Receding Doorways at Angkor Wat, Cambodia

While walking through the main structure at Angkor Wat in Cambodia, I came upon this great set of receding doorways.  I enjoy the feeling I get while looking through so many portals, one behind the other (but also visually inside the other): the doorways just seem to pull me in.  In this case, the shadows and light add to the atmosphere and help create more depth.  The distant light and shadowy figure create a final destination for the eye as well as a bit of mystery: to where does this path lead, and what is that on the other end?  I took a different route around the palace and didn't walk through these doorways, but I believe the shadowy figure is (or was) a person; however, I don't know for sure.  You can use your imagination as you enter into the photograph.

Waterfalls at Taroko National Park, Taiwan

It's a bit of a hike from the roads that go through Taroko, but the view of these waterfalls is well worth it. There is a large wood deck with seating as well as a cool suspension bridge that you have to cross to reach it.  I moved around on the deck in order to find just the right angle that got the upper and lower waterfalls just how I wanted them.  I like the variety of tones, including the bluish tone of the background landscape, the white and orange of the rocks in the lower right and the green of the trees to the left; and I like the contrast between the more monotone background and the sharper objects in the foreground.

Through a Doorway at Angkor Thom, Cambodia

In early November, 2008, I made a short trip to Thailand and Cambodia: the primary destination was an area of Cambodia filled with centuries-old ruins, including Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom.  As I was walking around the reconstructed remains of the main structure at Angkor Thom, I caught a glimpse of this relief carving through this doorway.  The face especially got my attention: it just seemed to pop into view.  I love receding doorway pictures (and took a couple of those pictures in Cambodia), but this doorway picture was different.  I framed the doorways in the photograph to give the picture its own "matte": from a distance, this really stands out.  I also liked the contrast between the white walls of the "matte" and of the sculpture in the background and the dark shadows in between.  It was a brief but incredible trip: I highly recommend going to see these amazing sites.