Daily Joe's 365 (or until he goes home) : Taking a year off work : Updated to day 52

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Hi,

So at the moment me and the missus have given up our jobs to go travelling around Asia! The idea is we travel for 12 months then go back home, we are about 5 months into our trip and may extend to 24!

The reason for starting a 365 is to keep me shooting. Before the trip the idea was to be out every day capturing what we see and where we go, the reality of long term travel is you can get a little lazy. To give an example we travelled 2 months in Vietnam and I just filled up a few memory cards without stopping to edit the images. If you don't edit after each shoot then you don't improve :).

It's my 365 so I'm going to set a few rules for myself!

1) The 365 lasts until I return to the UK.
2) Photos must be downloaded from the memory card, edited the same day, and posted here (internet connection permitting - we are in some remote areas!).
3) The minimum is one photo a day, however some days I may share more.

That's it for now, I've been at it for 3 days now (this is the first net connection I've found) so will post shortly. The hope is this will be a sort of diary so when I'm back in a miserable job in the UK I can look back and reminisce (and probably quit work again to travel ;)).

C&C always welcome, I'm certainly not the best photographer in the world, just someone who likes to shoot!

Joe.
 
Day 1

We are in Thailand at the moment waiting to fly out to the Philippines on 12th Dec, we have a few loose ends to tie up here before heading off. My girlfriend read about a temple all the Thai superstars visit (Wat Tha Mai) to 'cleanse' themselves. Today was all about getting there from Bangkok and checking the place out. Saw these cool lanterns so decided to grab a few shots.


Lanterns.Three.Ways.jpg
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr

Olympus OM-D EM5, 8mm f3.5 Fisheye & Nokton 25mm f0.95
 
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Day 3

Finished up in Wat Tha Mai so most of today has been travelling to Buriram (Issan country). We have a few errands to run here before visiting family for a week or so! We went via Nakhonchai Air, a bus company that models itself as an airline (complete with terminals, gates, luggage tags, & 'flight' attendants!).


365 Day 3 : Wat Tha Mai to Buriram
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


365 Day 3 : Wat Tha Mai to Buriram
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


365 Day 3 : Wat Tha Mai to Buriram
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr

Olympus OM-D EM5, Panasonic Leica 25mm f1.4
 
Day 4

We somehow messed up our timings so didn't have too much to do today. Decided to relax & catch up on some Civ V. We are in Buriram at the moment, Lonely Planet basically says 'don't bother visiting, there's nothing to see'!

Figured the 14mm f2.5 hadn't been used for a while (it's so much better than the 12mm f2.0 Oly I used to own) so took it out for a spin. Reminded me of why I love m4/3, OM-D with no grip & the 14mm, perfect!


365 Day 4 : Bururam, Thailand
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr
(missus hates this one, but I love it, 'you PROMISED me it was only 15 minutes to walk!' :))


365 Day 4 : Bururam, Thailand
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


365 Day 4 : Bururam, Thailand
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr

Joe.
 
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Day 5

Believe it or not long term travel can be tiring. We will be using the time until 12th December to chill out a little. Having ridden motorbikes Top Gear style from Saigon to Hanoi we need a break. Went out today and snapped some OK images but I think the one I took on the way out best represents today - a TV day!


365 Day 5 : Bururam, Thailand
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr

Joe.
 
Wow what brilliant travel pictures. I really like them ALL (I particularly like the mobile "selfie").

Looking forward to enjoying your travels along with you!

Edit: Ok, re-read that last line. I didn't mean it in a weird way. I promise I'm not literally following you around..
 
Wow what brilliant travel pictures. I really like them ALL (I particularly like the mobile "selfie").

Looking forward to enjoying your travels along with you!

Edit: Ok, re-read that last line. I didn't mean it in a weird way. I promise I'm not literally following you around..

Thanks Timmy, appreciate the comment! You are welcome to follow us around, just bring a sense of humour, things don't always work the way you expect over here ;).
 
Day 6

A little late posting this, at the moment we don’t have internet access (we are out in the ‘real’ Thailand now - well off the beaten path even in a country as beaten as Thailand). Managed to get an ‘EDGE’ signal and surprisingly it’s letting me just about upload to Flickr.

So today has been more errands and travelling. Finished up with the dentist in the morning then off to Prakhon Chai to stay with the grandparents (good for the missus to return to her roots now and then). We decided to pick up some supplies from Big C (the Tesco of Thailand). Not knowing how far away this was we hailed a cyclo-taxi. Poor guy rode us 15km there and back. We nearly killed him! Tipped him 300 THB (£6) or about 2 days wages here for his trouble!

Decided to give the GoPro a go today, we picked up a ‘pole’ for him in Bangkok. It’s not really meant for stills, they are coming out a bit ‘HDRish’ for my taste, and my composition is off… but try getting these shots with a DSLR :).


Day 6 : Buriram, Thailand : Packing the bags again..
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 6 : Buriram, Thailand : Designer Orthodontist
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 6 : Buriram, Thailand : Peekaboo
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 6 : Buriram, Thailand : Old Cyclo-Taxi
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 6 : Buriram, Thailand : Old Cyclo-Taxi
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 6 : Buriram, Thailand : Old Cyclo-Taxi
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr
 
Day 7

Things start early in rural Thailand with people rising at sunset and sleeping a couple of hours after sundown. Most good Thai families wake up a little before sunrise to give alms to the Monks. These guys walk several miles in the morning to collect food from the local homes. Probably an irrelevant comment so far as the photos are concerned, I was messing around with changing lenses when he came on Day 7, and too hungover on Day 8, but damn it on Day 9 he's gonna get a photo :).

Learnt part of the process that gets rice to Tesco's today, kinda cool. The amount of effort that goes into growing, picking, drying, de-husking, packaging etc rice is amazing. My girlfriend's grandparents are 'rich' by local standards so quite often the local farmers will come to borrow money. In return they drop off a few large sacks of rice that need drying out every now and then. The reality is the farmer makes a little more money this way, borrowing 1000THB then dropping off rice worth 900THB. It's just how things work here in Issan, everyone helps everyone else. Neighbours actually know each other and chill out together all the same. Very different to the UK.

(aware this might be a little photo-heavy for some, let me know if that's the case and I'll limit to a few each day instead).


Day 7 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand : Typical Thai Home in the morning
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 7 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand : View from the veranda
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 7 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 7 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 7 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand : 90 year old man watches Thai Boxing in his home
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr
 
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Day 8

Mostly hungover today thanks to cheap Thai home-brew whisky. 100 THB (£2) for a 1.5l bottle... even comes with a mixer & snacks. Beat that Tesco :).


Day 8 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand : Breakfast
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 8 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 8 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 8 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 8 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand : Khmer Ruins in Grandma's backyard
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr

Day 8 shot with Nokton 25mm f0.95.

Joe.
 
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Day 9

Prakhon Chai, Thailand : Phanom Rung; A Khmer temple very off the beaten track in Thailand. Reminds me a lot of Angkor Wat. I’ve visited here quite often (it’s minutes from the family home) and rarely see another Westerner!

My camera and this temple have never really seen eye to eye. I don’t know what it is but I never seem able to capture it’s ‘epicness’ in the way I want. Tried a few handheld 5 shot HDRs today. Not shot HDR before so still fiddling with the 32 bit TIFFs. Here’s where they are at the moment anyway. Still not happy with the shots from today so any tips appreciated!

Still on an EDGE connection so a little behind with the uploads.


Day 9 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand : Phanom Rung
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 9 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand : Phanom Rung
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 9 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand : Phanom Rung
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 9 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand : Phanom Rung
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 9 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand : Phanom Rung
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 9 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand : Phanom Rung
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr

Shot with OM-D E-M5 + 7-14mm f4 & Nokton 25mm f0.95

Joe.
 
Day 10

On 'Buddah Day' people from the local village come to the temple to offer food, take some prayers, and consult with the monks. Thailand still retains a lot of it's traditional charm (if you know where to look). It's not all ladyboys, beaches, and 'Singha' vest toting 'gap yah' kids!

As an aside I tried something a little different today. Wanted to make the images look more coherent as a 'set' so processed with the same changes (give or take a little shadow/contrast adjustment). Ran them through DxO Optics Pro (tweaks + Fuji Provia 400X colour & grain) & Limited to just 2 lenses. Think it worked out OK compared to other days where it's a bit of a mish mash.


Day 10 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand : 'Buddah Day'
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 10 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand : 'Buddah Day'
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 10 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand : 'Buddah Day'
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 10 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand : 'Buddah Day'
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 10 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand : 'Buddah Day'
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 10 : Prakhon Chai, Thailand : 'Buddah Day'
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr
 
Thanks Rob :).

Note to the admins : This will be updated very soon (still shooting every day(! I managed to screw up my Lightroom catalogue so now everything is out of sync on Flickr :(. On a mission to name/tag all my photographs, delete all from flickr, then upload again!
 
WOW- Totally subscribed to this, what an amazing journey you are both on... looking forward to folowing the rest..

Keep on with posting plenty and loving the text explaining it all- a proper diary..

Love it!
 
WOW- Totally subscribed to this, what an amazing journey you are both on... looking forward to folowing the rest..

Keep on with posting plenty and loving the text explaining it all- a proper diary..

Love it!

Wow looks like your having an amazing time so far fantastic images so far. I look forward to seeing what else you have planned. Good luck and all the best with your 365.

Added a follow on flickr....

Thanks all for the comments - very much appreciated :) I'll be a little more social on here too & support others on their 365s :). Now.. onto the task of updating this thing... finally sorted out Lightroom's nonsense!
 
Day 11

Prasat Mueang Tam, another temple 'off the beaten track' in Thailand. This easily rivals some of the smaller temples in the Angkor Wat complex. Usually a place you can go to have it all for yourself. Went here at sunset to grab a few shots. Processed through with DxO Optics Pro & Fuji Provia 400X


Day 11 : Thailand : Prakhon Chai : Prasat Mueang Tam
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 11 : Thailand : Prakhon Chai : Prasat Mueang Tam
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 11 : Thailand : Prakhon Chai : Prasat Mueang Tam
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 11 : Thailand : Prakhon Chai : Prasat Mueang Tam
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 11 : Thailand : Prakhon Chai : Prasat Mueang Tam
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 11 : Thailand : Prakhon Chai : Prasat Mueang Tam
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr

Joe.
 
Day 12

Not a lot to do today so just a few shots from around the home. Brought out the 35mm f1.7 CCTV lens from eBay. If flare is your thing then you can get some good shots with this cheap little lens. It's surprisingly sharp as well!


Day 12 : Thailand : Prakhon Chai : Around the house
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 12 : Thailand : Prakhon Chai : Around the house
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 12 : Thailand : Prakhon Chai : Around the house
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 12 : Thailand : Prakhon Chai : Around the house
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 12 : Thailand : Prakhon Chai : Around the house
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr

Joe
 
Day 14

We arrived late today from Prakhon Chai into a coastal town near Bangkok. We will be staying here for the next few days visiting my girl's mum (who has flown over from Europe to visit the family). She's not seen her for a couple of years so it's a bit of a re-union! Just the one photo for today :).


Day 14 : Thailand : A coastal town near Bangkok
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr

Joe.
 
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Day 16

We haven't been out clubbing for a long time in Thailand so figured we needed a night out. The missus picked up the shoes in the first pic... yeah, it was one of 'THOSE' nights. Problem was after a few Thai Whiskeys they were quickly replaced by the shoes in the last pic. The street vendor did his best to sell the first shoes... oddly enough nobody wanted them! Still getting to grips with the X100S but it seems to have nailed the Disco shots (even with the horrible purple lights!).


Day 16 : Thailand : A coastal town near Bangkok : Party Night!
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 16 : Thailand : A coastal town near Bangkok : Party Night!
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 16 : Thailand : A coastal town near Bangkok : Party Night!
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 16 : Thailand : A coastal town near Bangkok : Party Night!
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr

Joe.
 
Day 17

The monks 'bless' some water & drape a sheet over the crowd of followers. After chanting some scriptures the sheet is removed & participants 'cleansed' with water. As an aside quite liked the X100S today, was able to shoot away in the temple without anyone giving me much notice!


Day 17 : Thailand : A coastal town near Bangkok : Visit to the local Wat (Temple) for more 'cleansing'
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 17 : Thailand : A coastal town near Bangkok : Visit to the local Wat (Temple) for more 'cleansing'
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 17 : Thailand : A coastal town near Bangkok : Visit to the local Wat (Temple) for more 'cleansing'
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 17 : Thailand : A coastal town near Bangkok
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 17 : Thailand : A coastal town near Bangkok
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 17 : Thailand : A coastal town near Bangkok
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr

Joe.
 
Day 19

In Thailand gold is traditionally used as a form of 'saving' account. 'Thai Gold' is 96.6% pure (European gold is considered to be 'brass' by Thai standards). There are gold vendors everywhere in Thailand but the best are found in Chinatown.The gold here has more of a sparkle then elsewhere. Took the missus here today for her birthday, for about 2-5% of the value Thais can exchange their 'old' gold for shiny new gold! Everything is measured in 'BHAT' with 1 BHAT = 15.6 grams of gold. Right now 1 BHAT = 18,800 THB (£356).


Day 19 : Thailand : Back in Bangkok : Khao San Road : Happy Birthday!
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 19 : Thailand : Back in Bangkok : Yarowat (Chinatown)
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 19 : Thailand : Back in Bangkok : Yarowat (Chinatown)
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 19 : Thailand : Back in Bangkok : Yarowat (Chinatown)
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 19 : Thailand : Back in Bangkok : Yarowat (Chinatown)
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 19 : Thailand : Back in Bangkok : Yarowat (Chinatown)
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr
 
Day 20

(sorry but this day is going to be photo-heavy, had a photo day & went out with the X100S and giving it a proper going over!).

Every morning at 4am the flowers arrive in Bangkok from the surrounding provinces. The flower market is a hive of activity at this time in the morning with all the street vendors eager to grab the best ones. These later permeate around Bangkok and are sold throughout the day.


Day 20 : Thailand : Back in Bangkok : Unrest
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 20 : Thailand : Bangkok : Early morning flower market (4am - 8am)
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 20 : Thailand : Bangkok : Early morning flower market (4am - 8am)
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 20 : Thailand : Bangkok : Early morning flower market (4am - 8am)
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 20 : Thailand : Back in Bangkok : Around the Grand Palace
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 20 : Thailand : Back in Bangkok
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr
 
Day 20 contd..

Wandering around the Grand Palace & came across these old Tuk Tuks. Surprised they have been left to decay like this, Thai's rarely throw things away!


Day 20 : Thailand : Back in Bangkok : Abandoned Tuk Tuks
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 20 : Thailand : Back in Bangkok : Abandoned Tuk Tuks
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 20 : Thailand : Back in Bangkok : Abandoned Tuk Tuks
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 20 : Thailand : Back in Bangkok : Abandoned Tuk Tuks
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 20 : Thailand : Back in Bangkok : Abandoned Tuk Tuks
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr
 
Day 20 contd.

Wandering back from the Flower Market today stopped in at the Grand Palace. Had the place to myself for the first half hour (usually it's over-run with tour groups). Brilliant experience! While waiting outside tried some 'motion' shots on passing Tuk Tuks


Day 20 : Thailand : Bangkok : Grand Palace
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 20 : Thailand : Bangkok : Grand Palace : Changing the guards
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 20 : Thailand : Bangkok : Grand Palace : Tuk Tuk
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 20 : Thailand : Bangkok : Grand Palace : Tuk Tuk
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 20 : Thailand : Bangkok : Grand Palace
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr


Day 20 : Thailand : Bangkok : Grand Palace
by _Jo Gray, on Flickr
 
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