Flags over Peaceful Water

Flags over Peaceful Water

BHUT10D-250

November 19, 2010


Hopping over a bit, today we revisit Bhutan, and the set of prayer flags that drape over the pond at the Royal Botanical Garden (which is more like a National Park).  Prayer flags are always supposed to be situated close to the water, and this long string is positioned right over the water, creating a beautiful mirror image in the placid lake.  I struggled whether to do this image in black and white or color... I like the color of the prayer flags, but the light isn't too spectacular.  So I'm posting it in monochrome for the moment, perhaps I'll go back and also post the color version so you all can let me know which you prefer.  But, in the meantime, enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon D80
Lens: Nikon 18-105 mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 40 mm

Exposure: 1/100   f/6.3   ISO 400

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4 and LR

Final Approach to the Lookout

Final Approach to the Lookout

BHUT10D-88

November 16, 2010

Wrapping up the week back in Bhutan, this country of beauty and mystery.  Prayer flags are habitually left up forever, no one ever takes them down regardless of their age.  These flags were situated near the top of a trail to the point that overlooked the town of Timphu, down in the valley below, with a sight of the river.  These prayer flags were old and tattered, having long blown their good wishes to the valley below, but remained a beautiful scene, serene in its simplicity and still powerful spirituality.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: NIkon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  32 mm

Exposure: 1/160 @ f/16  ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Moss Carpeting

Moss Carpeting

BHUT10D-198

November 19, 2010

Another photo from Bhutan to wrap up the week.  This comes to us from the National Botanical Garden, which is a bit of a misnomer because it was more akin to a National Park than a regular botanical garden.  It had hiking trails, camping spots, and picnic areas.  And the plants were not cultivated or arranged in any manner throughout the park, they were wild.  This area was beautiful; a cloud forest, the whole park was draped in ferns and moss and mushrooms.  And the cloudy day that we visited dampened the sound, so the place was ghostly quiet, and we felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.  This stump of a long-forgotten tree was a microcosm of the entire forest, covered in the yellowish lichens and ferns surrounding, feeding off the constant moisture of the air.  Happy Friday, and enjoy.

 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon D80

Lens: Nikon 105 mm f/2.8

Focal length: 105 mm

Exposure: 1/40   f/11   ISO 400

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Rice Paddy Plantations

Rice Paddy Plantations

BHUT10D-120

November 20, 2010

Taking a break from Thailand today, trying out another country that I love and that is so absolutely gorgeous, Bhutan.  This plantation beckoned as we traveled deeper into the country, heading to the Pobjikha valley.  The lone house on the hillside, surrounded by rice paddies as the storm clouds cleared overhead.  It was such a stately image, and I really loved finding it.  Enjoy.

 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 28 mm

Exposure: 1/80   f/8   ISO 400

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

What's in My Bag?

What's in My Bag?

BHUT10D-1

November 9, 2011

I've always enjoyed seeing other people's constructions of what is in their purse/shoulder bag/carryall.  It is a window into who they are, in a way.  While I do not habitually carry a purse or murse, any daily recreations of these images are impossible.  So, in preparation for my trip to Bhutan & Thailand last year, I figured I'd try my own while packing.  Leading a workshop in Bhutan for a week and a mini-vacation in the Thai jungles afterwards required a good amount of smart packing so I could stay light on the planes, trains, and automobiles.  Here are the essential gear that was packed (not including clothes or work-related equipment). 

Most of it is camera-related, which should come as no surprise, since photography is a guiding passion in my life, and I wanted to take this opportunity to really land some solid images (some of which have already been posted on, here and here).  The rest covers a smattering of useful products that I carry with me when traveling: a knife, water bottle (plus purification tabs when traveling internationally, just in case), passport, and carabiners.  These guys are useful far beyond their normal climbing capacity, lashing bags together, holding tripods to your side, or just general gear tasks.  Wouldn't leave home without one.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Olympus SP560UZ

Lens: n/a

Focal length:n/a

Exposure:n/a

Post-processing: Desaturation, toning, curves adjustment in PS4

Sun Shaft Through the Storm

Sun Shaft Through the Storm

BHUT10D-273

November 19, 2010

Whirring through the countryside of Bhutan, the storm clouds that had followed us through Dochula Pass were finally breaking, revealing the lush, verdant countryside.  Finally, high on the hillsides above the Phobjikha Valley, the sun broke through the storm clouds, sending a bright ray streaking across the valley.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  105 mm

Exposure: n/a @ f/5.6, ISO 200

Post-processing: Slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Lillies 1

Lillies 1

BHUT10D-66

November 16, 2010

A brief paragraph today, after my ramblings the last few posts.  To set this Friday off, a lovely image from my time in Bhutan.  Still ranking as one of the most beautiful countries I've laid eyes on, these lillies come from Serbithang, the Royal Botanic Garden in Thimphu, Bhutan.   They are intertwined, beautiful and yet exotic, not like the day lillies that we get here in the states.  They are at once familiar and yet distinct, perhaps the whole reason people travel in the first place.  But they caught my eye, and I hope they do the same for you.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 105 f/2.8 micro

Focal length:  105 mm

Exposure: 1/1250 @ f/3.5 ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Bhutan Yak Cheese

Bhutan Yak Cheese

BHUT10D-165

November 19, 2010

It is inevitable, that as you travel you are taken outside your comfort zone, and exposed to new experiences that you've not encountered before.  Frequently this is in the form of food, as there is a variety across the globe that Americans can only wonder at (and watch in the form of increasingly popular food-travel shows).  This image today encapsulates that.  In Bhutan, a common snack is a dried form of yak's cheese.  These bricks are about the consistence of a large gum eraser, or what an eraser would taste like were I to chew on one.  And you cannot really chew and swallow it; rather, you let the digestive enzymes in your mouth go to work on the cheese, and it slowly disintegrates in your mouth.  It has a salty tang to its flavor, and lasts a long while.  I kept mine in my mouth for the better part of a 3 hour car ride, and it was still barely half gone before I gave it up in favor of lunch.  Still, it was an experience, to be sure.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 44 mm

Exposure: 1/400 @ f/4.8 ISO 400

Post-processing: Tone adjusted with LR 1.4

Watching the Watchful Monkey

Watching the Watchful Monkey

BHUT10D-346

November 20, 2010

The Capped Langur (Trachypithecus pileatus) is commonly found throughout southern and eastern Asia, mostly in tropical and subtropical dry forests.  We were on our way back through the central portion of the country, along the passes of the Pobjikha valley in Bhutan, when we came across a troupe of these langurs hanging out by the side of the road.  While most scattered a safe distance from our car, this guy was sitting in the tree, fur dusted with lichens and other debris, seemingly unconcerned by these large primates watching him.  He just stared us down. If the image looks a big fuzzy, it is because he is.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 80-200 f/2.8

Focal length:  200 mm

Exposure: 1/125 @ f/2.8, ISO 100

Post-processing: Minor contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Dochula Pass

Dochula Pass

BHUT10D-182_HDR

November 19, 2010

In 2003, Bhutan was pushed towards war. Indian rebels were hiding in Bhutan, and the Indian government had given Butan an ultimatum of either driving the rebels out or the Indian Army would be forced to cross the border and do it themselves. Bhutan's traditions of pacifism and peace wanted to avoid a conflict, with an army of only 7,000 enlisted men, facing possibly tens of thousands of rebels, and so the proposed action was unpopular. So, the king made the mission voluntary for the soldiers, and personally took charge and led the campaign against the rebels. The mini-war was a success, and the rebels were routed with minimal losses to the Bhutan army. Some wanted to erect a monument for the victory, but the King responded that war is never a thing to be glorified, even if one is victorious. So instead he commissioned this monument honoring the dead soldiers and the dead rebels from the conflict.

The 108 stupas sit along the main road leading from Thimphu to the east, at Dochula Pass (an altitude of about 3100 m). These solemn constructions are colorful and decorative, and the forest adjoining the monument is festooned with prayer flags, swaying in the breezes. It is impossible to miss if you're driving east from Thimphu, and marks a beautiful area with a serious and touching reminder of war.  Image-wise, it is not my favorite ever; the HDR construction created a background that looks a little "off."  I believe this is probably due to the fog that was blowing through the region, and thus they might not have been able to line-up completely in sync when I was merging them.  But the colors pop, and the level of detail in the monuments is certainly enhanced by the HDR, which also gives some color to the prayer flags in the background.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  22 mm

Exposure: var @ f/11, ISO 400

Post-processing: HDR photomerge of 5 images (+/- 1&2 EV) in Photomatix, slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Misty Mountain Hop

Misty Mountain Hop

BHUT10D-194

November 19, 2010

This is turning into Bhutan week, so I think I'll continue the trend of images from last November's trip out to the rugged countryside of this Asian nation.  Inevitably, to get anywhere in Bhutan, you have to traverse the mountains.  The country lies on the eastern side of the Himalaya range, and while it might not have the highest peaks in the world, you still climb up and down some steep places on small roads.  Here we were moving past Dorchula Pass, just north of the 10,000' mark, and the wind picked up, blowing this incredible fog from the lower elevations.  It gave the entire scene a haunted atmosphere, which actually worked perfectly with the memorial that was at the pass.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  40 mm

Exposure: 1/40 @ f/11, ISO 400

Post-processing: Slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Morning Storm Clearing the Pobjikha Valley

Morning Storm Clearing the Pobjikha Valley

BHUT10D-300

November 20, 2010

Today we visit Bhutan again, because this country is full of fine landscapes that any photographer would be pleased as punch to engage with.  I wish I had had more time to spend there, to really explore the wildlands of the area, but that will have to remain for another time I guess.  The Pobjikha Valley is famous as the location of the black-crane migration from Tibet; they roost in this valley all winter, sometimes hundreds strong.  Despite coming in late November, there were only a dozen or so cranes already present in the valley; I guess the memo hadn't gone out to the rest of the flock yet.  However, not to worry; the valley itself was gorgeous, with small farms nestled against the higher hills and mountains that ring the ground.  Autumn was turning everything golden, and our day there saw a storm cloud moving across over the mountain as the sun rose higher in the sky.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  105 mm

Exposure: n/a @ f/5.6, ISO 200

Post-processing: Slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Lichen Drapery

Lichen Drapery

BHUT10D-216

January 23, 2010

Today is the first image from probably my most recent (and one of the most remote), images from the Kingdom of Bhutan.  I had an unparalleled privilege to work for a week in the country, followed up by 3 days roaming around the central portions.  While it wasn't enough time to take one of the legendary treks into the backcountry, we still got a chacne to experience the raw, untrammeled beauty of the country.  This image was found at the Royal Botanical Garden in Bhutan, which has a very diverse climate, mostly residing in the mid-altitude cloud forest, a perpetually moist atmosphere which is ideal for large trees and huge sheets of lichen.  Everywhere you turned in this park, the vegetation was covered in green frill, giving it an otherworldly (or even Middle Earth-y) appearance to the forest. 

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  105 mm

Exposure: n/a @ f/5.6, ISO 200

Post-processing: Slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4