New York Public Library #5

Image by an untrained eye
April 13th, 2006 – New York, United States
When I visited New York in April 2006 – I like to try to get there at least once a year if I can, so invigorating and exciting do I find it – I had hardly taken a photograph in six months. I wandered the streets looking for the iconic (or, failing that, the stereotypical) Big Apple shots, and though I half-heartedly took one or two snaps of a young man leaning against a wall on 5th Avenue playing the saxophone, with the Empire State Building looming in the background, I found I hadn’t quite got my street photography mojo back. It had taken me a long time to get up the courage to take candid shots in public back in Geneva less than a year earlier, and not having done so for so long, I reverted to my natural discretion and self-consciousness.
Eventually I decided to give up and went into the New York public library behind Bryant Park, where, ironically, an exhibition of street photography was being shown. Once I had been round the exhibition I explored more of the magnificent building with its astonishing grandeur and gorgeous artworks. Finally, exhausted – I had walked over 120 blocks in the day – I sat down on the bench opposite the one in this picture with the intention merely of resting, only to have my photographer’s instinct ignited by the arrival of a young Japanese couple.
This and the next photo of the couple in black and white may not strictly speaking be considered street photographs, but to me they represent the best I have so far achieved in the genre.
Click here to view large on black – I’m not sure it’s better, but I’ll leave you to decide.
This image has been used on the Metalife Project website and on the associated blog, Metalifestream, both of which are thoroughly worth exploring. In a nutshell, the Metalife Project is an exploration of the way in which our personal and business lives are unwittingly changed by our interaction with communication tools. There’s some fascinating material on the website, and it’s been beautifully designed by Steve Haynes.
Blogged on Kristo Nikkolo on January 6th, 2008 – Kristo is an Estonian, so unfortunately I don’t understand a word of his post, but I owe him thanks as (I believe) my first ever blogger !!
Also blogged onThings Look Like This and Happy LOL Day on March 15th, 2008.
Blogged on Siam Intelligence on April 30th, 2008.
And blogged on Narcissique Blog on June 22nd, 2008 (Merci, Thomas!).
Blogged on Flickr Art of Color Photography on July 31st, 2008.
Blogged on www.submityourarticle.com/creative-article-marketing/2008… on September 18th, 2008.
Blogged on Beyond The Book on November 5th, 2008.
Selected as one of Yahoo Travel’s Best of 2008 and featuring on the page Top 10 Destinations 2008.
Blogged on Weblogs and Wikis Daybook on February 1st, 2009.
Blogged on Prelovac on February 11th, 2009.
Blogged on Wide Open Spaces on April 6th, 2009.
Blogged on Greek Rider on May 20th, 2009.
I’m also flattered to say that this image has also been used here by MarcSanDiego to create what is known as an RL/SL (Real Life/Second Life) montage in honour of .:Galatea:., one of Flickr’s leading Second Life artists – thanks to Marc for introducing me to a whole Flickr sub-culture I knew virtually nothing about !!
Finally, on May 4th, 2009, this became my first picture to reach 20,000 views. Thanks to everyone who has viewed, faved, commented on, or simply enjoyed this image !!
Thailand, or the “Land of Smiles”, as it is also called, is one of the most popular tourist destinations. When you ask someone what are his top travel destinations, Thailand will often be the answer. What makes Thailand such a popular tourist destination? We will see that there are quite a few contributing factors that make Thailand such a popular country.
First of all, Thailand isn’t called the “Land of Smiles” for nothing; there is a good reason why it has that name. Thailand has the reputation of being a country that is extremely hospitable for tourists. Thais are such nice people, always smiling and trying to help whenever they can. They are genuinely interested and have at heart that everyone who visit’s Thailand enjoys their stay. Even though this is a very good reason to visit Thailand, there are a few more that make’s it a must for any tourist.
Another reason would be the rich culture and history of the country. When you visit Thailand, you will be amazed at the number of great temples that you can find a bit everywhere. While in Bangkok, everyone should stop by the Grand palace and the temple of the Emerald Buddha. After that, whether you go up North towards Chiang Mai or down south towards Phuket, you will find many temples and a rich culture that is truly unique. Ayutthaya is such a grand sight to behold and is an UNESCO world heritage site. But there are not only nice temples and ruins to visit in Thailand, the natural beauty of the country is one of its greatest assets.
Beautiful beaches in the South, mountains and rainforest to the North, there is really something for everyone in Thailand. Phuket is one of the top destinations in South East Asia and for good reasons. The beaches are superb, the weather is great, what can you ask more? In Thailand there are more beautiful beaches than you can possibly hope to visit during your trip, so you should choose carefully. Koh Phi Phi is one of the most popular and became famous after the movie The Beach. There are hundred of tourists that visit Koh Phi Phi every day. But the North also has its charm, although a different kind of charm. If you want to do some jungle trek, you will be very happy by going around Chiang Mai. It is a very fulfilling experience to do a jungle trek in the mountains around Chiang Mai and to visit some small villages.
Shopping is another reason why so many people go to Thailand. Bangkok is quickly becoming a shopper’s paradise. There are huge shopping malls being built around the city and the prices are very good. You can find many bargains if you look around and can also find the top brands in the bigger shopping malls such as Siam Paragon and Central World. If you stop by Bangkok, you should definitely go to the Chatuchak weekend market, the biggest open market in the world. There are over 15,000 stalls and each day hundred of thousands of people go to the market.
Thai food is another reason why people want to go to Thailand. Everyone knows about Thai food, it is very popular and gaining in popularity in Europe and North America. In Thailand, Thai food is much better than what you will find anywhere else and there are restaurants everywhere. There is so much choice of food that when arriving in Thailand you won’t know where to eat. Thai cuisine is very diverse, as there are specialties form the North of Thailand and also form the South. You should definitely try a Pad Thai when you arrive in Thailand, you will fall in love with that meal.
Finally, the last reason is the price. Aside from the air ticket, staying in Thailand is very cheap. You can find nice hotels for about 30$ US and if you eat in smaller restaurants it will cost you around 2$ . Activities are also very cheap, as is travel. Staying in Thailand won’t cost you as much as the air ticket if you want to stay on a budget. You could easily spend a lot of money if you stay in the top hotels, as there are prices for everyone, but you can also easily spend very little each day.
So with all these nice factors that make Thailand truly unique, it is no wonder that it is such a popular destination. Everyone should visit Thailand at least once in their life. All of these factors individually could be enough to visit this wonderful country, but when you add them all together, you get a destination that you won’t want to leave.
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