Prayer in Primary Colors
They say timing is everything. I am not sure who “they” are, but I tend to agree…especially in the case of this image.
After spending an hour photographing sunset at Wat Chedi Luang, my wife and I started making our way out of the complex, past this beautiful temple and toward the center of Chiang Mai.
We noticed the sidewalk and streets were much busier than when we entered the complex hours ago. Worshipers had filled the temple and the city had come alive with street vendors, locals and tourists. Several Tuk-tuk drivers were yelling nearby, trying to solicit fares, while the already-employed Tuk-tuks whizzed by loudly on the street. Reaching the sidewalk, I turned around for one last look at the temple and immediately asked my wife to “wait a sec”...she knows that “wait a sec” really means “Jim spotted something he needs to photograph”…
I quickly moved to a position in-between the crowds and the temple. Seemingly oblivious to the mild chaos behind her, this solitary figure kneeled in prayer. It was her beautiful red clothing that first caught my attention, then her pose and concentration. In front of her the golden Buddha was illuminated by the nearby lights and, fortunately timed, the blue hour had begun. What a beautiful scene!
From observation to capture, this image took no more than twenty seconds. A scramble into position, a quick change of camera settings and a silent prayer of my own as I released the shutter.
Fortunate timing indeed.
Circumambulation
I mentioned in a previous post how much I was inspired by the people of Bhutan…this is another example.
While visiting the National Memorial Chorten in Thimphu, Bhutan, we watched hundreds of Bhutanese pray at this sacred temple. This is one of the most popular Stupas in Bhutan, so it is quite common to witness large crowds here throughout the day. People pray while walking in a clockwise direction around the temple…it is called Circumambulation. Most of the people we saw walked in groups, praying together…although some walked/prayed alone. There are also a lot of on-lookers just beyond the temple walkway that enjoy watching those praying.
As I sat nearby and watched people make their way again and again around the Stupa, I found myself waiting for this young lady to re-appear from behind the building as she made another pass. Her beautiful clothing immediately caught my attention, but on each subsequent pass I was able to look a little deeper. She walked alone and never wavered in her intensity, spinning her prayer wheel (also clockwise) while chanting prayers as she circled the temple.
On one pass, I grabbed my camera and took a few images of her. I was hoping to capture her concentration, the spinning of the prayer wheel and the vibrance of her clothes contrasting with the almost pure white walls of the temple. This ended up being one of my favorite images from the trip along with a great memory.
