Tag: grass

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.

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.

2015 Deck – Week 32

On By themichaellamcollectionIn 2015 Deck, Photography2 Comments

Georgetown, Guyana.

The French called it Longchamps, the Dutch called it Stabroek, the British named it after King George III, Georgetown.  Each generation always seem to wish for the “good old days”, but as I’ve aged and seen this edifice that I pass daily age as well, I think that City Hall has indeed seen its Glory Days, unless something radical is done quickly.

I look at the photo and the phrase that comes to mind is “everything looks better in the morning light”

 

City Hall, Georgetown, Guyana.  Canon EOS 60D, Sigma 10-20 Lens

Click on the image to see it in the Gallery along with other images from the 2015 Deck Project

2015 Deck – Week 31

On By themichaellamcollectionIn 2015 Deck, Photography2 Comments

I had mentioned somewhere (might have been Facebook) that as artists (photographer, artist… whatever) we find the strangest subjects to focus our attention upon.

This photo and the way I took it is nothing new, others have done it before, many others will do it again, but I like it!

Canon EOS 60D  |  Sigma 10-20mm  |  1/160s at f/9.0, ISO100

Annandale, East Coast Demerara, Guyana

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

2015 Deck – Week 25

On By themichaellamcollectionIn 2015 Deck, Photography2 Comments

I don’t generally do portraits, I never am very happy with the outcome when I do try, but at the insistence of my friend Fidal, I went out to do a few informal family portraits for his family.  I had processed the usual ones and given over to him, of course… there are ALWAYS unprocessed images, aren’t there?

This is one that is more along the lines of what I’d normally shoot….  there’s a bit of “street photography” a bit of “landscape” in there, and I got some of the cloud details that I like too.

Canon EOS 6D  |  Canon EF24-105mm f/4L  |  1/250s, f/4, 28mm, ISO 320

Click on the image to see it in the Gallery