Palm Sunday 2012

On April 20, 2012April 20, 2012 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography6 Comments

This year I was away from town for Holy Week. I was on the tenth Pakaraima Mountain Safari, and although I have not yet sorted all my photos from the trip, nor written any sort of account, I did choose this image for Palm Sunday to share.

It was taken at “58 Mile”, an area known for being 58 miles out of Linden, and for the “pit stop” establishment there know as “Peter and Ruth”, anyone heading to Lethem, or Kurupukari, or Mahdia usually stops here.

The photo is not of Peter & Ruth’s establishment, but of a little church opposite 🙂

Co-incidentally I was back in this spot on Good Friday at 3pm (most Catholics will know the significance of that) 🙂

So, although I got a lot of flak for not covering the Palm Sunday Mass (it seems there are some who look forward to my photos from that), I did manage a fairly nice shot that day anyway 🙂

Please click on the image to see it larger in the Gallery.

2012 Deck – Week 12

On April 13, 2012April 13, 2012 By themichaellamcollectionIn 2012 Deck, Photography4 Comments

There was a competition in the Guyana Photographers’ Facebook Group on Colonial Architecture, it was getting very close to the deadline and there were very few entries, I “hurriedly” entered one that I took in passing, not a good shot by any standards, and regretted it immediately after.

Even if I am putting up a photo to “fill up space”, I should pay more attention, I have been less focused recently (no pun intended) , I can’t seem to get myself, the camera and the subjects to comply, to align properly.

I was out with Nikhil on a walk to get a photo for his 365 (366) Project and as we were wrapping up I saw this house and thought I should get a few snaps of it, and I knew right then that I had a better photograph than what I had recently dropped into the competition.

It was heavily overcast, and I deliberately composed it with lots of headroom.

As always, click on the image to see it larger in the Gallery 🙂

Pakaraima Mountain Safari – Destination Orinduik

On April 6, 2012March 29, 2012 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography4 Comments

The endpoint or destination of the Pakaraima Mountain Safari is Orinduik Falls, so I thought I’d end this series with one of my favourite photos of the Falls itself.

Orinduik falls is a series of small drops, This is a small portion that I thought was framed nicely.

Hopefully this year I come away with some nice photos again 🙂

In 2009 I was shooting the Canon PowerShot S5 Superzoom bridge camera, it was shortly after this photo (in time and shots) that I fell and damaged the camera. This year, I’m trying for surer footing (maybe my additional weight will help keep me stable as well) 🙂

Since I had damaged my camera, my brother loaned me his Nikon D80, my first shots on an SLR 🙂 I took the liberty of including one with him under the falls 🙂

Pakaraima Mountain Safari – Sleeping by the Ireng River

On April 5, 2012March 29, 2012 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography2 Comments

When we arrived at Orinduik, we decided to see if there was a spot by the river to camp, the thought of the sound of the running water seemed like a good idea. Orinduik Falls is situated on the Ireng River that forms part of our border with Brazil.

This photo was taken in the “blue hour” of the Sunset,

I find it very calming 🙂

Pakaraima Mountain Safari – The Great Wall

On April 4, 2012March 29, 2012 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography4 Comments

Someone apparently likened this section of the trail to the Great Wall of China, and the name Great Wall has been used to identify it since then.

It is probably similar in its winding fashion and the fact that at least one side is a very large drop to the bottom.

This photos does not convey that sense of the steep drop, but trust me, when you’re in that vehicle and you look over the side, vertigo and fear step in 🙂

Pakaraima Mountain Safari – The Falls at Kato

On April 3, 2012March 29, 2012 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography2 Comments

There’s a place called Kato, that has a Waterfall that’s very beautiful to a traveller, I was so enthralled and excited that I have to admit to taking very lousy photographs of it.

In this photo you can see some of the travellers enjoying the refreshing waters of the falls, this is a short drop, there was a larger one not too far off (not too large though 🙂 )

Pakaraima Mountain Safari – Day three Refuel

On April 2, 2012March 29, 2012 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography6 Comments

There were various refueling spots on the trail, and one of them was set on a lonely spot just off of Monkey Mountain.

As we were refueling, I took a moment to take a few photos of the scene.

I liked the loneliness of the scene, the discarded fuel drum, the hut and the distant mountains.

Pakaraima Mountain Safari – First Glimpse

On March 30, 2012March 29, 2012 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography2 Comments

I was on the “Safari” in 2009, and I will present a series of images from that trip in the next few blog-posts.

This is an HDR Image of a view from the Oasis at Annai, this is a famous stop along the Lethem Trail, and in the distance you can see the foothills of the Pakaraima Mountains, and the trail that leads through them on the way to Lethem.

2012 Deck – Week 11

On March 29, 2012April 13, 2012 By themichaellamcollectionIn 2012 Deck, Photography4 Comments

I try not to do single image HDRs, that is, using a single exposure and tone-mapping it for greater detail throughout the scene, but sometimes I can never quite seem to get the processing on an image quite right in colour, and sometimes its an image that I would prefer not to use as a monochrome, so then I tone-map it in an HDR software to bring out that detail that I know is there.

This photo is of the Moravian Church in Queenstown, Guyana. It is more than a hundred years old.

It stands at the junction of Anira Street and New Garden Street, and there are utility posts and wires on two sides of it, I composed this to minimise the effect of those wires.

Touch of the Goddess

On March 21, 2012March 22, 2012 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography, Poetry18 Comments

Although I am a Catholic, I have always been fascinated by the old myths and legends of ancient civilizations, so sometimes that comes through in my art 🙂

As Selene departs, another night done
She comes charging, the day’s begun
Sky aglow from her robes of saffron
As her mighty steeds keep galloping on.

Firebright and Daybright in the cool early morn
together they pull her Chariot along
the harbringer of Helios; the master of day
she dispels the night with her soft golden rays

Mother of the winds and the Morning Star
lighten the darkness, let night leave no scar
Upon a world of cold night chills
bring warmth, bring light, bring what you will

The Dawn-bringer comes, her tears on the flowers
creatures of dark, well should you cower
I stand on a mountain in the far distant west
And patiently await the touch of the Goddess.