Destinations: Wat Si Chum, Sukhothai, Thailand

Destinations: Wat Si Chum, Sukhothai

Thailand
17.0211, 99.7036

This is the first Destinations File that I share where I have been, and would encourage others to go.  The city of Sukhothai, located in central Thailand, is a historical city of the first kingdom of Thailand.  As with most historical ruins, the dwellings of everyday people no longer remain, having long ago been ravaged by the forces of war, climate, and time.  What is left is a beautiful temple complex containing many beautifully restored Buddhist temples, or wats.  Of these, my favorite is Wat Si Chum, and the photography of this post will highlight that particular wat.

Wat Si Chum (The Temple Of The Bodhi Tree) is believed to be dated back to the 13th century. The Buddha statue sits 11 meters high, surrounded by walls that are 15 meters in height, also known as a Mandapa.  The width of the Buddha means that it dominates the small enclosure, and now it is open to the sky, though once there was a roof overhead. 










The temple was re-discovered by the archaeologist Louis Fournereau in 1891. Wat Si Chum is one of the most historically significant temples in Thailand, and is apparently the most studied of any Thai Temple. King Rama VI wrote about Wat Si Chum in a book written while he was the Crown Prince.





The walls are  about 3 meters thick, and conceal a small entry way with stairs to a corridor that rings about the small wat.  Inside the corridor ceiling are more than fifty engraved slate slabs, dating back to the mid 14th century, illustrating scenes from the Jataka tales, stories of the Buddha’s previous lives.  Unfortuantely this passageway is closed to normal tourists, I would have loved to get a peak inside. 

The hands of the Buddha are also covered in gold foil, put there by worshippers as offering to the Buddha.  Youc an see the squares on the hands, though since these photographs were taken on black and white film (pre-digital for me), you'll have to continue to imagine how they would look in real life.  Better yet, go see for yourself!  Enjoy.

Sunset on the Kwai

Sunset on the Kwai

THAI0402

June 2004

In a strange way, Kanchanaburi was one of my favorite parts of Thailand.  It had a lot to offer, from the highways up to Erawan National Park, to the history that surrounded the town during WWII.  It was near the site of the forced labor camps of Allied POWs, where they were made to tunnel and lay track for a railroad that was never completed.  Hellfire pass is an area where many soldiers died trying to hack their way through the jungle.  And then there is the river Kwai, which was immortalized in the movie about a bridge.  It was a fantastic place to visit.  This is a night shot, as the sun set over the river, after a long day.  Here you could hear and see bats skimming the surface of the water, using their echolocation to hone in and gobble up the mosquitoes, flies, and other flying insects that took to the air at dusk.  Enjoy.

 

 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon N80
Film: Fuji Provia 100F

Lens: Nikon 28-135 mm f/3.5-4.5

Focal length: 28 mm

Exposure: 1/80   f/8   ISO 400

Post-processing: Scanned on a Nikon Coolscan 5000; toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Stupas of Bangkok

Stupas of Bangkok

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June 12, 2004

Continuing with the Thailand theme this week, another image from my first sojourn to that nation.  In fact, this was probably on the first day of adventure, after landing in the capital.  Wandering through the main tourist areas, the Palace and Wat Po, This stupa struck me.  These are small shrines (though sometimes not so small, you can see it towering over the roof tiles of the palace) where the remains of holy men are kept.  They are intricately designed and decorated, and are beautiful to admire.  I remember looking at this slide when it first came back from the lab, and immediately fell in love with it.  The wide angle approach, the off-center view with the storm clouds in the background (storm clouds are never far away in Thailand in the summer).  All of it spoke to me,  I hope you enjoy it as well. 

 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon N80
Film: Velvia 50

Lens: Nikon 28-105 mm f/3.5-4.5

Focal length: 28 mm

Exposure: 1/60   f/2.8 ISO50

Post-processing: Scanned on a Nikon Coolscan 5000, toning and curves adjustment in PS4

The Misty Jungle of Inthanon

The Misty Jungle of Inthanon

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June 16, 2004

Skipping to another national park in Thailand, Doi Inthanon is located near the northern cultural capital of Chiang Mai.  As you leave the city and head up to this park, while it remains jungle, it gets distinctly colder.  You are not in the steaming tropics; now you are ensconced in the (relative) cold of the cloudforest on the mountainside, where rain and fog predominate.  This is near the top of the mountain, which is the highest point in all of Thailand.  It is a beautiful park to explore, with several large, gorgeous waterfalls that carve through the landscape. Enjoy.
 

 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon N80
Film: Provia 100F

Lens: Nikon 28-105 mm f/3.5-4.5

Focal length: 105 mm

Exposure: 1/60   f/2.8 ISO 100

Post-processing: Scanned on a Nikon Coolscan 5000, toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Erawan's Hidden Oasis

Erawan's Hidden Oasis

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June 29, 204

To the north of Kanchanaburi, Thailand, lies Erawan National Park.  Besides being tucked in a beautiful corner of the country, full of history and natural beauty, the park is famous for the Erawan Falls, a seven-tiered waterfall that flows through the jungle.  The limestone hills that surround the park give the water its noted aqua color, seeming more like an oasis from a novel, some Shangri-la like paradise rising from the warm jungle.  There were also these small fish in the water, that would nibble on your dead skin (like the high-priced salons with fish treatments, only this one was free), it was super tickly.  Enjoy. 

 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon N80
Film: Provia 100F

Lens: Nikon 28-105 mm f/3.5-4.5

Focal length: 50 mm

Exposure: 1/60   f/2.8 ISO 100

Post-processing: Scanned on a Nikon Coolscan 5000, toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Train Reflections

Train Reflections

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June 29, 2004

(My apologies for missing a couple days last week.  In my defense, I was a bit busy, planning a proposal to my amazing girlfriend which was happily accepted!)

Today's image comes from the 3rd class train from Hellfire Pass back to Kanchanaburi, Thailand. The countryside was beautiful, mostly small family farms with limestone mountains in the distance draped with jungle canopy.  The 3rd class was really the best way to travel on this leg, as there was no air conditioning, but the windows opened all the way up.  And the wooden benches, which might be a little uncomfortable for some, provided ample room to stretch out and gaze at the greenery rushing past.

This train also crosses the infamous bridge over the River Kwai (Interesting note: the river was not originally named Kwai, but was a tributary of the Kwai. However, the movie made the river so popular, and every tourist was demanding to see the bridge over the river Kwai, that the government changed the official name of the river to match the movie. Crazy, huh?). Enjoy.

 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon N80
Film: Fuji Provia 100F

Lens: Nikon 28-105 mm f/3.5-4.5

Focal length: 28 mm

Exposure: 1/200   f/4.5 

Post-processing: Scanned using a Nikon Coolscan 5000, slight texture,toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Reclaimed Wat

Reclaimed Wat

THAI040711

June 24, 2004

Jumping around a bit today, as I'm a bit distracted by big upcoming news and plans.  But I didn't want to neglect the post, and offer up a small treat from my first visit to Thailand, many years ago. This Wat, or temple, was found in the jungle near Si Satchanalai, Thailand, which was a major site of clay works and porcelain that was the supreme across the known world as early as the 14th century.  It is beautiful work.  The stupa of this wat had been partially reclaimed by the vegetation. You can see leafy greens growing along the brickwork, and the large bricks that were used back then, with pockmarks of centuries of rain and tropical heat (many of the restoration, more modern bricks were used, and you can see the difference). It gave the whole scene a more adventurous feeling, very Indiana Jones.  Enjoy.

 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon N80
Film: Fuji Provia 100F

Lens: Nikon 28-105 mm f/3.5-4.5

Focal length: 28 mm

Exposure: 1/200   f/4.5 

Post-processing: Scanned using a Nikon Coolscan 5000, slight texture,toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Hidden Predator

Hidden Predator

YELL050116

September 2005

Again beckoning from the fabulous Yellowstone National Park, the picture of this coyote while hiking was tremendous.  He was more scared of me than I of him, and quickly departed, but not after I was able to nab this quick image of him in the grasses.  I love how his dun-colored coat blends in so well with the drying autumn grass all around him.  Were he laying or crouching, it is possible I would have trumped on by without giving him a second glance, an enviable position to be in if you are a predator.  Enjoy.
 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon N80
Film: Fuji Velvia 50

Lens: Nikon 80-200 mm f/2.8

Focal length: 125 mm

Exposure: 1/200   f/4.5 

Post-processing: Scanned using a Nikon Coolscan 5000, slight texture,toning and curves adjustment in PS4

An Ominous Terrace

An Ominous Terrace

YELL050105

September 2005

Today we journey up to the iconic national park of our country, Yellowstone.  My last visit here was in 2005, and the northern reaches of the park hold the tavertine terraces of Mammoth hot springs.  This day, the fog lifting from the geothermal terrace obscured the already dismal view (as the first snowstorm rolled in behind me).  The dark clouds behind the scene compared well with the feel of the place, the decimated trees (killed from the geological activity and hot water constantly flowing) and the fog giving it an otherworldly view.  Enjoy.
 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon N80
Film: Fuji Velvia 50

Lens: Nikon 28-105 mm f/3.5-4.5

Focal length: 70 mm

Exposure: 1/200   f/4.5 

Post-processing: Scanned using a Nikon Coolscan 5000, slight texture,toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Bryce Storm

Bryce Storm

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August 2003

While hiking along the rim of the gorgeous Bryce Canyon, As I came along the ridge, the clouds that had been gathering the last couple of days joined together and came streaming, ominously over the horizon.  I was able to find this lone pine, which looked like it had been through a few storms itself, straggling along the red rock.  However, this seemed to be more conducive to a monochrome image, as it conveyed the approaching storm better.  The major let-down of this image, I think, is in the post-processing.  It was shot on Fuji Velvia film, and then scanned, which is never a perfect way of doing things.  A better scanner probably would have made the image clearer, and reduced some of the artificial effects that I can see, but no use crying over spilled milk.  It is still a nice image from a beautiful location.  Enjoy.
 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon N80
Film: Fuji Velvia 50

Lens: Sigma 20mm f/2.8

Focal length: 20 mm

Exposure: 1/200   f/4.5 

Post-processing: Scanned on a Nikon Coolscan 5000, texture,toning and curves adjustment in PS4

The Frontier Teton House

The Frontier Teton House

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September, 2005

Grand Teton National Park is littered with the ruins of old cabins and homesteads that were established in the 19th century by Americans moving west.  The park has left them as is, letting nature have her way with them for the most part (though there are a couple that are still inhabited and were grandfathered into the park when it was established).  They are interesting representations of how life used to be out here, and this image I feel encapsulates that rugged, western feel of the area.  I've been thinking about camping a lot recently, and missing those sharp peaks and wilderness.  Enjoy.
 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon N80
Film: Fuji Velvia 50

Lens: Nikon 28-105 mm f/3.5-4.5

Focal length: 105t mm

Exposure: 1/200   f/4.5 

Post-processing: Scanned on a Nikon Coolscan 5000, toning and curves adjustment in PS4 (the border edge is a bit much, but I couldn't find the original file in time to remove it, so you get a soft dropped shadow courtesy of late nights with PS4)

The Watchman from Afar

The Watchman from Afar

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August 15, 2003

Whereas yesterday's image was among the most recent in my collection, having been taken over the previous weekend, this one is reaching back far into the archives.  Camping in the southern reaches of Zion National Park in 2003, the summer sunsets were amazing at highlighting the redrock formations of the south.  This was taken on slide film, then scanned, so the grain is apparent despite the use of ICE converters.  I think it has a nice appeal to the photo though, the grain adds an additional dimension.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon N80
Film: Kodak Ektachrome 200

Lens: Nikon 28-105 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  105 mm

Exposure: n/a  ISO 200

Post-processing: Scanned on a Nikon Coolscan 5000 with Digital ICE 4.0, tone adjusted and using and PS 4 and LR1.4

Thai Nimbostratus

Thai Nimbostratus

THAI040401

June 17, 2004

Today has dawned another gray day, with more rain in the forecast for the weekend.  I don't usually mind the rain, it has a soothing effect, and it really makes me want to go hiking in the rain.  Call me crazy, but there's something about stomping through the wilderness while the rain drips from the trees.  I recall a couple of particularly memorable times I've hiked in the rain... one was at Charmlee Regional Park in Los Angeles, with my mom and sister.  It was pouring and we still muscled through the chaparral and had a splash doing it.  The other was a New Year's Day hike in Muir Woods National Monument.  The rain kept the crowds away (as did the likelihood of hangovers from the night before), and the whole lush forest was quiet except the sound of the rain gently dripping through the leaves.

This image comes from the first trip to Thailand, many years ago when I was shooting film.  Taken on Fuji Velvia, this storm was rolling through as we sped back near Doi Inthanon National Park, and the clouds which had plagued us for days were finally starting to shift and break up.  It left behind a vibrant, stunning visual of the verdant countryside after 3 days of rain.  One of the more beautifully scenic rides I encountered in Thailand.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon N80
Film: Fuji Velvia 50

Lens: Nikon 28-105 f/3.5-4.5

Focal length:  50 mm

Exposure: n/a ISO 50

Post-processing: Scanned on a Nikon Coolscan 5000, tone adjusted and cleaned using ICE 4.0 and PS 4.

The Hand of Wat Si Chum

The Hand of Wat Si Chum

THAI041324

June 23, 2004

This is without a doubt my favorite temple in Thailand. This tower has an air of mystery and magnificence about it which is unforgettable. The Temple was reconstructed after it's "discovery" by European archaeologists, using the original brickwork as much as possible. The Buddha is about 15m tall, in a courtyard that just barely fits his legs, 11m wide. It lends a feeling of impressive size and humility to the statue. There is a walkway in the stone wall surrounding the courtyard, which contains over 50 images painted centuries ago depicting scenes of the Buddha's life. That is usually closed and gated, but I always dream of going in there one day. 

 

This is an image from a long time ago, during my first excursion from the United States, when I was still shooting film on a regular basis (well-before the digital age crept up to me).  Ilford Delta 400 film was used in a Nikon N80 camera, and then was scanned by a Nikon LS-5000.  The rich depth of tones that the Ilford film gave me reminds me to this day how wonderful this medium can be, and makes me harken back to those days when you didn't know what you shot until it came back from the lab. 

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon N80

Lens: Nikon 28-105 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  ~100 mm

Exposure: n/a, ISO 400, Ilford Delta 400

Post-processing: Scan on Nikon LS-5000, minor curves adjustment in PS4 & LR1.4