Man Mo Temple, Hong Kong.

Located on the Holywood Road / Ladder Street junction just up from the antiques market on Upper Lascar Row (Cat Street) The Man Mo Temple dates back to the 1840s and is the most important Taoist Temple on Hong Kong Island.

The temple takes it's name from the two deities: Man, the god of literature and Mo, the god of war. During the early 1900s locals would come here to settle disputes that could not be solved under British law, instead using the traditional methods of the Qing Dynasty of making promises to resolve their differences.

The most notable features of the temple are the huge incense coils suspended from the roof. These are burned by patrons seeking fulfillment of their wishes, such as good health or a successful business deal, and may burn as long as 3 weeks. Their burning fills the temple with a fragrant, smokey haze.

A little bit of Japan in the heart of San Francisco.

The Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco is located in the splendid Golden Gate Park and is high on the "must see" list of things to do.

Being fond of most things connected with the Far East I had to pay a visit and sure enough was not disappointed.  This is the oldest public Japanese garden in the United States, dating back to 1894, and was originally designed and created by Makoto Hagiwara.

Japanese architecture is truly amazing.  The spectacular gateways in this garden were built by Japanese craftsmen trained in the art of traditional carpentry and constructed from Japanese Hinoki Cypress.  The fascinating thing about these traditional construction techniques is that these buildings are built entirely without the use of nails.  The timbers fit intricately together to create a terrifically strong and beautifully ornate structure.

The Lotus Temple

The Lotus Temple in Delhi is a breathtakingly beautiful structure set amongst equally beautiful gardens.

Styled to resemble a lotus flower, the Temple is a Bahá'í House of Worship which is open to people of all religions.  A Bahá'í House of Worship is a gathering place for those of all religions but no sermons can be delivered, and there can be no ritualistic ceremonies practiced.

Just Arrived in Hong Kong!

Just arrived in the city this evening and although I didn't get a lot of sleep on the flight I wanted to get out and stretch my legs.  Also in dire need of something to eat, I grabbed a quick bowl of chicken and rice before setting off for Central where I wanted to catch the Peak Tram up to Victoria Peak.  I normally skip the tram and climb up to The Peak (much prefer getting my exercise outdoors than in a gym!) but it's 32C/90F and humid!  City views are fantastic up here but my previous attempts to get decent pics were thwarted by wind, rain, and a typhoon!  A good tip is to avoid the masses who make their way up to the viewing platform at the top.  It gets very crowded, especially being a Sunday night, and it's virtually impossible to get the tripod set up securely.  Instead I drop down onto Barker Road where you can get the same great views from the tram stop there but with a bit of peace and quiet!

10.0sec  f/11  ISO200 Manual Mode

8.0sec  f/11  ISO200 Manual Mode

About a 15 minute walk further along Barker Road reveals another viewpoint with a subtly different, and I think better, angle on the city.  The Bank of China Building, the one with the criss cross lights, is face on which I prefer.  Again no-one here, peace and quiet, bliss!

8.0sec  f/11  ISO200 Manual Mode

8.0sec  f/11  ISO200 Manual Mode

This last shot captures the International Finance Centre in the foreground which was Hong Kong's tallest building until the International Commerce Centre, background, claimed the title when it opened earlier this year.

I'm hoping to get time to do some "cultural" shots tomorrow but in the mean time here's one last wacky one from the Financial District.

6sec f/16 ISO200

Roppongi Hills, Tokyo

Roppongi Hills is in the Minato Ward of Tokyo and is well known for it's trendy reputation. The Mori Tower is it's most prominent landmark rising to 54 stories and offering spectacular views from the rooftop observation deck.

The Tokyo Tower is just off to the east while the Shinjuku skyline looks spectacular against a setting sun. On rare clear days Mount Fuji can be seen beyond but I wasn't treated to that on this occasion.

The base of the Mori Tower is also home to Roppongi's best known resident, "Maman", the amazing spider sculpture which dominates the plaza area by the Tower.

Red Fort and Old Delhi

One of Delhi's most famous landmarks, The Red Fort dates back to the 17th Century and comprises of a complex of many buildings constructed by the Moghal Emperor Shah Jahan.

The Red Fort is located in what is known as Old Delhi and the area opposite is well worth a visit.  On leaving the main street area it rapidly becomes a warren of crazily narrow, winding streets full of the constant buzz of Delhi life.  It's a good idea to get a guide, and there are plenty around the Fort vying for business.  So with some haggling a price is agreed and we're off on his pedal rickshaw.  My guide was very good and took me into all sorts of secluded spots that I would never have found on my own.

Hong Kong - Nan Lian Garden & Chi Lin Nunnery

I had heard of the Nan Lian Garden and Chi Lin Nunnery but had never visited before today.  Getting there is easy by MTR up to Diamond Hill and then it's literally just round the corner and across the road.

What I love about Hong Kong is the contrasting experiences everywhere you look.  One moment your immersed in the hustle and bustle of the city and next thing you turn a corner and find utter peace and tranquility such as the Nan Lian Garden.

 The Pavilion of Absolute Perfection

The neighbouring Chi Lin Nunnery is a stunning temple complex and a fine example of Tang Dynasty architecture.

The Nunnery is home to various religious relics contained in its' many halls while lion guardians protect the doors.  This one tested my new 50mm.

Peaceful lotus pond

On the way back I thought it would be rude not to grab a couple of cliched shots over Victoria Harbour!

Always, Always, Always Back-Up your stuff!

Everyone seems to have a story when it comes to losing precious data from their computer and it's not just photos I've lost in the past, it's been pdf files, bookmarks, contacts etc. . . . Let's face it, if your computer suffers a major failure there's an awful lot of stuff we take for granted that can suddenly disappear in the blink of an eye.

That's why backing up your data is vitally important and while I'm mainly going to describe my photography back-up processes, it's equally important to back-up your personal files and folders as well. This is purely my advice, and it's what works for me, so hopefully it will help shed some light on what can be a confusing subject.

After shooting a load of images the first thing to spring to mind is to download the files onto my laptop. But, before I even do that I plug in my flash drive as that's going to be my first stage in the back-up process. Personally I use Adobe Lightroom to import my photos from the memory card and it has a great little option on the Import screen called "Back-Up to" which allows the files to be copied to another location, in this case my Flash Drive, as they are imported onto my hard disk. If you're not using Lightroom then it's simply a case of copying the content of the memory card straight to the flash drive with drag and drop.

After importing, all my images are now in an appropriately named folder within "My Pictures", similarly stored on the flash drive and still on the camera's memory card. Now I burn these originals to a DVD, again stored in a suitably named folder. So why do I bother with the flash drive stage if I'm going to burn them to DVD anyway? Well, every now and again I pop a blank DVD in the drive and it's a dud and won't work. I'm more often than not doing this in a hotel room somewhere and don't carry lot's of blanks around with me so it just means I have a separate, albeit temporary, backup should there be problems with a DVD.

So I now have my files on DVD, which is now my primary back-up, and also on the flash drive. I'll leave them on the camera's memory card until I use the camera again at which point I'll format it for a clean start. I'll then do my post processing work within Lightroom at the end of which I'm ready to move the files onto an external hard drive. I move them off my laptop's hard drive to keep as much space free as possible and therefore maintain performance. By doing this within Lightroom, it will still keep track of the images by associating them with being on the external hard drive. Finally I plug the external hard drive into my desktop computer at home and copy the images into a similarly structured folder on it's hard drive.

At the very least I always have copies of my images on an external hard drive, a separate computer's hard drive and on DVD. I know some people would argue this isn't enough and indeed I know of people who keep another external hard drive at a friend's house just in case their's burns down! But this works for me for now, though I might just invest in another external drive at some point, just in case!

The external hard drive I use is an Iomega Prestige Portable 320Gb.  As I travel a lot I wanted something small but reliable and this one seemed ideal from all the product reviews I read.  I've had it just over a year and it works just great!  Here are the links if you're interested:




The key thing in all this is to have your files saved to different external locations such as DVD, External Hard Drive, Flash Drive, separate computer etc. Having everything on only one computer, as thousands of people do, is just too risky. If that machine is damaged, stolen, or fails, it's a nice feeling to know you can get all your stuff back again. How you exactly do that is another story!!

Image Street on Zazzle

Image Street Posters are also now available through Zazzle!  The store has recently opened for business with an initial batch of Posters now available.  Postcards are next, then Mousepads and eventually branching out into some apparel! Keep an eye on the store for the latest products.

New Facebook Page

The Image Street has a new Facebook Page which has just gone online today. I'm still getting to grips with Facebook and already have a personal profile here so if you want to fan me on either or both of these please do!

I have a small collection of photos on there with more to come plus this Blog is also fed directly as well.  I'm sure this is all simple stuff for most but it seems to have taken me ages!!

Download Stock Photos for $1

All images on The Image Street website are now available to download from just $1 with no subscription or commitment!

The $1 images are 1 megapixel in size so are great for using in websites as well as printed material while usage is covered by the Standard License for personal, commercial and editorial use.

Check out the website now for a wide selection of travel and stock photos!

Teotihuacan Pyramids, Mexico

The Teotihuacán Pyramids near Mexico City, this shot from the Pyramid of the Moon towards the Pyramid of the Sun with the Avenue of the Dead leading off to the right.

Teotihuacán guards secrets we have yet to unravel. The origins of Teotihuacán are uncertain, although it is thought some of the inhabitants arrived from the Valley of Mexico to the south, refugees from an eruption of the Xitle volcano, which caused major devastation and forced the survivors in the region to seek a new place to settle. Construction of the city probably started in the first two centuries BC, and the civilization reached its high point between 350 and 650 AD.

Scholars in archaeology agree that this is Mexico's - and perhaps the one of the world's - most important archaeological sites. It was the largest city in the Americas, and during its heyday around 500 AD, its population was greater than that of Rome at the same time.

One of the greatest mysteries of Teotihuacán is that no one knows where the huge population that lived here eventually ended up. It is as if they vanished without a trace.

This was also a place where human sacrifices were made, often in correlation with astronomical events. When the site was excavated, many tombs were found, some with the remains of what were believed to be people sacrificed to the gods.

Many people today believe that Teotihuacán is a place of great energy, and it is quite common to witness people meditating at the top of main pyramids (The Pyramid of the Sun and The Pyramid of the Moon).

Guide to Downloads and Royalty Free Licensing.

All images on The Image Street website can be downloaded for both commercial and personal use with a choice of Royalty Free Licenses.

Choosing the appropriate license for your image can sometimes be a little confusing and this guide aims to give some explanation and add some clarity.

Licensing your Image Street image is actually very straight forward but firstly, why do we need a license anyway?  Well, quite simply, when we purchase anything we're always entering into some sort of contract with the seller. Both the buyer and seller are entitled to certain rights and it offers protection and peace of mind.  Many of us are familiar with the licenses associated with music downloads which allow certain usage rights, for example; you may be limited to burning three copies of an album to CD.

Licensing an image follows similar lines in that we are given certain usage rights when purchasing the image. We're not just purchasing the image, but also the right to use it in certain ways.

The Image Street has simplified the process to make downloading our images as easy as possible.  When you find an image you would like to download, first select  "Add to Cart" then click on "Download".  You'll be presented with a range of download options which offer a choice of image size, each of which is available with either a Standard or Extended Royalty Free License.

A Royalty Free license entitles the user to download the image once but then re-use and copy it many times for a broad range of uses from websites and email to magazines, books and advertising flyers.

The Standard License is subject to certain limitations which in general terms means that usage is limited to 10,000 times and usage is restricted to those listed. So, you could download and use the image for a print run of up to 10,000 promotional flyers but not 20,000 Calendars. The latter requires an Extended License.

The Extended License removes the 10,000 usage limitation so is suitable for those wanting to produce higher volumes. The Extended License also covers a wider range of print and electronic products such as Greeting Cards and Screensavers.

In both cases it is important to review the license text to ensure that your intended use does not fall outside the usage rights offered by the licence.  This is the responsibility of the buyer!

Some images are marked as "Editorial Use Only".  These may only be used as part of editorial or advertising copy in magazines, newspapers, books, book covers, textbooks, editorials, directories etc.  Again, a Standard license allows the use of the image up to 10,000 times and is more limiting in how the image can be used.  Beyond that an Extended License is required.

That pretty much deals with the Commercial Royalty Free licenses offered by The Image Street. The following is a summary of the differences between Standard and Extended Licenses.

Standard Commercial License Use:

Print Usage (Non-Resale, up to 10,000 copies)

• Advertisement
• Decoration
• Brochure, pamphlet, document, report
• Any non-resale print or product
• Any print project covered under Editorial Standard License

Electronic Usage (Non-Resale)

• Web page advertisement
• Web page design element
• E-Newsletter design element or advertisement (up to 10,000 e-mails)
• Electronic document (up to 10,000 copies)
• Multimedia presentation (up to 10,000 copies)
• Any electronic project covered under Editorial Standard License

Extended Commercial License Use:

Print Usage (Resale and Unlimited Run)

• Book jacket or interior page
• Greeting card design
• Poster for resale
• Calendar for resale
• Mug or T-shirt design
• Software packaging, CD/DVD/video or audio tape label
• Trade show display, billboard, exhibit
• Any print project covered under Standard Commercial License
• Any print project covered under Editorial Full License
• Any item/product for resale

Electronic Usage (Resale and Unlimited Run)

• Electronic greeting card
• Web application template
• Presentation software template
• Screensaver
• E-mail template
• Any electronic project covered under Commercial Standard License
• Any electronic project covered under Editorial Full License

Standard Editorial License Use:

• Web-based news article or press release
• Personal or corporate blog
• E-Newsletter editorial (up to 10,000 e-mails)
• Printed editorial in limited run (up to 10,000 copies) newspaper, magazine, or other printed media

Extended Editorial License Use:

• Large circulation newspaper editorial
• Magazine editorial
• Publication/book of historical nature (educational materials, encyclopedia, etc.)
• Any unlimited run printed editorial
• Any unlimited run electronic editorial
• Any editorial covered under Standard Editorial License

Quick Bangkok

After a cheap, cheerful and very tasty meal an early night was had to try and get a reasonably early start next day.  I wanted to check out some of the main sites along the river so hit the road at 1100am and caught the BTS Skytrain to Sathorn Taksin where you can pick up a tourist boat from Central Pier.  A single journey on one of the traditional "long tail" boats up to the Grand Palace area costs about 500Baht, subject to negotiation!.  Much better value is the Chao Phraya Tourist Boat which, for 150Baht, gets you a one day pass for unlimited travel up and down the river taking in all the main tourist sites.

My first stop was at Wat Kanalayanamit Pier where a huge Vihara, Buddha Image Hall, can be found.  This is home to Luang Pho To, highly revered among the Chinese who call it by it's Chinese name, San Bao Gong.  I always find these places wonderfully calm and relaxing and a great escape from the bustle of the city.

Just a little way up the river is Wat Pho, home of the largest Reclining Buddha in Thailand. Many tourists don't go any further than the Wiharn containing the Buddha itself which is a shame as the site has so much to offer.  The temple is older than Bangkok itself having been founded in the 17th Century by Rama I. Rama III constructed the Reclining Buddha and subsequently expanded the temple in 1832 making a centre of learning, effectively creating Thailands first university.  The temple has some 95 Chedis which are unique in that they are of square construction instead of the more common round, bell-like structures found elsewhere.

Across the river from Wat Po is Wat Arun or The Temple of Dawn which, unfortunately, I didn't have time to visit as I wanted to make it to the Grand Palace with time in hand.  Wat Arun is one of the more famous sights of Bangkok and luckily I got some shots as we passed on the boat.

Thai kings stopped living at The Grand Palace at around about the turn of the 20th Century but it is still the regarded as the Spiritual Heart of Thailand and is maintained as the seat of power.

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha makes up one corner of the complex and makes for superb photo opportunities. The temple houses a Buddha image carved from a large solid piece of green jadite (jasper) and is regarded as a personal chapel of the Royal Family.

The rest of the complex is made up of the Outer and Central courts where business of government was carried out. Only two throne rooms are open to the public with the rest of the buildings only viewed from the outside.

There is a strict dress code enforced at the Grand Palace.  Men must wear long pants and shirts with sleeves. If you're wearing sandals or flip-flops you must wear socks (in other words, no bare feet.) Women must be similarly modestly dressed. No see-through clothes, bare shoulders, etc.  Luckily there is a booth just inside the entrance where suitable clothing can be borrowed.  200 Baht is required as a deposit and is returned when you leave.

Beware of the touts outside who will seek out those in shorts, like me, and try and tell you can't go in without proper clothing.  They will offer to help. . . for a price!  Just politely remind them that you can get some clothing for free inside.  Similarly, there are also touts offering tours. Steer clear of them, you can also get a tour inside for free.

So that was my Quick Bangkok, I tried to cram in as much as I could in the short space of  time that I had and it's amazing just how much you can achieve sometimes. Just need to get back and do the rest some time!