The Koker and the Lighthouse

On January 10, 2022January 10, 2022 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography1 Comment

I suppose that the longstanding Lighthouse in Kingston Georgetown can now be considered defunct, or is it? It has stood for almost 200 years (build in 1830 by the British, replacing a previous Dutch wooden structure that was built in 1817), and served its purpose well, right up until the Guyana Marriott Hotel opened its doors in 2015. The Marriott Hotel surpassed the height of the Lighthouse effectively blocking it from view from the Ocean.

At the top of the Marriott there can be seen a glass encased structure, that now serves as he beacon for sea-faring vessels.

The Lighthouse still stands as a landmark and falls under the care of the National Trust of Guyana.

The Koker and the Lighthouse – 20-7311 – Water Street,
Kingston, Georgetown.

The Lighthouse’s iconic vertical red and white stripes makes it an instantly recognisable landmark, I am sure I am not the first to frame it this way, and certainly wont be the last.

How we do it

On February 19, 2015February 19, 2015 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography1 Comment

A street photograph – as much as I can get one 🙂

It really needs very few words, but what caught my attention was the way the police officer and her companion deliberately walked diagonally off the pedestrian crossing…

In Guyana… is just suh!

2014 | Canon EOS 60D, Sigma 17-50mm

Click on the image to see it in the Gallery along with some other attempts at Street Photography 🙂

2014 Deck – Week 27

On November 18, 2014November 18, 2014 By themichaellamcollectionIn 2014 Deck, Photography2 Comments

Every year, at least once a year, there’s a large parade of police officers and associated personnel through the streets of Georgetown, fortunately for me they usually do it on a Saturday and they usually pass right in front of my office.

I never know beforehand that it’s about to occur, except for the sudden thudding of the drums coming down the street, so, like every curious citizen, I grab my camera and head out to the street to see what’s the cause of the noise.

I always snap a few photos, just on the off-chance that I may need something of that nature or that one may come out special.

I think I have a few more images in this week’s takings that qualify as “better”, but I saw this one and thought I think I like it, and I think I’d like it in sepia, with a vignette; so I actually wasted very little time in processing it, I just went straight to task and made the few adjustments that were already in my head.

f/6.3 @ 105mm, 1/250s, ISO200

Click on the image to see it in the Gallery.

2012 Deck – Week 42

On December 1, 2012December 1, 2012 By themichaellamcollectionIn 2012 Deck, Photography2 Comments

Sometimes, in any art form, you have to break away from the norm, step away from the straight and narrow line that you’ve followed all along, and try something different.

I’ve broken the rule about shooting into the sun before, so this is not new…. but trying to get the palm tree and horse as the focus while doing so was different for me, and even then I was not ecstatic about it, when processing, I went for a duotone processing that I don’t do, and I though that the result was pleasing.

Although the original duotone processing had much more colour to it, I toned it down a bit to bring the focus back to the photo rather than the duotone, and the result; “sunset Liliendaal” 🙂

Click on the image for a better view in the Gallery!

Wake Up Call

On September 12, 2012September 12, 2012 By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography, thoughts4 Comments

Humankind has relied on various methods to awaken them throughout the ages, as in to awaken them in the morning for the new day.

From the bright rays of the newly risen sun on your face, to the crow of the rooster, from that great invention; the alarm clock, to the thump from an angry wife who wants the garbage taken out, from the gentle sounds of the animals in nature, to the roar of early morning traffic (if you wake that late), from the shouts of a mother “You’re late for school!” to the electronic beeps of new messages on your cell-phone, maybe even something like the much exalted smell of fresh coffee in the morning, there have been things to awaken you.

My phone has an annoying alarm that certainly wakes my wife, and eventually myself, but nothing can compare to the sound of a regular visitor we have to our area. For years he (or one of his family members, at any rate) has come during the first minutes of the brightening day to begin his rat-a-tat outside my home and continue for what seems like hours (ok, maybe one hour). A Pilleated Woodpecker who lives somewhere in the vicinity, chooses the utility post in front of my house to sharpen his beak every morning, and he doesn’t only peck at the wood, he pecks upon the galvanised metal protector that runs up the post too! He actually seems to prefer that!

So what did I do about it? One morning I took out my Canon and shot him… several times… at least until I was fairly certain that at least one of the shots would produce a good photo 🙂

Click on the image to see it in the gallery along with other Sunrise and Sunset images.

No animals were hurt during the writing of this blog nor in any of the events leading up to it. 🙂

2012 Deck – Week 28

On July 13, 2012July 12, 2012 By themichaellamcollectionIn 2012 Deck, Photography4 Comments

Although the week is yet to be concluded, I thought it may be prudent to go ahead and post what I have, although I have high hopes of getting more photos before the week is over 🙂

This is not a sharp photograph, the main subject is definitely not sharp but the overall image is very representative.

I had packed away my long telephoto lens for my flight (only 270mm, not long by bird watching standards), I didn’t want to carry too much in the Camera bag, and on my way to work I saw this fellow, and all I had was the Sigma 17-50, so I decided that an all-inclusive shot had to work. I saw him on a fence and when I stopped and got out of the car, he flew up the road to the next block, as I drove up, he sat there, so I wound down the window to get a few shots off, by the time I had done that he flew off again, so what I took (hastily) is what I got.

As I downloaded the image and began processing, I knew that this would be my photo for the Deck Project this week, I titled it “Ready to Fly”.

Whether or not I am actually ready, the flight leaves, so by the time I get to the airport I’d better be Ready to Fly 🙂

For me it will be a joy to see family I’ve never met, and family I haven’t seen in years, it will be an opportunity to look at an island I’ve seen before, but with a different perspective, and a camera in hand 🙂

So, for those I’m leaving behind, I say “see you shortly, I’ll be back before you know it” 🙂 And to the people and places I’m going to I say, “Ready or not, here I come”… and I want my Jammy Pattie!!!

Not sure if clicking on the image to see it in the Gallery would make it look any better, but go ahead, give it a try 🙂

2012 Deck – Week 20

On June 16, 2012June 16, 2012 By themichaellamcollectionIn 2012 Deck, Photography1 Comment

Aday.org had come up with an idea to present “A day in the world” through photographs, they wanted photographers worldwide, from amateurs to professionals, basically anyone with a camera, to take a few photos on May 15th and upload them to their site. They had so many uploads they quickly got problems handling it and I am still not sure if my photos are there and if they are eligible for the final project, I think a lot of the information went AWOL during the upload. At the time of writing this blog-post, they are still sorting out everything to relaunch the website.

I took a few photos within the city to contribute, and I am choosing one of those to share as my photograph for Week 20 of this year.

Its a very familiar scene in Georgetown, this was “after-work” and these people are most likely workers on their way from their jobs to get transportation home, and I used City Hall as a backdrop for some added familiarity 🙂