HX Report
Irishman in the Middle East
Weekly Photo Challenge – Rule Of Thirds
Posted on February 20, 2015
This week’s challenge is the photographic concept – the rule of thirds.
One of the most popular tourist attractions in Istanbul is the Topkapi Palace, which lies in the old town next to the Hagia Sophia Museum & Blue Mosque. The palace was home to the Sultans and their harem of females for three hundred years in the days of the Ottoman Empire, until Sultan Abdülmecid in 1853 decided to move to the nearby Dolmabache Palace.
MB visited Topkapi Palace in early November 2014. The palace lies on the bank of the Bosphorus Sea Straits and the views from the palace grounds are spectacular.
Caught this shot of one of the soldiers on duty, with the Bosphorus blurred in the background:
PS – Ignore the tree!
A Little Slice Of Ireland
Posted on February 14, 2015
MB attended the Irish Football tournament in Qatar yesterday. For most of the day he could have sworn he was in Ireland! Read More
Weekly Photo Challenge – Symmetry
Posted on February 13, 2015
Ajman Fish Market – UAE (Ajman is one of the 7 Emirates of the UAE)
The fishing boats (generally manned by fishermen from the state of Gujarat in India) unload their catches onto Ajman quay every Saturday afternoon and lay them out symmetrically in terms of size & species. The fish traders from the adjoining market then bid for lots through an auction process as the auctioneer with his microphone walks through all the lines of fish one by one.
Lots of symmetry in this one. The buildings behind. The roofs of the boats. And the fish. Lots of fish!
Weekly Photo Challenge – Scale
Posted on February 6, 2015
War
Posted on February 5, 2015
When the war started my family moved to a village in the mountains outside Beirut. My grandfather came with us as he had no other choice. His wife, my grandmother, was dead many years past. He then lived with us in the village house until his death. I remember as a child enjoying waking up each morning and looking forward to hearing my grandfather’s stories from his younger days. Read More
Souk Waqif – Bird Market
Posted on February 2, 2015
The bird market at Souk Waqif in Doha would not suit Western sensibilities. But the Arabs love it. Read More
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