Anuradhapura was Sri Lanka’s first capital, founded in the 4th century BCE by King Pandukabhaya. It is considered the first city in the country to have embraced Buddhism. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, home to massive ancient stupas, vast archaeological ruins, and a sacred tree.
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In the past there were two options. Carry a camera if you were actively out taking photos or leave it at home and risk missing a serendipitous shot. These days we don’t have to choose. We can leave our heavy camera gear at home and still grab those unexpected moments with our phones.
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I hope these images of animate and inanimate subjects found on rooftops around the world, from cats to crosses, demonstrate that it is always worth looking up while carrying a camera. You never know what you might see!
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We all know the colours of the rainbow and our imaginations can supply them even when photographed in black and white. The colours of many other photographic subjects are equally recognisable too. But when we strip out those colours and leave our imagination to fill them in, other elements of the subject, like texture and form, come to the fore.
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When our tour company, Selective Asia, suggested we might like a stay at the unique Mudhouse in western Sri Lanka we were in two minds. Would we love the ‘back to nature’ vibe or would we find sleeping in the semi-open with few ‘mod cons’ too much of a challenge? But we took the plunge, booked a two-night stay, and it proved to be a great decision.
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How often in this busy world do we take the time to just sit? Sitting to enjoy a view, to take a pause from all the activity that fills our days, to simply relax? And if we do, are we 'wasting time' or are we using it wisely to recharge our batteries?
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Whoever said 'We build too many walls and not enough bridges', and when, sadly it seems very apposite to our times. Wouldn’t the world be a better place if right now we were building more bridges than walls? And yet, the world is full of walls, and we have to admit that they are often necessary.
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Katara Cultural Village was constructed on reclaimed land along Doha's coastline as a centre for culture and the arts. It takes its name from the original one for this region, Catara, the first record of which appears in Ptolemy’s Geography, written c. 150 A.D.
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Setting out on a journey you may think you know where you are going and therefore what to expect. But there are always surprises in even the most well-prepared trip, and it is often the surprises that prove the most memorable experiences. It’s a healthy reminder to leave room for serendipity in any travel plan.
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There is a temptation while travelling to take only those ‘souvenir’ photos, and it’s one I often fall into. It’s all too easy simply to point the camera at them and press the shutter while considering only the basics of composition. At the same time I do try to look for the more unusual photo opportunities, and I like to capture the details of everyday life in a city.
