Boring Old Thailand?

[The Vulcan]

I'm feeling a bit controversial at the moment but do you agree that this is a real boring country for us photographers?

Landscape wise it's a joke - green, green and more green, and a bit of brown dust with tons of rubbish and overhead wires to "enhance" it ! Everywhere I go, wires, wires and more wires - beautiful eh? I reckon Afghanistan is probably better!

Or we can shoot temples -aargh! - when I've seen one I've seen them all!

Sport and action - well, there ain't none - a few beach activities now and then and a few 3rd rate car/bike events and that's it - one big yarn.

Street life and City life - excuse the pun, but I've seen more life on a tramps vest. Everything is under the shade and sooooo boring.

I remember when I first moved over here and offered my services to my stock agencies - they laughed!

No surprise now.

What's (wats - aaargh) your opinion?

[neverdie]

When you come from a country as beautiful as Australia, just about everything else comes second, so I can only agree with what you are saying.

I still see plenty of things everyday to photograph but I probably havent been snapping away as long as you, actually Im sure I havent.

[The Vulcan]

When you come from a country as beautiful as Australia, just about everything else comes second, so I can only agree with what you are saying.

I still see plenty of things everyday to photograph but I probably havent been snapping away as long as you, actually Im sure I havent.

Easy boy, I ain't that old!

[neverdie]

Yes, but ur much older than i , dad.

[Nordlys]

I actually agree with everything Vulcan said but I'm surprised to hear that from someone who has posted so many photos of Thailand.

I just went down to Had Yai over the weekend and thought the cityscape in Thailand look all the same, making only Bangkok so unique (not in a positive way anyway).

I actually don't take any picture in Thailand other than for wedding, funeral and other social event, or for that matter travel in Thailand unless I have to...

Edited November 12, 2009 by Nordlys

[hughden]

You are right; so what are you going to point that GF1 at....?

[endlessimage]

There's much more to shoot in Thailand than landscapes and cityscapes....

[Thongkorn]

Get yourself to the North Of Thailand , plenty of beautifully land scape and scenery , or go down south , Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,

[SebD]

"If you're bored, you're boring" is what I grew up knowing.

You can't find anything worth photographing in Thailand?

Time to find somewhere else to "shoot", mayhap.

[fabianfred]

I have so much material to shoot here in the North around Chiangmai..... perhaps being stuck in Bangkok one would need to find a niche...like this guy's work....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/gop32000/

mine... http://www.flickr.com/photos/28361002@N07/

[phetaroi]

My goodness OP, wrong side of bed this morning?

To me, far from boring, but you definitely have to refocus (so to speak).

I don't agree about the landscape. As someone else pointed out -- the mountains of the north, mountains in other select areas, the limestone formations of the deep south. I do agree with you about WIRES! Even in some places that ought to be designed more beautifully (I'm talking special places) the darned wires hang everywhere.

Temples, well I know what you mean, but that adds to the challenge...finding that different angle...or angle. A lot of temples are rather unique in smaller ways, but it's easy to breeze through and think they look the same.

Now, I'm not into sport and action, but, a good game of takraw...lots of challenging action for the photographer. Boat races...hmmm...a challenge to photograph.

Street life is a challenge due to the shade, and I have to admit I am shy to photograph people...but lots of opportunities for those "third world" scenes.

Life along the river. Visiting a Bangkok slum.

Another option is to not go out to photograph some specific "thing", but do a photography walk. I often do this. I pick a neighborhood, and based on nothing more than a good map, plan a walk through that neighborhood. I look for things...especially things I wouldn't plan for.

I think there's lots out there, but it does require us to look at our environment differently than what we would see back in our own country.

Thanks for a good post...gets one thinking!

[The Vulcan]

You are right; so what are you going to point that GF1 at....?

Bhutan

[villagefarang]

Boring Old OP? Just a thought.

[The Vulcan]

Boring Old OP? Just a thought.

Not at all. My psychiatrist tells me I'm full of fun and that I should be able to go home next week

[harrry]

Wires arent the only problem. What about the huge bullboards advertising a certain brand of tyre (tire) which have been built to obscure the mountain views along higways to catch bus passengers who do not buy tyres anyway.

[sceadugenga]

Yeah, I ran through my photos the other day and decided to start concentrating on pics of the people. I've that many photos of the Mekong I could give river cruises without going out of my house.

Always something new and different if you're into people watching.

[hanno]

Bhutan

Very nice but not much variety. I think if you lived there, you would be on "Bhutan Visa" after 4 weeks complaining about how boring it is . Become a little jaded, perhaps?

[svenivan]

I am happy I did not choose to live in the south close to the sea when I moved to Thailand.

I am still happy with the mountains and the rivers here up in the north after 8 years. So much to explore.

Last week me and 3 friends took an offroadtrip for 3 days Chiang Rai - Tatoon - Doi An Kang - Fang - Chiang Rai. 500 km and not more than 60 - 70 km on highways.

80 km from Tatoon to Doi An Kang on the border to Burma, not one electric or telephonewire. But a fantastic landscape.

3 days ago, Biggles Big band from Amsterdam played at The legend. Good to listen to and some nice shots.

2 days ago, Cowboy Night in Chiang Rai 2009.

See photos in Chiang Rai forum.

So I think the OP should try to travel up to the north. Nan, Phayao, Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces got a lot.

[phetaroi]

Boring Old OP? Just a thought.

Not at all. My psychiatrist tells me I'm full of fun and that I should be able to go home next week

But how much still on the meds?

Glad you can laugh at yourself! Good poster!

[The Vulcan]

Glad to see a bit of controversy livened the forum up! :D

[Kan Win]

Perhaps you should get out more often in and around your area The Vulcan. I did and visited Phraya Nakhon Cave - Khao Sam Roi Yot, at the age of 60 this September, took me 3 hours and a bit to climb up, down, up and down again.

Best time to do this is 8.30 am by boat and then start the climb. Take some water with you as you may need it.

I was too late btw, still managed a HDR though

Thailand is not boring, well not to me. Still geen for a bit and the dust is always brown even in this cave

Yours truly,

Kan Win

Edited November 13, 2009 by Kan Win

[svenivan]

Perhaps you should get out more often in and around your area

Thailand is not boring, well not to me. Still geen for a bit and the dust is always brown even in this cave

A very nice HDR!

I like the colors and you really got it right!

Congrats!

[Pooklook]

WIRES

They are your constant companion beside every road .

They spoil many a beautiful shot.

They remind me of a Kaosarn hair weave gone horribly wrong.

They encroach and block many a temple and tourist attraction.

Thailand is beautiful but the wires are like a national bad hair day.

They are the biggest frustration as you try to photogragh the land of smiles

Edited November 14, 2009 by Pooklook

[sceadugenga]

Indeed.

[aeon]

I agree with the Vulcan, after a while you understand that everywhere in thailand is the same stuff. But for the cables I heard in bangkok they are starting to put them underground. Will it happen soon?

[Tracer Round]

Take artsy-fartsy photos and overcook them as HDRs; crop them to make them even more avant-garde and post them on a forum because you're bored. It's like a full circle thing....

Like this:

Or take a picture of that pesky ghost that keeps scaring the kids at night:

If all else fails to excite you, get out that snap of the alien invasion back in 'oh six and put funny words on it:

[neverdie]

Perhaps you should get out more often in and around your area The Vulcan. I did and visited Phraya Nakhon Cave - Khao Sam Roi Yot, at the age of 60 this September, took me 3 hours and a bit to climb up, down, up and down again.

Best time to do this is 8.30 am by boat and then start the climb. Take some water with you as you may need it.

I was too late btw, still managed a HDR though

Thailand is not boring, well not to me. Still geen for a bit and the dust is always brown even in this cave

Yours truly,

Kan Win

Kan, I am hoping not to commit a mortal sin here but I have never played with HDR's before tonight. I am assuming you did this HDR at the Camera and not with a program afterwards or am I wrong?

I now need to get a remote for the Camera which was on the cards anyway. So many remotes, so little money

cheers neverdie

ps: by the way, I love the shot, great work.

[fabianfred]

Hey neverdie....for HDR info look here...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Fabianfred-H...ge-t272081.html

done at home not in camera...but you need to take at least three shots at different exposures to use in the Photomatix software.

I usually use my camera hand-held and can quickly set it to take three shots at ISO bracket +1,0,-1 ....although obviously using a tripod is best and altering the shutter speed rather than the aperture to keep the focus zone the same. Since Photomatix has a useful aligning process to match the images...it then crops the unequal borders to complete the job.

[neverdie]

^Thanks fabianfred,

Before posting above I watched a tutorial on the net from a guy with a Nikon D3 & the did the entire HDR process in the camera & he did this by going thru a million & one camera settings and then taking 5 pictures using the method you described above, ISO brackets EV + 1.0, 0.0, -1.0 & so forth.

Anyway, having never played with this before we gave it a go using a flood light to create some good shadows etc & then as I read more I realised that most people acheive the HDR Process thru photoshop or whatever program they are using.

Its another great shot by the might kan & I was just wondering what methods he used to acheive the look.

I dunno much about this but its certainly fun learning new things. Thanks for the link & the tips fred. Cheers

[Kan Win]

Hey neverdie....for HDR info look here...

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/Fabianfred-H...ge-t272081.html

done at home not in camera...but you need to take at least three shots at different exposures to use in the Photomatix software.

I usually use my camera hand-held and can quickly set it to take three shots at ISO bracket +1,0,-1 ....although obviously using a tripod is best and altering the shutter speed rather than the aperture to keep the focus zone the same. Since Photomatix has a useful aligning process to match the images...it then crops the unequal borders to complete the job.

Same as you 'fabianfred' ISO bracket +1,0,-1, but that does not always works for me See photo below.

^Thanks fabianfred,

Before posting above I watched a tutorial on the net from a guy with a Nikon D3 & the did the entire HDR process in the camera & he did this by going thru a million & one camera settings and then taking 5 pictures using the method you described above, ISO brackets EV + 1.0, 0.0, -1.0 & so forth.

Anyway, having never played with this before we gave it a go using a flood light to create some good shadows etc & then as I read more I realised that most people acheive the HDR Process thru photoshop or whatever program they are using.

Its another great shot by the might kan & I was just wondering what methods he used to acheive the look.

I dunno much about this but its certainly fun learning new things. Thanks for the link & the tips fred. Cheers

Sorry to tell you it was just one shot

Olympus E-3

1/30s f/2.8 iso320

and played around with it.

Changed the settings in two of the three photos that I used and then using 'Photomatix' to 'Tone Mapped' it

Added Sharpness and less noise.

P9224578 Shrine 2_ B_ C_tonemapped 1 Sharp less noise

Final touch up with ACDSee Pro 2.5.

Now you know.

A Real 3 shot one was not as good as the one shot photo

P9224584_2_3_tonemapped 1 sharp, less noise, Bright adjusted Cropped Small

The question still remains is 'Boring Old Thailand?' really Boring

Yours truly,

Kan Win