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  • As the largest religious structure ever built and proprietor of some of the world’s most magnificent stone carvings, Angkor Wat is considered by many to be one of the greatest architectural achievements in human history. Divided into the three main levels of the Hindu cosmos, it features an 800 meter long gallery of magnificent bas-reliefs depicting epic stories from Hindu mythology, four stone block swimming pools and five central towers. These towers depict the peaks of Mount Meru, home of the gods and the center of the Hindu universe. At over 180 feet high, they can not only be seen from the town of Siem Reap six kilometers away, they can also be seen all over the country as the main symbol on the Cambodian flag.<br />
The Wat is the crowning achievement of the Khmer civilization which, in it’s prime, ruled over most of Southeast Asia. It was commissioned by and built for the god-king, Suryavarman II who was worshipped as an incarnation of the protector god Vishnu. The only temple in the Khmer empire facing West into the setting sun, a symbol of death in Hinduism, it is an accepted belief that it was built as a mausoleum for Suryavarman II. The fact that it took 50,000 artist and laborers nearly 40 years to complete is a testament to the Khmers power, wealth and devotion.<br />
To make this photograph showing all five towers, I walked off of the main causeway and joined the cattle that still graze in the fields contained within Angkor’s vast complex. Taken just before sunset, it illustrates why we photographers refer to this time of day as “golden hour”. Taken at any other time of the day, the wat wouldn’t have this beautiful golden color of the sunset, but rather it’s natural stone-grey color.
    AngkorWatAtGoldenHour.tif
  • During it's heyday 11 centuries ago, the city of Angkor was at the center of the Khmer civilization. The Khmers were not only a powerful empire, they were also one of history's most creative and artistic. They created hundreds of buildings and temples that are as magnificent as they are massive. After the empire fell to the Siamese in 1431 the city was left to be devoured by the dense jungle of Northern Cambodia. It wasn't until the French explorer Henri Mouhot wrote about his discovery of the fabled "lost city of Angkor" in the 1860's that the modern world was introduced to one of humanity's greatest architectural achievements.<br />
This former Buddhist temple, Ta Prohm is one of the most popular sites at Angkor because unlike it's famous neighbors Angkor Wat and The Bayon, Ta Prohm was left exactly as it was found, so you get a real sense of what it must have been like to rediscover this majestic city. Most experts believe that these voracious trees that have overtaken the site are the very thing holding it together and if archaeologist were to remove them, Ta Prohm would simply crumble.
    TaPhromDoorway.tif
  • The use of contrasting shapes highlights the entryway into a home in Beijing.
    AGeometricEntrance.tif
  • 20140806-SouthAfrica-CapeTown-337.tif
  • 20141001-Ethiopia-Harar-69.tif
  • Within this Cathedral in the Ethiopian capital is the tomb of beloved Emperor and Rastafarian prophet Haile Selassie, AKA, Ras Tafari Makonnen. It is considered the second most sacred church in Ethiopia behind only the Old Church of St Mary of Zion in Aksum which claims to house the Ark of the Covenant.
    20140927-Ethiopia-AddisAbaba-Holy Tr...tif
  • This gentleman is the orthodox high priest of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity. Upon finishing an outdoor mass he approached me and asked if I wanted to go inside to see crypts of Haile Selassie a.k.a. Ras Tafari and his wife which are kept inside, adjacent to the vestibule. He must have thought I was with Nat Geo or something as apparently they usually charge a ‘museum’ fee for that. I’m sure it’s intended to not only, well, raise money for the church, but also as a means to restrict the crowds and prevent the church from becoming a scene like that at Mao Zedong’s mausoleum. At any rate, I took him up on the offer and moments later found myself standing over the auxumite granite tombs of Emperor Haile Salassie (The Holy One), his wife Empress Menen Asfaw and other family members. I took in the significance of the moment. Not so much out of respect for his status as a leader, but more so from being the huge fan of reggae music that I am. I mean I’ve been hearing about this guy from Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Jimmy Cliff, Toots and all of my other favorite rasta’s my whole life! The least I could do is bow my head for the inspiration he gave those fellas, right? <br />
As he was escorting me out, I thanked him quietly yet profusely and asked him if I could make a portrait to remember him by to which he gave an approving nod. I and I left that church feelin’ irie I for the rest of the day!
    20140927-Ethiopia-AddisAbaba-Holy Tr...tif
  • 20141001-Ethiopia-Harar-85.tif
  • 20141001-Ethiopia-Harar-97-Edit.tif
  • 20140723-SouthAfrica-Johannesburg-27...tif
  • 20140927-Ethiopia-AddisAbaba-Holy Tr...tif
  • 20140806-SouthAfrica-CapeTown-369.tif
  • 20141001-Ethiopia-Harar-63.tif
  • 20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-180.tif
  • 20141001-Ethiopia-Harar-101.tif
  • 20141001-Ethiopia-Harar-24.tif
  • TaPhromDoorwayB&W.tif
  • The famous crown of Our Lady of Guadalupe church in historical Puerto Vallarta.
    LaCaronaDeLaIglesia.tif
  • This section of The Great Wall of China has been incredibly well maintained and is also less crowded with tourists than the Badaling section which is closer to Beijing.
    TheGreatWallAtMutianyu.tif
  • StaircaseTempleInHongKong.tif
  • 20140927-Ethiopia-AddisAbaba-Holy Tr...tif
  • 20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-177.tif
  • 20140802-SouthAfrica-CapeTown-97.tif
  • A young student at an elementary school in Langa Township outside Cape Town, South Africa uses a head sized hole in the fence for the perfect  pose.
    20140806-SouthAfrica-CapeTown-373.tif
  • 20140806-SouthAfrica-CapeTown-347.tif
  • This is the ‘Ge Gar’ (Reception Room) of a traditional Harari House I stayed in for a week. The ‘nadaba’ (raised platforms for sitting) have five different levels and is traditionally hierarchal. As a guest, the family granted me access to all levels save the highest one.
    20141002-Ethiopia-Harar-2.tif
  • 20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-212.tif
  • 20150126-MedainSaleh-156-Edit.tif
  • EscalatorToTheMidLevels.tif
  • ThroughTheCracks.tif
  • 20140720-SouthAfrica-Johannesburg-43.tif
  • 20141002-Ethiopia-Harar-36.tif
  • Ethiopian tourists stop for group photo in front of Harar's, Ras Makonnen Equestrian Statue.  Ras Makonnen was Emperor Menelik's cousin and was appointed first ruler of Harar after the emperor's occupation of the city. Ras Makonnen was also the father of the Emperor Haile Selassie.
    20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-215.tif
  • 20140725-SouthAfrica-KrugerNationalP...tif
  • A Southwestern sunrise
    MorningMittens.tif
  • 20150126-MedainSaleh-49.tif
  • 20150126-MedainSaleh-203.tif
  • 20141002-Ethiopia-Harar-63.tif
  • 20141001-Ethiopia-Harar-74.tif
  • 20140723-SouthAfrica-Johannesburg-23...tif
  • 20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-100.tif
  • HongKongsMidLevels.tif
  • 20140926-Ethiopia-AddisAbaba-55.tif
  • The amazing view from one guard tower to the next at the Mutianyu section of the wall.
    StandingGuardInMutianyu.tif
  • 20150126-MedainSaleh-127.tif
  • 20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-199.tif
  • 20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-197.tif
  • 20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-167.tif
  • This section of The Great Wall of China has been incredibly well maintained and is also less crowded with tourists than the Badaling section which is closer to Beijing.
    TheGreatWallAtMutianyu(Verticle).tif
  • 20140722-SouthAfrica-Johannesburg-14...tif
  • 20141001-Ethiopia-Harar-168.tif
  • 20140926-Ethiopia-AddisAbaba-2.tif
  • 20140926-Ethiopia-AddisAbaba-26.tif
  • 20141004-Ethiopia-Aksum-56.tif
  • 20140926-Ethiopia-AddisAbaba-49.tif
  • The Meskel Festival is Ethiopia's grandest. It celebrates the day Empress Helena (St. Helena) is meant to have found the true cross. In Addis' tens of thousands pack Meskel Square to witness the burning of the "Demera", a giant bonfire meant to represent the one that Helena had made in her quest to find the cross, watch fireworks and burn their own cross-shaped candles throughout the night.
    20140926-Ethiopia-AddisAbaba-15.tif
  • 20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-198.tif
  • As there are no automobiles inside the ancient wall, burros are the preferred work truck. This woman runs a firewood delivery service with her two burros. I crossed paths with having just completed their morning rounds.
    20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-130.tif
  • 20140926-Ethiopia-AddisAbaba-35-Edit.tif
  • 20140926-Ethiopia-AddisAbaba-13.tif
  • 20140926-Ethiopia-AddisAbaba-9.tif
  • 20140926-Ethiopia-AddisAbaba-19.tif
  • 20141001-Ethiopia-Harar-145.tif
  • 20140926-Ethiopia-AddisAbaba-33.tif
  • Beijing's Wangfujing nightly food market is a great place to try some of China's most exotic and downright bizarre snacks.
    Wangfujing NightlyFoodMarket.tif
  • A statue of Chen Yi, the first communist mayor of Shangahai looks prominently over The Bund.
    StatueOnTheBund.tif
  • 20170518AinsleeBaptism-162.tif
  • 20170518AinsleeBaptism-88.tif
  • 20141005-Ethiopia-Gonder-2.tif
  • 20141001-Ethiopia-Harar-112.tif
  • 20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-175.tif
  • 20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-171.tif
  • 20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-168.tif
  • 20140802-SouthAfrica-CapeTown-29.tif
  • Starfish and other exotic snack items on offer at Wangfujing Nightly Food Market.
    StreetDelicaciesInBeijing.tif
  • One of the many doors inside the Forbidden City that has been refurbished and freshly painted.
    Refurbished Door Inside The Forbidde...tif
  • 20170518AinsleeBaptism-128.tif
  • 20170518AinsleeBaptism-145.tif
  • 20170518AinsleeBaptism-79.tif
  • 20170518AinsleeBaptism-36.tif
  • 20141001-Ethiopia-Harar-5.tif
  • 20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-255.tif
  • 20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-182.tif
  • Knots.tif
  • 20170518AinsleeBaptism-57.tif
  • 20141004-Ethiopia-Aksum-143.tif
  • 20141004-Ethiopia-Aksum-68.tif
  • 20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-258.tif
  • 20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-239.tif
  • 20140802-SouthAfrica-CapeTown-34.tif
  • PoLinMonasteryShuffle.tif
  • AvalokitesvaraInTheMist.tif
  • 20170518AinsleeBaptism-72.tif
  • 20170518AinsleeBaptism-59.tif
  • 20170518AinsleeBaptism-8.tif
  • 20141004-Ethiopia-Aksum-156.tif
  • 20141004-Ethiopia-Aksum-59.tif
  • I saw this girl sitting on the giant roots of this old tree and how her bright yellow hijab leaped out of the background. What’s more, it was the perfect complimentary color to the traditional green stove along the wall behind her. After some initial reluctance, she finally decided to let me make a portrait of her and her favorite place.
    20141001-Ethiopia-Harar-22.tif
  • 20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-134.tif
  • 20140930-Ethiopia-Harar-69.tif
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