Angkor Wat-140810153847-476

One of the highlights on our trip to Cambodia was the temple of Angkor Wat. The History of this Khmer temple was literally written all over it's walls. Angkor Wat was created as a Hindu temple despite that it is now populated by Buddhist Monks Angkor Wat

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Not only from the writings, engravings & pictures but also from the Scars left on the buildings. Here are some photos of Bullet holes remaining from a time when the Khmer Rouge occupied Angkor Wat 

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Every part of the temple seemed to be covered with Engravings

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Hundreds of stories line the walls. The details permanently etched into the stone were quite incredible to see.

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Lots of this artwork has been lucky to survive vandalism, theft and pure carelessness. The picture below shows where tourist keep touching scriptures on the walls for luck which will be eventually worn away.

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Many of the statues where beheaded and smuggled overseas. This was still occuring as late as the 1980's

Angkor Wat-13 Holes are left in the walls where gold and jewels once were.

Angkor Wat-8 One of the main statues in the entrance was also beheaded but the head was recovered and the statue was restored

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In fact a lot of the temple was in the process of restoration.

Angkor Wat-19 The size of this place was staggering. Here are one of the pools inside the walls

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There was many buildings along with the temples. This building below was a Library.

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According to our guide, there was once a Jewel atop the tallest point the size of a coconut that would catch the light. This would have been a sight to see.

Angkor WatThis photo is one of the default must do's when photographing Angkor Wat. Angkor Wat-25 May Tourist visit Angkor Wat each day and seeing the scale of the size, history, details and craftsmanship of this place it's not hard to understand why.

Tourists at Angkor WatThousands of Tourist visit this magnificent Temple every day. Angkor Wat really is a wonder to see.

I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to explore this wonder and would suggest it to anyone that has half a chance of going to do the same.

Till next time

Trav

Day 2-140806060315-425 It was on a road that I would not have taken my Scooter down if I had one but our guide had no problem with getting us there.

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It was well worth the bumpy ride though as getting to see how these friendly, welcoming people spend there lives was quite amazing.  Day 2-5 Day 2-6 These guys had just come back from a morning on the water. Unfortunately I didn't get to see what they caught.
Day 2-7 Day 2-8 Day 2-9 One thing that did surprise me was the amount of litter on the ground but they seemed content with it so I wasn't about to Judge. Day 2-12 Day 2-14 There was plenty of children there, all happy to see us. Day 2-13

Day 2-15 Day 2-16 She almost ended up on the ground as they rushed her. Day 2-17 Day 2-18

Despite the look of the place it was remarkable to see that they still had satellite tv. All the men were gathered around to watch it.  Day 2-10 Our Guide explained to us that it was a form of Boxing that they were watching. Day 2-20

This was an experience that I will never forget and really goes to show how much is out there if you just venture a bit further than the standard guided tours.

Till next time.

Trav

Most of the photos were taken from the hotel Balcony so it worked out well that it had a great view. These were taken at different times of the day with a couple of different lenses in different weather conditions.

Morning at Airlie Beach Airlie Beach Airlie Beach Airlie Beach Airlie Beach Airlie Beach The Port of Airlie could also be seen from our hotel Airlie Beach Airlie Beach Not all the photos were from the Hotel. We did make it to the foreshore Airlie Beach Airlie Beach Airlie Beach On the way home we also called into a Marina in Cannonvale Airlie Beach Airlie Beach Airlie Beach I hope you like these images as much as I enjoyed taking them.

I know it has been a while since my last Blog but I'm expecting to get them out a bit more regularly, I still have more Cambodian images to put you through. :)

Till next time.

Trav

On 17 April 1975 the Khmer Rouge captured Phnom Penh and began a 4 year rule that would change Cambodia forever. Pol Pot, the leader of the Khmer Rouge, was born to the name Saloth Sar and was brought up in rural Cambodia. I saw an interview with his brother who simply thought he was missing. It wasn't until he saw some propaganda with his face on it that he realise that his own brother was responsible for the turmoil his country was in. The name Pol Pot was just a nickname which he assumed and was short for Political Potential. After becoming the leader of the Khmer Rouge he strived to execute his terrifying vision of what his country should become. A new beginning in his eyes and declared the year he claimed leadership of Cambodia to be "Year Zero". Under the leadership of Pol Pot the people of Cambodia were force to desert the cities to work the Land. Thousands died of starvation, exhaustion or disease while walking the hundreds of kilometers to find a new homes.  Anyone from a Profession or who was highly educated were imprisoned, tortured and killed. Even simply being well dressed or wearing glasses was enough to incarcerate you.

S21 or Tuol Sleng was a childrens High School before being transformed into a gruesome Security Centre. The front wing was reserved for "special inmates" requiring extreme interrogation. The White Blocks seen in front of the building are the graves of the last Prisoners found dead in their cells after the fall of the Khmer Rouge.

Day 1-25 Here is one of the cells from the front wing with a bed, leg shackles and ammo boxes that was used as a toilet Day 1-9 Listed below are the rules of the prison which were strictly enforced. Day 1-8 Old Schoolyard equipment was sinisterly repurposed to torture victims. Once used for children's exercises, people were suspended upside down and interrogated until they passed out then dunked into the pots filled with dirty water below. Day 1-10 Barbed wire was secured to the front of this building and the rooms divided into smaller cells.  Day 1-11 Day 1-12 Victims forced to sleep on the small hard floors without even the ability to roll over with leg shackles applied even in their Cells  Day 1-13 Day 1-15 Day 1-16 Day 1-14 After the end of the occupation the documented photos of the victims were put on display for family members searching to find what became of their loved ones.  Day 1-17 Day 1-18 Here another one of the many Torture Devices was on display. Victims were fastened to this table as the picture behind explains. Day 1-20 These photos show how big the Prison was. The well maintained ground was a stark contrast of the Cruelty suffered here while it was functioning under the Khmer Rouge.

Day 1-21 Day 1-22 From records found it was thought that around 20,000 people were held here, only 7 survived. This was one of over 150 such facilities throughout Cambodia.

On the way out we had a chance to meet the only 2 living survivors of S21. My wife took the photo below of Chum Mey and I

Day 1-23 Below is the only other surviver Bou Meng. I bought both their books. Day 1-24 Victims of S21, once interrogated, were transported by Truck to Choeung Ek, better known as the Killing Fields. Here they were they were force to kneel in front of mass graves to be kiiled. Execution methods varied but firearms were not used as to not waste ammunition. People bashed, clubed or had their throats cut with Knives and Farming Implements along with what is known as a Palm Knife which is a jaggered tooth like stem from a suger palm leaf. Nearly 9000 bodied of men, women and Children were exhumed here while thousands others still remain. Day 1-2 Day 1 This grave contained women and children. Pot Pot believed it was better to kill 100 innocents than to let 1 "guilty" go free. He also had a philosophy of "Kill the root, don't cut the grass" so whole families were slaughtered so there would be no one to exact revenge for a murdered loved one. Day 1-4 This tree was known as the Killing Tree where Babies and Children were bashed before being thrown into the Grave. Day 1-5 Whilst over looking the Graves our Tour Guide told use the story of his Parents marriage. How Men were lined up on one side and Women on the other then randomly selected. Refusal meant instant death. Solders listened to couples on the night of the wedding to confirm they were "getting along". Any couples that weren't were not given much time to sort things out. After a few days together they were then separated and sent back to work only seeing each other every month or so. Any Children born in these marriages, or Children in general, were removed from the Parents so they would be loyal to the State and not their Families. Day 1-6 As time progressed the Bones and Clothing of the Victims would surface from the ground due to rain, floods and tree growth. Day 1-3 Day 1-7 Walking along the paths you couldn't avoid the bones and clothing that littered the walkways. Day 1 Day 1-2 This Tree was used to hang a Speaker that played Funeral Music to drown out the screams during Executions. After which the Graves were covered in Chemicals that served two purposes. To cover the smell and to make sure that anyone that survived didn't do so for long. Day 1-8 The remains that were exhumed are now housed in a Stupa with different Bones stored on different levels. On the bottom and most visible were the Skulls Day 1-4 Day 1-3 Day 1-5 Choeung Ek was only one of over 400 Killing Fields discovered from that horrendous time in Cambodia's History. It is believed that around 1/4 of the Cambodian population perished in the 4 years of the Khmer Rouge regime. Pol Pot was only ever arrested for the death of a high ranking member of the Khmer Rouge and was sentenced to House Arrest. The Khmer Rouge agree to hand Pol Pot over to an International Tribunal in 1998 but died before being moved. His body was cremated before an autopsy could be performed.   

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After visiting these locations of such inexcusably ghastly inhumanity I can't help but to feel so lucky for the life I have and for never having to be placed in any situation even remotely like this and the fact this happened in my lifetime is almost incomprehensible. I also have so much respect for the Cambodian people who, despite what has happen to them are some of the most friendly, warm and welcoming people I have had the privilege to meet.

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. I know it isn't as bright as my normal blogs but I felt I needed to write it. I promise the next one will be happier.

Till next time.

Trav

Day 2

Entering the Palace grounds we didn't know what to expect
Day 2-2 Our first view was of the Chan Chhaya or Moonlight Pavilion peaking through the trees. Little did we know this was only a glimpse of what was to come

Day 2-3 But after turning the corner the Splendor of the Royal Palace was truely revealed. To the left was the Banquet Hall. Then the Throne Hall was in front of us. It was quite spectacular.
Day 2-5 Day 2-9 Day 2-7 Looking back at the Moonlight Pavilion we could see it in all it's glory along with the vast grounds. Day 2-8 Day 2-10 The details in the buildings was amazing to see. Day 2-11 From there we entered the Silver Pagoda Complex center of which was, you guessed it, the Silver Pagoda or Wat Preah Keo. It is named the Silver Pagoda as the entire floor was covered with solid Silver floor tiles. It was covered in Rugs though so I could only see the tiles in the corners. A lot of the Buildings forbid photos so I don't have any photos inside sorry.  Day 2-12 Day 2-13 Along the walls of the complex is a Mural telling the story of Ramayana, the story of Hinduism. It was painted back in 1903-4 by over 40 Painters and spans the external wall, around 700 meters

Day 2-18 Day 2-17 Day 2-14 Here is another view of the Silver Pagoda and a Detail of one of the doors Day 2-15 Day 2-19 Pegoda's and Halls weren't the only buildings there. Here is the Stupa of King Norodom Day 2-16 In front of the complex were Musicians and displays of days past. Day 2-20 These Silver Elephants were gifts from Generals to the King Day 2-21 Here are some of the apparatus used in the days when Elephants were used as transport. Day 2-22 Our transport was there waiting for us once we finished the tour Day 2-23 On the way back to the Hotel we past the Independence Monument which was built in 1958 to recognise Cambodia's independence from France in 1953. For some reason I just like the Policeman riding his Motorcycle in front. Day 2-24 Well thats my visit to the the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. I hope you enjoyed reading it.

Till next time.

Trav 

To Siem Reap

Day 2-2 The Markets where filled with Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, Meat, Fish still flopping around and Crabs escaping from there buckets. Day 1-5 Day 1 The Streets where completely taken over as could be seen from the roof of the Hotel. Walking through the markets was quite a challenge as even as crowded as it was Scooters were still making their way through. Day 2-5 Directly behind our hotel there was an active lavish temple. Day 1-3 Day 1-4 This Holyman gave us a Blessing in a small temple though judging by his attire I'm not sure of his credentials. He was very happy and friendly however. Day 1-5 Along the River was a large area mainly used for Exercise. Plenty of people were out practicing their Kung Fu along with Joggers etc. Day 1-3

From the Roof of our Hotel we often enjoyed the spectacle over Breakfast

Day 2-4 Despite being in the city local fisherman work and live right along the banks This lady was collecting "Morning Glory" a plant used in cooking. Day 2 This was one of the few examples of Safety I saw in Cambodia but I was not sure it was warranted. He must have thought he was going to land a monster. :) Day 1-6 I spotted a child trying to catch a sparrow. I later learned that the birds are sold to be set free in an effort to gain better Karma Day 1-7 This Gentleman was enjoying a book in front of his Shop. I couldn't resist getting the photo. Day 1-8 The Power Lines are a site to behold in Cambodia. I would hate to be the guy trying to discover a faulty cable.  Day 2-6 Day 2-2 That night we discovered the Night Markets. These are mainly targeted at Tourists selling T-Shirts, Scarves and souvenirs. Day 1-9 After the Night Markets we headed home along the River which was still very active. Tour Boats cruised pasted the moored fishing boats.  Day 1-10 These Kids where performing Dance Routines for the crowds. Not a bad way to end the day. Day 1-11

I hope you enjoyed my first blog from our trip. Stay tuned for more adventures from Cambodia.

Till next time.

Trav

I started by capturing the the lights on the Pier reflecting off the water

Shorncliffe Pier

As the Light increased I was able to use a slow shutter speed to get the motion of the Clouds

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The Clouds started to disperse and the sky's were losing their interest so I tried a different tactic. I overexposed the sky blowing it out and went Black and White. The results were far from my normal style but I think they came out well.

Shorncliffe Pier Shorncliffe Pier-3 Shorncliffe Pier-140705063615 High Key PierA bit different from my normal style but it suited the conditions on the day.

I went back to colour while I explored the area.

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I discovered these Pylons east of the Jetty. They took a bit to get to and it was lucky it was low tide. :)

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As the sun got up higher I tried a HDR image to cover the Dynamic Range required.

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After Photographing the Pier I drove around Cabbage Tree Creek to get this shot of a Trawler.

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I was glad to get these images as it looks like the Pier will be getting a major facelift soon and will never look the same again. I have included the plans for the Renewal below if anyone is interested. 

http://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/facilities-recreation/parks-venues/parks/parks-suburb/shorncliffe-parks/shorncliffe-pier-renewal-project

Till next time.

Trav

Where's my Port?The Wreck of the HMQS Gayundah at Woody Point, Redcliffe. If you like this Photo and want to see more of my work click here HMQS Gayundah-2 HMQS Gayundah-3 HMQS Gayundah-4

I'll wait hereThe Wreck of the HMQS Gayundah at Woody Point, Redcliffe. http://www.grainandcrop.com/landscapes#h10bebc74 I really enjoyed Photographing this wreck and hope to visit again maybe on a high tide. I hope you enjoy them and please let me know what you think.

Till next time.

Trav

While waiting for the sun to come up I managed to take this image of the Bruce Highway

GlassHouse Mtns Unfortunately the clouds were to the east not the west as I was hoping so the sun was blocked. In the mean time I discovered the fog floating through the Pine Trees with Brisbane City in the background.

Fog through the Pineswww.grainandcrop.com

Eventually the Sun came out and I was able to get the images I was after. I was really wanting more clouds behind the Mountains to add a bit more interest but you can only work with what you have. 

GlassHouse Mtns Mt Tibrogargan did light up as I was hoping though.

GlassHouse Mtns-2 I decided to go exploring while there was still good light. I found this road that was a good fore ground for Mt Tibrogargan 

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Mt Beerwah & Mt Coonowrin where also worth a picture GlassHouse Mtns-4 Yet another angle of Mt Tibrogargan 

GlassHouse Mtns-5 Driving around the other side I got some back lit photos

GlassHouse Mtns-3 I stopped by the side of the road to get this one of Mt Beerwah

GlassHouse Mtns-7 And another of Mt Coonowrin

GlassHouse Mtns-8 On the way home I climbed Mt Beerburrum. It was a very steep climb but worth it. It would be worth another trip earlier in the morning. The light was a bit harsh by the time I got there.

GlassHouse Mtns-9 Here is a Panorama from the top of Mt Beerburrum

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The Glasshouse Mountains have the potential of some great images and I feel this definitely wont be the last time I will be there to take pictures 

Till next time.

Trav

I was invited the other day to explore and photograph an abandoned college which, I have to say, was very eerie but a lot of fun. The size of this place was huge and the emptiness was overwhelming. Graffiti covered nearly every wall, vandals had destroyed a lot of the property and what they didn't get mother nature was working on. 

Welcome Walking though these empty halls you couldn't help but wonder about the history of this place. What students had been educated here and what did they go on to achieve. 

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Old School-3 Old School-4 Old School-5 I loved the look of the bent Ceiling Fans in this room, almost as if they had melted over time.

Old School-6 Time and the element had lifted the parquetry floor leaving the ground littered with small pieces of timber.

Old School-7 An X formed by debris kind of felt like a warning.....

Old School-8 Old School-9 Paint cans were just left sitting by the Vandals and Artists work....

Old School-10 Outside, Mother Nature was once again taking back what she had previously owned.

Old School-11 Old School-12 Old School-13 Old School-14 Old School-15 Old School-16 Old School-17 Old School-18 Occasionally some of the artwork really stood out and demanded attention. I wasn't sure if this was originally a work of art done by a student with the Graffiti then incorporating it or not. The Caption at the top lead me to believe so.

Old School-19 Old School-20 Old School-21 Old School-22 I am curious about what discussions may have taken place over this table now covered in Palm leaves

Old School-23 Old School-24 Old School-25 Old School-26 This Courtyard now looks more at home in a Zombie Horror movie. I kept expecting to see one walking up these stairs.

Old School-27 Old School-28 Old School-29 Again another piece of Art. Was it there when this place served as a place of learning?

Old School-30 Old School-31 Old School-32 Old School-33 Old School-34 Old School-35 It was absolutely an amazing experience wondering these halls, a place I would love to revisit. Given the chance again however I would take a Flash. As you could see most of these photos were take outside or near windows. There was plenty more I would have loved to have taken and shown but for the lack of light. Needless to say the power bill wouldn't have been payed in quite sometime. :) 

Till next time.

Trav

UPDATE

It looks like Brisbane City Council has plans to redevelop the site.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/east/key-site-in-seven-hills-gets-new-housing-development-community-centre/story-fni9r0lo-1226965451890?nk=60342b00ff5353672681868239420dd9

CityCat

Being in the middle of the river granted me a new perspective.

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I left around 4:30pm so the light was golden

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Although I was there to take pictures to was nice being on the water and enjoying the ride. It is not a quick trip via CityCat but it is one of the mort relaxing forms of public transport.

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It was great to be able to get this close to the buildings with the water in the foreground.

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The time of day also gave the water nice metallic golden colour which I was not expecting.

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Having both Kookaburra Queens docked was handy however they did blend in more than I was hoping. I probably should have focused on them a bit more.

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The downside to being on the CityCat however was I couldn't just pull up where ever I wanted to. Sometimes I only had a few seconds to get the shot.

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A wide angle lens was definitely required here to get the buildings and the water in frame.

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I did zoom in occasionally though for a bit more detail.

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The time had come to move on from the city now as I moved further down river 

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Under the Story Bridge was a view I had seen many times before when Paddling Outrigger Canoes but this was the first time I have been able to photograph it.

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The City behind the bridge has been Photographed extensively but it is slightly different from on the water

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This is the Bulimba Ferry Terminal. I imagine it has been there for some time. I particularly like the old clock on top.

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I stayed on the CityCat right to Brett's Wharf but I lost too much light so I didn't get much more after Bilimba but I hope you enjoyed the pictures I did take.

Till next time.

Trav

Taylah

I wasn't overly happy with the results from the flash and after a couple of shots we put the umbrella away. It was an overcast day and the light was quite soft naturally. By using what was at hand I could give it some direction. Our first spot was in a rotunda and by having my model stand in the entrance it shaped the light towards her beautifully.

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We moved on from the rotunda and found a small bridge over a creek with some trees near by which had some potential.

Taylah-8 It's amazing to see how even an overhanging tree can redirect the light. Once I started noticing this it really improved my photos. The Park offered many other opportunities as well. I discovered a bench nestled between some reeds that created an great backdrop.

Taylah-12 The park was also covered with some beautiful trees that can be used in many different ways. I used this one to frame the photo. I think it turned out well. :)

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Another feature of this park was a Sea Scout Hall. Out the front of it was a big old Anchor which I used in this shot.

Taylah

I love discovering new places to take photos and with portraits it's even easier as you bring your subject with you. With some practice I learned to make the most of the environment at hand. It was a fun day and as always it is even better when I can learn more about the skill of photography and put it to use.

All in all everyone had a great time and my friend was very happy with results. 

Till next time.

Trav

Tuesday morning was an early 4.30am start. With the camera bag packed, I headed down to the Gold Coast Seaway before the sun rose. 

As the sun rose, the skies were clear (I admit I was slightly disappointed as I prefer some clouds in the sky to give the images some character - personal preference). The first location for the day was the sand piping jetty at the Spit. 

Gold Coast Seaway

After I finished with the jetty, I moved on with the aim of taking some panoramas from the sea wall. After I took a few shots I was fortunate enough to be able to capture some interesting moments with a sea eagle. Although I only had a 200mm lens I felt I had to seize the moment when it presented itself! 

I got a fishI was luck enough to capture this Sea Eagle on the Gold Coast Seaway just after he plucked a fish from the ocean.

By this stage the sun was up completely, the surfers were out in numbers and I was able to practice some action shots. Local surfer Jeremy was good enough let me use the photos of him for my website. 

Gold Coast Seaway

Following day, my mate Jarret and I headed off up the Sunshine Coast to Caloundra to take some long exposure shots. Jarret was good company (my wife usually falls asleep on road trips any longer than 30 mins) and we made plans to start with Military Jetty. We were running slightly late (I slept in…) and had to rush to catch the pre dawn lighting. I admit I am disappointed with the shots, the sun rise was overexposed. But - thats what happens in a rushed situation. I edited them as best as I could. 

Military Jetty overexposed

Next location on the list was Dicky Beach for the shipwreck shots. I am fairly happy with the shots… had some issues with the sand moving around the tripod which created a very abstract affect on an image! Best part about this shoot was the opportunity to break in my new Hoya NDX 400 ND filter. It reduced the light by 9 stops and I was really happy with the effect.

Dicky Beach ShipwreckLong Exposure of the wreck of the SS Dicky taken at Dicky Beach Caloundra

Breaky was calling our stomachs so we headed off for a hot breakfast on the main stretch in Caloundra. The next location was decided in between gulps of coffee and mouthfuls of food…. Montville was the next destination and off we went in search of waterfalls.

4km hike in and we reached Konadalilla Falls. 80 metres high and limited clear viewing areas really tested us. The smaller waterfalls we came across during the hike allowed for more up close shots from a range of different angles.

First Falls along Kondalilla Falls CircuitOne of the many small waterfalls along the
Kondalilla Falls Circuit Rock Pools along Kondalilla Falls CircuitOne of the many small waterfalls along the
Kondalilla Falls Circuit Montville

After that it was time to start heading off.. after another coffee and some quick shots of the views from the top of Montville that is!

Montville-4

Well, I think that is all for my first Blog - heading off to see a co-workers photography exhibition this evening. Should be good. 

Happy snapping everyone

Trav