Bangkok Photography, 2023
The last two days of the Thailand trip, closing out a run that had otherwise stayed on the Andaman coast. The route into the city started with an unplanned detour into rainforest: a small waterfall on a shaded stream, a still reflective pond, and a startlingly turquoise natural spring pool, photographed from a few different angles before we moved on.
From there it was straight into one of Bangkok's grand riverside temple complexes, heavy with gilding: a stone pathway leading to a golden chedi, a pair of painted guardian statues at a shrine entrance, and close-ups of gilded doorways and naga serpent ornamentation.
We spent a long time at the temple: mosaic-armoured guardian yakshas in gold and in red, tiered prangs and porcelain-tiled spires, a colonnade of hanging lanterns, gold-leafed chedis against blue sky, and a wander through formal gardens past sculpted bonsai and a golden-roofed pavilion. Three monks in orange robes crossing the grounds, and a portrait framed in a temple gateway, were the only people shots among all the architecture.
The trip's last evening was spent above the city as the light faded: a full sky gradient over the skyline, a river bend cutting a glowing curve through the silhouette, then, once night properly fell, light trails from traffic on a busy road, the riverside ICONSIAM complex lit up in full colour, and a cable-stayed bridge glowing beside a small illuminated temple.
