Kassapa Buddha Photo

Photographer’s Note

Two young monks stand silhouetted in front of a 9.5M tall teak statue of Kassapa Buddha in one of four vestibules in the Ananda Pahto (Temple), Plain of Bagan.

The statue is original and contemporaneous with the building of the temple in A.D. 1090 by King Kyansittha. The hands are in the dharmachakra mudra (gesture of turning the Wheel of the Law). The monastic robe takes a form which became popular in India in the Gupta period (when King Ashoka succeeded in making Buddhism as the religion of the majority people in Northern India) - a smooth transparent sheath, with the mantle outspread on both sides of the body.

I used a tripod so I could stay at ISO200. No flash was used... all light is from candles or the spotlight above the statue. Captured as a large/fine JPEG and edited in Adobe Photoshop CS.

gulliver, gren4, benkrut has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

gringofil (0) 2005-03-30 0:52

Very nice shot, Robert. I really like the simple composition you've used here and the human element of monks gives the shot a second subject as well as scale. The golden colors/tones fit the subject ver nicely. Good work!

greg64g (11193) 2005-03-30 1:03

Hello Robert,

That's a great Buddha, is unsual as he is not seated. i love the composition ans the colors.
well see
cheers
greg

gulliver (1636) 2005-03-30 2:47

Nice frame and compo Robert. Lights, colors and sharpness are there. Well done.

Luko (13902) 2005-03-30 3:26

Always difficult to expose for glaring golden surfaces, you've done wonderfully with the buddha here.. but I can't help wonder about the real interest in the scene.

Although this would make a perfect illustration of the temple, as in say a tour operator catalog, I think the monks characters deserved more than a silhouette, perhaps a closer view of them, walking towards you and taken at about 1 meter would have dynamized the pic into a more domcumentary approach.

As for my summarizing my appreciation : technically fine for an architectural pic, but to view it lacks the "daily life" element.

[2]

AmiBe (6042) 2005-03-30 6:41

Hi Robert,
nice picture the colors are beautiful and the exposure is very good.
I remember me, this buddha seemed sad when we looked at it closely and happy by far.

bip-bip (1837) 2005-03-30 15:44

The golden tone is great in this shot !
The little monks help to realize how big is the Buddha.
TFS
Véro

gren4 (603) 2005-03-31 0:49

sharp and lighting is perfect.I love the silouettes of the two centralized figures being further highlighted by the reflection on the floor and sidewalls

flydragon (0) 2005-03-31 14:57