Magic Candles
stoicviking posted a photo:
The frozen grass and straws accumulate an armor of ice for the winter. The winter sun lights them up in the short twilight hours.
The flickr stream...
God of the mountain
stoicviking posted a photo:
Among the many slopes of Shigakogen this Torii marks an entrance to more sacred part of the mountain.
Time for a swim
stoicviking posted a photo:
Landmannalaugar in Iceland is an area around a natural hot spring. It's mostly un-managed so you can go there anytime and take a dip into the warm waters. When this picture was taken the temperature outside was around -9°C, and the pool itself was probably around 30~40°C. After fetching the (optional) swimwear and taking a good dip, we had to change back to our winter clothes in the freezing cold. It was enough time for the swimwear to be frozen solid by the cold wind.
Watching the sun from Phromthep
stoicviking posted a photo:
Many sit by on Phromthep Cape waiting for the Sun the set on each day. Great view and a warm tropical climate combine into a grand display. This one was taken one day at the end of the rainy season. Rain would pass over the island every few hours it seemed, by sunset it was visible on the horizon while more was creeping up from behind.
Night market near Kata Beach
stoicviking posted a photo:
Woman selling sweet pastry at the Kata night market. I Have to say I prefer this one over Beijing's similar night market below.
Sunset at Phromthep Cape
stoicviking posted a photo:
The last full day in Phuket called out for a trip to the Cape and catch the sunset. With the sun behind a cover of clouds I wasn't sure if it had already passed the horizon or not at first. Luckily it still had that sliver to pass through and I had time for a few shots.
Here I'm mostly experimenting with some post editing instead of a full on HDR.
Mom Tri's Boathouse Lounge
stoicviking posted a photo:
The lounge of Mom Tri's Boathouse Wine & Grill restaurant. An excellent restaurant who's main Chef, Tummanoon Punchun, offers weekly cooking classes which I had the pleasure of taking part in. The Boathouse is situated by Kata Beach in Phuket, Thailand and offers this spectacular view by which you can enjoy a quiet sunset dinner or coffee in the morning.
Phnom Bakheng
stoicviking posted a photo:
Just between Angkor Wat and the Bayon lies the temple of Phnom Bakheng, a good walk up the hill and a popular place to witness the sunset as it gives a great view of the surrounding area. The main temple on the top of the hill lies up some pretty steep steps. When climbing down those very steps this view caught my eye and I quickly pulled out my tripod and took a few, dodging passing tourists.
I'm also trying to work on some techniques to minimize the HDR psychedelic effect while still maintaining that enhanced reality feeling. Still not there yet, but hopefully good for now.
Angkor Wat
stoicviking posted a photo:
Angkor Wat is a temple complex near Siem Reap, Cambodia. It was built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as the center of his capital and as the state temple. The temple has remained a significant religious centre since its foundation, first Hindu and then Buddhist. The temple is the epitome of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It is the symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag and the must see tourist attraction bringing in millions of visitors a year.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angkor_wat
Outer Gallery Courtyard
stoicviking posted a photo:
Angor Wat outer gallery courtyard. These may have been filled with water.
A Kid in the Rain
stoicviking posted a photo:
While waiting for the rain to subside, this kid, seemingly unfettered by the downfall was running around collecting plastic bottles. Seeing kids wearing little to nothing while running around was not an uncommon sight, more so the further you got away from the city of Siam Reap.
Devatas on the Wall
stoicviking posted a photo:
Bas relief engravings of Angkor Wat, depicting divine nymphs called Devatas, almost 2000 of these can be found around the site.
Buddist Service at Angkor Wat
stoicviking posted a photo:
Buddist service, with music, incense and incantations.
Street in Setagaya
stoicviking posted a photo:
Passing through Setagaya to Kanagawa I found this street to look quite lovely in the afternoon sun.
Easy ride
stoicviking posted a photo:
Me on my new scooter El Cheapo. It's small, I'm big... we'll see how it goes. So far it hauls my ass to and fro work at a decent pace (beating most cars, and buses on the same distance).
Urban Sunset in Seta （瀬田日没）
stoicviking posted a photo:
A beautiful day comes to a close in urban Tokyo. Sticking my head out my window I couldn't help but admire the sunset despite the electric view.
Chicken Chow-mein (鶏肉炒麺)
stoicviking posted a photo:
I love cooking, it's one of my favourite hobbies. Earlier I had tried out Jamie Oliver's recipe for Chicken chow main. It was very tasty, however I had overcooked the noodles and they became kind of lumpy. I tried again today, taking care of the noodles and this time adding a touch of Chinese pepper (花椒）and U Shan Fan (五香粉). It was wonderful! Spicy and zesty, with Bokchoi and juicy Shitake mushrooms. This might become a semi regular...
Awsome Pizza
stoicviking posted a photo:
A treat when coming home are these jucy home made pizzas by Mom.
Jeeps on Langjökull
stoicviking posted a photo:
Jeeps coming down Langjökull glacier in Iceland. This day most travellers were hitting a dead end in white space, snow and blizzards about 1 Km up the glacier. Coming down they must refill their 40" tires with air, previously deflated for greater traction in the snow at higher altitudes.
TIP Party Crowd
stoicviking posted a photo:
A colourful crowd at K's Cafe during a TIP party last October.
