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Entries in Photography (103)
A Favorite Passtime: An Evening Bangkok Walkabout
Saturday, March 29, 2025 at 12:00PM 
On March 23, 2025, my buddy John and I met up on Silom Road near the Hindu temple to start the evening taking photos at the nearby market street before ending the evening at a blues bar neither of us had been to.
People stopping on their way home to grab some food for dinner were happy to see this cart.
A street market across from the Hindu temple was a photographer's delight.
Carts of seasonal fruits lined the side street.
As always, many different kinds of fruit are available.
A juice cart is a good place to meet up with friends for conversation.
Fruit as far as the eye can see!
All of these are my favorites.
A noodle soup vendor working her cart. A lovely photo.
Bulk cracklin pork . . . to bring home.
With the light fading, we headed back to the Hindu temple and a south Indian restaurant next door.
There are many small shops selling votive flower garlands for worship at the Hindu temple.
Such beautiful work . . .
After a deli.cious south Indian meal (Dossai Massala), we headed out to the blues club, about 10 blocks away. We took a short-cut through the old Silom Village . . . now nearly deserted.
Before COVID, Silom Village was a tourist hot spot: live traditional Thai music and dance, and lots of good food. I do not know why it is deserted now.
Night streeet photography is one of my favorite things to do . . . and in Bangkok it is very rewarding.
I know this area very well. This is my favorite Japanese restaurant in Bangkok, Hanaya 1976.
Our walk to the blues club took us down some pretty dark side streets. I feel completely safe in these places in Bangkok.
A speeding tuk-tuk photo-bombed my night photo.
Our destination, the Bangkok Mojo Music Lovers Bar. he club was very small, but the live bands were very good . . . although the seats were very uncomfortable for me.
Loei, Chiang Khan, and the Mekong River
Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at 12:57PM 
Back in December 2020, just as COVID 19 was bursting on the international scene and choking Thailand's tourist industry, the Thai government came up with a brilliant scheme to give vouchers to Thai residents for discounts at Thai resorts and restaurants in 'tourist areas' to spur more 'in country' tourism by Thais. It worked . . . we took a road trip north to Loei, Chiang Khan, and the Mekong River.
Our route had us drive straight through to Loei from our home in a northern suburb of Bangkok.
The majority of the drive north to Loei was on modern, divided expressway. However, as we neared Loei the road reverted to a 2-lane country road. We were lured into this strawberry stand with the promise of delicious fruit.
They were growing their own strawberries here . . . but they were asking a very high price for them. We declined to purchase any strawberries here.
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LOEI
This is the old Loei I came to see . . .
Loei is a provincial market town in the north of Thailand. It is still "old Thailand" in Loei. I last visited here about 20 years ago . . . and yes, it has changed a great deal.
But there is still a lot of the old Thailand I know and love in Loei.
The street food in Loei is excellent . . . and the people friendly.
The old downtown of Loei still has locally-owned department stores and "supermarkets" like this one.
A street corner in downtown Loei. I love snooping around in these old Thai market towns.
We stopped in this hole-in-the-wall restaurant for delicious noodle soup.
A busy market town serving a large agricultural community.
The things you see in Thailand! Yes, it was Christmas season even in Loei, Thailand. They celebrate everything here!
We walked through the downtown and found the banks of the Loei River. The bridge led to a beautiful city park.
There was fun to be had in Loei.
I sat across the street in a hipster coffee shop while my wife shopped in a fine traditional Thai textile shop across the street.
Yes, the hipster cool coffee shop can be found throughout the entire planet . . . even in the remote old market town of Loei.
Always interesting old stuff to be found in old Thai village stores.
Our very good, and very cheap Au Place Hotel in Loei.
Just a half block away from the hotel on a rural street we found this stylish Vietnamese restaurant.
We spent a couple nights in Loei and would venture out into the countryside in search of interesting things to see. We found this amazing Buddhist Temple (Wat).
There were caves with Buddhas to explore at this wat.
There was this very beautiful marble temple on the wat grounds.
The marble temple was very interesting inside.
Marvelous light and reflection inside the marble wat.
We found this marvelous restaurant for our dinner on the second night in Loei.
The "elephant restaurant' interior dining area.
We had a fine meal in this old wooden room with traditional spirit masks hanging around.
Back at our hotel . . . they had the grounds lit up like a carnival!!!
The next morning we said good-bye to Loei and hit the road for then short drive north to the town of Chiang Khan along the Mekong River.
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CHIANG KHAN
We stopped at a riverside resort as soon as we arrived at the river . . . and this was out first view of the mighty Mekong River.
We quickly found our charming old wooden guest house.
Our guest house was right on a kind of 'walking street' through the riverside village. The Mekong River is directly behind the row of houses and shops to the left.
Chiang Khan is a lovely and funky old Thai town with interesting shops and bike rentals.
With both front and rear doors open, you can look right through this hostel to the river behind it.
The many shops lining the walking street had ample supplies of local handicrafts to meet the tourist demand.
A guest house with street side 'beer chairs' . . . perfect for people watching. I couldn't help but notice the Brew Dog Punk IPA bottle . . . from Aberdeen, Scotland, my former residence.
Such an interesting and photogenic little town.
Some shops hung fabric against the harsh afternoon sun.
Each shop-front seems to have its own personality, and the photographs are like portraits.
Beautiful local, high quality traditional textiles.
There were also many shops selling the usual array of souvenir 'touristwear.'
There is no shortage of restaurants and places to buy good, expensive coffee.
I love photographing these old wooden shops . . . anywhere in the world . . . but Chiang Khan had hundreds of them, and all with amazing shapes, features, colors, and textures.
A beautiful shop-front portrait. The harsh afternoon sunlight actually enhances this photo by accentuating the wood grain and colors.
Another fabulous paneled storefront with Chinese lanterns. Lovely.
Just so much to see, notice, and photograph in this sweet little riverside town.
There was also some very nice chalk public art here and there.
Sweet chalk street art.
A very inviting bakery . . . delicious too!
Thai aesthetics are always fascinating and gorgeous. It's all in the details. Here, a detail of the interior of our guesthouse.
When walking around such these richly aesthetic places with a camera in hand, I am prone to take these kinds of "still life" photographs: pleasing arrangements of objects in fascinating light.
Another "still life" of an old art gallery.
A very old wall revealing ancient building techniques.
Wooden wall with broom and ash tray.
Chalk graffiti on old panel shop doors . . . there is a story here.
Old panel shop doors reflected in a stainless steel table. Nice. These "still life" photo opportunities were endless in Chiang Khan.
A very nice tuk-tuk, although I never saw anybody riding in one . . . everybody walked around the little town.
We were getting tired and sore walking around the sweet town . . . deciding what to do next . . .
Massage! That's what's next!! The massage shop owner was very kind.
a 2 1/2 hour Thai massage will cure whatever ails you, that's for sure! This street side massage room was so beautiful. Just breathtaking!
We spent part of our days walking along a path next to the Mekong River.
Looking across the Mekong toward the 'wild side' of Laos.
Riverboat ferry both local people and tourists up and down the river.
Mekong River boats at the ready.
A fisherman going home. Surprisingly, I did not see very many fishermen out on the river.
The fiew upriver toward the smoky Lao hills from Chiang Khan.
When the sun set we headed to the night market street.
CHIANG KHAN by NIGHT
As the light faded, and the heat dissipated, it seemed that every Thai tourist in town left their guesthouse and headed to the main walking street.
The darker it got, the bigger the crowd under the colorful, and fading sky.
At last the sun had fully set.
Many of the shops, restaurants, and bars that were closed in the afternoon opened for the throngs that came out at night. This craft beer joint was a welcome stop for me.
The interior of the craft beer hall.
The Thai hippies who ran the craft beer hall had a fantastic collection of beers and ales to choose from.
The town became even more photogenic at night. BBQ beef street hawkers.
The many stalls set up along the night street became a 'night market' - a favorite of Thai people and visitors to Thailand. There was a wide variety of things for sale. Nuts! I love nuts!
All the night market visitors brought their appetites . . . and were rewarded with a wide variety of delicious Thai specialties to eat.
Street performers in their traditional 'hill tribe' costumes entertained the gathered crowds.
My favorite street performer was this young busker playing electrified traditional old Thai music in a homemade outfit. Cool.
We enjoyed out nights walking along the Chiang Khan night market street.
After two nights in Chiang Khan we woke up early and said good-bye to the river and headed south.
Khon Kaen
We were about 30 minutes out of Chiang Khan and decided to take a different route home to Bangkok. Neither of us had ever been to Khon Kaen . . . so why not?
We didn't do too much sightseeing . . . just drove around town . . . found a great restaurant on Google . . . and found this magnificent wat to go in . . .
We were very glad we went inside.
There are many different altars in the large inner space . . . each with a group of people paying respects.
Very special light falling on the various Buddha images.
Pots for making donations and making wishes.
Such a pretty flower memorial altar.
This hyper-realistic wax monk was too realistic . . . and creepy.
We paid our respects here and then chatted with a monk before leaving. We knew we haddn't spent enough time in Khon Kaen and vowed to return.
We left the next morning for a 7 hour drive home.
It had been a wonderful vacation in the middle of the COVID Pandemic!
Samut Songkhran & Amphawa Village - A Good Day Out and About in Thailand
Sunday, May 26, 2019 at 2:16PM 
Up and out the door at 4:30am to catch the sun rise over the salt pans of Samut Songkhran with a couple of buddies . . . and for a day of photography.
Roadside salt sales before sunset.
A workman is a blur in first light.
At 5:45am the ambient temperature was already 89f . . with a heat index of 105f!
Early morning salt pan. The salt is raked up into cones by one crew, and picked up and hauled by wheelbarrow to a large pile near the highway for transportation.
The salt workers were working hard at first light to get as much done before the blistering heat to come.
Scooping heavy, damp salt.
Loading the wheelbarrow for another trip to the highway.
Another load full to wheel out . . .
. . . and then back again in an endless loop of scoop, haul, return, scoop . . .
Marvelous patterns of salt cones in the morning magic hour light.
A kindly looking salt worker on a hammock.
Obey. Indeed.
Meanwhile, in another salt pan down the road . . .
After an hour at the sunrise pans, we drove a kilometer up the road and found a big crew out in a damp pan raking the salt into the cones. Hard work in the morning sun.
Hard at work while standing in supersaturated salt water.
Such a photogenic scene . . . especially when the salt workers pose for you!!!
Windmills, salt, humanity, reflections . . .
Having a chat while working . . . 
The salt workers seemed to know each other well . . . it's more enjoyable to work while sharing a joke with your friends.
Home made crude scrapers for piling the salt into cones.
Moving and placing heavy planks for the wheelbarrows that will come to remove the salt from the pans.
Protection from the sun . . . .
Extreme sun protection . . . it must be very hot under that hood in this oppressive heat and humidity.
The is much to see in the area, so we moved on . . .
Rural roads are few and far between - valuable land is not used up for roads. As such, the roads that do exist serve for arterials for power, phone, and water. This is Thai local highway 2001.
In the next salt pan, baskets were used to collect a special salt from the surface.
Ongoing salt harvesting.
I love these amazing contraptions . . . used to flatten the pans after the salt has been removed.
This is a rare (and valuable) form of flake salt favored by chefs . . . it floats on top of the supersaturated pans and is harvested in baskets (above).
A beautiful Chinese-style Buddhist temple reflected in the salt pans.
Light and flakey salt -- very valuable and sought after.
Directly across from the flake salt gathering was the Buddhist Wat I came to see after 5 years . . . . Wat Lat Yai with the Buddha colossus. 
I had such wonderful memories of the spirituality of this Wat when I last visited. There are always interesting and unexpected things to see in a Wat. Some of what you see are what the monks themselves have arranged (like this small altar), but most of what is seen in a Wat are the results of what the big, rich donors want there to be.
The surviving old monk quarters. I am always amazed to see a satellite dish in a Buddhist temple . . . 
Always beautiful flowers to be seen in a Wat.
Wat Lat Yai has some of the strangest 'grottos' I have ever seen. From the outside they are just plain weird . . .
What exactly is going on here? Remember, these things are placed in temples by the doners, not by the monks, who renounce material things. But still . . . .
Although the outside of this man-made grotto was a little strange, the inside was magic.
The banana leaf origami on this altar piece was stunningly beautiful. I felt a little like Indiana Jones discovering a lost tomb or ancient temple never seen before. These are Hindu religious items revered in Thailand along side The Buddha.
Remarkable fine detailing.
Even the cobwebs seem to belong; adding to the spiritual power of this votive object.
Bikkus, listeners of the Buddha teaching the dharma.
Another Hindu reference . . . a four face sadhu.
Sadhu and Buddha images in the grotto. I loved being in that space . . .
There were also a series of enclave altars around the outside and back of the grotto structure.
These are living altars. As can be seen, people bring offerings, usually wishing or hoping for good luck. Notice that someone has left the address plate from their house on the altar . . .
Slung here and there, votive charms festoon the temple trees.
The reason I wanted to return to this Wat and bring friends, was because there used to be a tropical pine grove with old Buddha images in it . . . covered in pine needles. The pine forest is gone: slashed because they did not fit the plan of a doner with a new vision for this temple. The old Buddhas were still there, but looking like they have been 'mothballed' . . .
These old, and seemingly discarded, Buddha images seemed to me to be highly spiritual reminders of the project that the Buddha called us to try.
It seems like someone has taken a scraper to clean some of the moss of of this Buddha image.
Still bright and shiny . . . an overgrown mirror chedi.
By this time of the morning (9:00am) it was already devilishly hot: well over 40c. We went inside to the shaded hall where two nice old ladies (helpers) brought us bottled water. The hall seemed temporary, perhaps being used until some other structure was being built.
The altar was crowded with Buddha images. Fascinating.
There seemed to be many more Hindu symbols in this Wat than others I have visited. I want a hat like this!
"What, me worry?" Supreme detachment. We left the Wat and headed back to the highway where we saw a sign pointing to small road and the name of another Wat . . .
A short drive up a small rural road in search of another Buddhist temple to explore. We didn't find the temple, but we did find this wonderful village built on a canal not far from where it emptied into the Gulf of Thailand.
I love these canal side fishing villages . . . they are so picturesque . . . and visually complex.
Too hot to do anything other than to sit around with your friends and family and mend nets . . . unless you are a falang photographer, that is!
I'm not sure what the make of this V-2 long-tail boat engine is, but it was a beautiful scene.
There was a lovely roadside fish market just outside the hamlet.
Many different kinds, sizes, and colors of fish . . . all inviting visual exploration.
These small 'smelt' are very tasty when deep fat fried. One of my favorites.
Delicious-looking baby squid. My favorite.
Good looking fish.
The drying fish are meant to be used in soups and curries.
But, of course, the most visually interesting fish were the baskets with their intricately patterned fish on display.
While I was photographing these fish baskets, I was thinking that these would print and frame very beautifully as a set.
Perhaps I should come back here with a big tripod and reflectors for more professional, and better framed, shots . . .
I took many, many photos of these beautiful fish baskets, but only post a few here.
We asked one of the fish hawkers how to get to the seashore and they pointed to a small road. We passed this woman busily building a boat on the roadside in tremendous heat and humidity.
The small dirt road dumped us out at the foot of these mud flats . . . crawling with small crabs. These are the mud flats famous for a particular type of small clam that the Thais absolutely love to eat. 
The elaborate bamboo barrier works extended for miles and miles along these mud flats . . . and off into the horizon of the Gulf of Thailand.
At a point of a small canal entering the mud flats there were many kinds of barrier works.
A workman out doing maintenance on the bamboo works.
Fresh cut bamboo was being unloaded and made into rafts to bring out into the sea. This was a huge project . . .
A Samut bamboo wrangler.
Our next stop was at the village of Amphawa, a floating market. Too much tourism has changed the feeling of this place since I last visited it nearly 20 years ago. It is still very charming . . . and visually interesting.
There are many very nice, upscale coffee shops and nice restaurants . . . a big change from an authentic fishing and market village. 
With the ambient temperature above 105(f) with high humidity, it was little wonder there were few people out and about.
The repeating patterns of the klong access steps made for a fascinating study.
Life along the canal (klong) . . .
Swimming to beat the heat? No . . . fishing for bottom feeders with a long-handled net.
With few tourists around, and crushing heat, the boat vendors sat in quiet repose . . . waiting for a sale.
When the canal is full of tourists in their small boats, these floating restaurants serve the water traffic.
This was the only tourist boat we say all afternoon . . . and they looked HOT!
In some respects, this might be the best time of year to visit Amphawa . . . the rest of the year it is overcrowded with tourists. They had the place to themselves.
Standing on a bridge over the canal . . and a view one way . . . and . . .
. . . the view in the other direction toward a Buddhist temple (wat).
A tourist boat cruising for a fare . . . unsuccessfully.
That looks inviting. We went over to this marvelous Old Thai style coffee house for some ice coffee and cold water.
Such a beautiful place to rest, replenish, hydrate, and sit in front of some fans.
Old Thai style wood panels are so beautiful.
After a break we walked along he wooden boardwalks and secretly peaked into the houses. Such serene stillness in the oppressive heat and humidity.
We took our time meandering along the shops . . . and this nice museum of the history of canal life.
A spinning windmill behind the museum.
Antique canoes stacked along side the museum.
Even as hot as it was, the propeller still needed repairing.
The tourist boas were beautifully decorated . . . in hopes of attracting business . . . which never came on this scorching day.
The ladies in their food stall boats congregated to swat flies and swap lies, as they say. Not much else to do.
Back over the bridge toward the car. The hot day nearly over . . . the car air-conditioner is calling.
My friend John always on the look out for an amazing image.
We descended down into the sea of sun parasols and the tourist curios.
Our last act was to buy a 'croc-on-a-stick' brochet . . . Yes, it did taste like chicken, which makes a kind of sense since crocodiles are actually surviving dinosaurs . . . and birds are dinosaur descendants. We worried all the way back home that we could have eaten 'bad crocodile' . . . . but we were fine . . . no intestinal turmoil after all. A Ramble in Scotland with a Visiting Friend (10/31 - 11/3, 2015)
Sunday, March 18, 2018 at 11:18AM Although I have left Scotland and am living back in Bangkok now, I am still going through photos I took on my many photographic rambles. This entry is of a three day ramble (mostly the northeast of Scotland) I took when my good friend John Stiles visited me. I took many, many photos on this ramble, so it will take some time for me to complete it. These are 'The Best of John's Visit.' Enjoy.
A North Sea sunrise along the Aberdeen Esplanade. Just above freezing.
First Light. North Sea.
A church along an Aberdeenshire rural road.
Stunning November weather for northeast Scotland.
I the middle of the Aberdeen city centre is a wonderful church and cemetery.
When an old friend visits that you haven't seen in a while, and it's Halloween, and you are in an old graveyard . . . you must play!
After that stunning sunrise at the Aberdeen Esplanade, our day one ramble took us up the coast to the little fishing berg of Baddam where the hulls of the beached trawlers provided extraordinary abstract studies in decay and color.
The lighthouse at Baddam.
Exposed rocks near Baddam harbour.
The austere old section of Baddam village.
All along our small road route, we were continually 'discovering' fantastically beautiful scenes.
The stunning Fyvie Castle.
Gorgeous autumn scenes all around the grounds of Fyvie Castle.
Superb Fall colors reflected in the castle goose pond.
For three glorious days we rambled about the small roads of northeast Scotland. My AWD Juke NISMO was the perfect car for the narrow, winding, wet-leaf-covered country lanes.
Castles and castle ruins everywhere in Aberdeenshire.
The Aberdeenshire roads would alternately suddenly diving into the deep shade of small forests . . .
. . . and back out onto the bright, stone wall lined country roads.
We were always up for a quick stop at an old country cemetery.
There is so much to see in the old cemeteries: colors, textures, old surfaces . . . . and . . . .
. . . and the occasional Class III freefloating spirit vapour.
Autumn in a Scottish cemetery can be very beautiful.
No trip to Aberdeenshire would be complete without a stop at New Slaines Castle . . . a photographer's paradise.
A stairwell in the ruins of New Slains Castle.
Some of the views from inside the castle ruins onto the North Sea were stunning.
North Sea view from New Slaines Castle, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
John and I spent several hours wandering around inside the ruins of New Slaines Castle enjoying the play of light and shadow on the deserted halls and rooms . . . 
. . . as well as making portraits of each other among the ruins.
The castle on the North Sea cliffs, New Slaines.
The Benholme Kirke, built on the site of a 9th century hermitage.
Although we interrupted the Benholm Kirke bookkeeper . . . but he obliged with a tour and short history of this interesting place.
Benholm Kirke had a fine old 'kirkegaard' as well.
Moss and lichen-covered grave stone and ancient cottage slate roof . . .
We sometimes consulted the GPS as to any 'points of interest' . . . and discovered this old mill.
The sluice and water wheel were still there and still intact.
Down by the Old Mill Stream . . . A photographer's dream!
The opportunities for still life studies of mill paraphernalia was incredible. I enter only a few of the many beautiful photographs I took here.
An old mill stone.
An old mill stone made of several stone segments.
The wood-shimed center bearing of an old mill stone.
One morning we drove south on the old coastal road to the fishing village of Johnshaven.
The Johnshaven townsfolk had quite the sense of humor!
Johnshaven was a grey and austere village (like many Scottish villages) but with a splash of color here and there.
The fine old stone harbour jetty of Johnshaven.
Johnshaven is a fishing village with many great nautical-themed photos to be had.
Old anchors in the boatyards.
Low tide along the Johnshaven sea wall.
The only bad weather we saw during three days. A stormy North Sea.
Near Montrose there were signs of a recent flood of the River Esk.
Whenever we would see magic light on an old stone building we would stop and take photographs.
We stopped for coffee one late afternoon in the old market town of Montrose.
Yes, more ghoulish fun . . . in the Montrose Cemetery.
Montrose had some fine statues in the town square . . . here a good Samaritan was honored.
Montrose is typical of many Scottish towns.
OK, maybe Montrose is not so typical after all.
But what I will remember most about Montrose was the most incredible sunset of my life playing over us across the estuary bridge!
From beginning to end . . . we were completely enthralled.
Another day along the small country lanes above the North Sea.
Old farm houses along a strand of the North Sea.
A wild North Sea below the cliffs of Aberdeenshire.
North Sea hay bales.
We saw so much and did so much in those short three days . . . and this blog entry represents only a small part of it all. I may elaborate more on this entry at a later date, but for now, that is all.
Study: A Hua Hin Palm
Saturday, January 30, 2016 at 3:15AM 
I was walking down a dirt road in Hua Hin, Thailand on New Years' Day 2016 and saw some nice light on this palm trunk.
The colors and patterns, and contrast was superb.
Wonderful pattern and color.
