Underwater Magazine “The World's Journal of Ocean Photo & Video,” but now lets get back to these truly remarkable caves in India… ”Indian Jones” has returned with Part 2.
Ellora Caves, India
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The Ellora Caves are no different in their amazing architecture, with the exception that they have fewer paintings but feature more impressive and very intricate sculptures, in particularly the rich ornamentation found through out these caves. These Caves regarded as a world heritage site and located in the lap of the Chamadari hills some 30 km from Aurangabad, India,
Huge halls and pillars with intricate Sculptures and artwork at the Ellora Caves, India
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Ellora is another amazing place that begs for a few more visits, actually one can spend a whole day in just one cave, wondering around dreaming of the past… thinking what it was like during the days of their occupation.
Closing your eyes you can almost hear the chant of Buddhist monks echoing through these massive hallways, oh… how I love these places, I wonder if Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones) ever visit these caves… if not, he missed out very badly.
Incredible and intricate Sculptures and artwork at the Ellora Caves, India
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Like with the Ajanta Caves most of the cave temples are not active with ceremonies or other rituals these days, with the “exception” of the five Jain caves at Ellora. Sometimes Jain sect followers visit these caves and worship their masters from the past, as I witnessed during my visit, a rare occasion and a lucky day for me. (see the images below)
The Buddhist "Carpenter's" cave (Cave 10) Ellora India.
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In all 34 caves were excavated here out of which Cave 1 to 12 are Buddhist,
13 to 29 are Brahmanical and 30 to 34 are Jaina.
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These Jain caves belong to the ninth and tenth centuries and all belong to the Digambara sect. Jain caves reveal specific dimensions of Jain philosophy and tradition. They reflect a strict sense of asceticism, they are not relatively large as compared to others, but they present exceptionally detailed art works.
Nuns from the Jain Sect still worshiping in some of the caves,these Jain caves belong
to the ninth and tenth centuries and all belong to the Digambara sect.
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Nuns from the Jain Sect still visiting some of the Jain caves today, these Jain caves belong
to the ninth and tenth centuries and all belong to the Digambara sect.
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The Vishvakarma
The Buddhist "Carpenter's" cave (Cave 10)
Wow… I stopped in amazement when I enter this cave, looking up onto the ceiling send shiver down my spine…thinking how this could had been done with such precision and just the basic tools. Creativity and hard workmanship not to mention the incredible engineering feat, all of this just blew me away.
Visitors to the the Buddhist "Carpenter's" cave (Cave 10) Ellora India.
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The Vishvakarma (Cave 10) is the only chaitya griha amongst the Buddhist group of caves. It is locally known as Vishvakarma or Sutar ka jhopda (carpenter's hut). It follows the pattern of construction of Caves 19 and 26 of Ajanta.
On stylistic grounds, the date of construction of this cave is assigned to c.700. The chaitya once had a high screen wall, which is ruined at present. At the front is a rock-cut court, which is entered through a flight of steps.
On either side are pillared proticos with chambers in their back walls. These were probably intended to have subsidiary shrines but not completed. The pillared verandah of the chaitya has a small shrine at either end or a single cell in the far end of the back wall.
The corridor columns have massive square shafts and ghata-pallava (vase and foliage) capitals. The main hall is apsidal on plan and is divided in to a central nave and side aisles by 28 octagonal columns with plain bracket capitals.
In the apsidal end of the chaitya hall is a stupa on the face of which a colossal 3.30 m high seated Buddha in vyakhyana mudra (teaching posture) is carved. A large Bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa) is carved at the back. The hall has a vaulted roof in which ribs have been carved in the rock imitating the wooden ones.
Photography was extreme difficult again due to strange mixed light sources and not been able to use a Tripod or Flash as I have explained in my previous Blog post from the Ajanta caves. Another real challenge, however with experience a lot of patience and a steady hand, remarkable images can be created.
This location like Ajanta will also be challenging during our GD Photo Workshop in 2012 but an experience and an excellent learning curve in low light condition; working with a minimal amount of equipment. An amazing place, one should visit in a lifetime to "discover the undiscovered."
A good example of an unfinished artwork at the Ellora Caves, India.
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All photos been processed with Aperture 3 only, using in most cases only the basic RAW file adjustments, however in some of the cave images additional adjustments were required, mainly adjusting the White Balance using also Aperture 3 this was required due to the extreme mix light conditions in these caves.
No other software or other manipulations has been applied. I used the Nikon D700 and for all the interiors the Nikkor 12mm to 24mm lens.
Outside view at the Ellora Caves, India.
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Soon to follow; the Ellora Caves and part 3, then Aurangabad and Sri Lanka or you can join our GD Photo Workshop in 2012 and experience yourself Incredible India.
In part 3 of this awesome place I introduce you to Cave 16, also known as the Kailasa or the Kailasanatha. It is the unrivaled centerpiece of Ellora, designed to recall Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva and looks like a freestanding, multi-storied temple complex, but it was carved out of one single rock, and covers an area double the size of Parthenon in Athens. Initially the temple was covered with white plaster thus even more increasing the similarity to snow covered Mount Kailash.
Please stay tuned for part 3 for another example of ancient human architecture from Incredible India. I was speechless when I arrived at this awesome structures for the first time, I had never seen anything like it before that was so amazing and carved out of a single rock with such details and precision as cave 16 Kailasa or Kailasanatha temple.
GD
Travel Photography: The story behind the Photos: A challenge at Ajanta Caves, unsurpassed in Indian art.
A challenge at the Ajanta Caves, a UNESCO
world heritage site & unsurpassed in Indian art. 
Movement - a person adding scale to one out of 30
massive caves at Ajanta, India.
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In preparation for Laos-Cambodia and Myanmar…oops this should read... Sri Lanka and India, I am going to post a series of articles within the next few weeks from my recent trip to Sri Lanka and Central India, our next destination for the GD Photo Workshops in early 2012.
September is only around the corner for our last trip in 2011 to Laos-Cambodia and Myanmar and in between a short trip to Thailand…Time is flying so fast and I don’t have much of this “commodity” at the moment, only a few more month left to introduce you to some stories behind the photos before reporting direct from our locations in Laos and Cambodia, unfortunately no live reports from Myanmar.
Blog post’s from amazing Sri Lanka, or the totally mind-blowing caves in Central India carved out of solid rock, a marvel in history and human engineering. After seeing this amazing place I came to the conclusion, that if anyone comes to me these days and said, I am sorry I can’t do this…I shake my head, smile and say…my good friend, you have no Idea what can be done!
I guess that is why they call it “Incredible India.”
Lets start with the Ajanta Caves; it was my dream for many years to visit these caves in Central India, the Ajanta and Ellora Caves in my pursuit of ancient Buddhism culture through out Asia.
Ajanta Cave system, India.
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Temples are hollowed out of granite cliffs on the inner side of
a 20-meter ravine, Ajanta, India.
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This painting depicting the Birthplace of Buddha,in Lumbini which is now
part of Nepal. Fresco-type paintings that are the chief interest of Ajanta.
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A Photographers paradise and a nightmare at the same time…you’re not allowed to use a Tripod and any kind of strobes (flash) or other lights; a real challenge but with experience a lot of patience and a steady hand, remarkable images can be created.
The reasons for these restrictions are obvious, it is the fresco-type paintings that are in fantastic condition and need to be preserved for generations to come.
Temples are hollowed out of granite cliffs on the inner side of
a 20-meter ravine, Ajanta, India.
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It maybe an obstacle for some visitors/photographers but for me it is a welcome precaution for the preservation of this unique treasure cove and in line with my Philosophy; “sometimes it is better to take home the memory instead pursuing the image.”
This location will certainly be challenging during our GD Photo Workshop in 2012 but also an experience and an excellent learning curve in low light condition; working with a minimal amount of equipment. An amazing place, one should visit in a lifetime to "discover the undiscovered."
All photos have been processed with Aperture 3 only, using in most cases only the basic RAW file adjustments, however in some of the cave images additional adjustments were required, mainly adjusting the White Balance using also Aperture 3 due to the extreme mix light conditions in these caves. No other software or other manipulations has been applied. I used the Nikon D700 and for all the interiors the Nikkor 12mm to 24mm lens.
Please stay tuned or subscribe to my RSS feed for more on this amazing area, soon to follow; the Ellora Caves, Aurangabad and Sri Lanka or join our GD PhotoWorkshop in 2012.
GD
These paintings depict colorful Buddhist legends and divinities with an
exuberance and vitality that is unsurpassed in Indian art.
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The sculpture, particularly the rich ornamentation of the caitya pillars
is in very fine details and well preserved.
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Amazing sculptures through out the caves.
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Ajanta, a UNESCO world heritage site, is famous for its Buddhist rock-cut cave temples and monasteries with their extraordinary wall paintings. The temples are hollowed out of granite cliffs on the inner side of a 20-meter ravine in the Wagurna River valley, 105 km northeast of Aurangabad, at a site of great scenic beauty.
About 30 caves were excavated between the 1st century BCE and the 7th century CE and are of two types, caityas ("sanctuaries") and viharas ("monasteries"). Although the sculpture, particularly the rich ornamentation of the caitya pillars, is noteworthy, it is the fresco-type paintings that are the chief interest of Ajanta.
These paintings depict colorful Buddhist legends and divinities with an exuberance and vitality that is unsurpassed in Indian art. - Adapted from Encyclopedia Britannica-
Just one more..
.
Ajanta Caves, India.
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GD Adventure Photo Workshops Asia:Unforgettable places & faces...discover the undiscovered!
Our next Journey through Color & Time the
GD Adventure Photo Workshop starts in September 2011.
"Unforgettable places and faces...discover the undiscovered."
For more information on all our Photo Workshops in 2011/2012 please click this LINK or the photo above.
For Laos-Cambodia-Myanmar we have only two (2) more spots available, if you like to join these you have to finalize your bookings by latest June 10, 2011. We can't except any more bookings after this date.
Our exciting Photo Workshop to Bhutan is also filling up fast, we have only four (4) more spots available, this one you have to book early, by latest on or before October 15, 2011, we're taken reservation now, first come first serve basis.
This workshop is for a max. of 8 participants only!
Feedback and testimonials from previous workshop participants please click this LINK.
I am looking forward now to our Adventure Travel Photo Workshop into Laos-Cambodia and Myanmar, I have worked out a super exciting Itinerary, but I am also happy in catching up with some good old friends especially from our base in Siem Reap the Heritage Suites Hotel. Our "Famous Round Table" will be of some very good use again.
In early July I have a three day workshop with the Filipinas Heritage Library in Manila and later that month a week long trip to Thailand for some interesting photography.
GD
Travel Photography: The story behind the photos, one morning at the Varanasi Railway station.
The story behind the photos…
One early morning at the Varanasi Railway station, India.
Is he checking me out? Inside the Ticketing area,Varanasi Railway Station, India
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Railway stations are always fascinating especially in India where massive crowds gather, for millions a very affordable transportation system in India.
Varanasi one of India's most holiest City, is no exception on the contrary it is a colorful beehive like atmosphere, where everyday people come and go including pilgrims from all over the country visiting this Holy place called Varanasi.
On the Platform at Varanasi Railway Station, India
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Varanasi Junction, popularly known as Varanasi Cant Railway Station is the major rail hub in the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh. It is one of the busiest stations in India and more than 230 trains passing through here on a daily basis.
Extreme contrast not only for photography, the light varies from very dark inside the building to India’s scorching sun outside on the platform.
Passengers inside the waiting room, Varanasi Train Station, India
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Passengers inside the waiting room, Varanasi Train Station, India
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But the contrast amongst people from all walks of life is what makes this Railway station so very special not to mention the Holy Cows trying to “catch a ride... maybe.”
These Cows or even Bulls wondering in and out of the station undisturbed and if by any chance one of them should stand in front of the train, well… there is for sure a delay in the departures… Holy Cow indeed.
Holy Cow...but in this case it is a big Bull wondering around
at the Varanasi Train Station, India
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Amazing, crazy and utterly weird but ever so interesting is the scene which plays in front of you everyday, passengers stepping over spaced out people who had to many drinks the night before or took on just a bit to much during the Holi Festival, this is what that sums up the Varanasi Railway station.
But somehow the system works and is fairly efficient, as I had experienced some years ago in Mumbai where you find not one but numerous railway stations, super crowded but it works.
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A blur of people and color passes by this man who obviously past out from to much
to drink during the Holi Festival the night before.Varanasi Train Station, India
(The Holi Festival is not only celebrated on one day, it all depends in which State of
India you are and Holi making can go on for a whole week.)
A family inside the waiting room, Varanasi Train Station, India
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Interesting people and faces at Varanasi Train Station, India
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More images from the Railway Station and other locations in Varanasi @ PhotoShelter
GD
Now on PhotoShelter…Nepal 2011, from Marijuana smoking Sadus to awesome colors & the bizarre.
From Marijuana smoking Sadus to amazing colors, Buddhist Monks,
plus the strange and bizarre...all this from Nepal now on PhotoShelter.
Afternoon sunlight and a Sadu in his element...Kathmandu, Nepal
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After a very busy week I managed to update and upload the latest images from my recent trip and workshop in Nepal.
Last week I was really tied up with lectures on the Digital Darkroom (mind you NO Photoshop) that was organized by the Filipinas Heritage Library and the Power Mac Center in Greenbelt 3, Makati.
Three 3 hour sessions with 15 students and all about Aperture 3 the Digital Darkroom, the workflow after the shoot and backing up your important photos on external hard drives.
But today I found time and caught up with my editing on Nepal and uploaded them on my PhotoShelter Archives and Gallery.
A Sadu's mirror...Kathmandu, Nepal
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Totally bizarre.....Kathmandu, Nepal
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Again all photos have been processed only with Aperture 3, NO image manipulation Photoshop or any other software has been used.
Nepal was the last edit from my recent Journey to Sri Lanka, Central India then to Delhi, & Varanasi, India and Nepal. Thousands of images later, now edited, the few selected ones residing now in my PhotoShelter Archives and Galleries.
Weird, strange but yet so real in Nepal...
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Movement during the Manandhab Ceremony celebrated after the Holi Festival
at the Monkey Temple, Kathmandu Nepal
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The colors of Nepal...
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Culture and Tradition, Kathmandu, Nepal
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Over the weekend I am finalizing my Itinerary’s for our up coming GD Photo Workshops to Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar…and believe me…they will be awesome.
BTW…We have only 2 more spots available for Laos and Myanmar and only one more slot for Cambodia, if you’re interested please get in touch with me ASAP all bookings will be closed very shortly. For more info and contacts click this LINK.
Now enjoy Nepal…
GD
A lot more @ PhotoShelter...
Weird, strange & bizarre but yet so beautiful...Kathmandu, Nepal
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Travel Photography: Awesome Sri Lanka, in search for the unusual, now in my PhotoShelter Galleries
Awesome Sri Lanka...in search for the unusual.
Now in my PhotoShelter Gallery.
Dambula Caves, Sri Lanka
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I have just uploaded the first photos from Sri Lanka onto my PhotoShelter Achieves and Gallery to view them all please click this LINK or the Photos.
Buddhist temple Kandy, Sri Lanka
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Sri Lanka or formerly know as Ceylon. This was my very first visit to this amazing island and its truly wonderful and friendly people.
A merely 4 days coving as much as possible, a very short visit by any photography standards but my main objective on this trip was to follow the long standing Buddhism tradition which is still not yet completed.
Buddhist temple Kandy, Sri Lanka
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A farmer carrying his load, Sri Lanka
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I must say I am very impressed and defiantly return for sure in the not so distance future, I just fell in love with this beautiful place with its warm and friendly people. As a matter of fact we have a GD Photo Workshop planed for 2012 together with another remarkable destination in Central India to follow …another awesome place but more on that later, 14 days of amazing sights. More info at: http://www.deichmann-photo.com/gdphotoworkshop/page1/calendar.html
Please Note:
All Images have been processed in Aperture 3 using only the basic adjustments and RAW conversions, no Image manipulation Photoshop or other software has been used.
Snake charmer? Sri Lanka
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The view from above, Kandy, Sri Lanka
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The Banana Man on the road to Kandy, Sri Lanka
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See below more info and excepts from various sources on Sri Lanka:
Sri Lanka is steeped in heritage. With a history that dates back over 2,000 years, Sri Lanka is home to some of the best preserved Asian monuments and showcases no fewer than 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites, all remarkably preserved to surpass more well-known world class attractions. To this day Sri Lanka’s centuries old heritage lives on, in the culture and the way of life of the Sri Lankan people. The rich tapestry of cultural practice, beliefs and the traditional way of life renews and revives this Island nation’s historic ties, creating an oasis of cultural richness in the modern day...more @
http://srilanka.travel/index.php?route=theame/main&theame=2
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lanka
Travel Photography: Three Countries, surrounded by people & colors…Sri Lanka-India-Nepal
Three Countries, surrounded by people & colors…
Aurangabad - Central India
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My recent journey started in Sri Lanka from there to Central India (a lot more on those places later) and then to Delhi for the start of our recent GD Photo Workshop.
After a couple of days roaming the streets of the Spice Market in Old Delhi we took a Jet air flight to Varanasi just in time for the full moon over Ganges River and the Holi Festival.
After 5 days in Varanasi we left India for Nepal where we spend most of our remaining workshop days in Kathmandu and surrounding areas.
I have received most of the testimonials from the participants already and I like to thank everyone from my heart for their nice comments and support. I am still waiting for some selection of Photos, so I can upload them on my Blog under the Students work and of course the Behind the scene images. I should have this done within the next week or so.
The photos I have selected today are from Sri Lanka-India & Nepal, taken from before the photo workshop and during, lets call it “Surrounded by people & colors”
Nepal
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Varanasi Train station, India
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Images from my special trip to central India and some amazing photos from Sri Lanka deserve a special Blog post and I will post them in due time. I am still fine-tuning my images in Aperture 3, the only software I am using for all my editing. All Photos are not manipulated/enhanced and only the basic editing tools have been used in Aperture 3, like contrast, minor sharpening, some exposure adjustments and adjusted the color temperature sometimes, besides the RAW conversion.
Nepal
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Nepal
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I been busy these past few days in revamping my main website (Home page and some changes in the Nepal section) which is best viewed in Safari, don't know why there is always an issue with Firefox. (pls. make sure you do refresh your Browser to see the changes) see the screenshot below.
More changes to my main website is currently been worked on and this should be done also within the next two weeks. More images from Sri Lanka, central India and other new destinations should be in my Photo Shelter archives and Gallery also by latest mid May.
Rameshwar Village near Varanasi, India
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Rameshwar Village near Varanasi, India
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You might find it also interesting to know, that during the whole trip my Nikon Cameras performed without a glitch, and I used 85% of the time the new Nikon 24.0 to 120.0mm f:4 and the 50mm f:1.4 G lens for the entire trip, with the 50mm lens been my favorite.
Why today’s topic… Three Countries, surrounded by people & colors…very simple, I Love Colors!
Sri Lanka
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"Little Tibet" - Nepal
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Nepal
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For your info:
Laos-Cambodia-Myanmar GD Photo Workshops are almost full, we have only 2 more spots for each destination, more details and info @ http://www.deichmann-photo.com/gdphotoworkshop/page1/calendar.html
Also our long awaited trip to Bhutan in 2012 is filling up fast, only four (4) more spots available, if you’re interested please contact me ASAP, bookings for Bhutan have to be made very early.
New Home page at main website
best viewed with Safari
GD
Travel Photography Asia: Sri Lanka - India - Nepal, a quest for the un-usual
In search for the un-usual from my last Journey
Through Color & Time...the endless Journey continuos. 
Sri Lanka
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I like to share with you some images from my last Journey and the never ending quest for the un-usual, a few photos from three Countries and its Buddhism, more in the coming weeks once I am done with my editing. Also stories from each and every place I visited during the past few weeks with detail description on culture & history, plus a lot more from our recent GD Photo Workshops to India and Nepal.
India
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India
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India
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Nepal
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All Photos above taken with the Nikon D700 & D300S using the 50mm f:1.4 G and the new 24.0 -120.0 f:4 Lens.
Maximum 400 ISO and no flash or other artificial light has been used, edited and processed in Aperture 3 using only the basic editing tools and RAW conversion; no manipulation, Photoshop or any other software was used either.
Just one more...
Nepal
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Almost forgotten & unpublished photos from Laos & GD Photo Workshops in Asia 2011
"Almost forgotten" & unpublished Kodachrome
Images from Laos.
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Amazing Laos...Scanned Kodachrome image,
converted to B&W using Aperture 3
GD Photo Workshop to LAOS - CAMBODIA 2011 - Only 3 more spots available
September 24 - 8 October, 2011
Bookings are closing for Laos and Cambodia combination by latest end of June 2011.
Max. of 10 Participants
We can confirm also for 2011 our combination for Laos & Cambodia starting on September 24th to the 7th of October 2011 the final Itinerary and schedules will follow shortly for the above confirmed Workshops on my GD Photo Workshop site.
Again, you can just choose one of the destinations, either Laos or Cambodia or go with the combination and can include also Myanmar/Burma see below the details.
In Laos we spend time in Vientiane and Luang Prabang including traveling up the Mekong River, we have also changed our standard Itinerary in Cambodia, besides visiting Angkor Wat, Tonle Sap and Phnom Kulen, we travel this time to Battambang which is also called the real Cambodia with it's Monasteries and superb French Colonial Buildings, not to mention hidden Temples, some of which are older then Angkor and seldom visited places en route.
For all inquiries and bookings please use this LINK, thank you.
Testimonials from previous participants in Cambodia and India please CLICK THIS LINK.
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Early morning in Vientiane Laos, the fog like effect (heat haze) is due to
the extreme heat in the month before the onset of the monsoon.
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The Hmong - Hill tribes gathering in Luang Prabang
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Buddhist Monk fixing the Roof at the Monastery in Luang Prabang,Laos
Laos has its own distinct culture. Through Theravada Buddhism it has influences from India and has also influences from China. These influences are reflected throughout Laos in its language as well as in art, literature and the performing arts.
Lao way of life is very much influenced by the Buddhism as can be seen through the way that Lao people live and behave. They are taught to be patient and acceptance people. Buddhism was the only thing that bound people together and taught people to be good people and stay away from doing wrong things in the past when the law enforcement was not in place.
Laos traces its history to the kingdom of Lan Xang (Million Elephants), founded in the 14th century, by a Lao warlord, Fa Ngum, who took over Vientiane with 10,000 Khmer troops. Ngum had been a descendent from a long line of Lao kings, tracking back to Khoun Boulom. He made Theravada Buddhism the state religion and Lan-Xang prospered.
Within 20 years of its formation, the kingdom expanded eastward to Champa and along the Annamite mountains in Vietnam. His ministers, unable to tolerate his ruthlessness, forced him into exile to present day Thai province of Nan in 1373, where he later died. Fa Ngum's eldest son, Oun Heuan, (took the title Samsenthai) came to the throne and reigned for 43 years.
During his reign, Lan Xang became an important trade centre. After his death in 1421, Lan Xang collapsed into warring factions for the next 100 years...more info @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laos
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Fantastic culture, tradition and architecture in Luang Prabang,Laos
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Pak Ou buddhist caves along the Mekong River, near Luang Prabang, Laos
Scanned Kodachrome Image converted to B&W using Aperture 3
GD
GD Photo Workshops in Asia and unpublished Kodachrome images from Myanmar
A selection of unpublished Kodachrome
Images from Myanmar/Burma
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
An Indian Women on the way to Mandalay, there
are many traditional Indian Villages in Myanmar.
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Novice Monks watching a Soccer game in Yangon, Myanmar
If you're interested in one of our Photo Workshops please check out the GD Photo Workshop site & click this LINK.
MYANMAR / BURMA 2011 - Only 5 more spots available
October 10 - 17, 2011
Bookings close for Myanmar/Burma by latest 15th of July 2011.
Max. of 8 Participants only.
Myanmar... the true Indochina, October 10 to 17, 2011. We preparing at the moment a unique itinerary which will not only take you to the more known places but also to areas very rarely visited by others. This will be a very exciting journey. For inquiries please click this LINK.
Please Note: For those who are interested you can also join Laos - Cambodia and travel with us from our starting destination in Laos. * For Laos & Cambodia we have only 3 more vacancies.
For more info please go to GD Photo Workshops.
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The Maha Muni or "Great Sage" Myanmar
According to ancient tradition, only five likenesses of the Buddha were said to have been made during his lifetime: Two were in India, two in paradise, and the fifth is the Maha Muni or "Great Sage". Archaeologists believe the image was probably cast during the reign of King Chandra Surya, who ascended the throne in AD 146, some 600 years after the Buddha actually passed away. Little is known of the Maha Muni's travels over the next fifteen hundred years. It was stolen and moved around by various kings. At other times it was buried beneath a crumbling temple in a forgotten jungle. The image was brought to Mandalay in 1784 by King Bodawpaya and placed within the specially built Payagi Pagoda. Since that time it has been the most venerated Buddha image in all of Burma... More info at: http://sacredsites.com/asia/burma_myanmar/mandalay.html
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Happy Burmese, Yangon Myanmar
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Enjoying the Soccer Game Yangon,Myanmar
Wikipedia Source:
Myanmar a country in Southeast Asia. The country is bordered by the People's Republic of China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, and the Bay of Bengal to the south-west, with the Andaman Sea defining its southern periphery. One-third of Burma's total perimeter of 1,930 kilometres (1,200 mi) forms an uninterrupted coastline. Burma is the second largest country by geographical area in Southeast Asia..
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Typical Market in north Myanmar
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Northern Myanmar
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GD Photo Workshops Asia: Soon the Colors of India and Nepal... the Journey continuos.
The Colors of India and Nepal...
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"This is Holi" - India
The Journey Through Color & Time continuous very soon with our first Photography Workshops to India and Nepal, starting on the 17th of March, 14 days of adventure and pure color.
The two workshops are fully booked, but if you interested you can already make a reservation for our Sri Lanka and India Workshop in 2012 or choose some of the other workshops in our Calendar for 2011 and 2012.
SRI LANKA - INDIA 2012
February 26 - March 9, 2012
A unique itinerary has been work on which takes you to unusual places in India and Sri Lanka in 2012. More details and the full itinerary will be available by mid April 2011.
Please Note: We only travel in small groups between 8 to 10 participants max. on all published destinations, providing you the full attention of Gunther Deichmann, making these workshops very personal and a fulfilling experience for you.
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Getting ready for the Holi Festival - India
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Color, color and more color - Nepal
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Monastery Colors - Nepal
Exciting NEW updates on GD Photo Workshops in Asia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar
Latest up-date for GD PhotoWorkshops in Asia...
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Yangon, Myanmar/Burma - BTW shot with Kodachrome 25 ASA
We have just updated the Calendar for the GD Photo Workshops, new info on Vietnam for May 2011and
for September/October 2011 Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, now you can join us on all three destinations with a stopover in Bangkok for two days. Itineraries and cost available upon request please register at this LINK.
For more details please go to the Calendar at the GD PhotoWorkshop site or Click this LINK
Please Note: Bookings for Laos and Cambodia are almost full we have only 2 more spots available more detailed info on the Calendar.
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Mekong Delta, Vietnam - BTW shot with Kodachrome 25 ASA
Please note, we only travel in small groups between 8 to 10 participants on all published destinations, providing you the full attention of Gunther Deichmann, making these workshops very personal and a fulfilling experience for you. Once you have Registered without any obligation we get in touch with you direct via email and provide you all the details.
GD
Photography: In search for colors...wishing you a colorful & very Happy New Year
In search for Colors...
A very happy New Year - prost Neujahr - bonne année - onnellista uutta vuotta - gelukkig Nieuwjaar - ath bhliain faoi mhaise - selamat tahun baru - godt nytt år - szczliwego nowego roku - feliz ano novo - gott nytt år manigong bagong taon - sawatdii pimaï - kung hé fat tsoi - xin nian kuai le / xin nian hao - godt nytår - eutichismenos o kainourgios chronos - felice anno nuovo, buon anno - S novim godom - sreno novo leto - Cung Chúc Tân Xuân
yeni yiliniz kutlu olsun
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"Colorful Rain" through the Car window, Manila
2010 is slowly coming to an end; I have selected some images taken on my travels with my small Point and Shoot Leica D-Lux 4 using only available light, on planes, during functions, taken the kids to the Mall, in taxis, cars and airport stop overs.
As mention many times before...never leave home without it...the camera that is, you never know what you might encounter and having this small "baby" with me, I get never bored or "lonely". When it comes to color, well... it is my passion, I am obsessed and even dream about it.
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Stop over Changi Airport, Singapore, using my iPhone as a model.
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"The Taillight", Manila Philippines
During my earlier days, I never thought much about B&W...color has and always will be my true passion, we're living in an amazing colorful world from nature to modern architecture, it is all around us...I remember only to vivid the beautiful creations by nature in autumn or the stark but ever so colorful outback of Australia, the amazing colors in India or the colors of Santorini.
Now I am looking forward to my next Journey's in 2011...exploring and searching for colors I might not have seen.
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Nano T-Shirt in Bangkok
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Inflight delight on Singapore Airlines.
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With the kids in the Mall, Manila, Philippines
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Inflight entertainment on Singapore Airlines
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Colors in the Mall, Manila, Philippines
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Color & Glass... during a party, Manila, Philippines
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Just after my arrival, self portrait in Cupertino
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Abstract reflection of a silver Garbage Bin at a Mall, Manila, Philippines
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Arj using my Camera during the Aperture 3 event in Bangkok, Thailand.
Just one more...please be kind to
Mother Nature in 2011 & beyond!
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"Nature is weeping" - Manila, Philippines
Wishing YOU all a very colorful and Happy New Year!
GD
Travel Photography: Cambodia & 60 minutes of great light on the way to Phnom Penh
60 minutes of great light on the way to Phnom Penh
The story behind the Images...
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
Dirk, Tony, Arj and myself had an early start on our last day in Battambang, Cambodia, visiting first Ek Phnom an 11th century Angkorian-era ruin built as a Hindu temple under Suryavarman I and then to Phnom Sampeou temple plus the killing Cave before hitting the road for Phnom Penh. (More on Aek Phnom and Sampeou in one of my next posts)
The Idea was to get to Krakor for a full moon rise over the Tonle Sap Lake, as it turned out we did miss that one, we saw the full moon but by the time we got to Krakor it was to late.
Never mind I thought, we catch the Moonrise in Phnom Penh over the Mekong River instead the next day and we certainly did…but that is yet another story.
We left Battambang around 3:00 PM instead of 1:00PM two hours behind schedule trying to reach Krakor on time.
Around 4PM dark clouds on the Horizon appeared and some amazing storm clouds formed, oh… this looks good in the afternoon light, but we needed subjects.
I was certainly not contend with just the odd Rice Paddy…anxious looking around for the right spot. Then I shouted out off the blue…STOP the car now.
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© Gunther Deichmann - www.deichmann-photo.com
To our right a fence line against the dark stormy sky gave us the first Photo opportunity then almost in sync a rainbow appeared as well, wow…
Hmmm…lets hang around here for a while we might not find a better spot…so we waited… patience paid of again as the light increased in intensity by the minute. By that time we’re running so late that we had to forget our Moon Rise in Krakor for sure.
This huge cloud formation above started to roll over us like a horizontal tube…a fantastic sight with the golden light in the afternoon.
I looked over my shoulder and spotted some farmers on the other side of the road, on their way home after a hard days work in the field.
I knew from experience that light like this doesn’t last very long and I sprinted from the fence line across the road to intercept these women…and just in time. Now I had what I was hoping for…foreground, color, people, landscape, great cloud formations and some amazing afternoon light, forgetting completely my Moonrise…but then again, we got it the next day in Phnom Penh, but yet again another story behind the images.
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Everything fell right into place, but it lasted only a few minutes before the big tube looking cloud broke up and the light slowly lost its color except for the Rainbow, which hang around a little bit longer.
It was a great day right from the start, but these were the best 60 minutes without a doubt on the way to Phnom Penh.
More images @ PhotoShelter
GD
Travel Photography: True Colors of Santorini, Greece, the travel story behind the images.
“I never stop thinking about color even during my dinner on Santorini Island.
I loved the cherry tomatoes. Not only do they taste great, but oh boy,
they where really red.” - GD -
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Santorini, Greece - “The liquid road.”
It is winter in Europe now and I thought to give everybody a little break from Asia and share with you some photos from one of my favorite places... called Santorini in Greece all images on this post are taken a few years ago during the winter month of February.
"The story behind the images."
Santorini in Greece, one of the most thought after holiday destinations for the rich and famous, also a destination for Honeymooners and a popular spot for the Gay community during the summer month, but Santorini has a lot more to offer; from incredible Landscapes, amazing colors, great wines and the super red cherry tomatoes.
During a trip to Germany in February I decided to take a little detour and swing by this island on my way home to Manila.
It was in the middle of winter and the weather in the Mediterranean can get cold and extremely windy, my short flight from Athens to the island was even delayed for a few hours due to weather conditions.
Wow I thought, I wonder how this one is going to turn out…I had decided to go to Santorini for it's amazing colors… you know how much I love colors, but going there in the middle of winter...well almost everyone said I was ga, ga.
