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Awesome Photography: My 7 Super Shots!

Lately there’s been another one of those blogger community things going around that allows us to share more about ourselves with our readers. You may remember some of the past ones I’ve done, like 7 of My Most Awesome Adventures and Get to Know Me Through My ABC’s of Travel. This time, the focus is on photography, and the project is called My 7 Super Shots, for which I was tagged by my friend Nortbert over at GloboTreks.

So, without further ado….

1. A Photo That… Takes My Breath Away

Sunrise at Angkor Wat

Much like Norbert’s photo that takes his breath away, mine is also an image of sunrise at Cambodia‘s Angkor Wat. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I am certainly not a morning person, so I was a bit grumpy to be up before dawn when I visited in 2006. But we needed to get there early to secure a spot by the northern reflecting pool.

As the first light began to peak over the horizon, the sky illuminated in an array of brilliant colors, silhouetting Angkor Wat from behind. And almost immediately it became very clear that we chose a perfect vantage point, for the water before us was brilliantly reflecting the sky above, creating a truly breathtaking image.

2. A Photo That… Makes Me Laugh or Smile

"Blow Horn"

A visit to Bhutan involves spending a lot of time in a van, as the only way to get around the country is either by road or foot. One way my family kept ourselves entertained (aside from someone shouting “Phallus Alert!” at the appropriate time…) was by chuckling at all the trucks, which rather amusingly advised drivers behind them to “Blow Horn!”

3. A Photo That… Makes Me Dream

Serbia Pavilion

I love interesting architecture. Hong Kong was particularly impressive in this regard. I also grew up playing with Legos. Thankfully, the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, China did not disappoint in either area. The pavilions there definitely pushed the boundaries of creative architecture, which you can see more of in my post from there. But the Serbia pavilion, pictured above, made me think back to those days with the Legos, when my childhood dreams made anything possible…

4. A Photo That… Makes Me Think

Al-Azhar Mosque

I had never visited a mosque before setting foot in Egypt during my recent Middle East Trip, despite having spent a few days in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2010, so I really did not know what to expect. While in Cairo, it was only fitting to visit the old Islamic Quarter, home to Al-Azhar Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in the city and also the oldest continually operating university in the world.

Inside, the ambiance was amazingly relaxing, as men sat around a large courtyard studying and praying. It was a world away from the hubaloo about building a new Islamic cultural center in New York City, or all the crazy Islamophobia you tend to hear in the west. Of course, I know that people’s uneducated perceptions are not usually correct, but seeing this photo makes me think about just how far from those perceptions this place was…

5. A Photo That… Makes My Mouth Water

Lemons in Water Pitcher

I’m sure that this category was intended to be a food shot, but Thanksgiving is always a big deal in my family. Usually we get together in Las Vegas, but this year we met up at my brother’s house in the San Francisco Bay Area. The photo above was of our water pitcher at the end of the meal, and just thinking of all that amazing food with people that I love absolutely makes my mouth water!

6. A Photo That… Tells a Story

Pensive Monk

I love how many interpretations I can get out of this photo. This novice monk at Punakha Dzong in Bhutan looks to be in deep thought, or perhaps spaced out. But the man you see on the left in the background feels rather sneaky, doesn’t he?

I’d love to hear your story interpretations of this photo, so please feel free to leave them in the comments below!

7. A Photo That… I’m Most Proud Of (aka My National Georgraphic shot) 

Bringing in the Horses at the Pyramids

This was a category I agonized over. Should I chose a sunset picture? What about something like Bhutan‘s Tiger’s Nest? No. I wanted to showcase a photo that you haven’t seen before and this one kept catching my eye.

It was the end of the day at the Great Pyramids of Giza, located just outside Cairo, Egypt, and as the sun was low in the sky, this man emerged from the desert, bringing in his horses for the night.

My Tags

To continue this project, I tag:

If you’d like to follow along with other bloggers publishing their photos, you can follow the hashtag #7SuperShots on Twitter.
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By Aaron

Hey there! I'm Aaron and this is my travel site, where I document my adventures to all corners of the world. My love for travel started at the ripe old age of four, when a midlife crisis uprooted my family to Ecuador for five years. Since then, I've been to countries on 4 different continents. When I'm not blissfully on the road, I reside in New York City, where I become the ultimate travel junkie and spend my days dreaming up my next great adventure! Read More...

9 replies on “Awesome Photography: My 7 Super Shots!”

Great selection of photos, Aaron. Love your National Geographic choice. About #6 – I think they both look deep in thought, but I’ll bet they’re not thinking the same things. The boy looks content. The man is not. Well, you asked….

Thanks Cathy! I know from the series of photos I have from here that the boy is spacing out. As for the man, I didn’t even notice he was there till I went back and looked at the photos. Interesting that you interpret him as not being so content.

Nice pictures. I always enjoy looking at photos. I believe they help tell the story. I will be adding more to my website in the future. As far as your “A Photo That… Tells a Story”, What catches my attention is the beautiful flowers! They really add to this photo.

I love your photos Aaron! I actually lol’d with funny pic. I love your picture that “makes you think” and I totally agree with what you wrote about the Islamophobia that is currently widespread in the west. Once you visit Islamic countries, you see how different they are from the common “ignorant” perception we see in the US.

Great pics!

Thanks Norbert! Glad you found my funny pic to be amusing! And of course I knew that people’s perceptions aren’t based in reality but I had no practical experience in a Muslim country. Now that I’ve spent time in the Middle East, I can confidently state that the Islamophobia we experience in the U.S. couldn’t be farther from the truth…

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