Johannes Leistner

Originally developed for use in meteorology to study cloud formation (and also called “whole-sky lenses”), fisheye lenses quickly became popular in general photography for their unique, distorted appearance. So what can you do with such a lens you might ask?
These four photos show quite well how much fun one can have with a fisheye! Not only that you can toss a camera with it into the air for taking crazy tossing photos, its extreme wide angle it is also useful for catching unique and “unseen” perspectives.

Lately I have been using my Nikon D3 with the 16mm f/2.8 fisheye whenever I am inside a vehicle. This could be a car, boat or even an airplane. I then place the camera right in front of me (i.e. by the windscreen) and use the self timer in combination with the non-auto-focus mode (I set the metering before the shot). The results are amazing and rather funny, as you normally couldn’t take photos from that positions, respectively only from outside…

The other day I took a walk through the neighborhood of Banglamphu, strayed around narrow alleys and along backyards of small two-storey houses. Banglamphu is an old quarter of Bangkok and easily the most charming one. Walking around there makes it easy catching a good glimpse into daily Thai life.
All of a sudden I came across a Thai Boxing school. Two boxing rings and a small training area were simply built directly by the road. As most of the Thai life takes place on the streets there were no walls nor gate, just a simple roof covered the facility.
Thai Boxing (Thai: Muay Thai) is a dynamic and exciting sport with a long history. Matches can be violent as not only hands but also shins, elbows and knees are all used extensively in this art. That’s why it is also referred to as “The Art of the Eight Limbs”.
But this time no blood was seen in the ring nor I heard shouts of encouragement from a manic crowd. Only a little boy was sitting there, accompanied by his trainer and his father. The boy’s serious look I found amazing, he already had the right kind of dignity in his appearance like all professional martial arts fighter have it.

The last few hours of my Thailand visit I spent together with my friend Gwang in a park called Buddha Monthon, about 45 minutes west of Bangkok. The park was relatively empty, the sun was setting and from a far distance we could hear a heavy thunder storm.
Somehow this atmosphere between day and night was fascinating, especially when we approached a sacred area with a dark-brown Buddha statue. This monument was 15 meter high and is considered to be the highest free-standing Buddha statue of the world.

The Wat Phra Kaew, also known as “Temple of the Emerald Buddha” is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand and for me it is also one of the most beautiful! You will find this temple (“wat”) in the old center of Bangkok, within the grounds of the Grand Palace.
When entering the area the first time, it feels like being kept in a colorful maze made of richly decorated statues, golden towers, fences and buildings with ornate roofs. You really don’t know where to look at first as everything craves for attention.

What to do with 11 days in Thailand? Originally my intension was to stay in Bangkok for the whole time. This is always the way I like traveling: spending a longer time in one place, rather than chasing the sights and rushing through.
But then a good friend of mine who is an adept of Thailand suggested I should at least spend a few days on an island, to complete a typical Thailand visit. He recommended Koh Samed which is an near by Bangkok and easily accessible, no domestic flight needed. I followed his advise and made a reservation for the medium priced resort “Lima Coco” at the north-west shore, away from the hustle and bustle of the party beaches (north-east).
Though my friend has never been there himself, his idea was brilliant! I instantly fell in love with the cozy Ao Phrao Beach where only three resorts offer accommodation and no traffic is disturbing the peaceful atmosphere. The beach is sandy, the water crystal-clear and the palm trees are green, what would you need more? If you are looking for party or more beach restaurants to choose from, it is just a 20 minutes walk to the other side of the island, where one also can find small shops.

After all, my itinerary turned out to be the perfect plan for a first time visit to Thailand: I spent four nights in Bangkok at first, getting used to the city, collecting impressions. Then I took a bus ride (three to four hours) to Koh Samed for another four nights. There it has been the time to relax, time for reading and swimming. Spending more than three days on a beach would have been boring for me, so I was happy to have another two nights in Bangkok.
City AND beach really was the perfect mix. For all you beach-lovers I would recommend, not only to spend 24 hours or less in Bangkok and considering a visit as “necessary evil”. This city has so much to offer, it would be a waste not to explore it!

Each ordination hall respectively main hall of a Thai temple is surrounded by a gallery or balcony with Buddha statues on pedestals. The way they have been made differ from temple to temple. Some are black, some golden, some stand, sit or recline. Sometimes the hallway itself is richly decorated. I always wonder what it will be like this time, when entering a sacred place.

Here on the photos you see on the left side the 120 golden Buddhas of Wat Arun Temple (also called Temple of Dawn) and on the right hand side 52 Buddhas of the less important Wat Benchamabophit Temple. I am not Buddhist though I always liked the atmosphere in those places, it is peaceful and quiet – not unlike a visit in a Christian church.