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2013-05-21 16:25:26 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 12 +1s)

Totally Relaxed
Or simply not bothered.  Believe it or not, this is a (street) portrait with permission.   He stood in the doorway of a small hotel in Trashigang, East Bhutan.  When I asked him whether I could take his picture, he smiled and nodded.  And continued picking his teeth.  A bit of an extreme example of the relaxed attitude I saw so much in Bhutan.  
I took a few more shots of him, after completion of the teeth cleaning, but this one wins out.
For +Laura Balc's #portraittuesday .

2013-05-21 16:20:56 (10 comments, 0 reshares, 25 +1s)

Tiger's Nest
Another attempt to get connected back to G+...  This time after a trip to Bhutan, so there is no shortage of interesting material.

This is Tiger's Nest Monastery (Taktshang Goempa) near Paro, in the late afternoon.  You've probably seen this shot minus the framing by the trees - it's Bhutan's signature image.  And it is impressive.

2013-03-13 18:37:06 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

Escaping Capture
A really old one today, for +Scott Thomas' #Inmotionthursday .  

I'll call this ICM - but in this case that stands for Involuntary Camera Motion.  I was shooting the sunset, saw these ducks and quickly shot them.  With settings leading to 1/6 s exposure.  As you can see, a bit long for a tack sharp image.  But I still kind of like it.  And I guess one of my first panning shots:-)

What do you think - #throwawaythursday  or #inmotionthursday ?

2013-02-24 13:33:05 (10 comments, 1 reshares, 12 +1s)

Shrine in the Bayon
Not having been able to make much time for Google+ or new work, I dug up this one from last year, for #sacredsunday .  One of the many little shrines in the ancient temple ruins around Siem Reap.

2013-02-06 12:50:16 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 27 +1s)

Moody Rainy Night in Gent
From just before Christmas.  I have no idea why the raindrops on the lens do not annoy me, or why I converted this to monochrome (the sky is an amazing blue).  Not my typical style at all, but I think I like it.
What do you think?

2013-02-04 15:31:14 (12 comments, 1 reshares, 27 +1s)

A long hike
I took a long hike in the New Territories in Hong Kong this Saturday.  I started with Wilson Trail Stage 8.  According to my guide book, this was 4 hours and strenuous.  Well, after 2 1/2 not so strenuous hours I was there.  So I brilliantly decided that Stage 9, also 4 hours and strenuous, would just work with some daylight to spare.  
This shot was taken about 30 minutes after sunset, and about 1 1/4 hours before the finish line:-)  The minor miscalculation was that in this case "4 hours and strenuous" was accurate.  And then there was a 1-hour descent to top it off.  Pretty interesting in the dark, under tree cover.  (To give you an idea, this was ISO6400, f/4, 1/13 and boosted +0.5 stops in post.)   
Still, this was a gorgeous hike, with many views like this.  Worth it, and I will do it again.  All in daylight.

2013-02-01 15:57:07 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

Afloat

I've not just been away from G+ for a long time - I've also been on the road a lot.  This is from late December, in London.  Yes, there were a couple of gorgeous days that month - the couple of days I was there:-)

This is Millenium Bridge (you can just see St Paul's Cathedral) from not quite the normal perspective - low and wide.  I am beginning to like wide angles more and more.

This is one of many tries - impossible to get a clean shot on a beautiful Saturday.  On this one there were just a few small heads to clone out at the bottom edge and a nice distribution of people on the bridge.

2013-01-31 14:03:49 (13 comments, 1 reshares, 30 +1s)

Now where are my keys?
Back after a long absence from my regular contributions to +Scott Thomas' #inmotionthursday  - haven't even checked if that's still there or now a community:-/
Vietnam, where else.

2013-01-30 15:20:09 (12 comments, 1 reshares, 26 +1s)

Fish seller on Bến Tre market

Wow - it has been really really long since showing my face here.  Or anyone's face.  Too much travel, work, and life in general.  Let's see if I can get back into the swing of it, and manage to create some time. 

This was taken a few weeks ago during a break in a wedding in Bến Tre, in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.  Bến Tre market was right next door to the venue, and it was a temptation not lost on me.  Within a few minutes in there I had the widest smile ever.  Love the banter and interaction, and the exchange of (dubious) comments and jokes only half understood.  I think her smile illustrates it well - some easy fun with the goofy white guy with the big camera. 

2012-12-09 15:32:47 (15 comments, 0 reshares, 17 +1s)

Detached
Apologies if you see this twice - I am informed that my earlier post to the SacredSunday Community is not very visible to "public".  In my stream for you to discover, but not in "the" stream, and no option to comment.  I am not quite getting community thing (yet?).

Anyway, have a look at his face - he and a few of his fellows were completely absorbed in their preparations for the procession that nothing seemed to detract them; not a bunch of photographers, not a turban being fitted.

2012-12-09 14:01:25 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Visibility and comments on Community posts
Here's what I observed - via the 'View as' option on my own profile:
- posts to a community are publicly visible
- only community members can comment
This was a post that I created as usual, from Photos | Add Photos ...

I had a look at posting from the Community itself, but did not see an option to put the photo in an album.  (And I do not know if such posts are publicly visible at all.

The thing that worries me is the no comments for non members.  I like the idea of having a community, but do not at all like the idea that that excludes the rest of the world.  We have enough of that in the real world.

Am I missing something?

2012-12-06 15:27:00 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

Ghost Ferry
A long exposure with a passing Macau Ferry, close to the Macau Ferry Terminal in Central, Hong Kong.  
I like the odd crunchy wake of the ferry - I was expecting that to become smooth and blurred out due to the long exposure. Maybe it was only visible when close to the ferry, so no real long exposure of the wake?
Anyway, something slightly different for +Scott Thomas's #inmotionthursday .  

And one of these days I will actually make / find some time to spend on looking at all your streams - promise:-)

2012-12-02 15:14:23 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 17 +1s)

Ascension
An oldie, for #SacredSunday +SacredSunday™, curated by  +Manfred Berndtgen, +Robyn Morrison,  +Chatchai Rombix, +Justin Hill,  +Steve Barge, +Carolyn St.Charles, and +Sherrie von Sternberg

2012-12-01 15:54:42 (11 comments, 3 reshares, 33 +1s)

Hong Kong Island
From the same spot as an earlier shot but this time I decided to keep it in colour.  (It's also just fifty feet away from the light trails shot uploaded two days ago.)

For +Dirk Heindoerfer's #saturdaynightlight .

2012-11-29 17:46:07 (13 comments, 0 reshares, 32 +1s)

Hong Kong Parking
Something different for +Scott Thomas's #inmotionthursday .  I think I can get more out of this - suggestions welcome!

2012-11-25 08:30:57 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

Man Mo Temple
#SacredSunday +SacredSunday™, curated by +Manfred Berndtgen, +Robyn Morrison,  +Chatchai Rombix, +Justin Hill,  +Steve Barge, +Carolyn St.Charles, and +Sherrie von Sternberg.

2012-11-22 16:19:47 (10 comments, 0 reshares, 25 +1s)

Vespa
My weekly contribution to +Scott Thomas' #inmotionthursday .

2012-11-20 16:09:57 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 18 +1s)

Smiling Butcher
On a market in Ho Chi Minh City.  I had a lot of fun, and came a way with a lot of slightly out of focus images.  f/2.0 and moving subjects plus challenging light plus awkward positions (crouching low down for this perspective, for example) come with a price: low keeper rate:-)  I'd go back any day and do it again though.  
For +Laura Balc's #portraittuesday .

2012-11-18 15:46:04 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Inner Light
For #SacredSunday, curated by +SacredSunday™, +Manfred Berndtgen, +Robyn Morrison,  +Chatchai Rombix, +Justin Hill,  +Steve Barge, +Carolyn St.Charles, and +Sherrie von Sternberg.

2012-11-15 15:18:52 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 19 +1s)

Just passing by
And I could not resist quickly snapping this shot.  
For +Scott Thomas' #inmotionthursday .

2012-11-13 15:33:27 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

Mix and Match
I visited a market in Vietnam, so I have a little stash of fresh shots for +Laura Balc's #portraittuesday  again:-)

2012-11-11 14:45:41 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

All Lined Up
More from the Cao Dai Holy See.  Interestingly, they had wardens walking around to ensure straight lines.  Not that they had a lot to do.

For #sacredsunday , curated by +Manfred Berndtgen, +Sherrie von Sternberg, +Steve Barge, +Robyn Morrison, +Chatchai Rombix, +Justin Hill and +Carolyn St.Charles.

2012-11-10 15:51:32 (11 comments, 2 reshares, 29 +1s)

ICC and the benefits of pollution
As for those benefits - rich colours of sunset is all I have come up with so far.

For +Dirk Heindoerfer's #saturdaynightlight .

2012-11-08 16:36:56 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

Chat and Ride
Another one where it's as much about the expression as about the motion.
Still, definitely one for +Scott Thomas's #InMotionThursday .

2012-11-06 16:28:49 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

Fruit Seller
My smile matched hers.  Say no more.
For +Laura Balc's #portraittuesday .

2012-11-04 15:26:10 (12 comments, 1 reshares, 27 +1s)

Universal
The candles seem a universal symbol, and their use for dedication to.  This one definitely is.  The right one asks to keep the whole family safe and sound; the left one is "God bless us with prosperity".
For #SacredSunday +SacredSunday™, +Manfred Berndtgen, +Robyn Morrison,  +Chatchai Rombix, +Justin Hill,  +Steve Barge, +Carolyn St.Charles, and +Sherrie von Sternberg.

2012-11-03 15:59:51 (5 comments, 4 reshares, 19 +1s)

Hong Kong Too
Not what most people immediately associate with Hong Kong, but to me one of the hidden charms.  There are four long hiking trails, and countless smaller ones, weaving through a multitude of country parks and nature reserves.  This is from Stage 7 of the MacLehose Trail, a 100km stretch from the far east to the far west of Kowloon and the New Territories.  The brighter line is ICC in Kowloon (one of the ten tallest buildings in the world, I believe) reflecting sunset.
In places, the loudest sound is your own breathing.  In Hong Kong!  (OK, the trail are sometimes quite strenuous - very long stretches of stairs built for giants.  That may have something to do with that breathing observation.)

2012-11-02 15:59:23 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 22 +1s)

It's a big world
For them, a very big world.  The focus isolation somehow seems to stress that.

For me, today, my humungous unedited and unprocessed backlog is big enough...

2012-11-01 18:22:57 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

Sparring in the park
Only a hint of motion but I think it is crucial to the shot.  Maybe I should have slowed down the shutter a bit, but then again, I like the tack sharp glove as a focal point.  Goes to +Scott Thomas' #inmotionthursday  anyway:-)

2012-10-30 16:24:28 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

Crafts
I'll call it an environmental portrait and submit it to +Laura Balc's #portraittuesday .

2012-10-28 07:34:08 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

Buddha
Not entirely sure it is indeed a Buddha - it looks like it to me, but this is a Taoist temple...

For #sacredsunday , curated by +Manfred Berndtgen, +Steve Barge, +Sherrie von Sternberg, +Robyn Morrison, +Chatchai Rombix, +Justin Hill, and +Carolyn St.Charles.

2012-10-25 16:01:28 (24 comments, 0 reshares, 21 +1s)

Enjoying the traffic
A complete fluke, this shot, and not very good in a lot of ways.  But I thought it was a fun one.  So here goes for +Scott Thomas' #inmotionthursday  

2012-10-23 14:52:39 (11 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

Prashad
This gentle man was distributing prashad (I believe - a wheat, butter and sugar based offering) at a Sikh ceremony.  He generously agreed to his picture being taken as well.  
For +Laura Balc's #portraittuesday .

2012-10-24 13:50:35 (10 comments, 1 reshares, 27 +1s)

This is the 'Big Buddha' at Po Lin Monastery on Lantau, Hong Kong.  Overrun with tourists, but if you go late in the afternoon, it becomes quite peaceful, even on a Saturday.
For #sacredsunday , curated by +Manfred Berndtgen, +Robyn Morrison, +Chatchai Rombix, +Sherrie von Sternberg, +Steve Barge, +Justin Hill and  +Carolyn St.Charles.

2012-10-18 14:47:16 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 14 +1s)

200m
For +Scott Thomas' #inmotionthursday .  

2012-10-16 15:00:30 (7 comments, 1 reshares, 24 +1s)

Photography is Fun
Even this subject thought so.  He was quite delighted to be interrupted working on this field when we passed, and quite delighted to be photographed.  Obviously.

For +Laura Balc's #portraittuesday .

2012-10-14 05:12:09 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 17 +1s)

Lighting incense

Tin Hau temple, Kowloon.  For #sacredsunday , curated by 
+SacredSunday™ , +Manfred Berndtgen , +Robyn Morrison ,  +Chatchai Rombix , +Justin Hill ,  +Steve Barge , +Carolyn St.Charles , +Sherrie von Sternberg

2012-10-10 16:26:41 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 17 +1s)

Tying his turban
In follow up to yesterday's post, more turbans being tied.  In this case I feel the mother's presence (and smile) justified posting it to #womenwednesday , curated by +Athena Carey, +Niki Aguirre, +Christina Lawrie, +Lee Daniels, +Kerry Murphy, and +Teresa Stover.

2012-10-09 14:34:39 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 20 +1s)

Turban
Fitting a turban before the procession.  I had no idea what an intricate and lengthy job that is, at least for these ceremonial turbans.

For +Laura Balc's #portraittuesday .

2012-10-08 15:41:29 (10 comments, 1 reshares, 15 +1s)

Disturbed
And quite forceful.  No way I was going to get closer.  (And yes, this was pretty close - a minor crop at 28mm, or 45mm or so in full frame equivalent.)  There are signs at the entrance to this Hong Kong Country Park warning about not feeding the "Feral Moneys".  Feral he was, and as for not feeding, maybe bigger bins with child-proof lids are in order.

I believe (from minimal research) this may be a Rhesus Macaque, but someone who actually knows about that ( #monkeymonday  curators +Alex Lapidus, +Sandy Schepis?) may want to confirm or correct me:-)

I haven't posted for a long time to #monkeymonday , mostly because my best snow monkey shots are all posted, and I thought there weren't any fresh opportunities around.  Wrong, Hong Kong has big green areas, some with monkeys.

2012-10-07 13:31:16 (9 comments, 1 reshares, 20 +1s)

Prayer
Or is it gratitude?
Either way, I had to share this second shot of this woman in the Sikh temple, and I think it fits #SacredSunday quite well.
Curators: +Manfred Berndtgen, +Robyn Morrison, +Sherrie von Sternberg, +Steve Barge and (I'm noticing new names) +Chatchai Rombix and +Justin Hill 

By the way (gear note) both shots are with the new Canon 40mm pancake lens.  Highly recommended.  Crisp.  Tiny (barely bigger than the rear lens cap).  Cheap (as far as lenses go).  
And when I say crisp - the previous shot of this woman was not totally sharp (the focus missed her eyes and got her veil instead).  But it is so crisp that you need to pixel peep at 100% to even see it.  I can live with that:-)

2012-10-06 16:13:13 (5 comments, 1 reshares, 29 +1s)

Dusk on Hong Kong
Same place, pretty much, and same day as yesterday's post.  But a little after sunset.  Which was not very spectacular at all - lost in the haze.  The drama came afterwards.

For +Dirk Heindoerfer' #saturdaynightlight .

2012-10-05 15:03:44 (6 comments, 1 reshares, 22 +1s)

Going to watch the sunset
This not particularly pretty alley at Harbour City mall in Kowloon looked pretty good in the light just before sunset.  The nice reflection on the right is an industrial airconditioning duct, for example.  But in this light even HK smog (oh, sorry, humidity) is nice.

2012-10-04 15:14:51 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

Gatka
Continuing my current thread of shots from the Sikh temple last Monday, here's an action shot of Gatka (Sikh martial arts).   Minimal motion blur, but enough for me to post it to +Scott Thomas' #inmotionthursday .

2012-10-04 13:07:50 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 23 +1s)

Sikh Woman
Another one (and not the last either) of my visit to the Khalsa Diwan Sikh Temple.    She was sitting in the doorway of the prayer hall, and I was hesitant to interrupt her, and reluctant to just shoot.  But she looked my way, and when I smiled and pointed to my camera, she nodded, and gave me (or the camera) this look.

And what a look it is.  I have no idea where to start (or what I am making up and what is really there, for that matter).  
Nevertheless, this seemed an appropriate shot for #womenwednesday , curated by +Niki Aguirre, +Athena Carey, +Lee Daniels, +Kerry Murphy, +Teresa Stover, and +Christina Lawrie.

2012-10-02 15:36:59 (5 comments, 3 reshares, 23 +1s)

Ready for the Procession
Yesterday I visited the Sikh Temple in Wan Chai with a local Meetup group (Hong Kong Photography Club).  This kid had just been dressed up for a procession for the birth anniversary of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev ji.  And he wasn't totally fed up with the swarm of photographers that had descended.

Love the hands in this one (his and his mother's).

For +Laura Balc's #portraittuesday . 

2012-09-29 08:32:08 (15 comments, 1 reshares, 37 +1s)

Sunset on Victoria Harbour
A couple of weeks ago, from a boat heading back to Hong Kong Central Piers.

2012-09-27 15:36:15 (9 comments, 6 reshares, 39 +1s)

Wild Light
Third and final in a series of three 'zoomed' images from the Peak in Hong Kong.  I am not a 100% sure about this one - a bit busy for my taste, really.  Self-inflicted though, it's a composite of two images, each with unfortunate gaps caused by lights moving or changing colour at wrong moment.

What do you think?

Last time (for now) too I am bending the rules of +Scott Thomas' #inmotionthursday .

2012-09-25 16:33:49 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 10 +1s)

In Tai O
Another stern, posed look, and another one where I don't mind.  
For +Laura Balc's #portraittuesday .

2012-10-02 15:15:21 (9 comments, 1 reshares, 21 +1s)

In Prayer
Another quick post (mea maxima culpa)...
For #sacredsunday  curated by +Manfred Berndtgen, +Robyn Morrison, +Margaret Tompkins and +Sherrie von Sternberg.