A somewhat ambiguous title for a very picturesque scene. We met this shepherd somewhere in Kazakhstan where he was attending his herd together with his son(?). He was dressed in his traditional clothing, but the whole scene wasn't set up for tourists, because in miles around they were not to be found, and the place we were standing was not very appealing at all.
Although I normally don't make pictures of people, Central Asia was a place where there was so much beautiful diversity in ways of living, clothing, and sort of people, I couldn't resist sometimes.
If you look superficial you might think this is me connecting to a more 'primitive' culture, but there may me more to it. If you zoom in into the picture you may see the reason for this title. Can you see it?
Almost two months ago I came back from my journey over a part of the Silk Road to and through Central Asia. 4 months of traveling through 14 countries (Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran) before I flew home from Teheran. An impressive journey in countries that are extremely beautiful, with lovely and welcoming people and diverse cultures and history.
Intense traveling with more than 20000 kilometers in our mobile home on sometimes roads that hardly could be called that way. We saw many villages and cities (some wonderful, others very ugly), countries that are transforming from the old Soviet era into something more related to older cultures and the way people live, often funded by oil readily available around the Caspian sea. We saw the amazing mountains south of the Black Sea, the wonderful Caucasus, and the high mountains in the far east close to China with peaks over 7000 meter, and not to forget the (Bulgarian) Alps!
We crossed the great steppe of Kazakhstan. a drive of at least 5000 km, the remnants of lake Aral, once one of the biggest lakes of the world, saw a rocket launch from Baikonur (this little part is Russian owned), we crossed many high mountains passes, and drove the breathtaking canyon that comes from the Pamir, beginning at ca 4500 meter, and going down for ca. 400km to an altitude of 1300 meter, driving for 100's of kilometers along the Afghan border.
And then the numerous lakes with all sorts of different colors from deep cobalt blue to turquoise, and one rare spectacle in Turkmenistan where a gas crater is burning already for more than 40 years. And finally and certainly not the least to mention an enormous amount of wonderful, hospitable and welcoming people. The woman often dressed in wonderful dresses, and bringing a lot of color in the streets of almost of all countries we visited.
This shot was chosen for the dutch 2022 National Geographic calender.
Tags: dieren mensen animal Animals human shepherd donkey Kazachstan Wimvandem Central Asia trip Turkestan Outdoors Outdoor Sony Smile on Saturday GoldDragon saturday pinnaclephotography Simply Superb flickrdiamond GoldCollection
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The Charyn canyon is one of the stunning canyons we visited during our trip to Central Asia. It is situated in the far east and that is a hell of a drive from west to east (ca 5000km??). It was also the most eastern point of our trip, ca 200 kilometers from the Chinese border. After this we would be heading south and east, back in the direction of home.
The wedding couple here was making pictures for hours, accompanied by two camera man, and another guy who was shooting a movie. And the couple didn't care we took a few of our own. Thanks to the wind (the seven year itch!) it became a nice shot!
20 September I came back from my journey over a part of the Silk Road to and through Central Asia. 4 months of traveling through 14 countries (Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran) before I flew home from Teheran. An impressive journey in countries that are extremely beautiful, with lovely and welcoming people and diverse cultures and history.
Intense traveling with more than 20000 kilometers in our mobile home on sometimes roads that hardly could be called that way. We saw many villages and cities (some wonderful, others very ugly), countries that are transforming from the old Soviet era into something more related to older cultures and the way people live, often funded by oil readily available around the Caspian sea. We saw the amazing mountains south of the Black Sea, the wonderful Caucasus, and the high mountains in the far east close to China with peaks over 7000 meter, and not to forget the (Bulgarian) Alps!
We crossed the great steppe of Kazakhstan. a drive of at least 5000 km, the remnants of lake Aral, once one of the biggest lakes of the world, saw a rocket launch from Baikonur (this little part is Russian owned), we crossed many high mountains passes, and drove the breathtaking canyon that comes from the Pamir, beginning at ca 4500 meter, and going down for ca. 400km to an altitude of 1300 meter, driving for 100's of kilometers along the Afghan border.
And then the numerous lakes with all sorts of different colors from deep cobalt blue to turquoise, and one rare spectacle in Turkmenistan where a gas crater is burning already for more than 40 years. And finally and certainly not the least to mention an enormous amount of wonderful, hospitable and welcoming people. The woman often dressed in wonderful dresses, and bringing a lot of color in the streets of almost of all countries we visited.
Tags: human Kazachstan Wimvandem Outdoors Outdoor Sony Central Asia Charyn canyon canyon Landscape Mountain mountainscape monumental nature panorama rock rocks romance sky Sun scenic Valley National park pinnaclephotography GoldDragon “flickrTravelAward”
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Although street photography is not my thing, I couldn't resist taking this shot. It was taken in Bucharest Romania in the beginning of our journey to Central Asia.
It shows several aspects of modern times, that often makes me very sad.
20 September I came back from my journey over a part of the Silk Road to and through Central Asia. 4 months of traveling through 14 countries (Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran) before I flew home from Teheran. An impressive journey in countries that are extremely beautiful, with lovely and welcoming people and diverse cultures and history.
Intense traveling with more than 20000 kilometers in our mobile home on sometimes roads that hardly could be called that way. We saw many villages and cities (some wonderful, others very ugly), countries that are transforming from the old Soviet era into something more related to older cultures and the way people live, often funded by oil readily available around the Caspian sea. We saw the amazing mountains south of the Black Sea, the wonderful Caucasus, and the high mountains in the far east close to China with peaks over 7000 meter, and not to forget the (Bulgarian) Alps!
We crossed the great steppe of Kazakhstan. a drive of at least 5000 km, the remnants of lake Aral, once one of the biggest lakes of the world, saw a rocket launch from Baikonur (this little part is Russian owned), we crossed many high mountains passes, and drove the breathtaking canyon that comes from the Pamir, beginning at ca 4500 meter, and going down for ca. 400km to an altitude of 1300 meter, driving for 100's of kilometers along the Afghan border.
And then the numerous lakes with all sorts of different colors from deep cobalt blue to turquoise, and one rare spectacle in Turkmenistan where a gas crater is burning already for more than 40 years. And finally and certainly not the least to mention an enormous amount of wonderful, hospitable and welcoming people. The woman often dressed in wonderful dresses, and bringing a lot of color in the streets of almost of all countries we visited.
Tags: street photography street photography people Bucharest Romania city Wimvandem Minolta Outdoors Outdoor Sony flickrTravelAward flickrdiamond GoldDragon daarklands mg
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The way I processed this shot was a compromise between this lovely little girl and the landscape behind her.
If I cropped it more you would miss the context wherein this girl is living, a vast empty landscape with majestic mountains, and the small tent where she is living with here parents, and vice versa you could miss how lovely she looks, but you can see it by pressing L and F11.
The picture was taken on the vast plain around Son-Kul where we were heading for the lake. Another stretch of amazing scenery, completely different culture, where people are living their lives as they did for thousands of years (instead that now many have cars and Tv's, besides there cattle and horses). Wolfgang, one of my travel companions said this looks like parts of Mongolia which is easy to imagine.
The girl is waving us goodby after we had given here a small toy. Enjoy!
20 September I came back from my journey over a part of the Silk Road to and through Central Asia. 4 months of traveling through 14 countries (Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran) before I flew home from Teheran. An impressive journey in countries that are extremely beautiful, with lovely and welcoming people and diverse cultures and history.
Intense traveling with more than 20000 kilometers in our mobile home on sometimes roads that hardly could be called that way. We saw many villages and cities (some wonderful, others very ugly), countries that are transforming from the old Soviet era into something more related to older cultures and the way people live, often funded by oil readily available around the Caspian sea. We saw the amazing mountains south of the Black Sea, the wonderful Caucasus, and the high mountains in the far east close to China with peaks over 7000 meter, and not to forget the (Bulgarian) Alps!
We crossed the great steppe of Kazakhstan. a drive of at least 5000 km, the remnants of lake Aral, once one of the biggest lakes of the world, saw a rocket launch from Baikonur (this little part is Russian owned), we crossed many high mountains passes, and drove the breathtaking canyon that comes from the Pamir, beginning at ca 4500 meter, and going down for ca. 400km to an altitude of 1300 meter, driving for 100's of kilometers along the Afghan border.
And then the numerous lakes with all sorts of different colors from deep cobalt blue to turquoise, and one rare spectacle in Turkmenistan where a gas crater is burning already for more than 40 years. And finally and certainly not the least to mention an enormous amount of wonderful, hospitable and welcoming people. The woman often dressed in wonderful dresses, and bringing a lot of color in the streets of almost of all countries we visited.
Tags: Kirghistan Mountain mountainscape mountains blue color colors colours colour journey Central Asia Landscape mountainside nature Outdoors Outdoor panorama rock rocks Sony sky scenic cloud contrast Hill Hills Valley clouds cloudscape Wimvandem Kyrgygzstan people
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As already earlier described I am not really a peoples photographer. I always feel a little bit embarrassed when doing it, but in Central Asia there were so many situations with lovely people, heartbreaking situations, or people that show the vulnarability of life, that it was difficult to shut my eyes.
This shot is somewhat funny, but also it shows that life in these areas can be tough. People make long days to earn a little bit of money, so sometimes the body is just too tired to keep going.
For me the remembrance of the wonderful people in CA is something I will never forget in my life, and it has changed my opinion of these countries (and people in general) in a definitive way. This shot is to honor them.
20 September 2019 I came back from my journey over a part of the Silk Road to and through Central Asia. 4 months of traveling through 14 countries (Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran) before I flew home from Teheran. An impressive journey in countries that are extremely beautiful, with lovely and welcoming people and diverse cultures and history.
Intense traveling with more than 20000 kilometers in our mobile home on sometimes roads that hardly could be called that way. We saw many villages and cities (some wonderful, others very ugly), countries that are transforming from the old Soviet era into something more related to older cultures and the way people live, often funded by oil readily available around the Caspian sea. We saw the amazing mountains south of the Black Sea, the wonderful Caucasus, and the high mountains in the far east close to China with peaks over 7000 meter, and not to forget the (Bulgarian) Alps!
We crossed the great steppe of Kazakhstan. a drive of at least 5000 km, the remnants of lake Aral, once one of the biggest lakes of the world, saw a rocket launch from Baikonur (this little part is Russian owned), we crossed many high mountains passes, and drove the breathtaking canyon that comes from the Pamir, beginning at ca 4500 meter, and going down for ca. 400km to an altitude of 1300 meter, driving for 100's of kilometers along the Afghan border.
And then the numerous lakes with all sorts of different colors from deep cobalt blue to turquoise, and one rare spectacle in Turkmenistan where a gas crater is burning already for more than 40 years. And finally and certainly not the least to mention an enormous amount of wonderful, hospitable and welcoming people. The woman often dressed in wonderful dresses, and bringing a lot of color in the streets of almost of all countries we visited.
Tags: Osj Kirgistan people market journey travel Kirghistan Kyrgygzstan Outdoors Outdoor Sony Wimvandem GoldDragon
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