I was recently commissioned by B-Inspired Magazine (the in-flight title of Brussels Airlines) to shoot a story they put together on Ghana, being a part of the world I’d never visited before I was intrigued and stayed on after the … Continue reading
After Mandalay I caught a bus north to Hsipaw. Leaving the popular tourist route behind, this was a week spent in a tranquil, rural area of Burma. I hired a motorcycle and explored the local area, shooting every dawn and dusk.
Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
Buddhist nuns collecting alms in the early morning near Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
Hsipaw Morning Market, Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
Novice Budhist Monks working on land, Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
Sunrise over Lake, Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
Sunrise through misty woods near Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
Sunrise over Lake, Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
Sunset over Paddy fields near Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
Man working in Paddy fields near Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
Farmer leading Water Buffalo home for evening, Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
People working in Paddy fields near Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
People working in Paddy fields near Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
Hsipaw Morning Market, Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
Hsipaw Morning Market, Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
Hsipaw Morning Market, Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
Hsipaw Morning Market, Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
Young Novice monks waiting for alms at petrol station, Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
Exterior of Pagoda at twilight, Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
Portrait of Klatha, Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
Man weaving Bamboo basket, Hsipaw, Shan State, Myanmar, Asia
So, finally into Bolivia – its only a few hours from Puno, Peru to Copacabana (the Brazilian one was named after this town on the shores of Lake Titicaca), Bolivia. You go over a land border in which you get your exit visa stamped into your passport on the Peruvian side and then walk 20 yards to the Bolivian side to get a Bolivian entry visa stamped in (I forgot to ask for a longer 60 day one so will probably have to pay a small fine when I leave Bolivia as will have slightly overstayed the 30 day visa granted).
After checking into my hotel and failing to get a decent internet connection I headed into town and starting getting amongst it. This is the Bolivian weekly ritual of blessing ones vehicles (known as Ch’alla) in which families bring their car up to the Plaza in front of the Cathedral to decorate their drive with flowers, ribbons and douse it in alcohol (plenty of which is usually left over).
In a few days the Fiesta de la Virgen de Candelaria would begin, I was here to shoot it but until it began I could content myself photographing the Jetties, Ch’alla and paying a visit to the beautiful Isla del Sol…
Weekly ritual of blessing vehicles known as ‘Ch’alla’ outside the Cathedral, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
Traditional Bolivian dish of Trout with chips and rice, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
Table football tables, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
Copacabana Beach in the late afternoon, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
Jetty on Cobacabana Beach at dusk, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
Lone boat in water, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
View from Cerro Calvario of Copacabana at dusk, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
View from Cerro Calvario of Copacabana at dusk, Copacabana, Lake Titicaca, Bolivia
Day one in Lima, fog lingers over the city throughout the morning. During my first exploration I find little in the Miraflores area of interest. A visit to Huaca Pucllana provides distraction for an hour but this is a modern, … Continue reading
The final few days of the trip, Kep, (which is on the south coast of Cambodia) was the perfect place to kick back, relax in the sea air and enjoy the local seafood at the fantastic local restaurant (The Sailing … Continue reading
On a day exploring the island we were lucky enough to stumble across this Chinese New Year festival, near Lamai Beach. On the south you can find palm fringed, unspoilt beaches like this one, with a relaxed tropical atmosphere. Back … Continue reading
Last December I took a friend down to see the rugged beauty of the Cornish coast. As well the chance to show an American this stunning part of the world it was also an opportunity to see how my new … Continue reading
From Vang Vieng we headed north (to set things right) to Luang Prabang. This beautiful city was made a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995 and I’ve got to say its one of my favourite cities in Asia, (by English standards having … Continue reading
Kimmeridge, Dorset, England
5 Secs at F20, iso100, 40mm on a 24-70 Nikon
Sunset at Kimmeridge in the winter months is a popular spot for Dorset’s booming populace of landscape photographers. I shot it many times when I was still based in the county but I’d never got anything of this view looking west up the coast I was satisified with.
Some free time in my hometown earlier this year gave me the opportunity to achieve the shot I’d always wanted, the weather was looking changeable – always worth heading out on these klind of days. Being a weekday and an early sunset meant I wouldn’t be battling for tripod space with hordes of other photographers, just a few surfers returning from the water for company. I set up further back from the shore than I’d usually be because I wanted to work a longer focal length and bring the distant horizon and cliffs into the frame. (Also meant the camera didn’t get its usual salt wash!), filters – easy – we’re going with a Neutral Density Graduated Lee 0.9 to hold back the sky and an 6 Stop ND to give the long exposure blurring the water. Got this frame just before the sun came under the cloud and got too strong to handle.
5 Secs at F20, iso100, 52mm on a 24-70 Nikon
The game pauses for 20 minutes while the sun moves through that gap, when it gets back to those low clouds just above the horizon we can shoot again, the clouds are blocking enough of it. Same sort of exposure and filter setup as before, this time I’m showing more of the cliffs on the right side, liking the strong cloud lineup and the diagonals from the rocks leading out into the water. With this kind of shoot the sun is moving fast and the light changing all the time – you need to know where you’re shooting from and stick with it, there isn’t time to be moving or fiddling with equipment.
The sun drops lower and I opt for a wider view, including more of the foreground rocks and shore, I don’t want to go too wide here as the rocks are so dark that they may have little interest in the final composition. However the geology close to the water is getting splashed and the reflections are picking up hints of the sunset above so they’re gonna work nicely. Same sort of filter and exposure setup, watch the highlights / histogram – just a tiny bit flashing around the sun, thats OK we can pull that back later. Job done..
BEN PIPE PHOTOGRAPHY 