Young Monks with apples, Paro Dzong, Bhutan.
My feet didn't really touch the ground while I was in Bhutan the last couple of weeks. Along with a tour group of fantastic people (we all got on so well together), Robert van Koesveld, Libby Lloyd and I spent a magical time exploring and re-exploring this amazing country.
One of the things that really hits me is the colour. Yes, parts of Bhutan are old and dusty, even musty, but when the people come out to play, to attend their festivals, they are resplendent in their attire. I'll have a lot more to say about Bhutan over the coming weeks as I share my photographs and try to convince a dozen or so people to join me in 2016 when I plan to return.
A couple of comments about the trip this time. First my Wacom Companion. It's a fully fledged Windows 8 PC which runs Capture One, Photoshop and all my regular programs. It's touch screen, or I can use a mouse, a stylus and a keyboard as I wish. But most importantly, it's the screen. No, it doesn't have the widest colour gamut, but its distribution of tones from black to white is really good. It means I can edit my photographs while on the road and when I bring the files back home, they look very similar on my studio system. I am really impressed with this little computer!
Second, I really enjoyed using the new Capture One to process my files. The extra features provided with the layered Adjustment Brush gave me plenty of control and I continue to rate it above Adobe's raw processing. Of course, I'm still working my files in Photoshop, but it's the starting point I get with Capture One 8 that I really love.
The above photograph was taken on our first day in Bhutan. We touched down just before lunchtime and immediately drove to the Paro Dzong (monastery) where a festival was in train. While the monks were dancing in the courtyard, I went exploring around the back rooms of the ancient building. I saw these young monks walk past to go down stairs, so with only seconds to spare, I ran over and pointed my camera downwards. I took around 7 frames as they descended and this I think is the best one. My only regret is not setting the camera's auto ISO to use a slightly higher shutter speed as there is a touch of movement in the boys. On the other hand, I could say this was creatively intentional and just live with it!