The Images in this Post look particularly good when Enlarged.  Please click on one!

I entered a contest recently and thought I would share the series of images I selected as my entry.  Many of them have been seen before but never together, and never viewed as an entity.  

I must admit it was impossible to pass up taking a picture of any Buddhist monk who dared step in front of my camera during my trip to Myanmar. Among the dozens of photos I have of them, these ten best represent that aspect of the trip.

The first four came from a small monastery where we were invited to see the monks at a prayer/study session.  The interior of the building was dimly lit. I knew right away that capturing good images would be a challenge as the extremes of light and dark were beyond the range in which detail could be captured.  Notice in the first image that the light from the window completely blows out any detail of the view outside the window. If I chose to properly illuminate the details outside the windows then the interior would be very dark and, of course, vice versa.

As we entered, I noticed five or six monks sitting at various spots around the room.  I spotted an "empty" postion ... a prayer rug, book propped open, but no monk.  I dubbed it the case of the missing monk ... Right out of those radio thrillers I used to listen to as a boy (yes, before TV). Ultimately, to take the picture, I went prone on my belly and snapped the shutter resting on my elbows.

I walked around the open position toward the wall in the background and discovered another smaller room.  Inside it was an older monk seated at a small table, reading from light streaming through an open window.  Before him was a monk prostrated on the floor.  Was this the missing monk?  Why was he prostrate?  Had he done something wrong?  Had he done something right?  I will never know ... only my imagination can answer those questions.  

I was, of course, enthralled by sight of the bald-headed monk sitting in absolutely dramatic light but a bit hesitant to trip the noisy shutter of the camera.  I think I may have changed lenses to better emphasize him.  Notice the cell phone on top of the books between him and the window? Notice the window curtain? Dichotomies were everywhere.

This next image of the monk in the corner has been popular.  How come he had the best position in the corner with a little reading stand?  Did he have rank over the others?  Look carefully at the wall.  There are things written on it.  Why? What do they say?

A market in Mandalay is where this image of a whiskered monk was taken.  Why has he let these few strands of whiskers grow to this length? One source said that it would be bad luck for him to shave them off.  Why?  Clearly he has shaved his head, the hair on his lip, and the chin. What's so important about those long white hairs?

The oldest looking monk was this man.  He was photographed getting into one of the small boats used for transportation on Inle Lake.  How old was he?  I don't think he was happy with my picture taking.  As I think about it ... given living conditions in this part of the World, it is possible that he was younger than me ... those of us living in developed countries are incredibly fortunate.

The smallest monk (and maybe the youngest?) is seen here receiving a ticket that allowed him to receive gifts at an upcoming parade.  What are the marks on his head?  

This next image is one of my favorites from the trip.  This young novice monk with those lips could be the envy of many western women!  I like how the lip color perfectly matches the color of the robes!  The Make-up and Ward Robe departments of a movie shoot couldn't have done better.

This shot of the two monks "turning the tables" at a famous temple in Yangon always brings a smile. Humor is a language that seems to translate easily between cultures.  They were having a great time and so were we!

"Meet me at the bridge at Sunset!" is the title I've given this image of five young monks meeting another monk going the other way.  It seems like the perfect closing shot.

Travel to different cultures always generates questions I wish I had thought to ask as I saw them.  It is, though, one of the big reasons I like to travel and almost always sparks my curiosity later when viewing the photographs.

As always, thanks for looking!  

Adam