The House on Sixth

On October 20, 2017October 20, 2017 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography3 Comments

Its been quite a while since I’ve blogged anything here, it’s actually been quite a while since I’ve done any serious photography with the DSLR. Since I began using a smart phone with a decent camera, I’ve done quite a bit of work on my Instagram project, and the simple joy of pulling out a phone and snapping a photo has reduced the urge to use (or lug around) any larger camera. But, mobile devices have their limitations, and there are still images that need to be captured differently.

That being said, I made an effort, to stop the vehicle one afternoon, and snap a few frames of a house that I keep passing, and promising to get a photo of, so here it is 🙂

Canon EOS 6D, Canon 24-105 f/4L | Processed in Nik HDR Efex and Lightroom | 2017

Click on the image to see it in the Gallery along with other images in the Black & White Gallery

Cold

On January 10, 2017 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography, Poetry3 Comments

Rest gently in the palm of my hand,
know not the difference ‘tween mine
and your regular haunts.
Don’t fly, for your company I like,
You’re cold-blooded, much like
those I often come for,
Yet you live and your heart beats so fast,
Like the hooves of the horse I ride
across the last threshold.
Stay with me until my next ride,
’tis only moments away,
And then, then must I go;
For another waits for my embrace,
for my dark cloak to cover
and welcome forever…

Cold – 12-8171 | Canon EOS 60D, Tamron 18-270mm | 2012

Click on the image to see it in the Gallery. (Edited image, cloned areas to the left to remove stray foliage, for composition/aesthetic purposes)

Tower

On January 7, 2017 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography2 Comments

Back when it was still called Hotel Tower.

There has been a Hotel with the word “Tower” in its name on this spot for more than a century. I can’t find enough online historical evidence, but before the current name “Tower Suites”, it was the Hotel Tower for many years, and prior to that it was the Tower Hotel. I saw an 1909 Ad that claimed that “The Tower is the oldest and Best Hostelry on the Northern Coast of South America”. 🙂

Hotel Tower | 2009 | Canon EOS Rebel T1i, Sigma 10-20mm

Click on the image to see it in the Gallery.

Homeward Bound

On December 9, 2016December 9, 2016 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography3 Comments

A photo taken from a moving vehicle of a tree standing against the mountain backdrop.

Nothing special, just that I liked it 🙂

Homeward Bound 16-1649 | Canon EOS 6D, Canon 24-105L | 2016

Click on the image to see it in the Black and White Gallery

Presbytery

On December 6, 2016 By themichaellamcollectionIn PhotographyLeave a comment

Not much of a blog post really, just a few photos of the old Presbytery building of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Georgetown, Guyana.

I think they began tearing it down this year (or it may have been last year, I don’t recall exactly), just the small portion to the back remains now.

Click on the images to see them in the Gallery.

The Harpy Eagle

On November 24, 2016 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography2 Comments

In 2012 I had written a blog post titled “Airwolf”, that featured a photo of the Harpy Eagle, this year I was asked if I had any images of the Harpy, as the people responsible for the Explore Guyana magazine were looking for one. I had only taken photos of the Harpy on two occasions, and I told them as much; I even told them that I’m not a birding or wildlife photographer, so the images I have would likely not be ideal for their use. With people like Kester Alves, Victor Sarabo, Meshach Pierre, John Persaud, Andrew Snyder (to name a few) and others out there taking some gorgeous bird and other wildlife photos, nothing I had taken could compare with the quality of images I’ve seen out there, except that I couldn’t remember seeing any of the Harpy, so couldn’t point them in any specific direction other than to tell them to please look around for something better than mine.

The long and short of it… I had sent them three images, and they chose to use one. I can now proudly say that one of my images was a Cover image for Explore Guyana.

Here is the Original Image (click on it to see it in the Gallery)

And here is a small image of the cover as designed by Advertising & Marketing Services (AMS)

Click on the cover image to go to the Explore Guyana Magazine’s Homepage

Spray

On October 28, 2016 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography2 Comments

I like my camera, whatever it happens to be at the time, and I think I care it as I would any piece of equipment I use regularly. I’m not one of those photographers who treats it like a paper-thin piece of porcelain; its a camera, something I use, but I have to tell you that when it comes to salt water, I get a little nervous. I like the waves at the seawall, I enjoy the spray on my face, and the sound of the crash upon the rocks. I really love some of those amazing photos of the waves towering over the wall (I don’t like the resulting flooding though), but I am very hesitant to be anywhere near the actual water with my camera, and since I like my seascape photos to be wide, getting a good photo would mean being right up there in the spray, so for now, I’ll just keep being cautious and get the ones I’m comfortable with 🙂

Spray 14-3416 | Canon EOS 6D, Canon 24-105mm | Thomaslands, Georgetown, Guyana | 2014

Click on the image to see it in the Seawall Gallery

’tis the East

On October 14, 2016October 14, 2016 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography, Poetry4 Comments

Arise, Oh sun, and pierce the veil,
relinquish unto me
the warm embrace of heaven’s light,
the night, ’tis history.
Light kissed leaves and unveiled paths,
beckons to my feet
the way meanders, ever on,
away from the paved street.

Canon EOS 6D, Canon 24-105L | Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara. October 2015

The trodden path meanders, avoiding obstacles.

Click on the image to see it in the Gallery.

Karasabai Skies

On September 30, 2016 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography6 Comments

I had just finished up some work, and simultaneously finished up my processing on a photo I took in the Pakaraima’s earlier this year, and I was heading into my vehicle to head home when I was approached by a man of Amerindian descent (our indigenous people).

He called me by my last name, and inquired if I was indeed Mr. Lam, the one who took photographs, once I replied in the affirmative, he proceeded to ask if I had a brother named Patrick, again, I said yes, he apparently went to school with my brother at some point. He then told me how much he enjoyed my photos, I was somewhat stunned to be thus approached on the road, but I was also thrilled. It seems he is now embarking on his own photographic journey.

I would probably never have had the courage to do what he did, but I realise now that I have left many things unsaid to many people simply because I was unsure of how they would take my approaching them gushing about how much I like their work. Judging from my own reaction, I regret not saying to those people whose work I admire, that I love their work, and that they inspire me.

On to the photography – I don’t think I’ve ever treated one of my “safari”or photos taken in the Rupununi or the Pakaraimas in a similar manner to that which I do my seascapes and coastal photos, but something about this one steered me in that direction (yes, the clouds, I know) 🙂

Karasabai, Pakaraima Mountains, Upper Takutu – Upper Essequibo Region, Guyana

Click on the photo to see it in the Gallery.

Since I started using WordPress for this blog, other than using the online interface to write, I’ve been using Windows Live Writer as my main off-line way of drafting and preparing my blog-posts, I had heard sometime back that MS was not developing it further (although its pretty great as it is), this one I tried using Open Live Writer, which is so identical to MS Live-Writer that I forgot I was using a different software. So far, I like it!

Joyride

On September 26, 2016 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography7 Comments

Growing up in Guyana, a joyride meant what it sounded like, jumping on a bicycle/ motorcycle and going out for a ride with friends and having fun, but it seems that up north it means and meant a completely different thing… I guess we were wrong.