Year End 2007

Monastery (Bhutan)- © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved
The new year promises to be a stellar one! I look forward to be leading two photographic expeditions~workshops in Kashmir (July-August) and Bhutan (October), and to participate in the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop in Mexico (June). I'm also planning a couple of solo photo trips in March and early winter...and I hope to attend the Angkor Photo festival in Siem Reap whenever it's held. I also have a couple of publishing projects which will come to fruition this year.

This being the last post in 2007, I wish a happy healthy & prosperous 2008 to all The Travel Photographer blog's readers, subscribers and drop-ins. I've received many complimentary emails and messages about this blog over the course of its first year, and I'm immensely gratified that it has contributed something of value to the community of photographers and travelers.

TTP Recap of the Week

For your convenience, here's the past week's (December 23- December 30) most popular posts on TTP:

TTP Photo Of The Year
Bhutan: Photo Expedition
Benazir Bhutto's Assassination

NPPA's Best of Photojournalism 2008

The National Press Photographers Association announced the 2008 Best Of Photojournalism contest rules which have been posted to its Web site. The contest will officially open for entries on January 2, 2008 and the deadline for all divisions is Feb 1st.

This contest is designed by photojournalists for photojournalists, and is a competition in still and television photojournalism, in picture editing, and Web editing. It's in its seventh year and is claimed to be the world's leading digital photojournalism contest.

Best of Photojournalism 2008

A Pilgrimage Special: At Matha Kuwara Shrine

In Kushinagar, we went to a small shrine called Matha Kuwara Shrine. This shrine houses a Buddha image in earth-touching-posture, said to be 3.05 m tall and carved out of one block of blue stone. An interesting incident happened here. Lord Buddha had become sick after he was offered a meal of mushroom by Cunda and as a result had to stop at 25 places to rest when he was traveling from Pava to Kushinagar. Apparently, when Lord Buddha stopped here to rest, he had asked Ven. Ananda to fetch some water to drink. Ven. Ananda did not go initially because many carts had crossed the stream making the water muddy and the water undrinkable, I suppose. On the third request, he went over to the stream and had found the water had turned clear.

At the Matha Kuwara Shrine built in 1927 by Ven. Chandramani out of the donations of Myammar devotees, U Po Kyo and U Po Hlaing...

New York Times: Yemen

Image © Evelyn Hockstein/New York Times-All Rights Reserved
The New York Times brings us a slideshow about Yemen with Evelyn Hockstein's photographs of this stunningly exotic country.

The accompanying article is by writer Tom Downey, and he writes this: " On the main street of Sana’s souk, black-clad shadows — local women — duck into fabric stores to buy colorful garments I’ll never see them wear. Working teenagers huddle next to food vendors, eating boiled potatoes and eggs dipped in coarse salt and bright red pepper. A fruit vendor wearing one thick rubber glove carefully selects a prickly pear from a wheelbarrow and strips off the spiky outer skin. Men and boys wear the curious costume of northern Yemen — a Western suit jacket over a one-piece jalabiya. The crowning accessory is a curved dagger called the jambiya that’s sheathed in a fanciful scabbard belted across the belly."

These daggers are must-wear for most Yemeni men, as well as for their Omani neighbors. It's an accessory that men will not be seen without...perhaps akin to businessmen wearing ties in the West.

Yemen is indeed exotic and its architecture is certainly atypical, and I would love to travel to and in Yemen to photograph. However, and shrugging off the standard alarmist warnings issued by the State Department, street photography is reportedly difficult as -common with the attitude prevalent in some Islamic countries- Yemenis do not wish their wives, sisters and daughters to be photographed. I had a difficult time photographing in the streets of Moroccan cities because of this attitude.

The New York Times' slideshow: Yemen

The New York Times' article:Yemen's Exotic Secrets

A Pilgrimage Special: The Cremation Stupa

The Makutabandhana Cetiya or Cremation Stupa marks the place where Lord Buddha was cremated. We had visited it immediately after visiting the Mahaparinibbana Temple. It was a cold, misty morning when we visited it but monks and other pilgrims were already up and about. We were warned not to give away money freely since there were charlatans dressed in saffron robes and posing as monks there . The Cremation stupa was raised by the Mallas after the cremation and repaired by Asoka in the 3th century BC and again in the 5th century AD during the reign of Kumaragupta. In 1861 it was just a big mound but later a stupa consisting of a circular drum 34 m in diameter resting on a 47 m diameter platform was exposed and in the excavations, a large number of clay seals inscribed with Buddhist verses confirmed that this was the cremation of Lord Buddha. At this holy place then, pilgrims say a prayer.

At the Makutabandhana Cetiya....
We... and other pilgrims say a prayer...


Traveling Tip: Beware of Charlatans.

A Pilgrimage Special: At Kusinagar -the Site of Parinirvana

Leaving India for Nepal was a fantastic experience. It was towards evening when we left Kapilavastu for Lumbini. The road to Nepal was bad and it was a bumpy ride all the way as we passed through hamlets where villagers could be seen gathering outside their homes or going about their chores. At night, oil lamps were lit and occasionally in little shops, a small motor may be used to light up a little bulb. All along the way, people can be seen walking or cycling along the isolated road even when it was already pitch dark, thus giving me the impression that there were actually many people and activities going on around these remote areas where there was no electricity or piped water. I really wonder how the locals live and no, I would not want to go for a home stay here! The hotel in Lumbini was fine though and we had no difficulty getting through the customs at the congested border. We had visited Mayadevi temple the next day and following there had left Nepal again for Kusinagar in India which was 130 km and 6 hours ride away. Kusinagar was another important site for our pilgrimage, it being the site where Gautama Buddha attained Parinirvana (or 'Final Nirvana') after falling ill from eating a meal of a species of mushroom.


At Kushinagar...


Prayers were said at the Parinirvana Temple...

Photo Submissions: Elementary Tips

Image © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved
A large adventure travel operator has recently requested photo submissions for its annual catalog from its approved photographers, and I thought I'd share with you how I'll go about presenting my submission.

Firstly, the client wants the initial photo submissions in low to medium resolution saved as jpgs. Once the choice has been done, submissions are to be in TIFF or PSD formats at high resolutions scans of 300 dpi. All this is pretty much standard for all photo submissions of this type.

Once I've decided on my photographs, I label each digital image with my name and an ID number. I burn these images on a DVD (or a CD for the initial submission) having grouped them in geographically-named folders (ie Bhutan, Ethiopia, etc). I also prepare a page with thumbnails of the submitted photos and burn that on the DVD or CD, along with a cover letter to the client with my address, and contact details. This too is pretty much standard.

I always use printable media (DVD or CD) and with my inkjet printer get them labeled with my name, copyright notice and client's name. I prefer DVD cases such as the one on the left, which provide more protection and are better looking than the square plastic ones. I print another sheet with the thumbnails, add my name, address, contact on the bottom and insert that in the front of the DVD case.

It presents well, and while it won't necessarily make my images stand out from the competition (I'm sure many photographers do the same or have similar ideas), it looks neat and professional. The days of scribbling on the CD and popping it in a mailer are gone!

News: Batteries' Ban

The US Transportation Department announced that air travelers will no longer be able to pack loose lithium batteries in checked luggage beginning January 1, 2008 to help reduce the risk of fires.

Passengers will still be able to check luggage with lithium batteries if they are installed in electronic devices, such as cameras, cell phones and laptop computers. If packed in plastic bags, batteries may be in carryon baggage. The limit is two batteries per passenger.

The ban affects shipments of non-rechargeable lithium batteries, such as the Energizer and Duracell brands.

Details on Safe Travel Dot Gov

Details on TSA

TTP Photo of the Year

Image © Copyright Shiho Fukada-All Rights Reserved
I'm so taken by Shiho Fukada's photographs that I've been racking my brains how to re-post her work on The Travel Photographer. The answer? TTP's Photo of the Year.

So without further ado, here's TTP's Photo of the Year: Shiho Fukada's photograph of a made-up Indian dancer...possibly a Kathakali or Yakshagana performer. The former is a dance of Kerala, while the latter is of Karnataka. The richness of the colors and the judicious use of shadows in this photograph have so impressed me that I've spent an inordinate amount of time just looking at it...trying to burn it in my visual memory in the event that I come across a similar situation.

Shiho Fukuda

A Pilgrimage Special: To Kapilavastu

Kapilavastu is the name of an ancient Indian city. In a school textbook which I used ages ago, I remember it was stated that Kapilavastu was the birthplace of Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. The search for Buddha's birthplace following the accounts left by Xuanzang and Faxian has now, of course, decided that it is Lumbini that is the birthplace and it happens too that there are two Kapilavastu and Lumbini is near to both these places. The first Kapilavastu was of course Piprahwa in India. Nepalese guidebooks and historians however consider Tilaurakot in Nepal to be the real Kapilavastu. Our Indian guide said it is Piprahwa as evident from the relics excavated there but some people prefer to think that Tilaurakot was the old Kapilavastu and after the attack by the Kosalan army near the end of Buddha's life, Kapilavastu was rebuilt in Piprahwa and thus, it was the new Kapilavastu. There is another view that Kapilavastu is a large area which is mainly in Nepal but partly in India. On our way from Sravasti to Lumbini, we had stopped briefly in the Kapilavastu of India. Kapilavastu in Nepal side, according to our Indian guide was infested with Maoist terrorists and not safe for tourists.

On the way to Lumbini...



We stopped at Piprahwa aka Kapilavastu ...


Say a prayer at the stupa...




Information on the old city of Kapilavastu...


Road leading to Nepal...


It was dusty, dusty all the way...

Benazir Bhutto's Assassination

Image © John Moore/Getty Images-All Rights Reserved
The assassination of Benazir Bhutto has very serious implications and consequences for Pakistan and for the United States' national interests in this region. Pakistan's stability is at risk, and the whole region may face chaos and turmoil.

Naturally, our supine and discredited mainstream media is now lionizing Bhutto (or "Buddo" as our illiterate anchors and clownish talking heads pronounce her name) as the beacon of democracy for Pakistan, unwilling to remember that she was dismissed from office for corruption and incompetence..not once, but twice.

Notwithstanding, Bhutto's death is the worst possible outcome, as the Bush administration had been relying on her pro-western leanings to keep Pakistan on its side, and help to reduce the degree of Islamic militancy in that country.

Back to photography: I think that this photograph by John Moore (he seemed to be one of the few photographers to be close to the scene) is just remarkable. This unfortunate man, his trouser legs shredded by the explosion...possibly badly hurt, and certainly in a horrible daze, is still very elegantly attired with his coat still buttoned, shirt and tie undisturbed. His hair is well combed and he seems to be checking if he's unhurt. Yet a few feet away, men lay dying. Incredible.

According to CNN, John Moore said he was about 20 yards away from Bhutto's vehicle when he took his photographs.

Shiho Fukada: The Aravanis

Image © Copyright Shiho Fukada-All Rights Reserved
Shiho Fukada is a New York-based freelance photojournalist, and her work has been published in numerous publications including The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune Magazine, Time, Stern, Le Monde, among others. Her work has also been featured in PDN and Digital Photo Pro Magazine. In 2007 she was named one of the emerging photographers in Digital Photo Pro Magazine.

I am amazed at the quality and depth of her photojournalism as showcased on her website. The three main bodies of work that I found exceptionally powerful are "50 Years Later", "The Aravanis" and "Life In A Brothel". The latter is a three-part essay featuring the stories of sex workers in Bangladeshi brothels. There's a also a multimedia Soundslide essay which I recommend you watch.

The former photo essay is about the Aravanis; these are essentially transgenders and eunuchs, sometimes called hijras. The Aravanis trace their lineage to the Mahabharata. According to the ancient legend, Lord Krishna took a female form to marry Prince Aravan for a single night before Aravan was sacrificed.

Every year this event is celebrated as the Koovagam festival, when thousands of Aravanis dress as brides and marry the deity, Lord Aravan, and consummate the marriage through sex work. The next day they enact the process of widowhood, don white saris and return to their villages, only to shed wearing white after a month of mourning.

This is powerful and compelling photojournalism, and I have spent much time exploring Ms Kukada's website with its various photo galleries and essays. I expect you'll probably do the same.

Shiho Fukuda

A Pilgrimage Special: At Buddha's Birthplace

The paper reported today that rescuers searched for more than 100 missing people after a steel footbridge collapsed in remote western Nepal, sending scores plunging into icy Himalayan waters. The only place I visited in Nepal was Lumbini and that was of course, during my recent pilgrimage. I remember bridges there were rather narrow and only one vehicle could cross it at anyone time and it was really a wonder that there was no traffic light or a police to direct the traffic. Lumbini is really a small drab town in Rupandehi District but being the place where Mayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama who later became the Buddha, it has become an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists besides Kushinagar, Bodh Gaya, and Sarnath. .In Buddha's time, Lumbini was supposed to be a beautiful garden full of green shady Sal tree under which Siddhartha Gautama came into the world. Our visit to Lumbini was mainly to visit Mayadevi Temple which marked the exact spot where the birth took place. There, we had a prayer session at Asoka pillar which is just outside the temple.

Visiting Mayadevi Temple in Lumbini, Nepal...

Mahadevi Temple...


Inside Mayadevi Temple...


The Marker Stone placed by King Asoka, marking the exact spot where Buddha was born...



An ancient relief depicting a scene of Buddha's birth...




The pond where Mayadevi washed herself after giving birth...


Saying a prayer at Asoka's pillar...

One Shot: Sune Wendelboe

Image Copyright © Sune Wendelboe-All Rights Reserved
For this One Shot feature, I chose this image of an Embera woman with her child amongst the hundreds of exotic photographs on Sune Wendelboe's website Global Photographic. He's a peripatetic traveler and his website lists dozens of countries he visited and photographed over the course of 12 years. It's an incredible trove of travel imagery, landscapes and ethno-photography, which will impress even the most blase of travel photography enthusiasts. Unfortunately, Sune's biography is conspicuous by its absence on the website...it would've been very welcome.

As background to the above photograph: an estimated population of 15,000 Emberá indians inhabit the Darien rainforest of Panamá. This tribe along with the Wounaan were formerly known as the Choco because they emigrated from the Choco province of Columbia in the late 18th century. Nowadays, they have largely abandoned their traditional hunting and farming, and cater to the tourist trade.

(Thanks for the heads up, Eric.)

TKK Restaurant, Teluk Jawa (a.k.a. Megah Ria Seafood Village)

Having my Christmas dinner at TKK Seafood Restaurant, Teluk Jawa (a.k.a. Megah Ria Seafood Village)
(N1 28.606 E103 50.728)

Map from JB Custom to TKK Restaurant

The meaning of 'TKK' is Tie-Kong-Kia in hokkien (means son of the god)! Of somebody call it Tan-Ku-Ku in hokkien (means long waiting). :)
We ordered a few dishes like : Steam prawn, steam sotong (squid), Thai style slice cockle, vegetables and Hot plate Tofu (bean curd).


Among all, I love the steam squid very much! The spice added was just marvelous!
The environment is relax and not crowded. As you can see, there are two session in the restaurant.....typical seafood restaurant area and the romantic bridge area especially for couples or family.

Live seafoods available

The total cost of the dinner are MYR78.00. It's quite reasonable price from this good environment restaurant.

Related post :-
*  TKK Seafood Restaurant (2nd visit) at Teluk Jawa, Johor Bahru.

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