Puffing Away

Power vaping???? 35mm, f/9, 1/200s, ISO 800

A Newari man in Khokana village on the outskirts of Kathmandu, Nepal smoking a traditional bong/pipe. The village is a living museum, and despite showing damage from the 2015 quake, the people are still living in those traditional houses in the village.

Reflection of Life on Dal Lake

What is Srinagar in Kashmir without Dal Lake? A forlorn, dusty, and tired town. And what is Dal Lake without its human inhabitants? A ring that has lost its jewels, deplete of its gleam and glitter.

The people and their colourful shikaras, with the trinkets and carpets that they sell... they reflect the life and the vitality of the lake; ever moving and ever changing. Just like the pretty clouds that skip over the mountains frame the lake physically, the people of Dal Lake frame and bring out the endearing spirit of the lake.

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加油。。。加油。。。 (Come on)

加油。。。加油。。。 (Come on, come on - literally meaning add
fuel) 60mm, f/6.3, 1/80s, ISO1000

The photo above was taken at a Datuk Kong temple celebration in Klang, Selangor Malaysia. The bed of charcoal was lit for a fire walking ceremony in conjunction with the deity's birthday celebration that ran for three days.

Smoke... the veil between the realms

Reaching from other side...
(130mm, f/6.3, 1/100s, ISO1250)

Smoke... the veil between the realms' is a black and white essay that revolves around the use of smoke, incense and kemenyan (gum benjamin) during spirit medium consultations and trances. The smoke here appears to the photographer as the thin veil between the realm of the living and the other side, with objects being passed over smoke to bring out the magical, mystical properties of the spirit world. Hence the smoke represents the gateway that the medium breaches through and back, connecting both worlds.

Incense and smoke is a common denominator in many religious practices. Whether it is agarwood, frankincense, gum benjamin or a concoction of psychoactive herbs,  they have been employed as a means of offering, purification or a way to reach the other world

Menurun.... (Going into trance) (35mm, f/6.3, 1/50s, ISO1000)

Memotong... Tongue cutting for blood to write talisman.
(65mm, f/6.3, 1/50s, ISO1250)

Besides smoke, various acts and objects are always associated with trances, especially with local deity trances. Issuance of talismans, whether they are paper talismans written with ink or blood, or objects like limes, consultation on personal matters, 4-digit lottery numbers and even traditional healing remedies, all which requires the use of smoke to sanctify or empower it.

Menanya(kan soalan)... Consultation with the medium.
(18mm, f/5.6, 1/80, ISO640)

Faces - Teochew puppet and puppeteer

Look there... Teochew puppet and puppeteer
100mm, 1/60s,  f/6, ISO1000.

Fire Me Up

Firing up a hot air balloon at Penang Hot Air Balloon Fiesta 2016. 27mm, 1/50s,  f/5, ISO800

The Face of Penance... Thaipusam 2015

The Face of Penance... Thaipusam 2015, Penang.
185mm, f/5, 1/320s, ISO 320

Colour, Black & White Collection - Empty Chairs...

A row of chairs set out in front of a stage show for the Hungry Ghost Festival in Ampang, 2015.
Are the chairs empty or are they taken??

The mirrored and B&W version juxtaposed on the strong colour and contrasty image begets us to ask what if what we see may not be all that is there? There could be something else out there, or it is merely a product of our imagination? With the removal of the blue and purple stage lights that clashes with the bright red chairs, it reduces the 'in-your-eye' image to a series of light and dark, and playfully teases the mind to think there could be more than meets the eye in the image... perhaps the shadows belong to someone, or something out there.

Levels and Curves to Photo.Culture.Travelogue

A medium at a temple festival in
Banting

After long deliberation, I have finally made the decision to separate my photography works from my other activities and blog (gardening etc - in Half A Pound of Treacle). Whilst announcements of activities will still be posted over there, the photo stories and commentaries will appear here. In this way, I will have more flexibility, especially in terms of time, to tell the story behind the pictures.

The original name for the blog (Levels and Curves) tells the nature of the blog, that is the play of levels and curves, brightness and contrast, hue and saturation that makes up a visual image. And with that visual image, the author spins a tale to tell the audience. However, after some consideration, I decided to make it less heavy and more fun, hence:

Photo.Culture.Travelogue