A 'place' I have visited

nipitiri — Sun, 2 Jun 2013 05:24:33 GMT

When I see a lovely picture there’s usually two things I’d like to do – to go there and see for myself and to learn how this picture was taken.
Going out of the city is a good way to switch off, get away from the noise and visual pollution of the urban life. I’m rather grumpy getting up early but forget all about it seeing the changing light of sunrise and listening how day birds take over from the night birds. Taking pictures of the scenery is a way to show other people what they miss staying at home and sleeping. It’s not always so straight forward to get to the greatest views, sometimes it takes a couple of days walking in the forest or paddling on a river or climbing up a mountain. It has always been worth it. And bad weather is a challenge not an obstacle.
I’ve been to many different countries but have started to appreciate the North more and more. It doesn’t feel like home in the South. A jungle in Laos or a desert in Iran are magnificent but not ’my own’. After seeing the Northern Lights and hiking alone through Lapland during polar day I have some northern island on my wish list – Island, Spitsbergen and Greenland. The art of this harsh climate is something special.

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

nipitiri — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 04:47:00 GMT

Yangtang is a small village west of Leh, the capital of Ladakh. In Himalayan villages there is the tradition of festivals. The festival in Yangtang is held in mid-July and the ten families there take turns organizing the event. They gather together, wearing traditional costumes, dance, listen to music, drink lots of salt tea and chang - local beer. Not much is happening, people just enjoy being together. The young generation uses the opportunity to flirt... Music shifts between traditional and disco. The party is out when chang is finished. A tired trekker is also welcome in this very homely atmosphere and there is a warm peaceful feeling everywhere, even despite the low temperatures in the evening. A thing about Ladakh, that fascinates a visitor, is the sincere and unconditional friendliness of local people. It leaves one with longing to go back. When traveling to distant places and noticing different ways of life, I sometimes wish I had a camera in my eye in order to catch and remember pictures that either disappear too quickly or where it would ruin the mood if someone takes out a camera. There are mainly two abilities that I would like to learn: taking pictures without interfering too much into peoples lives and being quick even in difficult conditions to capture the moment that I see. With landscape it is a bit easier - it doesn't pose or turn away but there are other challenges like the weather or constantly changing light. I'd also like to find out if being a photographer on assignment does limit one's creative freedom or the opposite - give new opportunities. It seems to me that it is easier with pictures than with words to make people realize how similar they are, even if they look very different. Seeing a great picture should create the curiosity to know more and with knowing more, there would be less hatred.

travel journal

A 'place' I have visited

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry