Candlelight and Buddha
Another of Win’s (http://asiaphototravel.com/) shot set-ups. This was in a temple on the plains of Bagan that housed a reclining Buddha. How could you find it without a knowledgeable guide? You couldn’t. Win had brought candles and somehow… he must have arranged it… little children appeared and willingly set about lighting the candles. He only told them what to do once. I can’t get over how responsible and helpful these children were. And not just setting things up, they would hold poses as only a Vogue model could. Now and then they would cut their eyes over to me, to see if I had finally gotten the shot, but never did they say, “I’m tired.”
These low light shots began to get on my nerves. It was hard to get the exposure and the focus. Manual mode was key. And good eyesight would have been a big help. I was never sure my shots were in focus. That’ll set your teeth on edge. My LCD screen showed an annoying red glow due to the candle light. And although I knew I could remedy that because I shoot RAW, I had nagging doubts.
When I opened this shot in Adobe Bridge, I had only to change the white balance and the light was perfect. I used a tripod for this shot. I could have tried to get rid of the blue color on the statue, but I like it. It was’t there in real life.
Although this statue is not nearly as large as some of the reclining Buddhas, it is my favorite. Because it was hidden away in a temple among thousands of temples, an aura of mystery and discovery enhanced by the candlelight suffused the atmosphere.