Photo Of The Day: Colonial Architecture In Burma

by Anna Brones on

When we think of Southeast Asian architecture we often think of old temples and ancient statues, but the influence of colonial times on this area of the world has had just as much of an influence on the local infrastructure and design.

Flickr member R A L F captured this beautiful building facade in Yangon, Burma (Myanmar). The city, also known as Rangoon, has the largest number of colonial buildings in the region.

Have your own travel photos featured on “Photo Of The Day” by submitting your photos to the Gadling Flickr pool or via Instagram by tagging your photos with #gadling and mentioning us @gadlingtravel.

[Photo Credit: R A L F]

Photo Of The Day: Philippines Jeepney

by Chris Owen on

This Photo of the Day, titled “Philippines / Palawan / Roxas,” comes from Gadling Flickr pool member AdamJamesWilson.

Adam captions the image

“Took this photo during a stop on the otherwise miserable eight hour bus journey from Puerto to El Nido. Not 100% sure that I was in Roxas but looking at a map now it seems likely.

The jeepney is a real Philippine icon. The originals were converted military jeeps abandoned by the US army after WWII. By today’s standards this one is pretty tame but to me the older beat up ones are the most visually interesting, they have this slightly dystopian appearance that wouldn’t look out of place in a post apocalyptic road movie.”

Somewhat unique, and surely something we don’t see every day, Adam captured this image using a Canon AV-1 with Kodak 200 film.

That brought back a lot of great memories, shooting roll after roll of film while traveling. We would hope for the best until professional developing would reveal the true results of our efforts.

In a hurry, one-hour photo developing was available for a premium price. On a budget, we sent off rolls of film in an envelope that came in the Sunday newspaper, choosing a “flat” or “glossy” finish. If luck produced a good shot, we might send the negative (included with the prints) back for additional copies.

That’s not ancient history either. In 1999, digital cameras replaced film cameras in big city newspapers then soon became the camera of choice for millions. The origin of the digital camera dates back to 1975, not long after I bought a Polariod “Swinger” camera for $19.95.

Upload your best shots to the Gadling Group Pool on Flickr. Several times a week we choose our favorite images from the pool as a Photo of the Day. Now, you can also submit photos through Instagram; just mention @GadlingTravel and use the hashtag #gadling when posting your images.

[Photo Credits Flickr user AdamJamesWilson – Kodak]

Photo Of The Day: Roussanou Monastery Above the Clouds

by Jonathan Kramer on

The Roussanou Monastery is undeniably beautiful. This Christian Eastern Orthodox monastery is just one of six that are listed as a part of a World Heritage Site in Meteora, Greece. When the monks settled and began the impossible construction of their mountaintop monasteries in the 15th century, the region was uninhabited. The monks simply wanted to be left to their own devices, something we can all relate to.

Captured by Darby Sawchuck, this photo was submitted to our Gadling Flickr Pool. If you’d also like your great travel photos to be featured here as a “Photo Of The Day” you can submit your photos there or via Instagram by tagging your photos with #gadling and mentioning us @gadlingtravel.

Photo Of The Day: Bicycles In Batavia

by Meg Nesterov on


Sometimes on our travels, we come across a scene so perfectly photogenic, we have to wonder if it was staged. Today’s Photo of the Day was taken by Flickr user thetravelingteacher in Jakarta‘s Old Batavia, or Kota, area. The line of rented bicycles with matching helmets is so beautifully colorful and unusual, it almost looks painted, and I bet she wasn’t the only passerby who took a photo. Not sure those helmets would pass many safety tests, but they sure are fashionable. Why shouldn’t we match our accessories to our transportation?

Share your favorite travel photography in the Gadling Flickr pool, we may choose one for the Photo of the Day series.

[Photo credit: Lauren Irons]

Museum Of Modern Art Opens Bill Brandt Photography Retrospective

by Sean McLachlan on

The Museum Of Modern Art in New York City has opened an important retrospective of the work of Bill Brandt, one of the most influential photographers of the 20th century.

“Bill Brandt: Shadow and Light” covers the photographer’s entire career in more than 150 images. While Brandt was born in Germany in 1904, he made England his home until his death in 1983. He’s best known for his intriguing photos of London during the bombings in World War II. Images of civilians sleeping in Tube stations and a blacked-out London in moonlight quickly became iconic images of Britain in wartime.

Before this, Brandt was already making a name for himself with images of the English poor and working class, and also the English countryside.

After the war, Brandt began to create nudes and, once again, his photos had an ethereal, dreamlike quality to them. He’s also known for intimate portraits of famous people of his day such as Pablo Picasso and Martin Amis.

“Bill Brandt: Shadow and Light” runs until August 12.

[Nude by Bill Brandt taken in London in 1954 courtesy Museum of Modern Art]