Month: April 2016

Soaring

On By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography4 Comments

Whether it’s over the coastal villages, the riverain areas, the open savannahs or the mountains, seeing a bird soaring gives a sense of freedom, a sense of wonder, a sense of space.

Of course, that might be just me.

Somewhere along the trip, my friend (a bit hard to believe I’ve known her since primary school days) Praharshanie mentioned she had loved one of Nikhil’s photos of a bird over the mountains, and that I should take one.  I have probably taken a few over the years, but none that really worked for me.  We were sitting on the benches by Charlie’s place at Yakarinta when we saw this scene, and of course, camera(s) in hand I set to shooting a few frames to see what I could get.

So, I like this one enough to share. 🙂

March 2016  |  Canon EOS 6D, Canon EF 24-105  |  Yakarinta, North Rupununi, Guyana

Click on the image to see it in the Gallery

Kurupukari Crossing

On By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography2 Comments

I was reading somewhere recently (online) a caption for a photograph that said “crossing Kurupukari” and it occurred to me that some people probably genuinely think that the river that they are crossing with the pontoon/ferry is actually called Kurupukari – the river is none other than the mighty Essequibo.

Kurupukari is apparently the historic name of the Amerindian village now known as Fairview, which happens to be the only Amerindian village located within the Iwokrama Rainforest Programme Site.  The rapids or waterfalls seen near the “crossing” is referred to as the Kurupukari Rapids or Kurupukari Falls, the area on either side of the river where the pontoon/ferry and boats come ashore is/are referred to as the Kurupukari Landing; this landing allows for the transport of vehicles across the Essequibo River along the Linden-Lethem Trail / Road.

I’ve taken many photos at the crossing, as have many other people, it has a scenic quality that is endearing but not necessarily easy to capture on camera.  While photographing it this last March I realized what was one of the things that I loved about it, it was the openness, the width of the river, the wide expanse of sky above.  In this photo I try to convey that sense of openness and also the scale (there’s a boat/canoe crossing the river).

Canon EOS 60D, Sigma 10-20mm  |  Essequibo River, Kurupukari, Guyana, 2016

Click on the image to see it in the Gallery

The Bush

On By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography7 Comments

Shooting in a Rainforest can be fun, rewarding even, but there are some parts of Guyana that are not quite rainforest, where the variety of trees forms a tangle of verdant threads in a patchwork green tapestry, and it’s hard to take a photograph to show the scale or the beauty… this is where I like to think is the type of area most Guyanese generally call “the bush”; although to most of us coastland dwellers, the “bush is anywhere beyond the towns that have visible treelines blocking your view 🙂

This one was taken just past 58 Mile, Mabura area.  Even in this quick snap you can see a fair variety in the trees, of note is the scale of the vegetation to the vehicle disappearing up the road.

 

Canon EOS 6D, Canon EF 24-105 f/4L

Click on the image to see it in the Gallery.

House of God

On By themichaellamcollectionIn Commentary, Photography5 Comments

The physical structure that believers gather within to offer thanks and praise to a higher being, their God, is often referred to as a church, temple, masjid, mandir, among many other names; but to me this is simply a shelter over the heads of those gathering; growing up as a Roman Catholic we are taught that the church is the people, yet we all refer to the building as the church 🙂

At 58 Mile, Mabura, along the Lethem trail there’s a church building that I almost always photograph in passing, I’ve meant to walk over on more than one occasion, but never did.  I don’t know which Christian denomination it belongs to, but seeing a quaint little church against the backdrop of the forest usually makes me think if we  were seeking a “place” to gather and worship, maybe out in the open among God’s creation is where it can be every once in a while, to remind us of the wonders of this home we call earth and the God who we believe created it and us.

Church at 58 Mile, Mabura.  |  Canon EOS 6D, Canon EF 24-105mm L

Another church that has caught my eye a few times as we travel through the Pakaraima mountains is the RC Church of St Francis of Assisi at Rukumuta village in the Pakaraima Mountains.  I have photographed it a few times but never caught the essence of it, I think this time I may have done it justice, although I excluded the building entirely (it’s to the right of the end of the frame of the photograph) I think that the idea of a church sitting here, feels right.

St Francis of Assisi RC Church, Rukumuta, Pakaraims Mountains, Guyana.

Canon EOS 60D, Sigma 10-20mm

I’ve often heard people complain about how the missionaries to the third world forced people to convert to Christianity, and while the idea certainly doesn’t sit well with me, the Amerindian people whom I have met, who are Christian never said anything about it, they don’t seem to dwell upon it like some westerners seem to, but I am sure that if the old beliefs are still there in some villages, I do hope that someone is keeping them up and recording them.

This reminded me of something I read last Sunday, about Saint Casilda.  According to legend, around the end of the first millennium, she was the daughter of a Muslim King, despite the conflict between Christians and Muslims she showed great kindness to the Christian prisoners.  She reportedly was cured of an illness while still a young woman by the healing waters from the shrine of San Vicente, and converted to Christianity soon after.

As I see it, she simply changed her method of worship, not her way of living nor the God she worshiped.  Is it possible for us to be open-minded about the existence of God, and the possibility that no matter what we call him/her, no matter what methods we use to praise God, that we can all be one people, that anyone showing kindness to another can be acknowledged for it and accepted as a fellow human being?

Click on the images to see them in the Collection along with other images in the Sepia Gallery.