Category: Travel

Taken on vacation trips

Phra Phai of Wat Arun

Phra Phai of Wat Arun
The pictures I take sometimes stir up retrospective curiousity about the subjects I have taken. Luckily, I usually manage to dig up enough information on the Internet to satisfy the curious streak in me 😛

This was taken in Bangkok during my trip there last month… When I took the picture, it was nothing more than a study of contrast, lighting and architecture to me. Searching on the Internet though, I am made aware that the picture I have taken is that of a Wind God, or Phra Phai residing in one of the four Prangs (Khmer-style tower) that surrounds the central 79-meter high pagoda (Phra Prang) of Wat Arun. Wat Arun, or the Temple of Dawn, is a 17th-century Siamese temple named after the Indian god of dawn, Aruna. The Phra Prang is decorated with a mosaic of multi-colored Chinese porcelain and is symbollic of Mount Meru, the home of the gods in Buddhist mythology. The temple served as a royal temple and palace during the reign of King Taksin (1733-1782 AD). It is currently one of the most well-known landmarks of Bangkok visited frequently by tourists.

Reflecting On The Sydney Opera House

Reflecting On The Sydney Opera House
I have always regarded Australia as a paradise of sorts when it comes to photography. Both my trips to Sydney and Western Australia in 2003 were fruitful ones. It saddens me to read about the racial troubles Sydney has been experiencing of late. My wish for the people of Sydney is that everything will return to peace as soon as possible during the upcoming holiday season.

The above picture is also a tribute to my most favourite P&S digital camera. My Canon Powershot G3 has been key to my continuing interest in photography right from the day I bought it in December 2003. Not only has it taught me the basics of photography, but has expanded my horizons by allowing me to experiment creatively (without incurring the costs of film processing). Although I have moved on to using digital SLRs since, I have been always adamant about not selling my G3 away. The G3 has travelled with me to Australia, the UK as well as Hong Kong, recording memories that I will always treasure.

A year ago, the camera started showing its age when the 4-way directional controller button began to give problems with intermittent contact issues. Then, just 2 months ago, the camera finally went into retirement — images were overexposed persistently despite correctly metered settings. The assessment by the Canon service centre: a faulty “video unit”. The cost of repairs: S$300+ (approximately US$200). Given that I can almost buy half a decent, modern P&S camera for that amount of money, I decided against repairing it. The camera now sits in the cabinet as a “collector’s item”, and as a reminder of the many memories that it helped to preserve. They may come a time when I might buy a new P&S camera, but none of which will replace the sentiments that I will always treasure about my G3… R.I.P.

My Canon Powershot G3 (Dec 2003 to Oct 2005)

Elation

Elated
One of the tricks I have come across about taking pictures at a parade is not to focus your efforts on the parade/performance. Rather, try instead to look out for candid moments among the spectators of the parade…

This was what I did during the Colours of the World Parade at the Dreamworld theme park in Bangkok, Thailand. The reward was a shot capturing the spontaneous joy and elation of this boy watching the parade. I have adopted a monochrome approach to the final image since this made the boy stand out from the rest of the scene (because of the dark-coloured T-shirt he was wearing).

And in case you’ve missed them, don’t forget to see these other pictures I took from my Thailand trip: this is BAD, Ushering In The Compliments.