It’s one of those locales that needs careful planning, and at the time a direct flight from Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia wasn’t available. Flight time to Colombo was approximately three hours, followed up with a three-hour drive to Mirissa. 

Accommodation

We stayed over at No. 53 – a historic ancestral residential home in Colombo close to the airport. The family were extremely friendly and kindly greeted us at some silly hour the evening of our arrival.

Breakfast the following morning was delicious, with a mix of both Sri Lankan and western food.

With full bellies, and happy hearts we set off on our road trip to Mirissa.

We chose to stay at the Peacock Villa due to the many rave reviews on TripAdvisor. The villa’s operated by a father and son team Gamini and Gomida Jayasinghe with Simba the Labrador for pats.

Our suite on the first level was overlooking a river and surrounded in forest. Therefore, it was like I was living in a national park.

Wildlife Front Row Seats from the Peacock Villa

Monkeys (red faced Macaques) on occasion were swinging through the trees. One cheeky baby decided to try untying my bikini straps while they were hanging from the drying rack, and fortunately he was unsuccessful.

Palm Squirrels danced along power lines, they’re such competent acrobats and fun to watch.

Peafowls resting on neighbouring roof tops, and it surprised me that they are so noisy.

Large billed crows, I’ve long had a fascination for the black feather beings. And there’s plenty of them about in Mirissa making mischief.

Magpie Robin (oriental magpie) which I identified from this helpful blog post.

Indian Pond Heron’s (paddy bird) resting on tree branches close to the river were a lovely sight as they’re such a still bird.

Water monitor lizards frequently cruising by in the river below. Interestingly I become a fan when some years ago I watched a monster one lumbering along in a deep drain culvert in Penang – Malaysia.

Beach Days Everyday

Beach days every day was the routine we quickly grew fond of. Starting with a session mid-morning, and then back again in the afternoon for a top up of rays and a cool beer. 

The shore break could be a little tough. And if dumpers aren’t your thing, more gentle spots can be found further along the beach. 

There’s tons of water activities available if you’re keen. Like surfing, stand up paddle boarding, boogie boards, snorkelling etc.. 

Eating Always Eating

You won’t starve with plenty of food to eat, and a good variety.  As a vegetarian there was always an option for me on the menu.  Some of the spots we dined at included:

Shady Lane Mirissa

Dewmini Roti Shop

W&D Beach Restaurant

Our World Wi Fi Café

Deltano’s Wood Fired Pizza

In summary, we loved our beach holiday and intend to re-visit Sri Lanka and explore other regions.

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This is due to leaving my homeland of New Zealand in March 2011 to live in Phuket – Thailand. In 2015 I relocated to Malaysia spending one year exploring Penang, and I’m now a resident of Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur Photographers

Kuala Lumpur has a very active community of enthusiastic street photographers devoted to their craft. They get together for photo walks, organize regular gallery exhibitions, and manage several popular online forums for sharing their photography. Which is ideal for inspiration and is a valuable support structure for the members.

When it comes to street photography I prefer to work alone. When I’m in the flow I’m fully immersed in the environment looking for a portrait subject or street scene opportunity.

Seeking Permission

Generally, I will seek permission for a portrait photograph and enjoy the shared experience of taking the photograph. The people of Kuala Lumpur are generally open to posing for portraits, and have a fun attitude.

At first I struggled with the V-for-victory, peace, or ‘Y’ as in Yeah! sign every time I either point my camera and or asked for a photograph. For now, I’m relaxed and accept this as how the person likes to be represented.

Photography Style

Aesthetically my preference is a shallow depth of field with a sharp focus on the subject’s face, with the eyes being the most important part of the image.

Most of my portrait imagery is in portrait orientation, and stylistically I produce my photographs in black and white. Nowadays, I’m working with natural light rather than an artificial light source for my street portraiture.

If you wish to see more of my street portraiture, the best place to do this is my portfolio website. I’m also active on Instagram, please follow if you’re interested in my travels and photography.

See you online 

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Pasar Karat is on the fringe of Petaling Street and starts at 5 am and stall owners are around to 10 am and I understand that Sunday is the busiest day with all the vendors turning out with their wares. Some of the old timers have been hawking for 20 – 30 years.

For me Pasar Karat was not a destination, more a part of my photo walkabouts.  The occasions I’ve been strolling through the Jalan has generally been after 10 am, therefore I’ve missed the hustle and bustle of the busy trading times.

These street portraits from Pasar Karat are both candid and posed. I’ve Included a small vignette of a watch trade, and some items that remained unsold. Decorating the Jalan are colourful wall murals which I imagine are not as obvious during prime trading time.

Pasar Karat is worthy of a visit to see some of the character of Kuala Lumpur. However, personally I do prefer to buy my watches from the shopping mall!

ADDRESS for Pasar Karat – Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia

Jalan Raja Muda Musa,

Kampung Baru,

50300 Kuala Lumpur,

Malaysia

Happy exploring 

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It is well signposted once you’ve reached the address. You climb a small flight of dimly lit creaky stairs, the coffee aroma and the fun illustrations greet you at the top of the stairway and entice you to enter the cafe.

Creative Space

The cafe’s a creative space with illustrations and hand written notes on card and I imagine guests are encouraged to draw and leave their works behind.

Enhancing the decor are comfortable seating options which you sink into and forget the outside chaos as you relax with your own thoughts. It’s been quiet on the days I’ve visited.

This last week I explored their book case, and to my delight found at least three photography magazine titles, including one of my favourite Rangefinder. They’re older editions but nonetheless a fun find.

Great Coffee

My coffee is always top notch, and on the occasions I’ve indulged in a cake it’s been delicious. The staff are friendly and look after you. The aircon is adequate and I’m nice and cool with a warm coffee buzz to give me energy to head back out to the busy streets for some more street photography.

Coffee Amo is definitely on my recommend list and with a 4.4 average review on their Facebook page.

I’m not their only fan.

Enjoy.

Unfortunately Coffee Amo has closed down.

COFFEE AMO’S address:

1st Floor,

54, Jalan Sultan,

City Centre,

50000 Kuala Lumpur

Drink Coffee: Do stupid thing faster with more energy!
喝咖啡：快速又有劲的去完成你生命里的蠢事吧！

The post Street photography in Kuala Lumpur is Hot Work appeared first on The 10 Sons Of Manu.

Mike Johnston’s post on The Online Photographer blog is an interesting perspective about the often quoted:

The best camera is the one you have with you.

Hong Kong Lecia D Lux 4 Photo Series

This series of photographs were taken from one of the Hotel’s lower level terracing areas.

As seen in the photographs this angle is bordered by condos, and looks down to the street activity. Deceptively, it appears to be a sleepy morning in Kowloon East. 

Moving from the air conditioned cool inside of the hotel to the humid morning outdoors caused the camera’s lens to fog over.

I decided to work with this serendipitous event and take some photos to see how what I was seeing through the view finder would transpire in the captured images.

These three photos below are the result.

Goodbye Hong Kong, thanks for the pics.

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This study examined the size of mannequins used in national fashion retailers on the high streets of two English cities.

Still Life Shop Mannequins

Mannequins are good portrait studies as they don’t move, and are generally  posed under shop lights. Therefore, I consider mannequins to be more still life subjects.

The challenges posed by the shop lighting or lack of lighting is what inspires me most. Reflectivity, and shape also makes for an interesting photograph.

Of late, I’ve also been focused on individual body parts and I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the occasional missing digit.

Shop Mannequin Photo Series

This post includes some of my favourite mannequin photos. What’s beautiful about this fascination of mine is that the window displays often change, the clothing, their poses, and the sets.

For more photos of mannequins please visit my photo series gallery.

I try and keep it current, and update it regularly with new images.

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I love stepping out with my camera, wondering who I might meet on my travels, and what photos I’ll make along the way.

My vocation is portrait photography, and the street provides so many interesting subjects.

The opportunity to learn about people, a snippet of their lives is what motivates me to keep stepping out.

When the portraits are downloaded, it’s another opportunity for me to gaze upon the subject, recall our conversation and imagine more …

This is a short list of what is important to me in my craft of Street Portrait Photography.

MY STREET PHOTOGRAPHY ETHICS

RESPECT

I try to be respectful of people and their desire to be photographed. For example when I’m shooting candid portraits without the persons permission, I’m watchful for body language. A body stiffening / hiding the face / angry hand gestures and harsh words is a signal to me of their discomfort and I move on.

People eating – do you want to be photographed chewing your food? I think not. This is a no-go zone for me.

A final note on respect, if I take a photo that is awkward or unflattering I won’t produce it, and will delete the file.

STREET PEOPLE

I learned a very valuable lesson many years ago, arriving in Paris there was a group of street people camped out. I lifted my cell-phone to take a photo, and one of the group started cursing and threw an empty bottle (I imagine he’d not waste a drop of good liquor on a stranger) toward me.

I try to keep my lens away from Street People.

HONEST ENGAGEMENT

When asking for permission from a person I’ll start a dialogue, enquire about what it is they’re doing, where they’re from, their name etc.. However, this can be a challenge when we don’t share a common language. Gesturing sometimes gets us through.

GIVING BACK

When communication works and I’m able to get a contact – phone number or email address I’m very grateful. It makes me happy to be able to send through a digital copy of their photo.

I will also print photos and deliver them should I know the person’s regular hang out space.

CHILDREN

Generally I don’t take photographs of children, unless I have the permission from a caregiver to take the photograph. However, I don’t seek out children to photograph.

FUN

The street is full of characters, a good laugh is easy to find.

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Personal safety is a biggie for me, and sometimes I put myself at risk by being too in the frame and not being aware of my surroundings. Plus, I don’t have eye’s in the back of my head, and prefer to travel alone – basically, because a companion would be very bored hanging with me and there’s no fun in that and I would feel bad. Which in turn would disrupt my focus.

In this story chasing the art got me into trouble. I ventured down a street alley which is familiar to me. Amongst the usual parked cars, it’s filled with wastage (cardboard, plastic, cans etc..) from businesses hotels, restaurants – which they seem to just throw out in large plastics or into large skip bins from their exits facing this street.

They seem to sanction the street people rummaging through these large quantities of rubbish in the knowledge that they’ll be able to collect enough to exchange it for money, and tidying up the street at the same time. It’s a fascinating street, it’s a mix of a jumble yard, and a rubbish tip it has its own order and poetry.

Odd objects, collectables you’d find at a secondhand store find their way to be hanging off walls like a street exhibition. I’ve included photos of these pieces that form part of what I call this street’s art.

On this day, I saw an elbow and shoulder sticking up out of a large skip bin, obviously, there was a human attached hunting through the contents.

I started to line up my shot framing for the body parts poking up amongst the rubbish. I didn’t want a portrait. However, he was not alone a companion started yelling out ‘photo, photo, taking your photo” he bounced up like a jack-in-the-box and started gestating and snarling at me.

For one silly second I tried to explain that I only wanted his elbow and shoulder. This didn’t go well. Immediately I was reminded of a stray dog I’d interrupted scavenging on the streets and he snarled, wrinkled his nose revealing rotten large teeth and proceeded to lunge at me.

This flash back was all I needed I was leaving.

A lucky escape; hence, I’ll be giving this street a permanent rest.

Chasing art can be dangerous.

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Luang Prabang’s climate is different from Kuala Lumpur’s, it is much cooler in the mornings and evenings.

Unfortunately, my packing lent on the side of summer ensembles. Due to low cloud hanging in the valley the sun often didn’t appear until about 11 am and its enveloping warmth feels like a visit from a dear friend.

My packing choices meant I wore the same jeans, puffer jacket and long sleeve shirt twice daily for ten days. Once home, I swore never to wear these items of clothing again, and stored them deep in the recesses of my wardrobe.

The people I met in Luang Prabang were genuinely lovely. Hawking, an aspect of travel I least enjoy isn’t disruptive or uncomfortable, and I found to be very low key.

The tuk-tuk drivers are plentiful, there’s always a ride available. In my experience, I found them not aggressive in their mannerisms, and they use a gentle ‘tuk – tuk’ chirp singsong sound to attract your attention. And when you refuse a ride it isn’t a war and the drivers I encountered were quite playful.

Hospitality service was of a very good standard, the staff work hard to try and understand English. I enjoyed all my dining experiences and the food was good quality. As a vegetarian, I located enough restaurants to enjoy a variety of dishes.

Luang Prabang has plenty of very beautiful temples worth visiting and I didn’t find them too crowded.

There’s plenty to do if you enjoy crafting, I made a nice anklet and bracelet at “Garden of Eden” in a jewelry workshop across the Nam Khan river.

A trip to Luang Prabang is not complete if you haven’t been on a sunset cruise on the Mekong River and it was one of my highlights, together with a trip to Chomphet a short boat ride across the Mekong on my last day.

Photos from my visit to Chompet.

Please see below some links to websites that might be useful should you be planning to visit beautiful Luang Prabang – Laos.

Enjoy ♡

Tourism

Free the Bears

Garden of Eden

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To understand the history of the festival and its ritual practices please visit an older post documenting the Festival in Phuket – Thailand

If you wish to know more about the Ma Song’s and their motivations and experiences I found these interviews to be informative: Interview with a Spirit Medium, and Life of a Ma Song.

If in Phuket and in need of a knowledgeable guide I can recommend Kritchaya Na Takuathung with Phuket Heritage Trails. Khun Chaya is a Phuket native, fun to be with, and has many rave reviews on tripadvisor.

For the photogs reading this post I’m a Canon gal and used the 85 mm 1.2L and 35 mm 1.4L for this event. Most of these photos were taken with the 35 mm, with very little cropping, which meant getting up close and personal to the subjects.

It is only after the event, when I started to edit the images that I felt squeamish. Curiously, while in the zone / flow of shooting the subjects being pierced I wasn’t so effected.

The days were manic, trying to cover all aspects of the Festival wasn’t possible. The streets and temples were crowded and you had to hustle for access and proximity to the piercing’s.

It’s a chaotic space crowded with professional and amateur photographers and videographers alike mixing it up in the pits with friendly camaraderie.

The weather was inclement with a cloudy sky and some rain. Which put a bit of a damper on things, however, the processions continued in an earnest manner. Everyone enjoying the festivities.

Attending the event, and then researching the Festival was a rewarding project, The Phuket Vegetarian Festival is worth attending, and will be held from October 20 -28th in 2017 – have fun.

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