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Discovering Laos
I am not sure why I had never considered travelling to Laos before. I have been to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam so many times but I only got around to visiting Laos last Christmas and got the chance to experience this beautiful and welcoming country which really has its own unique relaxing and spiritual feeling. I will share some of my favourite photos of our trip to Laos here.
I am not sure why I had never considered travelling to Laos before. I have been to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam so many times but I only got around to visiting Laos last Christmas and got the chance to experience this beautiful and welcoming country which really has its own unique relaxing and spiritual feeling. I will share some of my favourite moments and photos of our trip to Laos here.
Landscapes of Laos
We got to see some beautiful landscapes while we were in Laos, Karst Mountains, Blue Lagoons, and Waterfalls. Alot of the photos were from Vang Vieng with its beautiful Karst Mountains and Blue lagoons. We also got to see the Kuang Si Falls whch are near Luang Prabang and are charcterised by their beautifully rounded rock formations and turquiose waters. I hope you enjoy the photos I took of Laos Landscapes.
Sunrise from the air, Nikon Z7 II, 30 mm, F8, 1/500 th of a second, ISO 110
I took this photo from a Hot Air balloon in Vang Vieng. Vang Vieng has a tremendous amount of red dust from the Karst Mountains and the dirt roads which add to the atmosphere in this photo as it combined with a morning fog. The scene changed from a soft blue to a warm red in just a few minutes as the sun rose and I decided to focus on the other ballon as it worked as a great focal point for the directional light and the surrounding scenery.
Coming down to land, Nikon Z7 II, 47 mm, F8, 1/250 th of a second, ISO 125
This was taken on the same ballon ride, but later as we started to descend. I love this photo's beautiful soft light, rolling fog and warm colours.
The last of Blue hour, Nikon Z7 II, 32 mm, F4, 1/160 th of a second, ISO 280
This photo was taken just shortly before the sunrise. Laos was surprisingly cold in the morning both in terms of temperature and colours of the landscape in the morning. Again I loved all of the fog which creates all of these soft textures in this beautiful landscape.
Vang Vieng Sunset, Nikon Z7 II, 200 mm, F9, 1/500 th of a second, ISO 64
I was drawn to all of the layers in this scene with all of the trees, mountains and the fog and dust from Vang Vieng. I took several photos of this scene, but it worked best when I lowered my exposure which cast all of the mountains and trees into shadow as this vastly simplified the scene and allowed me to capture what drew me to the scene in the first place.
Kuang Si Falls, Nikon ZF, 30 mm, F8, 1/500 th of a second, ISO 110
We only got to spend a short time at Kuang Si Waterfall as we got there late in the afternoon. It really is such a stunning place. The perfectly rounded rock formations and turquoise waters are truly something straight out of a dream. For this photo I went with a longer exposure to smooth out the running water.
Kuang Si Falls,, Nikon ZF, 27.5 mm, F9, 4 seconds, ISO 100
This was taken shortly after the above photo and here I was trying to capture more of the layers within this waterfall which I think I did, but lost some of the beautiful rounded shapes of the first photo.
Here are some more of my photos of Laos Landscapes from Vang Vieng and Luang Prabang.
Temples of Laos
We have had the pleasure of visiting many Temples in Vientiane and Luang Prabang. While we loved the temples in Vientiane there was a special feeling about all the Temples in Luang Prabang. They are dotted all over the city and are all so different. Also, the way that these Temples combine with the city’s French Colonial architecture is wonderful.
Wat Xiengthong, Nikon Z7 II, 30 mm, F8, 1/500 th of a Second, ISO 110
I was really drawn to the beautiful use of stained glass for the mural on the temple and the incredibly detailed paintings that adorn the temple.
Wat Xiengthong, Nikon Z7 II, 70 mm, F 2.8, 1/2500 th of a second, ISO 64
I was taking photos of this beautiful temple from all sorts of different angles and I was about to move on when these two Monks walked in front of the Temple and I took the shot.
Evening Prayers, Nikon Z7, 85 mm, F2.8, 1/250 th of a Second, ISO 800
I took this photo with the silent shutter from just outside the entrance of the Temple so as not to disturb the Prayers. It is a special time in the afternoon in Luang Prabang when you hear all of the Monk’s Prayers from all the different temples dotted around the city.
Nikon Z7 II, 200 mm, F2.8 1/640 th of a Second, ISO 40
The temples in Laos have such beautiful details everywhere and this wood carving captivated me. The amount of beautiful attention to detail is astounding and I love how all of the dust helps to highlight all of the details and accentuates the shadows.
Temple Gardening, Nikon ZF, 35 mm, F5.6, 1/1000 th of a Second, ISO 100
While I walked around the Temples in Laos I noticed how they are integral to the upkeep and maintenance of their Temples and this photo was my best attempt at trying to capture this.
Delicate Carving, Nikon Z II, 55 mm, F5.6, 1/100 th of a Second, ISO 320
I stumbled upon one section of a Temple where the Monks were making wood carvings for their temples and was really amazed at their patience and skill level. They invited me to come and look at their beautiful work and take photos.
Street Life in Luang Prabang
The beautiful mix of French Colonial and ornate Buddhist Architecture combined with the beautiful natural surroundings of the Mekong Delta give Luang Prabang a unique aesthetic. However, this city also has such a special feeling and it is hard to put my finger one any one particular reason. Is it the warm and relaxed nature of everyone there, hearing the morning and evening prayers, the Morning Alms ceremony, the mix of European and Asian cuisines, the hustle and bustle of the Morning Market, or the way that the local monks are so ever present in the city? Maybe it is a special combination of all of these things. I just wish I had visited this city before and know I want to visit again as the feeling I had in this city is like no other I have experienced before.
Window Frame , Nikon ZF, 100 mm, F4, 1/60 th of a Second, ISO 200
There are some beautiful houses in Luang Prabang. I was immediately drawn to the colours in this scene and the way that the colours in the window frame and wall were so close to the colours of the person and the ornate decoration above.
Window Frame again, Nikon Z7 II, 120 mm, F4, 1/800 th of a Second, ISO 800
When I was setting up to take the photo of this wall and window frame the monk was not there. They placed there head and arm there to sleep as I was lining up the shot. I really like this photo in terms of how it encapsulates the some times sleepy vibe of the city's back streets.
Commuting home after the Alms Ceremony, Nikon ZF, 35 mm, F3.5, 1/250 th of a Second, ISO 100
I took this photo shortly after the Morning Alms ceremony on the other side of the Morning Market. The monk in the back of the tuk-tuk gave me a smile as I took the shot and a hello directly after. They were so happy for us to take their photo.
Morning Market Nikon ZF, 85 mm, F2, 1/1000 th of a Second, ISO 100
I saw these types of sellers selling goods all around Luang Prabang and I found the way that they constantly had to negotiate their way around the street stalls interesting and this is what I tried to capture here.
Temple walk, Nikon Z7 II, 110 mm, F8, 1/160 th of a Second, ISO 64
I had just finished taking a photo of this temple and street and was reviewing the photo when this monk walked through the scene so I quickly took the shot and I am really happy with the juxtaposition of the temple, street and the monk walking through the scene.
Where the Nam Kahan meets the Mekong, Nikon ZF, 85 mm, F5.6, 1/250 th of a Second, ISO 200
I was at the part of the Mekong River where it meets the Nam Khan River and enjoying the scenery when this monk stepped out onto the shore and I immediately got my camera to take a quick shot.
Bagged up and ready to go, Nikon ZF, 35 mm, F2.8, 1/250 th of a Second, ISO 100
Many live animals on sale in the Morning Market were already in plastic bags ready for the prospective buyer. While I found this pretty sad, I felt I wanted to take a photo to document and remember it.
Ice Cream Shopping, Nikon ZF, 85 mm, F1.8, 1/250 th of a Second, ISO 320
This photo appeared out of nowhere. I was in the supermarket buying some things for my daughter when I turned the corner I saw these 3 young boys looking at the ice cream in the freezer. I was really drawn to the scene and how their robes were reflected in the glass. so I took the shot.
Waiting for Alms, Nikon ZF, 85 mm, F5.6, 1/125 th of a Second, ISO 1600
I was looking for good and quiet places to appreciate and shoot the Morning Alms ceremony and I found a nice quiet street that would work well. I came back the next day and, this time there was this dog who was also waiting to see the Morning Alms ceremony so I could not resist taking the photo. The way the dog positioned himself with his front legs over the wooden shade was irresistible to me.
Morning Market Traffic, Nikon ZF, 35 mm, F2, 1/250 th of a Second, ISO 100
I took this photo just at the other end of the Morning Market. I was just playing with my camera when I noticed the little girl at the back off the motorcycle looking right at me so I took the shot.
Laos Furniture removal, Nikon Z7 II, 39 mm, F4, 1/800 th of a Second, ISO 64
I was walking down one of the main streets in Luang Prabang when I saw these men unloading this furniture by standing backwards on the ladder and passing it through the window. What could go wrong?
The Morning Alms Giving Ceremony
The morning Alms ceremony is a way that the people of Luang Prabang support the Monks by offering them food. So just before dawn people sit on the streets to prepare their offerings for the monk and at daw the orange-robed monks come out of the temples in Luang Prabang with baskets ready to recieve rice balls and other food from the local people.
Morning Alms giving ceremony, Nikon ZF, 85 mm, F1.8, 1/125 th of a Second, ISO 3200
I took this photo on my first time going to the Alms ceremony. It was on a busy street and I was waiting there for what felt like an eternity but everyone then went quiet when the local monks came by and it was a magical experience.
Family waits for Nikon ZF, 85 mm, F2.8, 1/60 th of a Second, ISO 3200
I took this photo for the second time to the Alms ceremony. I had scouted out some quieter streets, and I found this family who had come out and prepared their food for their local monks.
Family donates to the Monks, Nikon ZF, 85 mm, F5.6, 1/125 th of a Second, ISO 1250
This is the family from the photo above giving food to the monks. It was heartwarming to see the whole experience of the family preparing the offerings, donating to the monks, and how thankful the family looked after the ceremony.
Shopkeeper donates food to Monks, Nikon ZF, 85 mm, F2.8, 1/125 th of a Second, ISO 500
I had taken note of this exact spot the day before as I thought the flowers above would make a lovely way to frame the monks as they went back into the temple after the Alms ceremony and as I was waiting there the local shopkeeper went over to stand in that exact spot to donate to the monks as they walked past.
After the Alms Ceremony, Nikon ZF, 85 mm, F5.6, 1/125 th of a Second, ISO 1250
This was the photo I envisioned taking the previous day with the monk walking under the arch of beautiful flowers into the temple.
Monks donate food to the local population, Nikon ZF, 85 mm, F2.8, 1/250 th of a Second, ISO 3200
I also saw another side to the Alms ceremony where I saw local people waiting there with empty bags asking for donations from the monks and here is a photo of a monk donating to some locals.
Going home after Alms, Nikon ZF, 105 mm, F2.5, 1/125 th of a Second, ISO 1600
This is a photo of a couple of children with their bags full of rice and cookies which had been donated by the local monks.
Travelling home
Waiting for the Train, Nikon ZF, 105 mm, F2.5, 1/125 th of a Second, ISO 250
The trains in Laos were some of the best I have used anywhere on the world and I have ravelled in Japan, South Korea and Europe. They are all part of a Chinese rail line which goes all of the way from Kunming in Chinas Yunnan province into Laos. The trains were quick, efficent and clean which was quite the cointrast from our train experiences in the UK last Summer.
Anyway I had to include this photo as it is actually my favourite of the entire trip. I took it with an old manual focus lens from the 1970s and framed it up between the grey seats which worked as a good way to accentuate the colours that Eleanor was wearing that day or maybe I love it because I am a proud dad.