2014, Day 353 - Jumble

This is the now disused meeting room in the Old Town Hall in Colombo.  The building is quite beautiful but in rather poor condition even though it is supposed to be a museum.  Still, we were free to wander and it is a rather impressive example of Dutch colonial architecture.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
10mm, f4, 1/125 sec @ 640 ISO

2014, Day 343 - Beacon

This is Wat Chedi Luang and it is located in the center of Chiang Mai's old city.  Construction was started in the 14th century but the temple was not completed until the middle of the 15th century.  By the time it was finished this was the tallest building in the Lanna kingdom.  Today it is beautifully illuminated at night and, if you look carefully, you can see little points of light behind and to the right; those are hundreds of sky lanterns being released in the distance.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 35/f1.4R
35mm, f1.4, 1/80 sec @ 3200 ISO

2014, Day 321 - Warning

It seems like we packed in a lot of things today.  Our morning started early and after catching up on the news of the world we decided to take a walk.  The hotel we're staying at is kind of in the jungle and past a bunch of modest homes.  Along the way we saw a mongoose and a number of birds including some pretty kingfishers.  When we arrived at the bridge we stopped to take a few pictures and turned back.

On the way back to the hotel Nanda, our driver, passed us and when we all made it to the hotel we decided to start out earlier than we had initially planned.  Our first stop was a quick breakfast at a local bakery and afterwards we headed to the river to go look for wildlife.  Nanda found a guy with a boat to take us down the canal and on the way we saw water monitors, crocodiles, more kingfishers, chipmunks, cormorants, fruit bats, and supposedly some bee eaters but we didn't actually see them ourselves.  It was okay but most of these animals we had already seen on our own previously.

But despite that mild disappointment we stopped off on the way to Galle at a sea turtle conservation place.  Much like the organization in La Libertad they enlist local fishermen to collect the eggs which they in turn purchase for twenty rupees each and create new nests in a protected area.  After forty-five days the baby turtles hatch and they then keep the babies for an additional three days before they are released.  The gentleman who was showing us around said they would like to keep them longer but they have so many babies that they often run out of room. Furthermore it would not really affect the survival rate which is less than one in ten to adulthood.

The center also houses some larger sea turtles.  These are either there for educational purposes or because they had some kind of handicap that keeps them from being fit for release.  One was born missing to flippers so he cannot swim well, another was born without eyes, and they even have one albino that is beautiful but whose lack of pigment would make an easy target.  It was fun to visit and I love sea turtles so I had a great time even though we didn't get to release them like we did in El Salvador.

Having had my turtle fix we headed south to Galle.  There we met up with Francene's friends Monica and Jean Ann.  They were a lot of fun so drinks turned into lunch which led to wandering around Galle Fort for most of the afternoon.

The fort was started in late 16th century by the Portuguese and further reinforced by the Dutch in the 17th century.  It is a world heritage site covering some 130 acres and is considered important because of the interplay of European and Asian architecture and design.  It is positioned so well that the tsunami that hit in 2004 did little damage to the fort even though it is right of the water.

We strolled the streets taking in the architecture and the humid Sri Lankan air.  A couple shops captured our interest briefly but that was fleeting and eventually we ended up at a waterfront restaurant where we had drinks and continued chatting, mostly about travel in and around Asia.  In no time it was almost five o'clock so we decided that it was time to head back north to catch a waterfront sunset and find dinner.

Initially we had a plan for sunset but because we lost track of time we went to the fish harbor.  Fishermen lined the road selling their catch but we didn't have much time to look and with no means to cook little motivation to linger.  Instead we headed for the water and caught the end of the sunset.

That complete we asked Nanda to help us find a place to eat.  He is not really familiar with the area so we tried one place that looked to serve locals and found the menu had a number of reasonable options.  Once we finished eating we returned to our hotel to consider packing and worry about the next phase of our travels.

Tomorrow is our last day in Sri Lanka as we're catching the red eye back to Bangkok where further adventure awaits.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
17.4mm, f5.6, 1/280 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 302 - Arcing

Through an infrared filter leaves look bright and white so when I looked at this picture I saw snow-covered trees.  That isn't at all what we're looking at as there was only the start of color on most of these trees but it has that effect which is, I think, rather magical.

Fuji X-E2, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
10mm, f5, 1/125 sec @ 400 ISO

2014, Day 297 - Diverge

Look up, sometimes you see something you've need thousands of times before in a new light.  I took think picture while wandering through NW Portland and loved the strong lines and geometric regularity.

Fuji X-Pro1, Fujinon 14/f2.8R
14mm, f4, 1/500 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 290 - Zig zag

By the time you come to this vantage point you've already ascended about twenty percent of the tower.  It is a long climb up some occasionally wobbly stairs to get to the top but the view of the surrounding valley is quite nice but the best part is the breeze because you're sure to be sweaty by the time you get to the rim of the tower.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
10mm, f5.6, 1/340 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 275 - Square hole

Below the reactor in one of the basements we found this side chamber.  Because it had water on the ground we decided it would be another good location to set fire to a fireproof room.  The wet concrete provided additional reflections that makes for a more interesting final image.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
16.6mm, f5.6, 1 sec @ 800 ISO

2014, Day 274 - Flying Double A

This is the old Gibble Barn out in Canby.  A few weeks ago when we were taunted with the prospect of seeing the northern lights this far south I went out with my friend Julie to try to capture the event.  Unfortunately the aurora was not visible but we did have fun playing with our long exposures.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 14/f2.8R
14mm, f2.8, 28 sec @ 400 ISO

2014, Day 270 - Peacock

Here is Chris showing off again.  I kid, he was kind enough to spin burning molten steel for our amusement and I greatly appreciate it.  This is in the reactor and I love how there are all kinds of crazy details and textures being illuminated by the steel wool.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
16.6mm, f5.6, 5 sec @ 400 ISO

2014, Day 267 - Tongue of fire

Back in one of the tunnels at Satsop leading from the reactor to the cooling tower we played with fire again.  I won't name any names but someone might have caught their hand on fire so we should all be thankful that gloves prevented any injury.  Spinning for us in this shot is Arno and when the steel wool burnt down it escaped its confines and created this lovely spiral.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
10mm, f5.6, 1 sec @ 400 ISO

2014, Day 264 - Down the drain

This is the view looking in to the cooling tower from the top of the rim.  It is massive and daunting; this structure is so massive it is a marvel and, sadly, two workers died in the construction when they were pouring concrete in a form on top of another piece that had not fully cured.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
10mm, f4, 1/220 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 263 - Shadows in the dark

As we were leaving this tunnel that would have been filled with super-heated pressurized water on the way to a cooling tower I made my adventuring buddies stop so that I could get their sillouettes as they walked towards the exit.  It was actually further away than it appears but in the gloom we thought it was close at hand.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
24mm, f5.6, 4.3 sec @ 400 ISO

2014, Day 262 - Eye of an angry god

I am rather excited to share this image.  That's my friend Chris spinning a little steel wool while standing the the portcullis to the reactor chamber at Satsop Nuclear Power Plant.  Typically I think burning steel wool is a little boring and rather dangerous but in this place it is totally safe, as safe as spinning molten steel can be, and there are some wonderful additional textures.  When I first looked at this picture all I could see is an enormous angry red eye.

Fuji X-T1, Fujinon 10-24/f4R OIS
21.9mm, f11, 2.3 sec @ 200 ISO

2014, Day 228 - Shopping

Phnom Penh's Central Market was built in 1937 and at the time it was reputedly the largest market in Asia.  Today it isn't even the largest market in Phnom Penh but it is a beautiful piece of architecture that is dominated by a central dome and four arms that radiate from the center in a cross shape.  As a market it caters primarily to the tourists although there are areas where locals can shop for their staple foodstuffs or stop for a snack.

Canon 1D X, Canon 24-70/f2.8L Mark II
53mm, f4, 1/500 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 223 - Danger

This was the first old temple we visited in Cambodia.  Located outside of Battambang it was a nice place to visit but so much smaller and less ornate than the temples we would see in Siem Reap.  We didn't know just how much this would pale in comparison and were so thrilled.  It makes me glad we stopped here first because otherwise it would have been underwhelming and I don't think we would  have appreciated the visit quite so much.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f5.6, merged layers of 1/500, 1/250, 1/125, 1/60, and 1/30 sec @ 400 ISO

2014, Day 219 - Bustle

Cambodia was once part from French Indochina and they didn't regain independence until 1953.  The influence of the French can be predominantly seen the the beautiful but crumbling architecture.  It seems today that the buildings are in heightened states of disrepair exacerbated by the forced exodus of the people into the countryside by the Khmer Rouge.  Urban areas were left largely unpopulated and many structures began to fall apart.  Now so many are in such poor condition and because they're a reminder of colonialism there seems to be little interest in restoring the buildings.  It's a shame because they are attractive and functional; their floor plans might not be the best by current standards but the greenest building is the one already built.

Canon 1D X, Canon 24-70/f2.8L Mark II
35mm, f4, 1/1600 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 218 - Perception

It seems funny to see obvious signs of maintenance in such an ancient place.  While there are people who sweep and keep the temples clear of refuse it is these little signs of devotion that I find most touching.  They're not surprising given how many monk live within the complex and how many more travel from all over Asia to see the wonders of Angkor.  That's another sight I loved, the awestruck monks wandering through the temples getting their traveling companions to take their pictures.  It turns out that even the spiritual amongst us are susceptible the majesty of Cambodia's temples.

Canon 1D X, Canon 24-70/f2.8L Mark II
31mm, f8, merged layers of 1/15, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, and 1 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 217 - Junction

I like to see how things work and these crumbling walls give a nice cross-section view of what the hallways looked like and how they were constructed.  It has taken hundreds of  years to fall into this state of disrepair which is remarkable considering that many of our cities would have long since crumbled to nothingness in four or five hundred years after they were abandoned.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f11, merged layers of 1/20, 1/10, 1/5, 0.4, and 0.8 sec @ 100 ISO

2014, Day 215 - Day to night

I remember quite vividly visiting Banteay Samre, it was the only temple in Angkor where the staff told us we could not use our tripods because they were a hazard.  It seemed silly, especially because we were the only people there, but they asked and we weren't about to disregard their request which was made quite politely.  So all my shots were hand-held which I dislike, especially with architecture, but there was nothing to be done about it.

It was a hot afternoon with high wispy clouds so when I looked at these images again this evening I decided to fight the setting and go for a cool tone.  That decision was probably due in part to the heat we're experiencing now and I will freely admit that I am pleased with the result.  It is more dramatic and I think helps to highlight the textures of the carvings.

Canon 1D X, Canon 24-70/f2.8L Mark II
24mm, f5.6, merged layers of 1/640, 1/320, 1/160, and 1/80 sec @ 400 ISO

2014, Day 214 - Playing favorites

Banteay Srei is often cited as one the favorite temples amongst visitors to Angkor.  The red sandstone is intricately carved and it is one of the best preserved and restored temples that you can find in Cambodia.  That being said the structures are small when compared to the other edifices in the area and that is where it falls short in my opinion.  Not that it isn't beautiful, it is amazing, but I don't feel either the sense of awe or antiquity that I felt at the other temples.  It is amazing but perhaps it is the perfection that I object to, I like my temples flawed, eaten by the jungle, a little more mysterious and dangerous.  Banteay Srei is just to serene for me.

Canon 1D X, Canon 16-35/f2.8L Mark II
16mm, f4, merged layers of 1/1250, 1/640, 1/320, 1/160, and 1/80 sec @ 125 ISO