Travel & Humanitarian Photos
Bhaktapur is about a forty minute drive from Kathmandu. It’s one of the places I visited on my first trip to Nepal, nearly a decade ago and holds fond memories. I also went to nearby Changu Narayan on that trip and would liked to have returned there this time but, sadly, it wasn’t to be so it stays on my “To Do” list for my next visit.
After yesterday’s low-light shots, we’re very much back into the daylight for this post. Bhaktapur has lots of gorgeous temples and most people, quite understandably, remain in Durbar Square or the square near to it. I’ve certainly done that in the past and found more than enough to keep me and my camera busy.
On this occasion, however, I ventured a little further afield, wandering through the back streets and following a vague path down to the river, where I understood that there were funeral ghats. Let’s just say that “river” is a wildly over-enthusiastic term for what I found and you’ll be pleased to know that I’m sparing you the pictures of a pre-monsoon, stagnant trickle of water and trash that I found in a gully at the foot of the hill. Instead, here are a few shots from the alleyways and marketplace around Bhaktapur.
Probably my favourite picture from Bhaktapur, grabbed instinctively as these boys came careering around the corner. No time to change settings, just fortunate to have been on a slow shutter speed. And would you be impressed if I told you that I was focusing manually at the time?
Have you ever seen a man holding a chicken as proudly as this? He might have been even more pleased had I got the chicken in focus. Depth-of-field, people. Learn where it starts and where it finishes at different apertures, with different focal lengths and at different distances from your subject. Clearly, it’s something I’ll be concentrating on for the rest of the week!
I recall being apoplectic as a child when my mother would insist upon brushing my hair in public. Imagine how being bathed on the pavement would have felt. But this is Nepal and such things are commonplace. In all seriousness, being plumbed into the mains water supply is still something of a rarity in Nepal so water must be fetched from a local well or standpipe. I should imagine that bathing anywhere in those circumstances is something of a treat.
A fine selection of fruit outside a building that looks as though it is centuries old. I’m not too sure about some of those bananas though – they look like they might have been put there by the building’s first occupants.
Finally, every street should have one. A goat. What else is there to say? It’s a goat.
Tomorrow, if you’re very good, some more shots from Bhaktapur featuring two new friends that I made there.
Hi Gavin,
Thanks for sharing these inspiring images… I love the low lights ones from yesterday too!
I have friends living in Bodnath, and it’s nice to see their neighborhood (since they don’t send too much pics).
Hope to see more of them tomorrow!
Did they were shooted with the 85mm 1.2 ? As I know Brandon and you are big fans…
Take care!
Thanks a lot for the inspiring shots…..loved the first one in particular….
Love the panned shot in the square with the boys. Damn, Gavin, slow down and leave something for us!
Funny, I’ve shot the same fruit stand, and the same dude with the white beard. (He’s never been sober or 100% there, how’s he doing now?
Also – for the love of leaning-Buddha’s would you put some exif data on here!?
Some brilliant images here (and yesterday) Gavin. Damn, 1/15 sec on the panning shot- that has to be some kind of new panning record?!
I was looking, looking at the photo of the goat thinking, woah, this here little goat has a tiny black harness on it- I wonder what that is for? Then realised that my eyes were playing tricks on me – it is just its black goat markings. Further evidence that maybe I need new glasses (or less glasses of red wine!): Did anyone else notice in Gavin’s 1st photo from yesterday the policeman having a conversation with what looks like a ghost-like statue?
Heimana, we are big fans of the 85mm f/1.2, with good reason. It’s one of those lenses that comes with me almost every time I head out. I can sometimes get a bit carried away with that shallow depth-of-field though
David, pay attention young man, all EXIF data automatically included in each image’s tag, just mouse-over the image for the EXIF data to appear. Vanessa, I’d keep going with the red win on the basis that these things go full circle, drink enough and you’ll start seeing clearly again. That policeman is actually talking to another policeman.
Once again a great set of images. I particularly the blur one. How are you liking the 5D Mark II? What’s the battery situation for it in BKK?
jack
That’s where the goat story came from!
That first shot is simply exquisite.
Gavin, you should’ve tried those bananas – they’re sweeter when black, and because they’re so thick, and usually picked from trees once ripe to prevent getting picked by birds instead, sometimes u get unripe insides right after u pick them. Does that make sense? heh
Very rich images, btw! Just wondering, what’s tucked under the cap/fez of the guy next to the showering boy’s photo? Flower? Herbal medicine to wake himself up? -cheers,
joe
Love the bicycle shot. Wish it were mine!
Bhaktapur is one of my favorite places in Asia. It’s been a few years since I was last there but these photos take me back. Great set of images.