This was another part of Oaxaca that I wanted to shoot at night. The market was very nearby, and the nightlife carried out into the streets. I really wanted to capture a Beetle while I was there as well, since they are such a part of Mexican culture and are common throughout. Needless to say, I was happy to see one pull up and park near where I standing while taking a different photo down the street. So happy that my ‘other’ Sputnik has sharp matching lenses, it really helps to get the shot right! Shot on Fuji Provia 100f film.
Tag Archives: Brent Osborne
Nighttime Zocalo, Oaxaca, Mexico
I wanted to get a shot of the zocalo (or center of town) at night. There was a lot of activity in Oaxaca at nighttime, and it is such a large part of the overall culture of Mexico. It felt very safe to walk around with a tripod and camera. Not many people paid any attention to me, which was exactly what I wanted. The wind was doing me a favor in making this image a bit more interesting. Shot on my Sputnik, with Fuji Provia 100f film.
‘Chillin’ in the shade’ – Monte Alban, Mexico
Just outside of Oaxaca is Monte Alban. They are Aztec ruins, said to be over 2,000 years old. Very neat place to go and very easy to visit while in Oaxaca. I came across this gentleman hanging out under the shade of one of the few trees within the grounds. Thought that it captured the overall sense of the heat that day. Hit at least into the 90’s, but coming from cloudy Seattle, it was a welcoming sun exposure for me. Shot on my Sputnik, Provia 100f film.
Botanical Gardens, Oaxaca, Mexico
I recently went on a trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. Such a lovely place to visit, and I can see why it is such a popular destination. This was my first out-of-the-country trip since Covid hit in 2020. I brought along my ‘other’ Sputnik, the one that I usually would leave at home as a backup. My main Sputnik never could focus properly after two attempts of repair, and started to eat film for breakfast. So, needless to say, I was pleased with the overall quality of the pictures I got with the other camera. I just feel that I could have exposed a little better, too bright for my taste. Maybe I need some ND filters next time? This is the backside of the church of Santo Domingo, located in the botanical gardens in the heart of Oaxaca. Nice place to visit if you are ever there. Shot on my Sputnik, on Fuji Provia 100f. 
Cooper Lake, Cle Elum, Washington
Travel has been a bit hard to do recently, out of the country at least. As you all know there’s a bit of a ‘stay-cation’ happening for most of us. Due to this fact, I have decided to share some of my more recent camping experiences that we have taken within Washington state, and with my newly acquired 3D World TL-120 camera (bought in 2020). This particular lake you see here is one of my favorite spots in Washington. It’s a small lake, but big enough to paddle around and explore. Only paddle boats are allowed which makes it nice and quiet at times and the camping is inexpensive. This shot was taken towards the Northwest side of the lake, just a little ways into Cooper River, which feeds into the lake. Since the lake is river fed from far off mountains, it gets pretty cold but is also nice and clear. I managed to scramble over the log jag to get this shot of my fiancee and our canoe named ‘Downeaster Alexa’. Both of them accompany me in many camping excursions that we all love to take. My personal critique would say, ‘get low to see more water and logs in the foreground’. But, other than that, I think it works ok.
As I mentioned, this was shot on my new TL-120 camera (1st generation), using good old Fuji Provia 100f film.
Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park, Washington
The Hoh Rainforest is one of the wettest places in all of the continental United States, and has been on my bucket list for years after moving to Washington. The Hoh Rainforest wasn’t dry per se, but it was definitely experiencing a drought, much like most of the west this year. The rangers had posted that it had received 5-7 inches less rain than previous years. It’s a bit of a drive to get here (although one of the prettiest I have ever driven), and it can become a crowded experience, especially during a weekend. However, it was still great to visit and a wonderful spot to see. Hopefully it will survive the implications of climate change, because it’s a gorgeous place in the world. This was taken towards the end of the Spruce Nature Trail. It was definitely one of the highlights within our visit of Olympic National Park. My inner critique would be, get low and get close (again)!
Taken with my 3D World TL-120, and again with Fuji Provia 100f film.
Douglas Fir Campground, Mt. Baker Wilderness, Washington
This campground is great if you are ever up near the North Cascades and near Mt. Baker, another active volcano in Washington. It features tall Douglas Fir trees and is great to stop off at before heading into Canada. Upon walking around the campground (RV and car camping mind you), we came across these stone steps. The lighting was pretty nice, so I took a few shots. All in all, it came out ok IMHO. However, in hindsight, I would have liked to get a little closer and get more detail in the shot. Since I have moved to using the TL-120 from having used a Sputnik for years, I find myself shooting from further away. However, after looking at other pics in the folio, it seems to me that some of you are shooting closer than I had ever thought I could with the TL-120. So, we’ll see how I can make up for that in the future. Wish me luck!
Shot on my new TL-120 with old expired Fuji Velvia 100f film. Hence the subtle magenta cast.
Diablo Lake, North Cascades National Park, Washington
This was taken at one of my favorite campsites in all of Washington. It’s by far, one of the prettiest and most secluded sites on Diablo Lake. It features a lookout, swimming hole, a bear box, and even an outhouse! Not to mention access to the serenity of the lake and it’s wonderful turquoise glacier fed water. Now, this shot could easily have NOT been taken near any lake, since you can’t see any water. However, it was one of my favorite shots on this roll of film, and was taken spontaneously. The lighting was amazing, and definitely inspired me to take a shot. Diablo Lake campsites are on a ‘lottery reservation’ system through the National Park service and reservations are especially needed for this spot on the lake. The North Cascades are wonderful to visit, and I highly recommend coming here if you are ever in Washington. My personal critique would be, maybe get a little closer, and show some of the lake! Other than that, it was a moment of time that I was happy to capture, especially in 3D!
Shot also on my 3D World Tl-120 camera, with Fuji Provia 100f film.
Alipore District, Kolkata, India
Kolkata is a very interesting city in India to visit. It doesn’t even remotely feel like Delhi, or even Mumbai for that matter. In fact, it feels like a whole different country comparatively. Being a colonial capitol at one point, it has a different ‘air’ to it. But it still has it’s alleyways, busy shopping and dealers districts. This picture was taken in an area that was very close to the house that Mother Teresa had founded to help the sick and the poor in India. We may have even visited her grave the same day that this shot was taken. I would love to go back and photograph these areas again with their endless streams of people going about their daily lives. This was one of those shots where I looked down an alleyway and had to get a shot of it. There are endless photo ops in India, but the alleyways are especially nice in 3D in my opinion. Shot with my Sputnik on Fuji Provia 100F film.
Pak Ou Caves, Pak Ou, Laos
The Pak Ou Caves are located along the Mekong River near the town of Pak Ou in Laos. We visited this area near Luang Prabang, with Luang Prabang being one of my favorite places I have ever visited in Southeast Asia. The cave itself wasn’t very big, and the fact that it was filled with tiny Buddhist statues from many worshipers over many years made it seem even smaller. Luckily there was enough light that was coming in from the entrance to get this shot. What makes this one of my favorite shots I took of this location, was that you could see the smoke rising from the incense and the tiny fire in the lower part of the frame. My Sputnik failed me a little in this picture however, in the fact that it was sharper on the foreground in the right image, and sharper in the background in the left image. The image still works for me as 3D, but it may not work for everyone. This was taken with my first Sputnik, and before any real adjustments were ever made on it. Shot on Fuji Provia 100F film.
Sigiriya Rock Temple, Sri Lanka
Sigiriya meaning ‘Lion Rock’ is a giant rock structure that is surrounded by jungle in the middle of Sri Lanka. It’s like nowhere else that I’ve been and something out of an Indiana Jones movie. We stayed in a tiny hostel which was so close to Sigiriya that you could see it from our hostel room and within walking distance to the entrance. Luckily we were told that the place opened at 8am by our hostel hosts, which was not what our guidebook had said. The book said that it opened at 9am, and the place was FULL by 10am with busloads of tourists. We were literally the first people to walk in and what an amazing experience it was! There are two Sigiriyas, people called them Little Sigiriya and Big Sigiriya. The big one is what you see in the distance (standing at over 600 feet high) while we were standing on top of little Sigiriya. What was great about little Sigiriya was the fact that it was a jungle hike to get there and much cheaper to visit. If you ever go there, I highly recommend visiting both since they both offer different and amazing experiences in their own right. The structures located on top of big Sigiriya are the foundations of former fortresses and the home of the king of the region, named King Kashyapa who reined in the mid 5th Century. After his death it became a Buddhist monastery until the 14th Century. It’s now a UNESCO World Heritage site and hopefully well protected for many more years to come. These Rhesus monkeys you see here were a little out of focus, I must have been too close to them, or didn’t stop down my aperture enough to get them all sharp. Either way, I still like the shot and hope you do as well. Shot on my Sputnik on Fuji Provia 100F film.
Borobudur Temple, Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia
Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world. Located in Central Java, Indonesia, it’s a wonderful place to visit. Before heading to Indonesia, I wanted to make sure to put this on my list of places to visit. It’s an incredible temple with layers and layers (like a layered cake) representing the different stages of enlightenment to reach a final state of Nirvana. It was built originally in the mid-8th Century to 9th Century AD. Once it was abandoned and then ‘rediscovered’ by a British Colonist who then hired a Dutch engineer to excavate and rebuild the structure. It took his team over 4 years to rebuild, however volcanic eruptions, erosion, and even terrorists have beat the structure down throughout the years. Luckily, with the help of UNESCO and tourism, it has been restored to as close to what they think it was like in it’s original state as possible. We visited it in a different way at first, in fact it was from a distance that I got a shot of it in the early morning pre-dawn light. The visit consisted of a hike and motorbike ride to an adjacent hillside. We later went back down the valley and into the entrance the same day. Made for a long day for sure! This shot is of a bas relief, one of over 2,600, that covers the structure. A must see if you’re ever in Java! Shot with my Sputnik on Fuji Provia 100F film.
Domkhar Festival, Bumthang, Bhutan
The Domkhar festival is a wonderful experience. Before we left on our trip, we planned our trip around two festivals. Typically most occur in the Spring and Fall in Bhutan, this was in the Springtime. If you do plan on going to Bhutan during those times of year, your travel agent and/or guide will almost certainly schedule in a festival or two for you to see. The area of Bumthang was the furthest east that we travelled in Bhutan, and it’s an area that I would highly recommend. The festival lasts for about 3 days, and we visited on it’s first day. The festival is dedicated to the birth anniversary of Guru Rinpoche, the second Buddha, or more importantly the father of Buddhism in Bhutan. Monks dress as animals and other characters, and display themselves in lavish costumes. They dance in a mesmerizing choreography. We did manage to get a chance to explore the village of Domkhar as well, which felt like you were entering into a time warp going back about 2 centuries. All in all, it was an awesome experience and not your everyday trip to the beach! Shot this with my Sputnik on Fuji Provia 100f film.
Punakha Dzong, Punakha, Bhutan
As we walked over the main bridge to the Dzong, a small crowd of monks were walking up a path towards us. Knowing full well that this was a good opportunity to capture them, I ran ahead of my group, as the lighting was nice and dramatic. Happily, I managed to snap a couple shots off before they walked past. What’s great about Bhutan is the sheer beauty and photo-ops at every corner. Unfortunately, you must be accompanied during your entire stay in Bhutan, government rules. Luckily however, it’s a great way to see the country since your guide and driver are always at your beck and call, are extremely knowledgable, and are always striving for you to have a great experience no matter what. If you see a photo op on the side of the road, they will gladly stop! We had them stop actually quite often. We are not used to being ‘pampered’ on our trips, and in fact we are usually quite uncomfortable and ‘unguided’ most of the time, since we tend to travel on a budget. However, Bhutan was an exception for us and since we had no choice but to have a guide, we embraced it with loving arms! If you’re even remotely interested in visiting Bhutan, please message me and I will gladly give you all the details. Shot on my Sputnik, with Fuji Provia 100F film.
Punakha Dzong Entrance, Punakha, Bhutan
The Punhaka Dzong is the second oldest and the second largest Dzong in Bhutan, and arguably the most impressive. It’s surrounded by a converging river, which adds to it’s splendor. Dzongs used to be fortresses during wartime, but now are used for government offices and a religious monastery. My favorite view of the Dzong is from the bridge leading over the river to the main entrance. This was a more crowded part of Bhutan, mainly because it was closer to the west side of the country, where most tourists tend to gravitate to. This Dzong was by no means, an exception. Due to this, I had to ‘nudge and dodge’ my way over to the railing to get the shot. This was taken with my Sputnik, on Provia 100F film.