Day 103 - Budha statues

Staues of the Budha at the temple in central Colombo. Difficult to get the exposure right with the bright white sky in the background. Converting the photo to black and white and leaving the orange robe in colour has helped with the exposure and provides a focal point .

Day 102- Prawn Cocktail

My entree for dinner tonight- A supurb prawn cocktail at the "Lagoon" Cinnamon Grand Hotel in Colombo. Followed by a selection of seafood from this wonderful fresh offering- cooked tou yourindividual liking.

Day 101 - Budha's eyes

In the Budhist temple this evening we were shown a small statue of Budha. If you crouch down in front of it - the statue will become visible in three dimensions 3D...if you then move left or right the statue's head will appear to turn and follow you around the room. Its uncanny, but a neat effect.

Day 100 -Oil cups in use

A few days ago a was given one of these small oil cups at the Hindu temple that I visited in Colombo. At the time I had no idea exactly how these were used. Today when visiting a Budist temple in Colombo I saw them in use and managed to take a quick picture.

The photo below shows how the cups look after use.
Charred and cracked from the heat they are discarded on a metal tray outside the temple.

Day 99 - Kandian Dancers

In the hotel lobby yesterday morning - were four guys dressed in some kind of traditional costumes. I found out that they were from a Place called Kandy and were known as "Kandian Dancers"

Day 98 - Hindu Temple

This is the colourful Hindu temple located in Sri Kathiresan Street Colombo - Sri Lanka
I spent an hour or so here today - and was made most welcome.

It was a real challenge to get the lighting right inside the temple.

Bright light streamed in from a hole in the roof while the inside of the temple was dark.

There was an enourmous amount of smoke in the temple from burnin incense.

The smoke made some interesting shafts of light.

I set the camera to take a few bracketed shots at different exposures and will use some HDR techniques

to bring out the full effects once I get back home.

Interesting shafts of light filter through the smoke filled temple as the drummer pounds out a motivating beat.

At the front of the temple a man pulls a rope to ring a set of small bells.

In the opposite corner of the temple another man pulls on a rope to ring the larger "Church" bells located in a tower outside the temple.

This man plays a flute and sits directly opposite the drummer.

Looks like he has the flute wired up to a speaker system.

It was a bit difficult to photograph the worshippers without getting in their way -

So I resorted to using their reflections in a large mirror on the wall.

This is what the worshippers were watching.

Priests or elders were burning something inside one of the shrines.

This woman sat on the ground close to the shrine where the priests were conducting the ceremony.

After makijng a donation to the temple the old man that showed me around th temple put a mark of blessing on my forehead.

The process went like this:

 1 - A stripe of white powder,

2- A stripe of the yellow paste over the top of the white powder

3- A small dob of red powder.

Unfortunatly because of the heat this special marking started to run down my face carried by my sweat.

After 10 minutes I looked like I had been hit in the face with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

This is the old man that showed me around the temple.

He introduced each diety in turn but I didn't understand a single word.

This gentleman watched over my shoes while I was in the temple.

He has a small shop where he sells small earthernware (terracotta) bowls. He's actually holding one in his hands.

The bowls are used to hold oil for the temple ceremonies and cost 3 Ruppies = $US 0.03 each.

I paid him a small fee for watching over my shoes and he gave me an oil bowl as a momento.

As I walked back to the car he ran up behind me and offered his business card and asked if I could please send him a copy of the photo.

Day 97 - Barber shop

Near the Manning market in Colombo Sri Lanka is a colourful barber shop with a friendly owner.
I asked him to look into the mirror so I could experiment with a reflection shot.
Obviously he likes what he sees - So did I.

Tools of the Trade.

Barber takes a break between customers.

Day 96 - The Manning Market

Colombo - Sri Lanka
I visited the Manning fruit and vegetable market in Pettah this morning.
I was amazed by the very friendly people. Many asked me to take their photo and mail them a copy when I get home.
These are happy and clearly proud of their work. Below are some of the wonderful people I met today.

This man was so happy to have his photo taken with his product - Pumpkins.

I love the toothless grin.

Not sure what these vegetables are,

but the young man was happy to show off his fresh produce,

make jokes about Australian cricketers and have his photo taken.

Banana vendor

He gave me a free Banana.

I was interested in all the different kinds of bananas, green red and yellow and he was keen to show them off.

Green Chillis - and proud of it !

Small tomatos but a great big smile.

Beetroot vendors - Looks like a Father and Son Operation.

Gourdes or mellons I'm not sure -

 He climbed right to the top of the pile so I could get an interesting shot.

The mellons seemed to be covered in some sort of white powder.

I'm not sure if this is a preservative or the way the mellons grow naturally.

Onions anyone?

The Pumpkin King- This was huge fellow.

The pile of pumpkings he was sitting on top of was around 15 feet high

Day 95 - Street Barbers

I saw many barbers plying their trade on the streets and sidewalks of New Delhi. 
One is triming his clients mustache while seated on the sidewalk... while the secon barber seems more upmarket with a wooden chair and mirror for his customer.

Day 94 - Chicken tonight

Good photos bring out emptions in people, I hope this is one of those.
This photo actually makes me squirm- I find it disturbing and uncomfortabkle to look at... but its part of the way of life here in India. Actually i have a very similar photo taken in the Phiippines a few months ago. I took the photo precisely because it was uncomfortable to do.

Day 93 - UnderCarriage

Along one of the small crowed, dusty noisy laneways in Old Delhi a woman stops to buy bannanas from the street vendor.
Not sure who's daughter found themselves in the dirt under the cat but I thought it made a unique picture. The woman's sari was a bright red and this took the attention away from the little girl .. but Black & White helps to make the child's face stand out from behind the spokes.

Day 92 - Garlands, wash and prayer

Old Delhi - This woman sells garlands to worshippers that have just washed their feet and are preparing to enter a small temple or Ashram. I just love the colours in this.

Day 91 - Bath house water

 

Two men bath on the footpath outside an Old Delhi bathhouse.