The Public and the King’s birthday

To mark the 84th birthday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the government staged grand festivals for seven days and seven nights – this marks His Majesty’s seventh 12-year birthday cycle.

The Grand Palace, the spectacular conglomeration of temple and state buildings in the centre of Bangkok and the adjoining public square of Sanaam Luang hosted the events and remained opened til late this week. This attracted thousands of well wishers.

The spectacular light and sound show used the wall of the Grand Palace as a 200-metre-long screen and a 4,200-seat amphitheatre in Sanam Luang park directly in front of the Grand Palace.

The Grand Palace wall and temporary exhibition buildings provided endless backdrops for group portraits.

Sanaam Luang (below) is, rather solemnly, a royal cremation ground. Since the reign of King Rama 1 in the 1800s, the funerals of Kings and Queens took place here. It’s recently been re-turfed as a gesture of respect to the king.

An image from 2002 of Sanaam Luang.

© Warren field 2011

The Delicacy of Decay: Leaves of Lace.

Veined and reminiscent of butterfly wings, I discovered these decaying leaves in a grove of trees in a park in Trat province near Koh Chang, Thailand.

Pic 1

Image specs: Olympus E-3, f16, 1/2 second, ISO 125, Zuiko Digital 50mm f2.0 Macro, white balance auto, manual exposure, manual focus with live view 7x, vivid mode, reversed tripod, cable release.

Pic 2

Image specs: Olympus E-3, f16, 1/8 seconds, ISO 160, Zuiko Digital 50mm f2.0 Macro, white balance auto, manual exposure, manual focus with live view 7x, vivid mode, reversed tripod, cable release.

Pic 3

Image specs: Olympus E-3, f22, 1 second, ISO 125, Zuiko Digital 50mm f2.0 Macro, white balance auto, manual exposure, manual focus with live view 7x, vivid mode, reversed tripod, cable release.

Pic 4

Image specs: Olympus E-3, f16, 1/8 seconds, ISO 160, Zuiko Digital 50mm f2.0 Macro, white balance auto, manual exposure, manual focus with live view 7x, vivid mode, reversed tripod, cable release.

© Warren Field 2011

 

Bangkok’s fading tide: A gallery of recent events.

*Quick Flood Blog no. 3*
Observation from my locality.

A market near a pier on Chao Phraya river still inundated with floodwater.

The water begins to recede and the city surfaces again.

I’ve experienced only a week in total, of what has been months of trauma for many families. Great barriers of sandbags, still holding as I write, stand as battlements from which the flood’s frontline is being fought, keeping out the worst of the flood from the inner city.

Instead the deluge snaked through the already flooded northern and western sectors of Bangkok, as unfortunate residents on the wrong side of the barriers watch their homes succumb to a metre or more of overflow, reluctant hosts unable to benefit from Bangkok’s extensive canal system, moderately effective in channelling water away from the city through to the Gulf of Thailand only 35km away to the south.

The affected residents fought back, frustrated with the prolonged inaction from the FROC (Flood Relief Operations Command - it’s been two months now). They went as far as breaking down the main sandbag barriers, demanding an immediate action plan to relieve the crisis, gaining concessions in the process – a review of the timeline that keeps their homes underwater.

Originally built as defence for the new capital of Bangkok on the Chao Phraya river (on Rattanakosin Island) after the sacking of Ayuthaya by the Burmese in 1767, the canals (khlongs) virtually encircle Bangkok. Nowadays they provide boat transport around the city but are currently closed due to the flood crisis.

Fire engine geared for flood rescue, Phra Athit, Bangkok.

Flood defences in the city have been extensive, mostly cement walls with delicate, loose brick staircases and the ubiquitous sandbag. Even luxury department stores surround their perimeter with sandbags covered in blue PVC tarpaulins which almost look as exclusive as the products sold inside. As you read in previous blogs, artists decorated the cement walls with cartoon characters, children play on sandbags and swim in park overflow pools.

Sandbagging begins as floodwater strikes the locality.

Walking the sandbags.

My locality remained mostly dry but not unaffected. I remember well, watching people frantically buying wellington boots, queueing at supermarkets with bumper boxes of instant noodles, bottled water and what was left of the fresh fruit and vegetables.

The plight of pets or street animals has also been of concern to Thais. So much so that I recently saw an illustration of how to make a life jacket for the dog! (see below). Earlier, it was reported that pets would not be allowed to accompany their owners when rescued from their flooded homes. I don’t think many people would be happy with that?

Illustration of how to make a life jacket for your dog using a t-shirt, inner tube and plastic bottles.

An alleyway near Khao San Road has turned into a nursery for abandoned dogs and from what I can learn from my Thai friends the dogs will be re-homed if possible.

Over the last week, I’ve seen ‘tinnies’ (Aussie lingo for small metal boat) and dinghies equipped with outboard motors and a long pole (for pulling people out of the water) in the car parks of monasteries, sports centres, gas stations and government buildings. Life jackets are for sale in many suburbs.

Following are additional images from the last month taken in my locality on the Chao Phraya river.

The bench in Santichaiprakarn park which has featured often in my flood pics.

Relaxing in the build up to the floods. The bench at Santichaiprakarn park was 'unusable' a week later.

Sunset on Chao Phraya river, Santichaiprakarn park, Bangkok.

Receding floodwater along the Chao Phraya river in Santichaiprakarn park, Bangkok.

Receding floodwater mirrors the Rama VIII bridge. Santichaiprakarn park, Bangkok.

The worst of the floods (October 4th) near Santichaiprakarn park, Bangkok.

See related blogs:
Bangkok’s rising tide: This week in my locality: http://warrenfield.wordpress.com/2011/11/06/2114/

Bangkok’s rising tide, fading hopes: http://warrenfield.wordpress.com/2011/10/29/bangkoks-rising-tide-fading-hopes/

© Warren Field 2011
Images taken on Olympus E-system, 4/3 SLR (E3).

Bangkok’s rising tide: This week in my locality.

*Quick Flood Blog no.2* 

4 November 2011: Children enjoy the pool created by the flooded riverside walkway in Santichaiprakarn park on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. 

Anxiety has been running high over the last few weeks as the Bangkok CBD braces for the arrival of flood water, marking an unthinkable state of affairs only a couple of weeks ago.

In a boon to myself and those residents who have stayed in Bangkok, the traffic congestion in the city is now marginal as neighbouring towns to the north such as Kanchanaburi and Pattaya to the south-east of Bangkok, have become bolt holes for the majority of the populace.

Since I last wrote, my street has dried out completely and for now, it seems like everything is back to normal (I must stress this report covers my immediate locality – my hopes for relief from the flood go out to the many people who have lived with this crisis for months now).

Another high tide and we will probably see scenes similar to the previous blog.

http://warrenfield.wordpress.com/2011/10/29/bangkoks-rising-tide-fading-hopes/

Water from the Chao Phraya River leaks into a small low-lying channel near the park only a few metres wide (flooding a small business in the process) but has the power to completely swamp the road within an hour.

More images from recent weeks…

27 October 2011 (below): Seating area on the riverside walk, Chao Phraya River.

27 October 2011 (below): Cement walls erected overnight become canvasses for local artists to brighten up the gloom of imminent floods. Rising water has enabled some rather large crocodiles to escape their enclosures in the farms further north and inspired the wall art no doubt, together with turtles, sharks and octopus. Sponge Bob also makes an appearance.

15 October 2011 (below): Water from the Chao Phraya River reached the second step of the riverside walkway. The steps are now completely submersed as you see in the first picture.

*Some statistics from the Government FROC (Flood Relief Operations Command):
Flooding has displaced over 700,000 households in 25 provinces which accounts for more than two million people (including FROC itself ironically enough, as their base at the domestic airport of Don Mueang was also washed out a couple of weeks ago). 437 have died to date. It’s looking like early next year before Bangkok flood waters will have subsided and the clean up can begin. Its five months since the first provinces in the far north were hit by the flood.

*Source: Bangkok Post, November 4 2011

© Warren Field 2011

Bangkok’s rising tide, fading hopes.

*Quick Flood Blog no. 1*

The Bangkok floods arrived on my doorstep this morning in Banglamphu district near Khao San Road. After a month of Government warnings advising residents to stock up on supplies, the shelves of the 7-11 grocery stores remain devoid of fresh food, cars and vans sit awkwardly on blocks, even the bridges have become giant parking lots, to the extent that emergency vehicles cannot get through on some of the remaining dry roads.

Brick walls, erected around many doorways, seemed an extreme option only a week ago. Now, they may just have saved an entire business from ruin.

I look at the people who have no option but to stay and protect their properties. Children sit on high walls with their younger siblings, gazing at the police diverting motorists from flood zones. Pick-up trucks now serve as rescue vehicles. An elderly woman walks away from her submerged shop front helped by passers-by. Young motorcyclists weave along the narrow Banglamphu streets looking for an escape route. Faced with a 20-metre wide lake in front of them, they met our pessimistic but concerned gazes and back-stepped, hiding their disappointment as best they could. Still, some cyclists pushed themselves along the waterways taking photos.

It is a shocking sight to see my main street under water, after being bone dry only the night before. Banglamphu, one of the main tourist enclaves here, was forecast to be better off than most of the outlying areas to the north, east and south, mooted to suffer only a mere 10-15 cm of water. Looking at it this morning this is more like 30 cm already. God knows what it will be tonight.

Standing in the middle of my main street photographing the poor souls whose smiling faces belied the hard work ahead to rescue their businesses, the water crept around my ankles within a matter of minutes. I backtracked to keep myself dry but was overrun as I kept my eyes on the viewfinder.

My biggest worry concerns the notorious pollution in Bangkok’s water. The khlongs (canals) around my area must contain the filthiest H2O on the planet. Longboats churn diesel into its blue-grey swirl, animals die in it, not to mention the litter that is ‘accidentally on purpose’ thrown into it. If this toxic waste finds its way onto the streets I’m sure we’d have a bigger problem than food supplies alone.

I left Bangkok this afternoon on probably the last of the minibuses that have the luxury of negotiating dry roads. What is normally a 45-minute drive to the neighbouring district of Nakhon Pathom took over 2 hours, diverting through back streets and then leaking back onto elevated sections of highway. As we passed over the car-clogged bridges I peered down into the streets below. Kilometres of water along every street.

We’ve all been warned, taken precautions and now face the enemy head on or ‘legs in’ I should say. The apprehension behind the threat of imminent flooding has built up over weeks and left communities drained even before the high tides turned bad. The Government announced a public holiday from Thursday 27th October through to Monday 31st October. At least now residents can concentrate on protecting their businesses and property and hope for a clean up soon. The floods could remain for months though. I pray Bangkok copes over this time.

© Warren Field 2011

Web Management Training Photos, Bangkok, Thailand

Delegates from the National Literacy Awareness Secretariat (NLAS) and Department of Education (DOE)Papua New Guinea continued their week-long web management training with a morning session on ‘Preparing Images for the Web’. Introducing essential basic settings such white balance, image size settings, ISO, aspect ratio, flash and numerous photo tips on composition this was the an opportunity to leave the office and enjoy some photography in the UNESCO garden.

An abundance of available photo subjects enhanced the learning: Lotus lilies photographed on macro setting, a pleasant garden setting for our single and group portraits and free time to experiment. Photographing in bright morning sunlight, we missed the torrents of rain by 30 minutes that have pushed Bangkok ‘s flood levees to breaking point.

Delegate Maggie and Kate assisting in the numerous portrait shots.

After basic editing training, enhancing and resizing a selected image for colour, crop and brightness/contrast, the image was uploaded to the PNG literacy portal. These skills will help efficiently maintain this literacy website back home.

With thanks to UNESCO Bangkok for the opportunity to help promote web literacy skills and invaluable assistance of Nay Lin, Kate Chuanprapan and Debra during the workshop.

© Warren Field / UNESCO Bangkok 2011

Web Management Training for PNG Literacy and Non-formal Education Website.

Friday 14th October

This week UNESCO welcomes delegates from Papua New Guinea for the Web Management Training for PNG Literacy and Non-formal Education Website workshop.

The workshop runs all week covering all aspects of web publishing.

I’ll be speaking on ‘Preparing Images for the Web‘ including:
A. Overview of basic settings on digital cameras.
B. General photo tips and a demonstration of taking a portrait using available light and fill flash.
C. We’ll each take turns to photograph the group outside the UNESCO Building using the settings explained.
D. Demonstration of basic picture editing using Microsoft Picture Manager (since PC’s come with this editing program and Photoshop is unlikely to be available to the delegates at this time).
E. Uploading the edited image to a website

Image to follow.

Read more about the workshop:
http://www.unescobkk.org/news/article/literacy-web-training-to-improve-lives-of-people-in-papua-new-guinea/

© Warren Field 2011

Mekong Sunset, Lao PDR

Sunset on Mekong River, Vientiane, Lao PDR

Image specs: Olympus E-3, f7.1, 1/20 second, ISO 160, Zuiko Digital 50mm f2.0 Macro, white balance auto, manual exposure, manual focus, vivid mode, hand held.

© Warren Field 2011

Annapurna South at dusk, Nepal

Annapurna South (8091m), Nepal

Image specs: Olympus E-3, f10, 1/13 second, ISO 100, 250mm with EC-20 2 x teleconverter (1000 mm film equivalent), Zuiko 90-250mm f2.8 Telephoto Zoom, white balance auto, manual exposure, manual focus with live view 7x, vivid mode, tripod, cable release.

© Warren Field / Australian Geographic

Fire in the Sky

Last Light, Trat Province.