Tag: building

A Dream

On By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography6 Comments

The idea that someday, someone in power would choose to make the decision to fix the beautiful structure that is Georgetown’s City Hall is likely a dream, one that may remain unfulfilled.

As it is, most of us can see that is makes more financial sense to let it fall to pieces and then put up a square unattractive concrete block of a building with no character and no appeal, probably all because of years of neglect, and the squandering of taxpayers monies.

Should it be fixed?  That depends on your view I suppose.  Guyana’s tourism depends largely on natural wonders like Kaieteur and the animals of the rainforest, as well as upon the old-world Victorian/Colonial architecture that is still evident in many structures along the “Heritage Trail”, but are our tourist numbers enough to justify spending millions of dollars on rehabilitating this beautiful building?

What would I know?  I’m just a citizen 🙂

Canon EOS 60D, Sigma 10-20mm  |  City Hall, Georgetown, Guyana. 2015

Click on the image to see it in the Gallery

2015 Deck – Week 50

On By themichaellamcollectionIn 2015 Deck, Photography1 Comment

Not everyone believes in a supreme being, a creator of all that was, that is and that is to come; even fewer believe in the power of prayer to such an entity.

There are many religious beliefs and belief systems, but most followers in those believe in the power of prayer and in the idea that as humans we should choose to be good rather than evil.

I would never seek to force my belief upon another, express it, yes, try to explain it, maybe.

I dedicate this photo to those of my family and friends who have suffered this year, I hesitate to call names, but three stand out right away for me; from my alma mater, Saints Stanislaus College, I think that prayer and fellowship worked wonders, if not physically, then certainly mentally for people like Racquel and Dara, and hopefully for our friend Mercer.  To all of you, stay strong, and even if you don’t believe in prayer, believe in the friends and family who are there for you every step of the way.

In tacitus volverem apparuit  –  15-8945  |  2015

Click on the image to see it in the Gallery

2015 Deck – Week 47

On By themichaellamcollectionIn 2015 Deck, Photography1 Comment

Between trying not to get run over on the busy East Bank Public Road, heeding the warnings from the workmen that I was in their way, and trying to get to my vehicle across the now doubly busy road, I was also trying to get a good photo.  This was one of those occasions when you can see the finished photo in your mind’s eye, and as you click the button you’re just praying that it comes up to scratch.

It’s not as sharp as I’d like, but since I was on the move, I’m happy with what I did get 😀

Men at Work 15-0401  |  East Bank Public Road, Providence.

Click on the image to see it in the Gallery.

2015 Deck – Week 46

On By themichaellamcollectionIn 2015 Deck, Photography, Poetry2 Comments

Oniabo

A different scent
in the air,
sounds of birds,
fishermen toil;
Clouds adrift
upon the horizon,
a distant sun
in heaven’s vault.
The moon upon
the oceans pull,
the fish upon
the tide at play;
Meandering shore,
of rocks and
mangroves,
shore of sand,
mud and life,
Oniabo I hear,
the sea, it calls,
Oniabo I fear,
the sea, it calls!

Oniabo is the name I have given to a currently ongoing Black and White Seascape collection of photographs.  Oniabo is an Arawak word meaning “water”; the selection that I used for a presentation at Moray House Trust can be seen here.

A video of that presentation can be seen alongside other presentations of The Photography Sessions at Moray House Trust at www.ThePhotographySessions.com

Oniabo 15-0380  |  Canon EOS 60D, Sigma 10-20mm

Click on the image to see it in the Gallery along with other images from this year’s Deck Project

2015 Deck – Week 44

On By themichaellamcollectionIn 2015 Deck, Photography7 Comments

When I took this, the man who looked after the fields was rapidly approaching us… with tools in hand, so I didn’t even try multiple exposures; I knew that by shooting into the sun I’d blow the highlights, but it’s something I could live with, just to get this scene.

That tractor is probably twice my age, and it takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’.

Takes a lickin’ |  Mahaica, 2015  |  Canon EOS 60D, SIgma 10-20mm

Click on the image to see it in the Gallery.

2015 Deck – Week 42

On By themichaellamcollectionIn 2015 Deck, Photography1 Comment

Following a week of hospitalization, I had another couple weeks of confinement to Barracks.  As it happens this first week in my comfortable cell (house and yard, but mostly the bedroom) was even more productive for me and Instagram. 🙂

Here’s a view from my bedroom… complete with the wrought iron barrier for the prison-like feeling 🙂

Backdoor Grill  |  Instagram  |  Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini Duos

Click on the image to see it in the Gallery along with other images from this year’s Deck Project.

2015 Deck – Week 35

On By themichaellamcollectionIn 2015 Deck, PhotographyLeave a comment

There are times when you take a photo and know right away that you’ll love it; whether anyone else might, that’s a different question, but so far this one has turned out to be pretty well liked.

For those of us still living here and for many of those Guyanese living abroad… this is probably iconic of some areas of Georgetown.

Cummings’ Street Car Wash  |  Instagram  |  Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini Duos

Click on the image to see it in the Gallery

2015 Deck – Week 34

On By themichaellamcollectionIn 2015 Deck, Photography2 Comments

I realise that this one might need some context…  which, in the eyes of some, makes it a less successful photograph that it could have been.  Of course, I could just as easily not give context and it could probably be a better photograph for it…

But, I will put in my few words anyway 😀

Canon EOS 60D, Sigma 10-20mm.

Main Street/ High Street, Georgetown.

Basically, I wanted a photo of the pedestrian in the distance with the recently knocked down / destroyed sign in the foreground; the sign that once indicated to drivers and pedestrians that there was a pedestrian crossing ahead.  🙂

But this photo got me to also thinking about the street upon which I took the photo; this portion you see is called High Street, the portion behind me (which is obviously not in the photo) is called Main Street, as you proceed further south it then changes to Avenue of the Republic and then back to High Street.  Why would what is effectively one street have four different named sections?  From what I’ve read, it was possibly once called simply “High Street”; the portion running through Cummingsburg was then named Main Street, and then when Guyana attained Republic status the portion running through Lacytown was renamed to Avenue of the Republic.  Interestingly, after a slight detour around St Saviour’s Church, it becomes Saffon Street, this, however, never seems to be considered as part of the “High Street” issue.

Stretches of streets within Georgetown which have multiple names is normally attributed to the fact that Georgetown was originally built as a number of different wards, and the streets were never meant to be contiguous, then the wards were joined together, the multiple names resulted, along with some streets having a slight turn to continue since the original ones were not in-line.  The wards involved in the High Street issue are Kingston (High Street), Cummingsburg (Main Street), Lacytown (Avenue of the Republic) and Stabroek / Werk-en-Rust – and part of Charlestown (High Street).

Click on the image to see it in the gallery.