Around Bhaktapur 2

Have I said enough of traveling with photography group?  Of course you get to meet other photographer that may exchange different crafts, or just relaxed with friend? Or simply do not want to involve in those rush mode of typical tourist group? Yes, you have a lot more your own time, to shoot or sometimes just sipping coffee, taking a break, or sometimes taking a long break. Eric, a friend of mine who is also in the trip, for example, has a different agenda. He was too busy in his work life, has hard time to get decent sleep so he simply wants to take a break, travel with a camera, taking or not taking picture, taking or not taking video, and he got what he want.
Mine is simple too. This is not the first trip to Nepal and certainly not likely to be the last, so I was in no hurry, I took time for my own picture, my video, get myself engaged with local for some conversation, it is after all a holiday, not an assignment. With this clear in mind, I was at ease of getting what I want, and not all that is photography or videography related. You get different ideas on something, you get to swtich off some part of your brain to give it a break, or you get to switch on some part of your brain that was not working for awhile.

Here is a simple image of a weathered wooden door, nothing spectacular, but its texture attracts me, so I snap an image with the Panasonic GF-1.  The compact camera works like a notepad, a visual notepad that is.  OK, there is a bit of photographer's bad habit, I like to see how such a compact m4/3 camera can resolve in this kind of image. Just wanted to know. And GF-1 certainly did well here, as well as its capability in recording nice quality video.  GF-1 was havily marketed as a camera to shoot AVCHD but I was more or less shooting the .mov most of the time so it is easier for me to edit and view on my mac. More on this later.

Here is another image also taken with GF-1 + 20/1.7, on a traditional Nepali tapastry vendor, the vibrant tapestry displayed together with a nice color pattern.

And some scarf here, together forming a very pleasing color pattern.  Here, the color trend does not work, or it does not need to work. Tradition is the result of time, and people who in the position to pioneer color was on mission to make changes, and most of the time - un-necessary changes, which has a nice name called "fashion".  My own approach of fashion is to be different, but the result of fashion is usually quite opposite, and since everyone many people eventually all dress the same, then it gives the designer (or moeny invested on them) to make change, and let the cycle repeated itself, a beautiful system, I must say.
But readers don't get me wrong, I love fashion cycles, after all, a big part of my job was base on that!  And seeing new, different (no matter for what reason or result) is a fun part of daily life.

And this is the street where I took all these tapestry and fabrics, a very tradition small street in Bhaktapur, also with GF-1.

And this ia young Nepali man busied with his cell phone.  And speaking of cell phone, it is a more than a small part of young people in those developed countries, indifferent in Nepal, or perhaps more so because in a country like Nepal, they have less. The text messaging, the Facebook, the twitter, the XYZ, is in fact becoming an important part of life.  Today, to me, the cell phone to the younger people, is more than jewelry, more than watch, sometimes more than the dress.
And this image speaks for itself, also with GF-1, but certainly each individual images taken with larger cameras I beleived. Taken in fornt of a tour shop, featuring all the popular destinations in Nepal, something I do often when I travel.  Afterall, what else one can do to cover all the best attractions of a country in one single capture?  One of my travel top to give, highly recommended!