The Photography of Dr. Jeff Harper

Although the city/region of Chachoengsao is not far from Bangkok, I had never visited this part of Thailand in the 20+ years I have lived here.

 

PART ONE: A RURAL ANCIENT MARKET

Our first stop, based on a roadside sign, was to the Chachoengsao Ancient Market.

 

The market is on a klong system which has many old houses alongside.

 

This very photogenic fisherman and his dog appeared as if from nowhere . . .

 

My friend John Stiles went with me on this ramble . . . and took this photo of me enjoying myself and my new Fuji X-T2 camera.

 

82 years old and a regular betel-nut user . . . she was very glad to chat with us while she visited her friend next door.

 

Next door was the old woman's 'home' -- a hovel along the klong.  Abject poverty.

 

The market is opened only on week-ends, but we were there on a Monday, and glad of it.  The old wooden structures built on stilts over the klong made a picturesque environment.

 

Lanterns from last years' Chinese New Years still festooned the old market.

 

A klong boatman, Chachoengsao.

 

The old market looked like it had seen better days: here an old stage for ceremonies and performances.

 

Although the market was closed, some of the vendors live permanently at the site.  This man sold lunch to the local residents.

 

Taking an order.

 

Life along the klong . . . at lunchtime.

 

A fisherman and his dog.  We did not see him catch any fish . . . he said there weren't very many to catch, when asked.

 

The old weathered wood and sharp light made for some nice 'minimalist' photos.

 

Light, shadow, texture . . . a bridge.

 

There was some aquaculture along the klongs . . . frog farming.

 

And, as always, the ubiquitous spirit houses.

 

The doors of the closed market shops were in themselves things of beauty.

 

We walked around for several hours finding an endless number of interesting things to photograph.

 

Sun behind a lantern.

 

Signs of coordinated development: the market was lined with these very attractive street lights.

 

I bought a leather pouch for my sunglasses and the seller put my name on it with these old tools.

 

A wall in the leather shop with framed photos of the owner's wife's parents.  Very touching.

 

The leathergoods shop had these for sale, but I could not figure out what they were for.

 

There were a number of empty, abandoned houses.

 

A lovely morning spent along the old klongs of rural Thailand.

 

I could have stayed all day in this peaceful place . . but we moved on up the road.

 

PART TWO: A RURAL WAT

We set the GPS to the town and headed up the road . . . and missed our turn and instead discovered this wonderful Wat.

 

This Wat was a long way from any village or town . . . a very peaceful place.

 

The Wat was at the beginning phase of erecting a colossal Buddha image.  It was interesting to see the rebar mesh getting ready to be plastered.

 

A beautiful rural wat under a giant sky.  We are all so small in the scheme of things . . . if there is a scheme.

 

PART THREE: A CHACHOENGSAO NEIGBORHOOD WAT

We got a little lost in the small lanes the GPS decided to send us on . . . until we spotted a giant Buddha up between the trees . . and followed an ally to where we thought it might be . . . it wasn't the 'right' Wat, but it was very interesting in its own right.

 

It was an interesting old wat that backed up to a klong . . . a klong that separated us from the giant Buddha we spotted from the road.  We decided to walk and see if there was a bridge . . .

 

Our walk took us through a cemetery next door to a school.

 

The school kids found us very interesting.

 

My first thought was . . . this is what happens if you let your granddaughter choose your crypt color . . . you get a pink crypt!

 

I asked John if he thought someone had busted into these crypts . . . or busted out?  He said he didn't want to think about that.

 

I speculated that a family had gone 'upscale' with their ancestor burials . . . meaning they came into some money, or moved from the area, and wanted to move the Dearly Departed to a new grave site.  I hope I'm right.

 

We didn't find a bridge over to the giant Buddha, but we did find some beautiful scenes.

 

There was no way through the swamp to the other side.

 

So, John and I decided to get in my truck and see if we couldn't find the giant Buddha.

 

PART FOUR: CHINESE CULTURAL CENTER

At last!  We found the Chinese Cultural Center . . . just opened last year . . . and brand spanking new.  Beautiful!

 

We paid a small donation and a guide took us around to the various altars and showed us the ropes.

 

Gorgeous colossal statuary.

 

I was especially excited about this temple because I am a follower and admirer of my old buddy Ji Gong, the idiosyncratic Chinese monk who was a defender of the weak against injustice.

 

Ji Gong, my old buddy. (Ask me why I always say 'my old buddy' when I mention Ji Gong next time we meet.)

 

My old buddy, Ji Gong.

 

I went into the Ji Gong shrine at the base of the giant statue and paid my respects.

 

Showing respect to my old buddy, Ji Gong.

 

The guide showing John the proper ceremonial details.

 

I go to many Chinese religious temples in Bangkok, but this was not an old temple as I as used to . . . it was brand new!

 

Fascinating images inside the shrines.

 

Temple Buddhas.

 

The back of a temple Buddha.  John and I placed a square of gold onto several Buddhas here . . . they were included in the cost of the donation.

 

After showing respect at the shrines, our guide instructed us to ring the big bell . . .

 

. . . and bang the big drum, each three times.  We duly complied.

 

After we completed the proper ceremonies at the giant statues, they gave us some free ice water and said we were free to explore the temple buildings on our own.

 

And my-o-my!  The temple interiors were fantastical.  Enjoy the following photos!

 

After wandering around for some time in these fantastic temple interiors we both realized we were hungry and decided to head into the old Chinese quarter of Chachoengsao along the river.

 

I paid my last respects to my old buddy Ji Gong and we were on our way again.

 

PART FIVE: THE OLD CHINESE QUARTER OF CHACHOENGSAO

We drove into the old Chinese quarter and looked for a place to park.  The architecture reminds me a lot of Penang, Malaysia.

 

My current old school 'muscle car' project in mid-modification (V8, shortened, narrowed chassis, tubbed, big-braked, and custom-painted) on the streets of Chachoengsao.

 

We found a nice noodle shop for our first course . . . .

 

After a quick snack, we headed out on a walk around this fascinating old town.  Here, the 100+ year old town market.

 

The old city market interior . . . still in use.

 

There were just too may photographic subjects to cover . .  we were just a couple street shooters snapping on the run.

 

The light in the old market spaces was marvelous.

 

At some point in the past these old shops must have been very successful, being located next to the town market.

 

The oldest shops in the city.

 

Some of these old shops are still in use by traders.

 

We stopped for fresh fruit juice smoothies.  I had a carrot and apple one.

 

There is a growing obesity problem in Thailand (pun intended).  It's no wonder . . . look at the chip and snack wholesaler's shop.

 

These well-worn shop doors were things of beauty.

 

The shopkeepers here told us that this shop had been operated by their family for over 100 years.

 

We stopped in at this riverfront restaurant for a full Thai meal that couldn't be beat. Ate way too much, but was happy.

 

Your intrepid photographer out and about . . . and getting ready to have a wonderful meal.

 

Before our meal arrived, I took the liberty to look around the old atmospheric wooden building.

 

The restaurant interior was amazing . . . and very artfully done.

 

An interior wall at the restaurant.

 

The view from our diner table!

 

After our big late lunch we went out walking again . . . what did we see? More food!

 

The vendors were all busy getting ready for the evening rush.

 

We asked this shopkeeper how long he had been sitting there . . . he said, "62 years."

 

Tai street food is delicious . . . but we were already too full.

 

We walked around a working town . . . an iceman packing his product with help.

 

An old shop house in the city center of Chachoengsao, Thailand.

 

Chachoengsao riverfront.

 

Such a beautiful place . . . but time to leave this part of town . .  we still have a famous Wat and Buddha to see.

 

PART SIX: Wat Sathorn Wararam Worawihan

Wat Sothonwararam is located near the river in another part of Chachoengsao.  It is one of the most famous Buddhist temples in the world, and is also possibly the largest Buddhist temple in the world.  The temple has the ‘Luangpho Phuttha Sothon,’ the revered Buddha image.

 

One of the most beautiful, and unique Buddhist Wats I have seen in Thailand.

 

Many golden salas surround the Wat.

 

The Wat is under royal patronage.  Here: a photo of the new King of Thailand.

 

We had come to see the famous Buddha likeness inside, but, alas, we were too late . . . it closed at 5:00pm.  What to do now?  Let's go see some bats!

 

PART SEVEN: A BAT TEMPLE

John read online that there was a Buddhist temple on the way back to Bangkok that had a mass flight of fruit bats from it's trees every evening and if we hurried we could see it.  So we went on some very small rural roads and arrived just as it turned dark.  A beautiful Wat . . . I took photos of the Buddhas first.

 

Very old and revered Buddha images.

 

More revered Buddha images at the bat Wat.

 

The trees were hung with hundreds of very large fruit bats!

 

The bats flew around so fast, and it was getting so dark, that it was almost impossible to photograph them . . . but I managed this one shot I like.

John and I had a wonderful day trip out of Bangkok.  We left at 6:30am and returned to Bangkok at 8:30pm.  What a day!

My friend John and I decided to go out photo rambling in Bangkok and end up at the Saxophone Pub, our favorite music venue.  I took a look at GoogleMaps to see what was in walking and saw the Phaya Thai Palace and Throne Room. What are those?  Only a 10 minute walk.  Let's go see.

 

It was a beautiful, not too oppressively hot, late afternoon at Victory Monument when we arrived.

 

We walked along a broad busy avenue, lined with street vendors of all kinds.

 

When I say 'all kinds of street vendors' I mean all kinds.

 

We arrived at the Throne Hall and were surprised by a sweet, turn-of-the-last-century carpentry treasure of a building: The Throne Hall.

 

A closer view yielded a strange light from within the Throne Hall!

 

It seems we had arrived only hours before what looked like a fashion show was to begin.  There was furious activity by a crew to get the show ready for that evening . . . testing the lights and count.

 

Such a beautiful space.

 

The chairs were all lined up ready for the evening's affair . . . whatever it was going to be.

 

There was a beautiful old cafe, The Cafe de Norasingha, built in 1912 and has remained exactly as it was then.  A bit of old Viena right in Bangkok.

 

Located behind the Throne Hall and cafe was the old Phaya Thai Palace, the 'country' home of the Thai King, Rama VI.

 

The old palace has had several lives since Rama VI, including military barracks, and a hospital, although we could not tell if it was still a hospital or not as there was no sign of life about.

 

We wandered around the empty interior of the old palace and were amazed by the light, color, and shadow.

 

Classical European statuary could be found throughout the palace and gardens, a popular decoration at the time.

 

Over 100 years old and still beautiful.

 

There were several wonderful stairwells.

 

There was a beautiful cottage on a klong (canal) in the rear of the palace.

 

While out back photographing this beautiful cottage, I saw something move near my feet . . . .

 

Oh My! A four foot Asian water lizard!

 

The sun goes down fast in the tropics, and the moods inside the old Rama VI Palace changed too.

 

I have to say it got a little spooky in there . . . . with nobody around.

 

As it grew darker outside, the light through the windows cast wonderful light into the interior.

 

The old marble floors glowed with colorful reflections in the gloom.

 

A few lights were turned on in the passageways between the building making for wonderful geometric photos.

 

Amber lighting on the old royal doors . . .

 

We were getting thirsty and hungry, so we left the Palace and Throne hall in the last of the blue light.

 

View of the Throne Hall (foreground) and Phaya Thai Palace (behind) at night.

 

We walked back along Ratchawithi Road toward Saxophone Pub, enjoying the photographic opportunities offered by the night food hawkers.

 

A tourist or perhaps a local expat buying hot corn from a street vendor.

 

Arriving at the Saxophone Jazz and Blues Pub, Victory Monument, Bangkok, Thailand.

It's always great to have visitors come and stay . . . especially if they are a photographer.  We were up early every morning and out on the small roads of northeast Scotland on grand photo shoots.  Here, a sunrise along the North Sea at the Aberdeen Esplanade.

 

I love giving tours to visitors:  I get to explore my own town and pay attention to the visual richness.  Downtown Aberdeen church.

 

My friend John arrived on October 31, so we had to skulk the local graveyard for some Halloween fun!

 

We found some wonderful light and shadow in the graveyard.

 

Lovely Aberdeen architecture . . . Castle Street.

 

Union Street, Aberdeen.

 

Castle Square, Aberdeen.  Typical Aberdeen granite buildings.

 

There are many dark corners and mysterious scenes around Aberdeen at night.

 

Statue commemorating the Gordon Highlanders who hail from Aberdeenshire.

 

Robert The Bruce in front of the amazing Aberdeen City Hall.

 

UNDER CONSTRUCTION !

Check back for more entries.

It was a beautiful Saturday late afternoon in Bangkok when I went to meet my friend at Wat Arun for some photography and then on to my favorite music venue, Saxophone, for some good live music.

 

Left to right:  my friend and I at Wat Arun.

 

Wat Arun is a fantastically ornate temple and chedi complex astride the Chao Phraya River.

 

Wat Arun had been closed for many months, and shrouded in scaffolding for a major restoration.

 

There are several temple structures, and several chedis crammed into a big square compound.

 

The Wat Arun chedis are covered with intricate detail.

 

When I say covered with intricate detail, I mean intricate detail.

 

A phantasmagoria of Buddhist imagery.

 

A massive and decorated chedi.

 

There are a variety of structures at Wat Arun.

 

There were quite a few tourists, Thai and foreign, at Wat Arun that afternoon.  These steps were very steep and irregular.

 

I climbed those steps for this view.

 

Such powerful visions!

 

A Yak . . . a monster guard.

 

As the afternoon light faded into evening, Wat Arun became more interesting.

 

Bronze Buddhas here and there.

 

Buddha and chedi at Wat Arun.

 

Another bronze Buddha on the opposite side from the other one.

 

Buddha in the golden light of the photographer's magic hour.

 

Buddha and bikkus.

 

Buddha Gotama and detailed Wat Arun chedi.

 

The last of the golden light settling on the Wat Arun chedis.

 

Some of the disassemble scaffolding from the recent renovation were still to be recovered.

 

Deeper shadows . . . 6:00pm and the word went out to leave Wat Arun because it was closing time.  Oh no!

 

I hated to leave Wat Arun as the light was getting better by the second!

 

Wonderful late light . . . but . . .

 

A beautiful light fell on this encased Buddha shrine.  We said iur good-byes to Wat Arun and headed out onto the small alleys to find the old Portuguese Cathedral . . .

 

We found the Portuguese Cathedral along a stretch of river bank.

 

The last light on the old church front.

 

There could not be a greater contrast between this (recently restored) church interior and the splendor of Wat Arun only a few hundred meters away.

 

 

We walked from the church to the river bank, now alight with tour boats and the shopping plaza on the far bank.

 

Even at this hour, a troika of tug boats were struggling against the current to move a train of four huge rice barges to their upriver destinations.

 

Looking up the river, we saw the last colorful light of a marvelous Bangkok sunset.

 

These sunsets are very fleeting this close to the Equator . . . the sun goes down very fast here.

 

We were so infatuated with the sunset that we hadn't noticed this amazing old, pre-war teak wood house bathed in the orange glow of the dock lighting.

 

Only the shadow knows . . . a self portrait.

 

Beautiful traditional detailing . . .

 

And, yes, the house is lived in . . .

 

I could not get enough of this old wooden house . . . it was mesmerizing.  We left to take a taxi across Bangkok to the Saxophone Pub.

 

There was a very good Thai 'salsa band' playing.

 

The trumpeter was especially good.

 

Great jazz chops.

 

The band sung in Spanish.

 

The bass player kept the band very tightly together.  We really enjoyed ourselves the entire afternoon and evening.

Our trip to the Isle of Mull was, a road trip, and as such, we saw many interesting places on the way there.  One such place of interest was not far from where we spent the night, the famous village of Pitlochry . . . Blair Castle.

 

The oldest sections of Blair Castle date from 1269.

 

A lovely burn (creek) ran along the side of the castle.

 

Like many castles in Scotland, there have been many renovations and much remodeling over the centuries.

 

Our route took us along the souther edge of the Highlands, and along Loch Tummel.

 

Although it was early April, Spring had not yet reached Scotland.

 

Way out in the countryside, people still built their homes as row houses . . . a statement of the power of the Scottish Lairds as much as anything I guess.  Here, along Loch Tummel.

 

Along the bluff above Loch Awe.

 

Lovely.

 

I wanted to take our Thai visitors to a magical place . . .

 

I wanted our visitors to see one of my favorite chapels in Scotland,  Saint Conan's Kirke on the shores of Lach Awe.

 

Saint Conan's Kirke is interesting because all the local Clans had a seat of representation in the chapel.

 

The Clan seats were reserved with their coat of arms.  Fascinating cultural artifact.

 

A beautiful pipe organ filled one side of the chapel. I would love to have been there to hear it play.

 

The crypts of nights and clan leaders lined the chapel.

 

The Saint Conan's Kirke chapel interior with many moods.

 

A dark, cloudy day . . .

 

There was some fine stained glass there as well.

 

A very stylized effect.

 

A wonderful window to the world . . .

 

Simple, straightforward furniture.

 

Saint Conan's Kirke.

 

Not all churches are churches.  This old rural church has been converted to a cafe . . . we stopped for coffee, tea and, of curse, scones.

 

The cafe retained many original features of the church.

 

The very beginning of Spring . . . and the first buds.

 

We arrived in the old harbour town of Oban.  It is a favorite place of ours to visit, not just because of the ferries we have taken from here, but because our favorite restaurant to have fresh oysters is there (front and center on the dock with the bright red roof). "The best oysters in the world" - my wife says.

 

We checked into a nicely restored old seafront hotel (the only white one in the row of guesthouses and B&Bs).

 

Ferry service to many of the western isles of Scotland originate from Oban.

 

The Oban Ferry Terminal (foreground) where we departed for the Isle of Mull.  That is a fake ruin on the horizon, a folly, built in Victorian times when ancient ruins were fashionable to have in your city.

 

Oban has some fine old architecture.  Here, Gaylen House.

 

Down along the pier, Oban harbour.

 

A row of old Oban harbour side B&Bs.

 

Quaint, weathered, old world charm.

 

Weathered charm.

 

But Oban was just a stopover . . . our destination was across the water . . . the Isle of Mull.

 

The ferry that took us to the Isle of Mull as it arrived in Oban.

 

The views from the windy deck of the ferry were breathtaking!

 

The rugged hills of the Isle of Mull.

 

The Isle of Mull in a nutshell . . . a sea economy and culture.

 

Friends and family visiting from Thailand means an opportunity for a road trip somewhere I have never been.  The Isle of Mull, and it's atmospheric and moody landscapes and quaint seaside villages beckoned . . .

 

The west coast of the Isle of Mull is wet, wet, wet.

 

Thick, wet moss of the west coast.

 

Early April 2017 . . . always very damp Isle of Mull.  The dampness on a cloudy day certainly brings out the color of the decomposing autumn foliage.  A view from a hill.

 

The sea invades the land around the whole of the Isle of Mull.

 

When we saw a castle ruin we would stop for photos.

 

We stopped often and walked out to points of interest and to gaze upon the fantastically moody vistas.

 

As is true for all of Scotland, there are always castle ruins to explore.

 

Castle ruins everywhere.  These are the ruins of 14th century Aros Castle.

 

Isle of Mull always presents a strange, otherworldly view.

 

A fisherman out on an Isle of Mull inlet.

 

Small villages dot the inlets.

 

This church was in a style I had not seen before in Scotland.

 

Abandoned and weathering ship on the Isle of Mull.

 

The dampness from a light drizzle brought out the color, pattern, detail, and complexity of the old rotting ship.

 

Sheep everywhere.  Very wet sheep.

 

View from our hilltop B&B of the sweet 'town' of Tobermory.

 

Our very sweet B&B, The Harbour View, was was run by a Scot and a Thai!  Our Thai visitors were able to have Thai breakfast!

 

Tobermory, Isle of Mull, has to be one of the most picturesque villages I have ever seen!

 

Not only a photographer's dream . . . Tobermory is a painters dream as well.

 

Simply Beautiful.

 

Low tide, Tobermory, Isle of Mull, Scotland.  April, 2017.

 

Half of the harbour village of Tobermory.

 

Walls along the colorful streets of Tobermory.

 

The old Tobermory church steeple against a perfect blue sky . . . in the western isles of Scotland . . . in April. Impossible.

 

I never tire of this view.

 

The small pink shed next to the harbour sold excellent ice cream.  Our B&B was on the hill above the village.

 

The old Tobermory town clock.

 

History marks itself.

 

Ancient battles fought and castles defended near here.

 

Castle Duart (c1350) under renovation.

 

The atmospheric view from Castle Duart on a cold, rainy day on the Isle of Mull.

 

Then, around a bend . . . . a photographer's dream come true!

 

Fantastic patina of age and deterioration.

 

Abandoned after years of service.

 

There are no bad light days in photography . . . .

 

Not too long before this ship completely disappears.  I wonder if this is an Aberdeen Trawler.

 

Three old fishing trawlers abandoned.

 

Nature taking over.

 

Fishermen worked these decks for how long?

 

Always a view of sea and rising hills.

 

On another day . . . sun and blue sky along the tiny roads . . .

 

Cattle and sheep augment the fishing industries of Mull.  These are Highland cows.

 

We meandered along these small roads using Google maps to guide us to points of interest.

 

After a long drive in the rain on tiny roads, we reached a small valley rimmed with low clouds and this austere church.

 

The rain came and went on all days.  These cattle were very wet!

 

The morning we were leaving the Isle of Mull the weather turned wonderful . . . of course!

 

Ships to and from the Outer Hebrides pass through the Sound of Mull.  We took one of these ferries there last year.

 

We boarded our ferry back to Oban on a beautiful morning.

 

It was a smooth passage home.