Weekly Photo Challenge: On Top

Taken from the summit of Le Môle, this shot seemed like a perfect fit for this week’s photo challenge. After nearly three hours of uphill hiking I finally made it to the peak, and boy was it worth it! I really felt like I was on top of the world.

Le Môle is by no means tall. In fact at 1863m it could be considered small next to some of the higher peaks that can be seen from its summit. But because it’s isolated and not immediately surrounded by other mountains it’s an incredible vantage point from which to look out over the French Alps.

I spent at least an hour up here exploring and being patient whilst waiting for the sun to peek out from behind the clouds. This shot captures one of those fleeting moments when the mountainside was blessed with sunlight. The leading lines of the path and the ridge alongside it were just too good to ignore!

Weekly Photo Challenge: Juxtaposition

From the heart of the Bangrak district, my shot for this week’s photo challenge is an example of the contrast that is impossible to escape in Bangkok. At times I felt like I was in a dystopian world of fiction, with the wealthy living the high life in their skyscrapers while everybody else is left to forage for themselves in the dark underbelly of the city.

Of course it isn’t quite that extreme. But it’s not so difficult to imagine this kind of world after you’ve just walked down a dirty, hot and crowded side street full of the smells of Bangkok, into a 5 star hotel with a rooftop bar to boot.

I think part of what makes Bangkok such an exciting place to be is this quite obvious and ever present juxtaposition. It’s all very confusing and equally fascinating at the same time. The city is so unpredictable, your senses constantly overwhelmed no matter where you look. I’ve never been anywhere quite like it!

Have you visited a city with such obvious contrasts in every direction? How did it make you feel? Maybe you’d like to experience a dystopian world of fiction?! I’d love to hear from you!

You might also like:

• The Buddhas Of Wat Chedi Luang
• A Longtail In Paradise
• A Chiang Mai Market Salesman
• A Bumpy Ride Towards A Phuket Sunrise

Weekly Photo Challenge: Beginning

Each and every morning we see the beginning of a beautiful new day as the sun rises over the horizon. Or rather, many of us don’t see it because we are still sleeping. I think I can probably count the number of times I have actually seen a sunrise on one hand. Shame on me! So when we decided to take a sunrise tour to Koh Phi Phi in Thailand I was really excited to see what I’d been missing out on all these years.

Not only does this shot mark the beginning of a new day, but also the start of our boat trip to Koh Phi Phi Leh. So I think it’s perfect for this week’s photo challenge. As we rode out onto the water from the Phuket Marina I realised that we would be heading straight into the sunrise for most of the journey. The choppy water made it difficult to get a good shot, but I’m glad I kept my camera out. It was an unforgettable morning and well worth the 5:30am wake up call. But will I be greeting the sunrise on a regular basis now? Probably not!

How often do you make it out of bed in time to see the sunrise? What’s the most unforgettable sunrise you’ve seen? I’d love to hear from you!

You might also like:

• The Buddhas Of Wat Chedi Luang
• A Longtail In Paradise
• A Chiang Mai Market Salesman
• A Bumpy Ride Towards A Phuket Sunrise

Weekly Photo Challenge: One

Taken in the Bangrak district of Bangkok, my shot for this week’s photo challenge depicts the daily life of a local man selling lottery tickets. We saw lots of people selling these all around the city. I guess they just sit there all day and sell tickets, which must get boring pretty quickly! I never actually saw anybody buying one. His white mask really stood out for me so I decided to go for black and white.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Unexpected

Many things about Scotland were completely unexpected to me. The majestic, simply breathtaking landscape was the biggest surprise. Followed closely by the distinct lack of any pubs along its winding country roads. Whilst driving in England you rarely pass more than 5 miles without seeing a cosy cottage pub. I’m not sure why I thought Scotland would be the same, but it certainly wasn’t!

This shot was taken at Glen Coe in the Scottish Highlands, and the small white house was definitely unexpected. A fantastic location for a home, it’s tough to beat the scenery even if it is a little remote. Having said that I don’t even know if it’s inhabited, I didn’t get close enough for that. I think for now I’d like to keep it a mystery and just imagine what it must be like living with such an incredible landscape on your doorstep.

Has a destination ever taken you completely by surprise? Have you ever seen something unexpected on your travels? Know of any great country pubs in Scotland?! I’d love to hear from you.

You might also like:

• Weekly Photo Challenge: Beginning
• Weekly Photo Challenge: One
• Weekly Photo Challenge: Unexpected
• Weekly Photo Challenge: Layers

Weekly Photo Challenge: Layers

When I saw the theme for this week’s photo challenge I immediately thought of my trip to the Grand Canyon. What an awe-inspiring testament to geological history. Some of the layers of sedimentary rock are nearly 2 billion years old!

We had a great day tour by bus from Las Vegas. The journey was long and at times very bumpy, but certainly more than worth it. I wish I’d known at the time that you could go hiking in the canyon, that must be an incredible experience! I’ll have to make sure I get to that next time round. For now I have my photos of the incredible vistas from the western rim.

Have you visited the Grand Canyon? How was your experience? Did you manage to take a hike?!

You might also like:

• Mystical Herbert Lake On The Icefields Parkway
• A Glimpse Of The Past
• A Well Deserved Rest Stop
• Caught Between Mountains On Route 395

Weekly Photo Challenge: Habit

I’m pretty sure that right now I have the best commute to work I will ever have in my life. In fact I’d probably say that it’s the best part of my day. Every morning of the working week I walk twenty minutes to my office, flanked on my right (or left on the route home) by Lake Geneva and the Rhône river. It certainly beats commuting on the underground network in London! And is the perfect inspiration for this week’s photo challenge.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Eerie

Since I’ve had a great response to my last shot of Bodie Ghost Town in California, I thought I’d use another for this week’s photo challenge. I’m sure this bed has an incredible story to tell, but it will be forever shrouded in mystery. It epitomises the eerie feel of the abandoned mining town which in 1879 was home to around 7,000 people. Not that you would believe that looking at it today!

Unfortunately most of the 2,000 buildings that originally made up the town are no longer present. But the 170 that do remain provide a fascinating window into an exciting period of American history.

You might also like:

• Weekly Photo Challenge: Beginning
• Weekly Photo Challenge: One
• Weekly Photo Challenge: Unexpected
• Weekly Photo Challenge: Layers

Weekly Photo Challenge: Horizon

My shot for this week’s photo challenge was taken in the Tuscan countryside, just outside of Siena in Italy. Since it was only a 10 minute walk from our villa I had been up in this area for a while waiting for the sun to appear so I could get some good shots. I got lucky as the sun just peeked out between the clouds for a few moments and lit up the yellows and greens of the landscape beautifully. I’m sure that Tuscany must have some of the best horizons on earth, with its distinctive cypress trees and historic hilltop towns. I can’t wait to go back some day!

You might also like:

• Weekly Photo Challenge: Juxtaposition
• Weekly Photo Challenge: Beginning
• Weekly Photo Challenge: One
• Weekly Photo Challenge: Unexpected

Weekly Photo Challenge: Infinite

Taken in Budapest at St Stephen’s Basilica, my shot for this week’s photo challenge gives the illusion of a staircase winding on to infinity. It’s not quite that long, but certainly feels like it’s never-ending when you’re half way up! The basilica itself is an incredible building and a must-see in Budapest. The circular viewing station around the outside of its cupola gives you a great bird’s-eye view of this fantastic Eastern European city.

I was tempted to change this image to black and white, but I love the orange glow that seems to get stronger as you wind down the staircase moving from natural to artificial light. It almost looks like you’re getting closer and closer to the earth’s core as you follow it to its end.

You might also like:

• Weekly Photo Challenge: Beginning
• Weekly Photo Challenge: One
• Weekly Photo Challenge: Unexpected
• Weekly Photo Challenge: Layers