NYT's Special: Asia Up Close

Georgetown, Penang. Photo © David Hagerman/NYT-All Rights Reserved

The New York Times featured its Asia issue this past weekend, and listed 37 Asian Odysseys to this remarkable continent, ranging from Bali to Vietnam, passing through Hong Kong, Laos and India. It's easy to dismiss these features as being tourist-targetted, but I've learned that it's not always the case.

Firstly, let's talk photographs. The feature is accompanied by over 40 images by Asia-based photographers; some of which are postcard-like but others that are real gems, such as the one above of Georgetown by my friend David Hagerman, others of China by Shiho Fukada, of Vietnam by Justin Mott and of Myanmar by Kevin Maloney...so quite a lot of talent there.

Surprisingly, Bhutan is not mentioned! It is in Asia isn't it?

The other reason is this: I discovered an extraordinary (and unexplored) location in Varanasi through a New York Times article, and it launched one of my long term photographic projects. So my suggestion to travel photographers is to keep an eye on all these special features...yes, the majority will be fluff, but sometimes there'll be one that may just launch you into a new direction...and success.

Naturally, such these features also provide if not outright ideas, but inspirations for photo itineraries.

The Atlantic's In Focus: Holi Too

Photo © Majid Saeed/Getty- All Rights Reserved

Photo © Manish Swarup/AP-All Rights Reserved

I predicted yesterday that there would be more submissions of this colorful festival from travel photographers and photojournalists, and featured by large photo blogs. Today, it's The Atlantic magazine's In Focus that  features 36 remarkable photographs of Holi.

The photographs appearing on the In Focus photo blog are particularly compelling because the blog allows viewers to choose between 1280 or 1024 pixels, depending of their screens.

I was tempted to feature another photograph (#12) by Kevin Frayer, but I already showed one of his yesterday, so I chose others...but as you scroll down, I bet you'll stop at this particular photograph...an  absolute explosion of red!!! And you'll do the same at his #36.

Both of the photographs I feature here are by Indian photographers, and were made at the Krishna's Bankey Bihari Temple in Vrindavan.