... to a pair of Voigtlander Bessa rangefinders, throw in a handful of BW films, and plonk it all down in the middle of Central Thailand. Here's what you can get:

Wat Sopharam and its huge Buddha statue along Route 101:


A lotus pond reflects an ancient stupa in the Sukhothai Historical park:


The ruins of Wat Mahathat still attract devotees:


A ricefield awaits planting, somewhere along Highway 1195:

#6 - Rap Bua Festival, Samut Prakan


Colorful floats on water. Throngs of shouting, cheering people. Sounds like the usual fluvial parade. But this is Thailand, and there is nothing unusual about the way they do things here. Held near the end of the Buddhist rain retreat season, the Rap Bua is a taste of good old Thai Buddhist tradition mixed with Disney-style pomp and pageantry.

It's also off the tourist-beaten path - despite its location right under the nose of Bangkok's Savarnabhumi Airport - as I found out last October. Arriving in Thailand just as festival got underway, my companion and I hailed a cab and sped off, luggage and all, to the district of Bang Phli. We got there right in time for the fluvial parade, but by then the riverside was clogged with people waiting to see the main event.

Here's where Amazing Thailand justifies its nickname. Upon seeing these foreigners with their big cameras and bulging backpacks, the locals graciously made way. Chairs were given for us to stand on, and before we knew it we were right at the water's edge, standing a head above the crowd. And it got even better. The excitement was palpable when the floats appeared, and everyone bowed in unison at the sight of their object of devotion: the Luang Pho Tho, a centuries-old statue of the Buddha. Lotus buds were thrown in the air as the sacred image floated by, and there we were, firing away with a camera in one hand and a bunch of round, pink flowers in the other (the locals pressed them in our hands while we were busy shooting).

This was one of the precious few occasions when photographers weren't just observing. Our coverage, of course, ended not with a click, but with a toss and a prayer.


#5 - The Dolphins of Ozamiz



If you think dolphins are fascinating, try swimming with them at the MOAP dolphin conservation center, just outside Ozamiz City.

You don't know what the term "fish out of water" means until you get in there with these creatures of the deep. They approach you in pairs, hurtling just beneath the surface like dark gray torpedoes. Then they check you out, circling you while studying you with those big, black eyes. Welcome to their world. Dare to duck your head underwater and you'll almost certainly find yourself face-to-face with one. That unblinking look. That distinctive dolphin smile. That strange flicker of recognition borne from being distant cousins in the same mammalian family. There's a consciousness behind that dolphin face, and it's staring right back at you.


#4 - Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo



This was where they shot that climactic scene from "Lost in Translation", and believe me it looks just like in the movie. When the traffic light says "go", Shibuya's main traffic junction literally swarms with people crossing what must be Tokyo's busiest, glitziest intersection. But the main attraction isn't just this sea of black-suited salarymen, anime-haired youngsters and Gucci-toting sailormoon schoolgirls - it's the whole Sony-branded, Japanese-flavored futuristic scenery replete with huge video walls, screaming Kanji neon and piped-in video game music from speakers unseen. You want to experience modern Tokyo in twenty seconds? Go cross this street.

#8 - Bhoganandishwara Temple, Karnataka



An excerpt from my article in Spiceroute Magazine:

Nestled at the foot of Nandi Hills is an ancient structure that is so important it hosts its own archaeological station. The Bhoganandiswara Temple may not have its regular share of tourists (its not even listed in the brochures) but this sprawling complex is arguably one of the finest Dravidian temples in Karnataka.

A first glance at its well-preserved outer walls might give the impression of more recent origins. Step inside, though, and marvel at how beautifully this building has aged. Fine sandstone carvings depicting scenes from the Ramayana decorate the inner walls, their chiseled curves practically untouched by restoration work. Of special note is the mantapa fronting the middle shrine, which is unique for its exquisite granite carvings of birds and deities. So intricate are the details here that one can literally run a length of thread between the crafted adornments on the figures.

The Bana king Bana Vidhyadhara must have had grand designs for this temple when he ordered it built at around AD 810. Thankfully its awe-inspiring character survives to this day. Cambodia's Angkor Wat is a crumbling 800-year-old temple. This baby is 1,200 years old - and it still works.


#7 - The Four Seasons Koh Samui



Ok I must admit to using a hotel PR shot for this image. No picture I took of that hotel justifies the experience of staying there. Suffice it to say that I had my own villa. And a private infinity pool. On a hilltop overlooking the balmy blue waters off Thailand's paradise hideout of Koh Samui.

Too bad I couldn't stay there all day. On assignment for Fah Thai Magazine to photograph the island's most influential people, my co-photo-editor Katie figured we needed swanky accommodations to put us in the right state of mind. Turns out we sampled much more of the high-flying Samui expat lifestyle than we expected. At the end of our last shoot, one of our subjects - a Guinness-guzzling Irish pub owner - treated us to 6 bottles of vintage Dom, amongst other delectable spirits. At the end of that night we had to be accompanied back, and my last memory before falling asleep was of me floating in my infinity pool, watching a gazillion stars as they...zzzzzz....

What happened the next morning was THIS

Infra-red. Wat Ratchaburana in infra-red.

A crowd of monks meditate quietly inside a glass display case at Bangkok's Buddhist market on Bamrung Muang Road:



These 8-inch high statues are so lifelike, they even have details like freshly-shaven hair, liver spots, moles - you name it. Best of all, they have life-sized versions modeled after real monks.

What do they use these for? Well, in the nearby town of Amphawa, I saw one such statue resting on an altar commemorating a long-dead monk. In front of it was a little coin box - you dropped a coin inside and it automatically played an audio recording of one of the man's lectures. Sitting there and listening to it was probably better than watching a video!