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McLeod Ganj

A selection of photographs (from so so many) taken during a six week teaching placement in McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, North India. The residence of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in exile, McLeod has become a haven for Tibetan refugees, Buddhist pilgrims and the ever-present kitsch tourist 'Children of the World' who take to playing flutes out of cafe windows and not wearing any shoes. Regardless of that annoyance McLeod is wonderful. The smell of damp pine needles and incense drift across on the breeze with the thick mist - as pervasive, even, as the hippies during the monsoon season - lending to everything a surreal (and, annoyingly for photography, a harsh white glare and slightly blurred) edge. The distance, though rarely visible, occasionally broke through after a good air-clearing storm to reveal the fantastic views into the valley below and up to the Himalaya proper. A marvelous, magical monk-filled place. For anyone going there to shoot I suggest comprehensive camera insurance and the acceptance that nothing, in the second wettest place in India, in monsoon season, at that altitude, will ever, ever truly be what we the British consider 'dry'...

Album updated! More photos of Tsechokling Monestary, bird photos, and now features photos taken from our trek to Triund (9325ft), including a few shots from an impromtu cricket game we had with a few locals at about 5000ft. The crease was situated either side of a very steep slope, one of which we'd just spent the last two or so hours getting up. Needless to say I was glad to not be fielding...

Tibet

Funky Monks

The first album of many many photographs taken during seven weeks of teaching and touring in Northern India. These few photos were taken during a few hours in HH the Dalai Lama's central temple, McLeod Ganj. Early evening and a few of the local monks congregated for their early evening prayers when a stray dog came and sat down in the centre of the group. One monk gave the dog a cheeky nudge to move it along but it was clearly quite content to stay put. A monk in a past life perhaps?

Addition photos taken in McLeod will be added via drip-feed. Check back soon!

Cathedrals and Cocktails

A collection of shots taken on day-trips:

*Edinburgh Fringe Festival including some dancing Irish guys and The Caberet of Menace

*A sparing few of the Bullring in Birmingham. And Spongebob. I'm hoping to go back again soon and turn these into a larger album...off the Bullring that is...not Spongebob...

* A day out in York, several hours of which were spent clicking manically in the Minster, visited my favourite cocktail spot 'Evil Eye'. Lovely colours, better cocktails. I've also played around with the contrasts on a few more generic shots with some good results - apologies to the purists...

*Liverpool in the mist. A beautiful city at the best of times, but cloaked in mist it takes on a unique ambience. Another great cocktail bar here - Alma de Cuba, converted from an old church with much of the 1700's interior restored.

* A day out in Chester and several shots of the Cathedral and surrounding city. Beautiful place.