Raja Maha Viharaya - Dambulla, Sri Lanka

 

The cave temples in Dambulla are on almost every tourist route within Sri Lanka and they deserve to be. The artwork and statues are stunning and are a welcome reward after the climb up to the caves.  I visited the temple early one morning with the aim of photographing it without other visitors walking across my frame. I got to the temple and found that my lens was broken and wouldn't zoom out more than 70mm.  Fortunately I had taken a few photographs the previous day.

Buduruwagala - Wellawaya, Sri Lanka

 

We stopped at Buduruwagala on our way to Arugam Bay a few weeks ago. I hadn't been there in a number of years and was a bit disappointed to see that the area had changed. I guess it was inevitable given the increasing number of visitors to the area. The statues though are still stunning and well worth a visit. 

Ambalama - Godamunne, Sri Lanka

Ambalama's are old buildings that were setup as wayside rests to be used by travels and can be found throughout the country. The ambalama in Godamunne is said to have been built using pillars from the Hanguranketha Palace which was destroyed by the  Dutch in the 17th century. The pillars themselves have ornate carvings on them but they have been damaged over time. 

Iguazu Falls - Puerto Iguazú, Argentina

A section of Iguazu falls photographed from the island in front of the falls. I believe the island is only accessible in the drier months when the water levels are low. Getting a long exposure of the waterfall wasn't easy as there were a number of visitors and standing room was limited.  If I had more time and space I would have probably experimented a bit with ND filters etc. 

Vatadage - Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

The Vatadage at Polonnaruwa is said to date back to the rule of King Parakramabahu in the 12th Century. It is one of 10 Vatadages that can be found in the country. This photograph was taken on an overcast morning and shows one of 4 entrances to the inner section of the building.

Anzac Bridge - Sydney, Australia

We've just got back home after spending a couple of weeks in Sydney. NSW is going through some tough times at the moment with huge bush fires burning across the state. On quite a few days over the last two weeks, the city wasn't visible from this vantage point due to the haze that hung in the air. This photograph was taken in the evening after sunset on a rare clear day.

Skyline - Sydney, Australia

I shot this photograph from one of the pylons on the southern end of the Harbour bridge. Manoeuvring the camera wasnt easy as I had to stick the lens through a small gap between the fence and the pylon wall. The Rocks, the oldest part of Sydney is on the right of the image, the Overseas Passenger Terming is in the centre and Centre Point is visible.

The Opera House - Sydney, Australia

Photographing the Opera House head on and capturing all 3sections isn't straight forward. You are either shooting upwards from the forecourt or you are shooting between the bars of a fence that runs up the stairs leading to the botanical gardens.  I shot this by poking the camera through some of the bars along the walkway. It wasn't easy as i couldn't see through the view finder or the screen due to the angle of the camera. Glad this turned out ok!

Safdarjung Tomb - New Delhi, India

Mirza Muqim Abul Mansur Khan, popularly known as Safadarjung, was the ruler of Awadh. He was appointed Vazir (Prime Minister) of the Mughal Empire under Emperor Mohammed Shah Ahmed Shah and moved to Delhi in 1748. He was exiled from the capital shortly prior to his death due to his cruel treatment of the Emperror's family. His tomb was built by his son and is the last monumental tomb garden of the Mughals.