The buzz is that the A9 is great for action. At 20 fps, I should hope so. Let's see how it handles the fastest sport on two feet.
Read Morepeople
Bay to Breakers: Dress Up Day for the Haves /
Once a year the "haves" play dress up in a celebration of the weird, while confused street denizens push grocery carts by in bemusement and beratement.
Read MorePortraits of Mardi Gras /
Mardi Gras is the perfect place to practice portrait and street photos because everyone - and I mean everyone - is looking to get snapped.
Read MoreAfghanistan: Wartime Tourism /
Afghanistan is not technically at war and I was not strictly a tourist. You just have to know who has the best kebabs.
Read MoreThe 60-second Street Photographer /
A 60-second simple crib sheet for people wanting to take photos on the street, particularly in foreign places.
Read MoreStreet Photography: Saigon Cycle Socialism /
Saigon Cycle Socialism. A gallery about being on the bike.
Read MoreIdeal Bag for Olympus "Pro" Kits: Turnstyle 10 /
The TurnStyle slings across your back, snug but out of the way until you need it; sling it across to the front so you can grab a camera and also make quick lens changes on the run.
Read MoreFerry Friends /
It's the end of summer. Well, almost. People are on the outside decks of the ferry. Friends are everywhere. Life is good.
Read MorePoodle Boarding /
Ok, you've heard of paddle boarding. This one is new. Notice the guy in the background. Near the Fauntleroy ferry dock, West Seattle
Read MoreZoo Tunes /
Olalla Bluegrass Festival /
New Collection: Buddhism in Asia /

We have a new collection up on our Smugmug gallery, 'Buddhism in Asia'. Here's a small sample, or click on the link to browse through 65 photos culled from over 30 years in China, Tibet, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Myanmar.
Fun with Diptych's /

Supposedly, 'every picture tells a story' ("don't it!"). But sometimes it take two. Here are a few examples of where the diptych comes in handy.
Before and After
When I first approached this woman in Saigon to take her photo, she wasn't sure what to make of me. I then showed her the first photo in the preview panel of my camera. She burst out laughing. Okay, that was not a confidence builder. But I quickly turned the camera around and got the second photo. To me, the two tell the story.
Same Person, Different Day
No, I didn't ask this fellow to change into pink pajamas. I just happened to catch the first shot and liked it, as a stand-alone. Several days later, I was passing the same bridge and - without realizing who it was - took another photo of an interesting old man in pj's. It was not until I was looking at the collection that I realized it was the same man! I've been back to that bridge several times. Never saw him again.
Completing the Story
Neither of these two photos are particularly interesting - but together, they tell a story. A good example of making something from very little.
Cambodia /

Snapshots from a weekend in Siem Reap visiting Angkor Wat and a floating village on the Tonle Sap lake.
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It's called a "Draw" /
Rangoon Market /
This morning I had a few hours before heading to the airport, and took a stroll through some of the markets downtown. During this stay I was impressed by how happy the people are... [smugmug url="http://qamera.smugmug.com/hack/feed.mg?Type=gallery&Data=21803698_BVMdFq&format=rss200" imagecount="15" start="1" num="15" thumbsize="Th" link="lightbox" captions="false" sort="false" window="false" smugmug="false" size="XL"]
Sunset, Sunrise /
This seems to be the "thing to do" - climbing a temple to gain a view across the Bagan plain, and taking photos of sunrise or sunset. Very few of the 2,000+ temples allow you to climb up them but I managed to find a small one yesterday for a few sunset pictures. This morning I got up early and cycled out to the "big one" - where everybody goes with their tour busses and tripods - to catch the sunrise. I made up for joining the crowds by then cycling over to the local ferry pier and taking in groups of local Myanmar pilgrims doing their own, much more down to earth, temple tours. One family asked me to join them for breakfast and I did, presenting the father with my treasured silk Chinese fan. [smugmug url="http://qamera.smugmug.com/hack/feed.mg?Type=gallery&Data=21784392_pSqS9p&format=rss200" imagecount="28" start="1" num="28" thumbsize="Th" link="lightbox" captions="false" sort="false" window="false" smugmug="false" size="XL"]
Sunday Among the Temples /
My second day here, the sun came out and so did my hat as I rode along dusty paths from temple to temple, meandering like the nearby Irawaddy River. The temples were beautiful, especially taken as a whole dotted across the countryside; however I found the people to be even more interesting. I'm not convinced that some of them haven't had lessons, or at least experience, in posing for cameras... [smugmug url="http://qamera.smugmug.com/hack/feed.mg?Type=gallery&Data=21783746_NtJNV2&format=rss200" imagecount="35" start="1" num="35" thumbsize="Th" link="lightbox" captions="false" sort="false" window="false" smugmug="false" size="XL"]
A short (hot) train ride through the Burmese countryside /
Yangon, like Tokyo, also has a 'circle line' commuter train that goes around through the suburbs. This train was a bit different than the Yamanote Line. It leaves once ever hour or so, and the 20 mile loop takes between two and three hours. Still, it was a good way to see a bit of the railway bazaar.
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Farmer's Day /

Today in Yangon was a national holiday - Farmer's Day. The markets were all closed, and the people were off the streets. Scary to think what it would have been like on a non-holiday. The guy holding the pigeon, I paid $1 to let it fly free. Probably a homing pigeon.
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