Bali-3

 Pura Ulun Danu Bratan

I see this temple printed on many of the travel brochures for Bali.   It is Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, (sometimes called the floating temple), built on a tiny island and dedicated to the goddess of the lake, Dewi Danu. I was disappointed because it was a dark and cloudy day when we visited, my camera batteries were dying as quickly as I changed them, and my lenses were fogging up because of the 100% humidity. I took tons of photos that ultimately ended up in the 'trash bin', but there were a few seconds when the clouds gave way to a couple of blue patches that lit up the temple. I snapped this photo quickly even though there was person's head in the bottom of the frame. I cropped her out!

Bali - 2

Beautiful doors everywhere we traveled in Bali.

Bali - 1

 Pura Taman Saraswati

After traveling half way around the world, (30+ hours in airports/airplanes with 3 layovers), and then having a limited number of days and daylight hours, it is hard to narrow down photo opportunities when visiting such a beautiful, culturally rich and interesting place as Bali. But having to do just that, I opted to concentrate on the history, culture and people rather than the landscapes, beach scenes and sunsets. (After all, a beautiful sunset over the ocean occurs in many places!) Most Balinese are Hindu, and their religious practices and rituals permeate their every day lives. They say there are at least 200,000 temples and monuments on this small island, some dating back to the 10th century. This is Pura Taman Saraswati, built in honor of Saraswati, the deity of learning and the arts.

Tucson, Arizona LDS Temple

Tucson, Arizona LDS Temple

During our recent visit to Arizona, I was able to photograph the Tucson LDS (Mormon)Temple, (in addition to the Gilbert, AZ temple shown in a previous post). It is the 157 of 159 operating temples around the world and opened in 2017. When I first set out with my camera, I was disappointed that I just couldn't seen to find a good angle or composition, at least from ground level. I was not happy with any of my photos from that day. But it was good luck that the motel we had chosen was just a short drive from the temple so I was able to go back several times both at sunrise and sunset, and was finally rewarded with a beautiful sunrise. I ended up taking this shot from across a busy street and had to time my shots in between the cars passing right in front of me.

Sunrise, Sunset.....Saguaro Country

Sunrise

Sunset

Gilbert Arizona LDS Temple

Gilbert Arizona LDS Temple

Even though the weather report looked boring, I drug myself out of bed well before dawn. We were visiting my son's family in Mesa several weeks ago, and I was determined to photograph the LDS (Mormon) temple located a short distance away in Gilbert Arizona. Even though it has been open since 2014, (the 142nd of 159 temples worldwide), I had not seen it during our previous visits. I pulled into the parking lot and found I was the only one there. As I waited in the dark, I was already convinced the sunrise would be boring as there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and since the temple faces directly east, to my back, I wouldn't even be able to get a sunburst for added interest. But as the darkness began to lift I noticed a few hazy clouds starting to form behind the temple. This looked promising. As time went on, they continued to grow in size and become more defined. Then to my delight, I detected a slight pink glow that increased in color with every passing second until they formed a beautiful backdrop. I started taking photos like crazy. But the best was yet to come. When the sun finally peeked over the horizon, its rays lit up the temple with an ethereal like glow. The scene was so beautiful and so peaceful that I only took a few pictures, then stopped just to enjoy this fleeting moment in time, and thank God for this lovely beginning to the day. (For a night owl, sometimes getting up early is so worth it!!)

Easter Sunday 2018

Wishing my fellow Christians around the world a joyous Easter Sunday, as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Savior and Redeemer! 

(The Christus statue by Thorvaldsen, found on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah.)