Beyond Completes the Story

Date: Author: Category: Compilation Shots, Sri Lanka, The Atlas Game, Travel, Uncategorized, Weekly Photo Challenge Tags: , , , , , ,

I’m afraid I’m one of those who’re not always satisfied with shooting the immediate subject, but rather looking for ways to capture what’s beyond as well.  This was especially true in the ‘old’ days when each print or slide cost ‘x’ and our budget for photography was ‘y’ (otherwise it came out of the food or petrol budget!).

Sometimes this resulted in a serendipitous photograph that has subsequently become a favourite, or definitive shot of the ‘beyond’ component – like the Blue Mosque from the parking lot, a photograph I took to show off how we’d arranged the best address in town – it was, after all, a salubrious and most scenic location, where, for a few additional Lire (as they were then) a night Kerem, the Municipal Parking attendant, kept watch over our van 24 hours a day, throwing in a daily Turkish lesson to boot!  (That’s the van, over on the left.)

On the other hand, there are times when the composition of the photograph demands the ‘beyond’ in order to tell the story – like the weathered and eroded stone in the header shot – without the pyramid in the background, the story’s incomplete.

Thanks to this week’s WP Photo Challenge, here’s a gallery of “Beyond” shots.

In true Swiss style, this wonderful path winds around (sometimes through) Pilatus mountain – just below the summit – affording views in almost every direction.
To me, this cast iron fountain is synonymous with the Kandy Perahera, with elephants all around. It was sad to see the guard post still in evidence – even after the war.
The story’s incomplete without the city beyond

51 thoughts on “Beyond Completes the Story”

  4. Super shots – I love photographs of views through cracks and holes and arrow slits, but never thought of putting them into a montage. I have some lovely ones of Carcassone I must dig out and look at.

  6. fabulous pics, i cannot imagine camping by the blue mosque … amazing! the winding path is so enticing … where is it? love the tiled rooftops of Split, somewhere we have not been … thanks for another trip courtesy of thewanderlustgene 🙂

    • I love being a guide – showing off the world! The path winds around Pilatus mountain in Switzerland, just below the summit – it’s a terrific walk, sometimes in tunnels with huge picture windows looking out to the world floating far below, other times almost like a suburban footpath but out in the open amidst that terrific scenery and the birds soaring thermals – and the hang gliders swooping down from the roof of cable-car.

    • It’s such gorgeous countryside, especially at that time of year, just at the turn of the season, when everything’s so neat and tidy, some crops in, others harvested, grapes pruned … very colourful despite the lack of colour yet in the leaves.

        • I hope you’ll be able to find something suitable so you’ll be able to stay Michelle. It’s one thing to move from a sense of adventure, but It’s too sad when people are forced to leave their homes by economic circumstance. (But at least you don’t have to risk leaky boats or sealed containers to get there like other economic refugees.). What a world! :).

  15. This is why I always look forward to your post, every single photo you post goes beyond taking an impressive shot, but tell the story. Love this set of “beyond “gallery!

    • I doubt you could these days Terri – that was a while back (’76 to be precise!). You can imagine how great it was for us – right in the middle of everything, bathrooms and wash houses close by, all the sights at our doorstep, and Kerem with his Turkish lessons was really the icing on the cake because we set off for the interior with a great deal more confidence knowing we could sort of get by in Turkish – just wish I could remember any of it now – it disappeared as quickly as it came! 🙂

  20. I did enjoy Viv’s version of Carcassone, so it’s nice to see what prompted it, Meredith. Immaculately done, my favourite that mountainside. My soul yearns to be there.

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