| Never, ever take your camera into the water ...
unless, you're going after a shot. Walking down this quiet beach,
on a beautiful tropical afternoon, I knew I had a shot to remember
before I took it. Sensing that the photo was worth the risk, I
put my camera bag in the shade and began to wade into the water.
I figured that on such a shallow beach that I wouldn't need to
go much past my knees for the shot. As it turns out, the water
got deep, quickly. I ended up taking making this exposure in armpit-deep
water. I was barely able to keep my elbows out of the water to
hold the camera steady. Fortunately the waves were small on this
particular afternoon, and I was able to make this images safely,
without getting my photo equipment wet.
On the coasts of Southern Thailand, the long tail (longtail) boat
is king. They are incredibly versatile, acting as dive boats, fishing
boats, ferries, cargo ships, and more. Likely a sign of status
and wealth among the locals, owning such a boat would undoubtedly
help to ensure a stable income. The boats are large, often more
than ten metres (30 feet) long.
Why are they called long tails? Though you can't see it from this
vantage, long tail boats have a simple propeller at the end of
a long drive-shaft connected to an even larger engine, (often
removed from a car or truck). The boats are noisy, and surely
some damage the sensitive ecosystem that they depend on ... but
their simple beauty is undeniable.
This photo is one of my personal favourites, mainly for the simplicity
of the composition, but also for the colours, and of course the
good memories that are attached to such a trip. This photo has
also been popular with my friends and family; my Uncle Gerald,
an avid painter, created a beautiful rendition of the scene based
on my prints.
Buy this print - contact me
for more information | |
Technical Details
Location: Southwestern Thailand
Camera: Nikon FG
Lens: Cosina 28-210 f4.2
Film: Fuji Superia 100
Focal Length: 28mm
Aperture: f11
Shutter Speed: 1/125s
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