A wet Songkhran on Silom Road today

 

"Backpack tank for squirt gun"

“Wet n wild”

For the first time in ten years, I celebrated Songkhran, the Thai New Year, in Thailand.  Usually I duck the holiday by travelling abroad for the first two weeks in April.  This year I cancelled a trip to Japan and found myself spending this week in Bangkok.

"Getting ready to squirt"

Usually people in Bangkok celebrate on Silom or Khao San Road.  It’s one big water fight with all manner of water weapons, from the smallest squirt gun to a shoulder weapon that is similar in size to a RPG launcher.  Some celebrants resort to throwing ice cold water from buckets.  And then there’s the fire hydrants.  Quite a wet day.  Nowadays, partiers also smear a water-soluble powder on faces as you can see from some of these photos.

Silom was closed to traffic for the day and there must have been fifty thousand “water babies” engaging in hand to hand combat at five paces with water guns.  And the smeary powdery liquid.  Although it sounds like the makings of a disaster, it was great fun.

For today’s raucous time, I used my Nikon D300s and the AF-S Nikkor 70-300mm f4.5-5.6 VR zoom lens.  I didn’t want to risk other more expensive lenses, knowing that the lens (and camera) would get a soaking.  As a ready holster, I used my waterproof Ortlieb shoulder bag, unzipped.  Although the camera came under some “attack” from the squirt guns, all in all, it survived with no problems.  After I reached home, I thoroughly dried the camera and lens.  Good as new.

At times, I thought I should have brought another lens or two (14-24 or 24-70 zoom lenses) but felt it was wiser to restrict potential disaster to one lens.  Afterwards I realized that I should have used my AF-D 28-200mm f3.5-5.6 for its wider angle instead of the 70-300.  Oh well, there’s always next year.

"Posing for the pic"

"Didn't get me"

"Time to get wet"

Sunflowers in Thailand with Nikon D700 – a rainy day.

Sunflowers on a rainy day.

One of the most popular pastimes this time of year is to drive to the Saraburi area 100 km north of Bangkok to look at the planted fields of sunflowers.  I’m talking about sunflower fields that sometimes nearly touch the horizon.  In sunny weather, these flowers broadly open and track the sun from sunrise to sunset.  At night and in less than ideal conditions, the flowers slightly close up so that their appearance isn’t as spectacular.

On this day, there was an uncharacteristic steady fall of rain that detracted from their appearance.  And heavy cloud cover.   However, rain (or water) can add a sheen and a richness in color that can be beautiful.

In sunny weather, you might consider bringing a water mister on your next outing for sunny flower photos.   And water drops can be beautiful.

Photos taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor Fisheye AF-D  16mm f2/8 or Nikkor AF-D 85mm f/1.4 lenses. Sunflowers located in the Khao Yai area of Thailand.

Put a little motion in your photos – prefocus and slow speed.

Slow shutter speed guarantees visible motion in street photos.

In the digital age, it’s much easier to experiment and develop your own style.  You take the shot and then you instantly review the results.  Nothing could be easier than that, right?  With super accurate autofocus and precise metering DSLRs, one is in a position to take that perfect shot.  And stopping motion.  Try your hand at something just a bit different.  Try taking a shot where motion is an element of the picture.  In other words, you want to see motion.  It seems unnatural in some ways but you may find yourself taking flawed but still interesting photographs.  And motion-oriented photos do convey a feeling.

These photos were taken a couple of months ago with a Leica M8 and Carl Zeiss Biogon 21mm f/2.8 lens.  I prefocused the camera and set the aperture speed at 1/45 and 1/60 sec.  I shot from the hip, through the viewfinder and then over head.  I can’t guarantee your results but you may find yourself taking photos that will be out of the ordinary.

The "hand-twirled" ice cream maker in motion.

Camera high overhead and prefocused.

Food on face.

Old school look.

More photos with the Nikkor 16mm f/2.8 fisheye lens.

Pass on by.

I’ve having so much fun with this fisheye lens.   For me, it’s important to have a subject in the foreground as it draws the viewer into the photo.  The placement of the subject can be experimented with.  Remember that distortion is less in the center of the frame than the edges  where the barrel distortion becomes obvious.   And the more you shoot, the better your photo becomes.   Ideally this lens is at its sharpest around f/7 and a couple of stops past.

Photos taken with Nikon D700 and Nikkor AF 16mm f/2.8 D fisheye lens.

Grilled pork.

Near and far.

Motorcycle taxi.

Really a Christmas tree.

Nikon D700 with Nikkor AF 16mm f/2.8 fisheye lens in Bangkok

No, the dog is not that LARGE.

Fisheye lenses have always been a bit difficult to figure out and most photographers don’t get beyond the relegation of this type of lens to the “don’t have to have” bin.  With it’s extreme barrel distortion, images take on a look that are far beyond an accurate depiction of the captured scene.  Straight lines on the edges bend and curve to the point that sometimes the lens becomes little more than a novelty act.

Yet fisheyes can be useful in drawing one’s attention to the subject of the photo.  Since distortion isn’t  quite as severe towards the center of the photo, that part of the image can retain a connection to the actual appearance of your target.  With slight distortion still present, it lends a perspective that is familiar yet somewhat different.  It’s in these situations the fisheye is at its best.

Photos taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor AF 16mm f/2.8 fisheye lens.

Chinese doughnuts in the round.

Centered on the vendor.

Street vendor.

Plain bagel.

Chiang Mai’s “walking streets” for street shots

Costume, girl and a "wai".

If you ever make a trip to Chiang Mai, don’t miss the two “walking streets” that occur on the weekend.  Even though some of the vendors are the same, they are both worthwhile.  The Sunday night “stroll” does have more music and food so for me is more interesting.  And the Sunday night venue is more energetic with numerous street musicians and activity.

Photos taken with a Nikon D700 and a Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 or Sigma 150mm f/2.8 lenses.

Master and duplicate.

Well-lit scene.

Cooking up with a giraffe.

Another girl, another costume.

Photographing children at the beach – a day in tropical Thailand

Running for the water.

As I’ve posted before, the best photos of children are those full of action with children doing what they love to do, playing.  In addition to allowing you to capture energetic vibrant photos, play does keep them occupied so that the images are not stunted by wooden poses with fake smiles.  On the beach, try taking photos of your child splashing water.  And the closer the better.

Photographs at the beach bring up other issues such as safety of the child and keeping your camera dry and out of the water.  Before you consider pictures at the beach, think safety first.  Also,  you might consider one of those water-proof  “point and shoot” cameras that are available for several hundred dollars.

Photos taken with an “unwater-proof” Nikon D700 and Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

Tropical paradise on Hong Island (Ko Hong) Thailand

Travel to Hong Island by long tail boat

Last week I had the opportunity to travel to Hong Island (or Ko Hong) for a bit of light kayaking, snorkeling and heavy duty fun.  We had signed on with Sea Kayak Krabi for their package that included three islands, a great lunch, and a circumnavigation of Hong Island.  All in all it was a lot of fun.  The kayaking did not require any technical skill and was void of any strenous paddling.  It was a pleasurable trip that I would recommend to anyone, including families with children.

Although the trip took place on a holiday, the island was visited by only 30 people while we were there.  Given the size of the beach, you had all the privacy one could desire.  And of course as you can see from the photos, the tropical waters were crystal clear.

Photos taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8mm zoom lens.

Ranger station

Long tail boats

Beautiful beach

Kayaking through the slot

More boats

Graffiti on Sukhumvit in Bangkok

REA

Graffiti can always be interesting to photograph.  Because of its urban grittiness and creative designs, graffitti can be a living, breathing embodiment of inner city expression.  Even in Bangkok.  The letters “BNE”, in sticker and graffitti forms, are all over Bangkok and after awhile the triteness of this limited message is compounded by a sense of dreariness.  Not so in the free form expression found in graffiti.  Take a look around your city and try your hand at graffiti.

Photos taken with a Nikon D700 and Sigma 150mm f/2.8 macro lens.

60's pop look

Big and bold

Limited space

Reflections on a theme – looking for reflecting surfaces

Reflection of trees on water

Of course there are reflecting surfaces everywhere.  From reflections on water to glass to plain ordinary surfaces, one can find reflections to enhance your photographs.  In the above photo, the water has a brownish somewhat muddy appearance that takes away from the wonderfully close photo of the hippo.  Luckily the trees overhead are vividly mirrored in the rippled water, framing the hippo perfectly.

Instead of looking at reflections as a potential problem, look for opportunities to use reflections to accent  the appearance of your photos.  An ordinary photo can become a more interesting photo.

Photos taken with a Nikon D700 and  a Nikkor 85mm f/1.4, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 or a Sigma 150mm f/2.8 lens.

Focuses attention on the photographer

Reflected surfaces are everywhere

Even tiled sidewalks

Road paint

Double reflection