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Farmer plowing his field with zebu (bos Indicus)-2, Bagan, Myanmar<br /> <br /> Zebu are very beautiful oxen, and seem to be quite gentle. I love that they use so many traditional ways of doing things in Myanmar.
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Farmer plowing his field with zebu (bos Indicus)-2, Bagan, Myanmar

Zebu are very beautiful oxen, and seem to be quite gentle. I love that they use so many traditional ways of doing things in Myanmar.

  • Butting heads
  • Outrigger canoe. wharf buildings and reflections galore, Teluk Dalam harbour, Nias Island, Sumatra<br /> <br /> After tomorrow, my ability to post or comment will be extremely limited for 3 weeks or so as I head off on another adventure.
  • Jesus, a giraffe and the laundry, Teluk Dalam, Nias Island, Sumatra (best seen at larger sizes)<br /> <br /> This is an eclectic scene that defied my attempts to caption it. The giraffe is peeking up at the mid-right of the image. Alternative captions welcome.
  • Zebra going for the jugular-1, Ngala, South Africa<br /> <br /> Today I've posted the final five dramatic photos of the zebra battle. In this photo the female zebras are huddled together in the background trying to ignore these battling stallions, competing to control the harem.<br /> <br /> In the end these battles end with the loser giving up and running off to 'lick his wounds' and survive to fight another battle. In some ways the animal world is more 'civilized' than the human one where battles CAN end in death.
  • Mothers and babies, Bawomatuluo village, Nias Island, Sumatra<br /> <br /> I debated for several days about whether or not to post this picture, and in the end decided to post it in the hopes that it might provide a cautionary tale about the dangers of drug use during pregnancy. When I pulled this photo up for editing, I noticed that the baby on the left is suffering from a number of deformities, likely caused by unknowingly taking a teratogenic (i.e., deformation causing) substance during a critical stage of fetal development. The deformaties are similar to those caused in the past by thalidomide, which was sold as an anti-nausea drug for morning sickness, and as sedative from 1957 until 1962, when it was banned in most countries. The tragedy triggered a number of changes in the way we now test drugs.<br /> <br /> Sorry I didn't have time to comment today, but too busy with gardening (a rare sunny day this month) and other work that couldn't wait.
  • Dory at low tide, Connemara, Ireland<br /> <br /> Happy St. Patrick's Day! I choose this photo for today for all the green, offset with just a touch of red.
  • Curious children, Bawomatuluo village, Nias Island, Sumatra<br /> <br /> Other photos, posted today, from this megalithic village can be seen here <a href="http://goo.gl/Ad2Hm">http://goo.gl/Ad2Hm</a>
  • Farmer plowing his field with zebu (bos Indicus)-2, Bagan, Myanmar<br /> <br /> Zebu are very beautiful oxen, and seem to be quite gentle. I love that they use so many traditional ways of doing things in Myanmar.
  • Dhammayangyi Temple at sunrise, Bagan, Myanmar<br /> <br /> This is most massive temple in Bagan, with the best brick work. It was built by King Narathu (1167-70), who, by all accounts, was pretty psycotic. According to legend, Narathu oversaw the construction of the temple himself. The bricks were laid without mortar, and the masons were executed if a needle could be pushed between the bricks they had laid. Narathu never completed the construction because he was assassinated before its completion, so there is no top section to the temple
  • Said the tick bird to its buddies: "I hate it when they decide to do a group hug; they always get their horns all tangled up"<br /> <br /> Sorry I didn't have much time to comment today; too many meetings (none of which ended with group hugs lol).
  • Stupas at sunset, Bagan, Myanmar<br /> <br /> As a general rule, a stupa is a solid structure that typically cannot be entered. They were constructed to contain sacred Buddhist relics that are hidden from view in containers buried at their core or in the walls. Temples. by contrast have open interiors that may be entered, and in which are displayed images (usually one in smaller temples, four or even eight in larger double storied temples) of Buddha as a focus for worship.<br /> <br /> For an example of a large temple, see Dhammayangyi Temple and read the story of the psychotic King Narathu here <a href="http://goo.gl/7RzK2">http://goo.gl/7RzK2</a>
  • The promise of summer yet to come! With the arrival of daylight savings time, can the warm weather be far behind?<br /> <br /> It was a beautiful sunny warm weekend and perfect for getting out into the garden. I went to the garden center and took a few photos while I shopped for plants.<br /> <br /> Re the discussion about whether to remove overhead wires, sometimes they can be used to make a statement about a location, as with this photo of a Soviet era statue taken in Albania. The wires speak volumes! See here <a href="http://goo.gl/zFk4B">http://goo.gl/zFk4B</a>
  • For all the seamstresses out there, who may still have a treadle machine in their basements or attics!<br /> <br /> Note the extremely worn condition of the belt by the fly wheel, at larger sizes! It is still working after over a century of use! Will we be able to say that about our new electric sewing machines? Another pic of this venerable old machine can be seen here <a href="http://goo.gl/9RFq2">http://goo.gl/9RFq2</a><br /> (plus some other photos of this fascinating culture)<br /> <br /> Nias woman at old Standard treadle sewing machine c1900, Nias Island, Sumatra
  • "Oooh, a perfect place to scratch that itch!"<br /> <br /> This large male giraffe found an excellent small branch near the top of the tree to scratch his chin on. (best seen at large sizes)
  • Earning his stripes
  • Sunset view from Shwesandaw Pagoda towards the Irrawaddy River, Bagan, Mayanmar<br /> <br /> The clouds mimic the shape of the hills, which in turn mimic the shapes of the stupas. The river is in the smoke-filled depression before the start of the hills, and is barely apparent as a couple of bright spots in the image at the base of the hills (best seen at larger sizes).<br /> <br /> Paul Bellinger asked about how it was to travel in Myanmar. No problems, whatsoever. The people were wonderful, we encountered little or no bureaucracy, the accommodations were excellent and the food was great. We had arranged a private tour for just the 5 of us, and had an English-speaking guide and a driver at each location. This was not expensive at all and the guide knew where to take us for good photography. The local artisans were incredible, using historical techniques to create their masterpieces; these techniques have all but disappeared from Westernized cultures. Some pics of this will follow, but I am still pretty far behind on my editing, and am about to disappear on another adventure.
  • Snowdrops and dead leaves, Vancouver BC<br /> <br /> I was planning on posting a model photo today. But I saw these snowdrops that were hidden in the woods on my dog walk. It was so nice to finally see this harbinger of spring that I decided to post both photos! Taken from close up and down low with a 24 mm lens at f11.
  • Lighting workshop-1<br /> <br /> Last Sunday our local SmugMug/FishEye Connect had a workshop on studio lighting at Christopher Pike's MPV Studio, and then we had three models for practicing lighting and processing. This was a new photo skill for me, and a lot of fun! Your candid critiques on this gallery <a href="http://goo.gl/w3fuZ">http://goo.gl/w3fuZ</a> (plus a few more photos still to post) are more than welcome! Do I have a future as a studio photographer (asked with tongue planted firmly in cheek LOL)?
  • "It's a beautiful day and I feel like s i n g i n g!" <br /> <br /> Snowy owl enjoys a sunny day. For the next frame, showing his goofy little smile following his 'performance', see here <a href="http://goo.gl/yhduA">http://goo.gl/yhduA</a>
  • Lighting workshop-7<br /> <br /> Today I'm posting the last of the photos I took at the SmugMug/FishEye Connect lighting and processing workshop held at Christopher Pike's studio in Vancouver. Kudos to the models, who were volunteers and did an excellent job! I hope everyone realized that I was kidding yesterday about becoming a studio photographer - I'm too addicted to adventure and wildlife to shut myself up in studio! (Although the challenge of pet photography might be fun LOL)

  • Arnold Dubin

    on March 17, 2013

    Nicely captured photo! It definitely shows how life exists someplace else. ADubin

  • KENNETH COLE

    on March 16, 2013

    Extremely nice!

  • dalystock

    on March 16, 2013

    love the traditional feel to this image and how it takes us to a whole different way of life

  • fotoeffects

    on March 16, 2013

    Wonderful image!

  • Rick Willis

    on March 16, 2013

    Excellent Shot.
    Like the Back Drop too...

  • TruImages

    on March 16, 2013

    Nice capture!

  • PAULBELLINGERSR

    on March 16, 2013

    Cool work here.

  • kjakes1

    on March 16, 2013

    Wonderful image

  • arctangent

    on March 16, 2013

    The conjunction of the farmer and his oxen and the stupas in the background is so exotic. Definitely not Kansas!

  • Byron Fair Photography

    on March 15, 2013

    Nice capture. It looks like the one on the right is not liking the yoke.

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