August 10, 2010

Still around Dubar Square

Following my blog one may get the wrong idea that the time passed slowly in Nepal; for Nepali may be, but for travel photographers, absolutely not!
This blog is building slowly because I still travel often, as well as have to devote more time for my own professional works in design and design management, and of course the photography work.  And eventually, it is indeed a nice platform that I can keep the travel journal this way that is a nice memory for myself, and perhaps some valuable information to share. And so I take my time, as I was taking my time in Dubar Square.
People, is one of the most interesting subjects in Nepal, apart from its numerours world heritage sites and beautiful nature forest and the Himalaya.  This Nepali man, sitting (sort of) by the ancient building, is a typical Nepali, calm and unmoved by your camera, allow me a quick snap shot using Panasonic GF-1 with its pancake 20/1.7 lens. This is a clever lens from Panasonic, with nature perspective and a little wide, and fast, helps to produce nice image in close distance - something I like to do, in order to achieve a little tight and powerful composition.
And this one, still with Panasinic GF-1 and 20/1.7, shot of a very normal wooden door in this world heritage site, tell its age.  The brigh blue locker, however, reminmd you that it is still in use in modern day. The visitor would appreciate the mamagement of Nepali goverment to not allow to turn this into another boring Karaoke House or another bar that open as early as 11am, like some place in China.  So the focus of this image, as one may aware, is in fact the little blue locker, a little device tells the presence of its owner (at least who lives inside), and a little compression of past and present. There are thousands, or many more doors such as this, whether or not to shoot it depends on if the photographer has a story to tell. Another tip to share.


Another door shot with GF-1 with 20/1.7, inside a hindu temple. Also with a locker.  This image has less drama than the last one but its color attracts me, the bronze color show its age, yet its surface was polished by who knows how many people put thier hands on it.
The use of such elements to tell pass and present is not as strong as the diaply of a rather aged wood and modern locker as last image of door, this one, telling the story in a more conservative way.
Here is a shot made with Canon 5D II with EF 35/1.4L, a shot made at nearing the top of a pagoda of this square, to get a perspective that can more nuturally display the beautiy, busy square. The use of slightly wide angle lens such as 35mm prime is to exhibit the view more closer to how human eye sees it, to get a little higher so that the perspective of the surrounding can be controlled better.  This is to suggest many shooters that there is an option to go a little higher, not necessary to make all the shots in street level.  Of course you can and nothing wrong with it, but why not give my suggestion a try?

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