February 2012 - GRD-IV Images

Buffalo Beach.....

Ok, it's not actually called buffalo beach however I've named it that

 due to the regular visits by our friendly water buffalo!  

Below are a few more images from the Ricoh GRD-IV taken in Thailand 

and I'll continue this theme to finish out this months postings.

Everyone loved the buffalo so much I've included a few more buffalo images :)

Enjoy....

Identifying marks on the beach.   Yes, a water buffalo has been here.....

Just cooling off in the surf.....

Nice long-tail boat resting stop for a bird to take a break 

February 2012 - GRD-IV Images

Moving on foot...

While many move around town via automobile, bus, or Tuk-Tuk, 

there are plenty of people working about town in the streets moving goods 

around Bangkok.  Below are a few pics of these hard working people. 

February 2012 - GRD-IV Images

On the move....

It goes without saying, transportation in Bangkok is a bit crazy at times. 

 The sensory overload related to transportation in Bangkok 

hits you as soon as you enter downtown and see five lanes of bumper-to-bumper traffic 

in one direction with one lane of traffic going the opposite direction.  Then you notice 

the various vehicles including cars, buses, taxis, motorcycles, mopeds, and Tuk-Tuks.  

 Above all this traffic you will see the skywalk above the traffic

giving above road walking access as well as access to trains.   

Pleonchit Rd, Bangkok

Taxis, motor cycles, and mopeds

An overloaded Tuk-Tuk..... 

View from the backseat of the Tuk-Tuk in stop and go traffic.
This was an interesting ride from one side of town to the other!

February 2012 - GRD-IV Images

Yoga Thailand 

Visiting Thailand this February offered not only the opportunity to

take photographs of wonderful people and places.  It also offered the opportunity

to attend a yoga retreat with Simon Low and Jeff Phenix -- two great

yoga instructors offering a dynamic week of yoga.  The attendees included

people from across the globe -- England, Switzerland, Estonia, Finland, and the United States 

as well as other locations.  The images in the last three postings provided views 

from Bangkok and Koh Samui.   Today's images focus on yoga.

Om............

Jeff Phenix

February 2012 - GRD-IV Images

Beach Wildlife...

Who knew there were not only monkeys on the beach in Thailand 

but also water buffalo and roosters!  Those of you who know me

know I love wildlife so the creatures below were a bonus to find on this trip to the beach!

The monkey is used to pick coconuts from the trees!  The kind gentleman
had the monkey pick a coconut from a tree and opened it for us so we could taste the sweet natural juices.

This guy walked the water buffalo down the beach each afternoon
and would let the buffalo take a dip in the ocean (he layed down and rolled around in the surf)
before turning around and heading back down the beach towards home.  

More island wildlife....  everyone is extremely friendly and willing to have their picture taken.
(and no one asks to be paid to be in a photo as in some other countries)

February 2012 - GRD-IV Images

Just a day at the beach...

Below are a few images from the beautiful island of Koh Samui, Thailand 

and surrounding islands.   The weather has been outstanding -- sunny and about 

90 degrees each day with a constant breeze off the ocean.   

Long-tail boat, Koh Samui

Friendly local on Samui

A neighboring island beach

February 2012 - GRD-IV Images

Thailand: GRD-IV style

The GRD-IV testing has changed locations.

 Thailand will be the subject of my testing for a bit as I travel on holiday.

  The first batch of images from Thailand are a mix of subjects.  Enjoy!  

One Buddha, two buddha, three buddha..........
so many I stopped counting! 

What a great smile this gentleman offered.
 This is a simple example of how friendly the Thai people are in the hustle and bustle of Bangkok.

Beautiful flowers are everywhere in Bangkok.
This woman is stringing little flowers at a roadside market  stand.

February 2012 -- First images... Ricoh GRD-IV

The GRD-IV Discovery 

First and foremost I must send my regrets for the gap in my postings.  

Time has gotten away from me in recent weeks.  First I started a project 

of organizing photo files online, next starting using a new software, and lastly

decided to add a new camera to my collection!  And while the above is not
an excuse, it may help you understand where my attention has been lately. 

So while February is only about half way done below is the start of my February postings.
~~~~~~~~~~

Walking around London or any big city with a DSLR doesn't always work 

to a street photographers advantage and a smaller, less obvious camera can offer 

an opportunity to capture more candid shots at times.  With this in mind and after a 

couple photo walks with a fellow blogger (Bill Wellham) sharing 

his happiness with the GRD-3, I was convinced the Ricoh GRD-IV 

would be a good addition to my camera collection.   The GRD-IV is small yet 

still has a sturdy feel, a nice grip, a wide fixed lens which works great in crowded cities, 

and offers loads of manual settings.  Below are five of the images taken 

within the first week of having the GRD-IV.  These images show my 

experimentation with different lighting situations, movement, and numerous 

camera settings.  As you will see, I am still learning this camera however a few 

good shots came in the first few days of use so that's a good sign!

Welcome your feedback on the GRD-IV images :)

Tube music...

Waiting on Regent Street

A cold day at work.... 

No Smoking

The bus ride home.