When visiting Delhi, be sure and take a walkabout in old Delhi near Jama Masjid, the huge historical mosque that is the cornerstone of this district.  The small alleys and streets are teeming with people, animals and every means of transportation one can imagine.  It exudes atmosphere and is chockful of opportunities to practice your documentary photography.  Remember, it is difficult to perfectly compose every shot as life in this neighborhood is dynamic, so focus on capturing life on the streets, imperfections and all.

Although you may feel uncomfortable on some of these streets due to the lack of tourists, the streets are safe and the people open to having their photographs taken.  If you feel some discomfort, move on.  There’s always someone else to shoot.  Also remember, approaching people with a smile and openness goes a long way.

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

Congested streets

A frown here but really friendly later.

Hidden by merchandise.

Old Delhi restaurant.

Over the years I’ve traveled (and lived for a year) to Delhi, some of the best places to attempt photographs are in the market areas that are teeming with people, rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and other contributors to congestion.  Sometimes it is difficult to shoot from street level for the very reason you visit there, the mass of humanity.  Early on, I decided that one of the best vantage points is the human-powered rickshaw.  Not only do you rise above the commotion, you also have an unimpeded view of the street life.  This becomes even more important if you find yourself in a narrow alley.  If you attempt to walk the alley, you have to worry about being run over by every means of transportation.  The rickshaw changes all that.

This series of photos was taken near the Jama Masjid mosque in old Delhi.

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

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

With Fullerton Hotel in background.

If you’ve followed my blog, you know that I love walking the bridges along the Singapore River.  From the Esplanade to Clarke Quay and beyond, I find myself walking this route every time I visit Singapore.   I’m not a fan of making this jaunt during the day.  But at night, well, that’s different. Most of the bridges are lit by auxiliary lights that vary in color.  Between these lights and the reflection of city lights on the water, an ordinary river by day becomes a magical stream at night.

The subject of this posting, the Cavanagh Bridge, a pedestrian suspension span crossing near the magnificent Fullerton Hotel, was built in the 19th Century and is a tribute to the Scottish company that designed and built it.  The setting is spectacular, being accented by the tall modern skyscrapers in the background.

Photos taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

Bathed in blue.

Narrow perspective.

And now in red.

Red and narrow.

Along the river.

At the mouth of the Singapore River

There are many beautiful and historic bridges over the Singapore River with the oldest dating back to the late 19th Century.  All the bridges are well-lit and make for spectacular photographs at night.  This particular bridge, though neither old nor historic is at the mouth of the river and joins the Esplanade to the small seaside park where the Merlion, the mythical creature of Singapore, statue resides.  Because of this magnificent setting, the area is quite beautiful in an urban sense.  The arched supports of the concrete bridge structure with its perfect lighting placement are suggestive of sea waves and evokes a sense of calm and tranquility.

Using an ultra wide-angle lens can be perplexing so my style is to shoot the scene assymetric, bringing some part of the  object(s) forming the mid or background into the foreground.  Or finding an object in the foreground to draw the eye to the image.  The key is to experiment with the UWA.

Photos taken with a Nikon D700 and Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 zoom lens.

Perspective enhanced by ultra-wide angle lens.

From the other side.

Partial view of the Esplanade.

Man in the dark.

Sitting at the outdoor theatre on the Esplanade

The Esplanade at the mouth of the Singapore River is popular with both Singaporeans and visitors.  From those looking to just chill out and take in the views to lovers holding hands and walking along the wide sidewalks, a photographer can find many subjects to shoot.  It doesn’t matter if it’s night or day, there are plenty of visitors.  From this vantage point, you also have a great view of the Singapore skyline.  On this trip, we walked along the Singapore River from the Esplanade to Clarke Quay, a distance of about 5 kilometers.  Besides terrific opportunities to shoot people, there are seven bridges, numerous vintage buildings and skyscrapers.  And don’t forget the reflection of these sights on the waters of the river.

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

Studying with the iPod.

Lost in the PSP world.

Two in contact, one not.

And from the other side.

Green, blue and orange. And red.

Look for people working.

People are sometimes apprehensive to photograph people on the street.  To become more comfortable, aspiring photographers should consider different ways to overcome their shyness.  Several weeks ago, I recommended shooting food stalls in close proximity to people.  In doing so you can build up your confidence while shooting in public.

Another exercise calls for you to photograph people going about their work.  That’s what I’ve done in this series of photos.  Not only does this make for interesting shots, working people tend to be occupied going about their work and therefore they generally do not pay attention to you.   One word of caution.  Be careful when photographing police or military in some countries as levels of paranoia post 9/11 has created a bit of suspicion.

All photos taken in Hong Kong with a Nikon D700 and either a Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom or Sigma 150mm f/2.8 macro lens.

Unloading beer

Too preoccupied to notice

Three phones on the dash

Ignored except by me

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

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

Main Street

In May, my friends and I made a trip from Siem Reap, the location of Angkor Wat, to the village of Kampong Kleang on the Tonle Sap, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia.  The Tonle Sap with its reversing water flow, depending on the season, is one of the great wonders of the world.  Any visit to Angkor Wat should include travel to this lake.  On the way there we passed this hamlet that this time of year was high and dry.  By mid-June the situation changed as the lake waters rose to a level just below the top rung of the stairs.  The 18 foot rise in the water level signaled the beginning of the wet season.

Thatch house

We stopped at this village to take a quick walk through town and found that it was difficult to leave as the people were very friendly, walking with us.  Mainly it was the children who shadowed our every move, yelling “good-bye” nonstop.  On those days when you are tired of visiting temples, you might consider a trip to the Tonle Sap.  With a stop or two in a village like this one.

Photos taken with a Leica M8 and Summicron 35mm f/2 lens.

Behind Main Street

Can't miss it.

Followed us around town

Curious