Foto Friday – Big Buddha (Po Lin Monastery), Lantau Island

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Tian Tan Buddha, also known as the Big Buddha, is a large bronze statue, at 85ft high it sits on a throne of lotus leaves – the Buddhist symbol of purity – and was completed in 1993, it is located at Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, in Hong Kong.

The statue overlooks the nearby Po Lin Monastery and symbolises the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and religion. It is a major centre of Buddhism in Hong Kong.

A crazy ride via a cable car gets you from the mainland across to the island, alternatively you can hike up into the mountains from the shoreline below having crossed by boat to reach the Buddha. I took literally dozens of shots while I was on Lantau but this is still my favourite, The Buddha looks so serene when viewed directly from the foot of the steps but also so very very powerful.

Foto Friday – Yosemite Falls

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I love this shot taken back in 2006 during a road-trip around California in a stupidly long 31ft camper van. Yosemite Falls is the highest measured waterfall in North America. Located in Yosemite National Park in the Sierra Nevada of California, it is a major attraction in the park, especially in late spring when the water flow is at its peak.

Yosemite is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited and an absolute must for outdoor lovers and photographers alike the world over.

Foto Friday – The Prague Metro

Prague Metro

When I visited Prague I used the city’s metro system extensively to travel around, it was both efficient and quick. But purchasing a ticket for the journey however was possibly the hardest and slowest task I’ve experienced anywhere in the world.

While waiting on the platform by fluke I managed to snap this train as it sped into the station, no special settings just a snap and hope job.

Some stats: the Prague metro carries around 400 million passengers a year makiing it the seventh busiest metro system in Europe. It’s 30 years old and is mostly Russian-built.

Foto Friday – Felucca upon the Nile

Felucca upon the Nile

A lone Felucca drifts along the Nile at Aswan in the late afternoon. This photograph was taken while strolling around the gardens on Elephantine Island. The island has a long ancient history of habitation probably due to the fact that it is near the first Cataract of the Nile which provided a natural boundary between Egypt and Nubia.