Every picture tells a story


Enjoying yourself in Japan ya......lovely lovely photos of the birds. :)
 

Encounters at one street corner.

I waited outside the Uniglo shop at the Hakata canal city while my wife and daughter explored the shop.
The frog according to the info tablet brings good luck to individuals and to businesses. So good luck and best wishes to all during this festive period and Merry Christmas to all Christians. For the rest of us it is about Santa Claus.

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There was some road works going on at the side of this pedestrian path, the traffic warden was standing there directing pedestrian and cyclist!

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I noticed this gentleman pasting illegal parking notices on the seats and handlebars of bicycles.

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While he was doing that a cyclist returned to collect his bike. I was expecting some kind of verbal warning from the warden but nothing happened. I was right before the two of them and did not think it was right to shoot a potentially unpleasant encounter. But the situation appeared tense much to the delight of myself and another “traffic warden”. Btw there are designated bicycle parking area.

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I wonder where she is going? Tea ceremony?

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Continue…
 

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Then along came this most delightful group.

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Bye bye and they trod along.

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Hi Daoyin , thanks for dropping by and the encouragement!
Chee Wei, glad you like my bird bird fly. Beware of “bombardments” while shooting flocks of bird. Maybe one of these days we can go on a japan photo trip together.:bsmilie:

To be continued…
 

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8.Kumamoto, Suizen-ji Joju-en Garden

This is one of the pit stops when visiting Kumamoto. Tucked away somewhere in the city. Like all Japanese gardens, it is always a pleasure to visit. The beautiful and most esthetic gardenscape, and the cool air in winter definitely makes all the difference.

Bonzai.

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"Mt Fuji"

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A carp.

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A family outing, feeding ducks and carps.

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I noticed "photo booths" in the various tourist spots to help visitors record their visit. Maybe the charges vary with use of compact camera, full frame or larger format.

Photographer at work.

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Visiting gardens is always a treat for the senses and the mind. I take away more than just photos when i leave.
to be continued...
 

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The year is coming to a close.

I had loads of fun with my camera. Brought out a new perspective in how i see things and also how others see the world around them. Most important made some friends in the process. Chee Wei and Hak Wee, i look forward to more photo ops with you guys in 2014!

A most enjoyable 2013.

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Wondering what 2014 holds?

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What is in the horizon?

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For a start, i look forward to my daughter's photos during her one month stay in Kathmandu. (jealous)

Happy New Year to all.:cheers:

I look forward to your stories. Thank you very much.
 

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Looking forward too Teng Kiat, have a happy new year! :)
 

Kumamoto castle.

One of the many beautiful castles of Japan though some parts of it were reconstructed in recent years.
There were some people dressed up as period actors wandering around the courtyard.

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Ignored...all dressed up for nothing, argh...

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So pretty,I want a kimono.

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From the sightseeing standpoint, apart from the castle i'll give this city a miss except, it is the pit stop before setting off to Mt.Aso the next day.
Of course, pit stop means more sashimi...

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and some more, have more uni whenever you are in Japan, so good and inexpensive!

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Hak Wee, be seeing you guys soon.

to be continued...
 

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Unzen at night.

Sunset at Unzen.

Not as dramatic as i hoped. Bring torch when you decide to go up a hill during dusk, it gets dark pretty quickily. I literally lit up the path with my nightcore 860 lumen torch for a few fellow visitors who were caught in the dark.

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Plenty of washing to do.

Dinner at ryokan means Japan hour moments. Always a feast for the eyes. Food seems to taste a lot better during moments like this.

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Moon and shifting clouds.

After dinner i decided to venture out to take in the mountain air.
It didn't feel windy where i stood but my fingers were nicely numbed by the cold mountain air.
Standing there all by myself, i actually enjoyed these short moments of solitude out in the cold.

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The local fire station and a picture to keep the fire burning on cold nights.
I noticed more fire station than police box during the few days i was driving around.

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Fumes rising from the bowels of Mother Earth.

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continue...
 

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Moonlit Unzen night.

Unzen is one of the mountain onsen resorts. I would recommend a visit to this place.

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We stayed at a fairly traditional ryokan, Yumei Hotel.

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I would very much like to bring you shots from the onsen but i best leave it to your imagination. Here are some points to help with the visualisation. Here goes, think middle age men stark naked squatting in front of fortunately, fogged mirror,pouring buckets of water over their bodies. Then think men lying in pool of hot water with a small white towel on head. If you like to expand on this, think men climbing out of the pool of hot water. Think hot. Think also relaxed and calm.

to be continued...
 

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how are these 3 pics i took? got feel?

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Hi paulboh87,

Thanks for dropping by with your images. I have included your images for easy viewing.

As for "got feel?" Since you asked.
I see a photo of a person sitting down, an OOF photo of a woman and child and a photo of a woman watering her field. We all interpret photographs based on our own experiences and through our own eyes, without a title and caption or a story that is all i see(feel).
Why did you take the pictures and what were you feeling when you took the pictures. Do you have a story to tell? If so i like to hear it.
I like my own photographs to have elements in the foreground, middle ground , background, And if non of these exists i like to know the background story.

Here's "The chef (background), the diners (middle ground) and the queue (foreground)"

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or "Yatai". A make shift food stall set up at night in the streets of a Japanese city like Fukuoka. Life must be pretty tough for the owner of a yatai, rushing to set up stall in the early part of the evening and dissassembling the whole setup at the end of business only to redeploy again tomorrow. He even has an asistant. Sounds exciting?
Here my foreground are the boxes , middle ground is the makeshift tent and background are the buildings of the city.
Same photo but 2 different feel depending on my story.

I hope that answers your question. This is just my own personal view, yours or others may be different.

Anyone else care to offer an opinion? i like to hear it too. Thank you.

Your photos, your stories.

I look forward to your stories. Thank you very much.
 

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hmm so i guess the pic wasnt impactful enough.

anyway the first pic was in a village, was walking around until i saw this old lady by the side of her house washing her feet out in the open. that old rugged look from farming in the early morning and the olden style wooden bucket really stands out to me. hardly see scenes like this in the big city, really commendable for her age to be out in the field working then coming back home to wash her feet from all the mud

2nd pic oof was my fault. was walking and taking pic. it was a scene about a begger and her child begging on the streets in bkk. i found it a very nice special moment about life. the mum might not be good looking but she is beautiful for trying to make a living for her child. the child being a child has no concept of any reality. was very beautiful when i saw him playing with the begging cup and accidentally throw it too far.

3rd pic was self explanatory. a lady working in the farm. wanted to show case how tiring it is. walking in the muddy waters for so many miles while tending to the farm. really makes you appreciate the food on your table. somebody out there sweat for it
 

A walk with Lord Murugan.

Thaipusam.

A day of giving thanks to Lord Murugan and fulfilling vows. Lord Murugan represents virtue, youth and power to Hindus and is the destroyer of evil.

It all starts with a prayer session at home. Prayers were answered and vows to honour Lord Murgan will be fullfilled.

Preparing the altar.

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Looking on.

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The dhoti(waist cloth) plays a very important part in in protecting the devotee . The kavadi is supported via a belt resting on a tightly wound piece of dhoti around the waist. Struts then extend from this belt to support the rest of the kavadi. The other support rests on the shoulder. Then comes the spikes on the body...

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Marking the body. Symbolises welcoming Lord Murgan into you.

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Gift of joy.

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continue...
 

Blessing the wooden shoes with nails and walking stick. He vows to complete the last part of the journey walking on these shoes. The walking stick offers some comfort in easing the pressure on the soles for the last leg of the journey.

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Invitation to Lord Murugan.

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Prayers.

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Receiving blessings from parents too.
Besides gratitude to your God, expressing gratitude to parents and loved ones is just as important.

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continue...
 

Then comes the day of Thaipusam.

Preparing the kavadi's structure.
Sounds of chants and smell of incense flooded the temple ground.
Blessings and prayers before the start of the walk.

Helping hands. Ties that bind.
Securing the dhoti to the waist requires the help of three other men. Two to tie the dhoti tight.
One to offer a shoulder to stabilise the stance.

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Crowning glory.
To carry Lord Murugan on his shoulder.

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111 little reminders of the sacrifice to Lord Murugan.
Don't worry i think Lord Murugan has got his back covered.

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And finally a soothing touch before the start of journey.

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continue...
 

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Stepping out to begin the journey.
(Image is brought to you courtesy of me doing a cheek to cheek with Mother Earth. And my dp1m rose to the occasion! On a lighter note, talk about stepping out in style!)

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Setting off after descending the steps of the temple. Thaipusam is always celebrated on the first full month in the month of Thai.
(So it is no coincidence that there is a moon, whenever there is a moon i would try to include it in my photo. Gives it a better feel)

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A beautiful night for a walk with Lord Murugan and his children.

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Some rituals observed along the way.
Breaking a coconut symbolises breaking away one's ego in order to receive Lord Murugan with a purity of heart.
There is also the tossing of lime to ward off evil, afterall Lord Murugan is the destroyer of evil.

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Walking with Lord Murugan. In the company of family and friends.
To me the this is the true spirit of Thaipusam.

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continue...
 

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There were other devotees too.

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When you are at peace with Lord Murugan, there is even time for a photograph.
Raj, may your star shine brightly on you and your family and friends.

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Singing praises to the glory of Lord Murugan.

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continue...
 

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The final steps.

After a period of soul searching, the journey's end is near.
The last part of the journey will be completed walking on a bed of nails,

(A journey like this has behind it the support of family and friends, the trolley shaded by Raj's shadow is part of the logistic chain hence i did not move it out of the way when i shot this.)

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to fulfill a vow for a gift of joy.

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one more step.

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continue...
 

A final offering of milk and vow fulfilled.

Raj and his private moment with Lord Murugan.

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I like to thank and am grateful to Raj and his family for letting me into a private moment of his life and allowing me to share his journey on this thread.

From all of them, i have a better understanding and gained a greater respect for the Hindu faith and the Hindu festival of Thaipusam.

On a lighter note, i too bared my sole on this journey and thoroughly enjoyed the night out with my new a7r partnering Nikkor 50mm, f1.4 using up to ISO6400 comfortably and my trusty dp1m, which surprisingly worked well at ISO800, Although a bit grainy. And of course the company of Hak Wee.

paulboh87, at least now i have an idea of what you were thinking about and why you took your picture.

I look forward to your stories. Thank you very much.
 

You're too kind Teng Kiat. The pleasure was all mine and I have to thank u instead. Great pics and a wonderful storyline my friend. :)
 

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