Thanthirimale - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Thanthirimale - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Thanthirimale is a small village which lies in thick jungle approximately 40 km away from Anuradhapura. The temple in Thanthirimale is both religiously and historically significant and still attracts thousands of pilgrims during Poson. The history of Thanthirimale is said to date back to the 6th Century BC.

More photographs inside.

 Thanthirimale - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

References to Thanthirimale can be found in the Mahavamsa in the sections that describe the Bo (Ficus religiosa) sapling being brought to Sri Lanka during the reign of King Devanampiyatissa. The Bo tree in the temple is said to be a sapling from the sacred Bo tree in Mahamewuna Uyana.

Thanthirimale - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

There are five ancient Buddha statues, four of which are incomplete (6th image on the post), on the temple premises. The largest of these is the sleeping Buddha (photograph above) which has been carved out of the rock. Surprisingly, the proportions of the statue seemed to be incorrect as the legs look short when compared with the size of the upper body. This is the first time that I'd actually seen an ancient statue that was out of proportion.

Thanthirimale - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

The remains of an ancient library have been found on the premises. A number of rock huts and caves, which have most probably been used for meditation by monks for centuries, have also been discovered on the site.

Thanthirimale - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

In 1909 archeological evidence was found in a cave close to the temple which suggests that a prehistoric civilization existed in this area. The evidence included fragments of cherts, a piece of crystal and drawings, which are still visible, on the walls of a cave.

Thanthirimale - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

To top off the day we witnessed a stunning sunset on the drive back.

All photographs on this post were taken with the Canon 7D and the 24-105mm lens.

Thanthirimale - Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Brown Falcon - Sandy Hollow, Australia

Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) - Sandy Hollow

We were up at a friends farm in the Hunter region of New South Wales on our annual visit over the October long weekend when I came across a pair of Brown Falcons. The area is full of raptors as there is an abundance of prey on the farms. On our previous trips I had photographed Black Shouldered Kites, Kestrels and Wedge Tailed Eagles but had not seen any falcons.

More Photographs Inside.

 Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) - Sandy Hollow

The raptors were perched on some machinery in a field by the side of the road when I passed them. Unfortunately I didn't have the camera with me so had to make a mad dash to the house and back. I was able to pull up and fire off a few frames before one of them decided to fly off. The first shot o this post was taken as soon as the bird took off.

Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) - Sandy Hollow

I initially thought the bird was an Eagle due to its size. It seemed substantially bigger than the Kestrel but this maybe due to proximity. I would have liked to get a few flight shots but it was nearly impossible for me to lock focus on them and the light wasn't great because it was close to midday. 

Brown Falcon (Falco berigora) - Sandy Hollow

The Brown Falcon is said to be one of the more common raptors found on mainland Australia. Apparently it is often seen on perches close to open roads which offer clear views of the surrounding area. Something to keep an eye out for in future.

These photographs were taken with a Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.

Purple Coot - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

Purple Coot - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

The Purple Coot, also know as the Purple Swamphen, is a common bird found in the lowland marshes of Sri Lanka. The subspecies found in Sri Lanka, Porphyrio porphyrio poliocephalus, is one of up to 13 subspecies identified through Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. The thirteen subspecies mainly differ in the colour of their plumage.

More photographs after the jump.

Purple Coot - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

Purple Coots are easy to identify because of their bright plumage and loud call. It is said to be able to fly long distances and for a bird without webbed feet, it is a good swimmer. They are seasonal breeders but the seasons vary across their range. The season correlates to the peak rainfall or summer temperatures in more temperate climates.

Purple Coot - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

Multiple females may lay eggs in the same nest, which is built amongst reeds or other debris, and share incubation duties. Incubation lasts from 23-27 days and is performed by both males and females. "Helpers" are also known to assist with the incubation. After hatching, chicks are fed for a period of 10-15 days, after which they fend for themselves.

Purple Coot - Thalangama, Sri Lanka 

Although the species is considered to be in the "least concern" category according to the IUCN, some subspecies have declined. This includes the subspecies found in the Mediterranean. An introduced population exists in Florida but biologists are trying to eradicate them.

Purple Coot - Thalangama, Sri Lanka

These photographs were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens combo during several early morning visits to Thalangama.

52/52 - Talk to the hand

Talk to the hand

Here's the last entry for the project. I can't believe its been a year but I'm glad that I was able to actually complete it! I used a standard two light setup to light this one. I wanted this shot to have a bit of a cold feel to it so opted to use blue gels on the main light.

Lighting setup after the jump.

Lighting diagram - Talk to the hand

The main light was a Canon 580 EX II fired at 1/32 and zoomed to 105mm, through a full CTB gel. This coloured the highlights on the fingers as well as the hand.

A Canon 430 EX II was fired at 1/64th from camera right (zoomed to 105mm) through a CTO gel. I used a CTO gel to correct the tungsten colour balance on the camera.

I'm thinking of starting another project 52 focusing on Macro photography but not straight away. possibly in the new year.

Cool Graffiti Art Design on Airplane - Amazing graffiti ideas

Graffiti Design Ideas on Airplane

Just for your inspiration, this graffiti design is cool and amazing to know, this graffiti design made on airplane, are you likes with this graffiti ? Long time i don't share about graffiti , today i share just for your inspiration.

The Leopards at Wel Mal Kema - Yala, Sri Lanka

Leopard at Wel Mal Kema - Yala, Sri Lanka

Wel Mal Kema is a rocky area within block 1 of the Yala national park. There are a couple of water holes amongst the rocks and apart from the rock itself, there aren't any open areas. The road actually runs up the rock and relatively close to one of the water holes. The area is known for Leopard and Bear.  It's not the easiest road to drive along.

More photographs inside.

Leopard at Wel Mal Kema - Yala, Sri Lanka

On our first drive through Wel Mal Kema we found fresh Leopard tracks along one side of the road. We knew the Leopard was close by but visibility wasn't the best due to the thick jungle on either side of the road. Our best chance of seeing the Leopard was if it was on the road.  Fortunately for us it was. We saw it from about 25 meters away as it peered around a rock to watch us. The engine was promptly tuned off and we waited hoping to get a better view.

Leopard at Wel Mal Kema - Yala, Sri Lanka

After a few minutes the Leopard crossed the road and climbed up on the rocks to our right. Unfortunately for us another jeep pulled up at that moment and the inexperienced driver (there are a lot of them around Yala) didn't turn off his engine and the Leopard got spooked and left.

Leopard at Wel Mal Kema - Yala, Sri Lanka

On another one of our trips we had a brief sighting of a Leopard as it walked away from the road. I did manager to get a couple of photographs of the Leopard as it walked away and scent marked a tree.

All the images on this post were taken with the Canon 7D and the 100-400mm lens.

51/52 - Estée Lauder

Estée Lauder

For this weeks entry I decided to go for a high key (sort of) product shot. I picked up this bottle of Estée Lauder lotion as lighting the reflective lid would be a challenge. I used two lights for this shot but if I did have a third I would have used it to light the background and bring up the white a bit more.

Lighting setup inside.

Lighting setup - Estée Lauder

This was a two light setup but the two flashes were aimed away from the subject. Two foam-core boards were used to bounce the light back onto the subject. Instead of lighting the lid directly, I lit the reflection.

A Canon 580 EX II was fired at 1/32 from camera left at a white foam-core board also placed on the left of camera.

A Canon 430 EX II was fired from camera right at 1/32 onto a white foam-core board placed on the right hand side of the image. 

A piece of glass was used under the subject to create a reflection. A piece of white paper was used to create the background.