Train Reflections

Train Reflections

THAI040901

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

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

Thundering Across the Plains

Thundering Across the Plains

THRO09D-72

July 11, 2009

Watched this train storm past the badlands formations of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, just after a summer shower had passed us by and broken up into puffy cumulus clouds.  The badlands of North Dakota are often overlooked for their more famous cousins in the south, but these have an interesting, rustic setting, appearing out of nowhere in the plains of North Dakota to drop into canyons and buttes.  I felt here that the higher contrast of monochrome would highlight the cumulus clouds better, and help eliminate some of the distractions that I perceived looking on the image.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  38 mm

Exposure: 1/50 sec @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Desaturation, minor curves adjustment in PS4 & LR1.4