Photographs and Words by Stefano Pedroni

Still fairly untouched by mass tourism, Myanmar (or Burma) welcomes you with unexpected charm  and friendliness. Not yet contaminated by the western way of life, the country  lets you discover its traditions, cuisine, culture and amazing landmarks with humble simplicity. We chose to travel around Myanmar with no reservations and no fixed itinerary, using only local transportation so we could experience and understand local life at a very slow pace.

See more of Stefano’s amazing captures here, or follow him on Twitter and Google+ to keep up with his latest work.

A funeral is taking place right in front of a Buddhist temple on Inle Lake.

Monks walking on U Beins bridge, the largest Teak-wood bridge in the world.

A monk traveling on the train going toward Yangon.

Pathodawgyi Paya is the tallest bell-shaped pagoda (185 ft) of Mandalay was erected in 1820.

The Twin Buddha statues (Gautama & Maitreya), Dhammayangyi Pahto temple, Bagan.

A scene of daily life on Inle Lake.

A long necked woman from the Karen tribe, also known as “giraffe” women.

An old woman is counting her profits after selling goods at the train stop.

All sort of goods can be found at the Saturday market in Nyaungshwe (Inle Lake) where the Intha people from the villages around the lake come to sell their products.

See more of Stefano’s amazing captures here, or follow him on Twitter and Google+ to keep up with his latest work.

CC by darren-johnson

Endless Summer

CC by Steven | Alan

The Photography of Wendy Rockburn

See more of Wendy’s great work at http://musafirphotography.wordpress.com/

Fishing boats, Essaouira, Morocco, October 2006

Ballooning at dawn, Cappadocia, Turkey, June 2007

Mouley Ali Cherif mosque, Rissani, Morocco, October 2006

Souq (market), Taroudannt, Morocco, October 2006

Foz do Iquacu (Iquaza Falls), on the Argentina-Brazil border, January 2008

Reed fishing boats, on the beach at Huanchaco, Peru, December 2007

Siberian tiger, Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling, India, January 2009

Young Buddhist monks in a monastery in Sikkim, India, January 2009

The ghats at Varanasi, on the Ganges, India, January 2009

Corcovado from Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, February 2008

Salar de Uyuni salt flats (in winter), Bolivia, January 2008

Interior, Kiddist Maryam Church, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, October 2010

Bet Abbas Labanos priest, with crosses, Lalibela, Ethiopia, October 2010

Local folk artist, outside Asheton Maryam on Mount Abuna Yoseph, Lalibela, Ethiopia, October 2010

Village woman on the road, southern Ethiopia, October 2010

Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary, Malaysia, November 2011

Blue hat in a wooden boat, Floating Market, Bangkok, Thailand, November 2011

Paper parasols for sale, Night Market, Luang Prabang, Lao, November 2011

Wash basin area, embroidery shop, Hoi An, Vietnam, December 2011

Elderly denizen of Hoi An, Vietnam, December 2011

See more of Wendy’s great work at http://musafirphotography.wordpress.com/

The Photography of Adam Levy

Adam Levy explores the often overlooked beauty of the American Appalachian Mountains.

Adam Levy Photography, Facebook, and Twitter.

As I visited the Smoky Mountain region, I always make sure to drive through the Roaring Fork Motor Trail, in Gatlinburg, TN. Along this rustic road there are many places that feature cascades, rocky terrain, and the occasional homestead, which make for great photo opportunities.

My first time at Clingman’s Dome between Gatlinburg and Cherokee, NC. I arrived here at about 5am to set up. At first the fog was overbearing, but as the sun rose, it broke through and the experience to witness it in person was simply amazing.

The Roaring Fork Motor trail has a lot of water and rock scenes. I love the way the moss grows over them, and quite honestly, its hard to take a bad picture in this park.

Linville Falls in North Carolina. Another challenging trail, but once you reach the gorge, the mountain breezes that flow through here feel amazing and its relaxing. Had to get my shots and head back out though, I didn’t want to be caught in the gorge after the sun went down.

Adam Levy Photography, Facebook, and Twitter.

Photography and Introduction by Trevor Cole

Ireland has what I call an inimitable light which creates unique opportunities to photograph this verdant isle. The coast of Ireland, in particular, is beautiful with headlands and beaches prevalent throughout. Its low population density means that an empty beach is a reality, and so too, a walk into the mountains.  Rain is plentiful and this in many ways has kept development of an insensitive nature at bay. The combination of the rain, clouds, and intermittent sun are integral to the beauty of the land.

Find more of Mr. Cole’s work at www.coleimages.com and http://500px.com/trevcole.  For his latest captures follow him on Facebook.

 Check out Trevor’s previous contribution, Yemen and Socotra.

The Photography of Savvy Gulia

Check out Savvy’s blog and follow her on Facebook for more beautiful captures.

There are always flowers for those who want to see them.

Courage to accept acceptance

We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. ~ Joseph Campbell

Entangled

“I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.” Anne Frank

Trustworthy, dependable, committed! Blue is constant in our lives

Time it

Searching… for light of hope

Envision

Ever heard a wind chime ring? It takes us away from the dullness of the world to the rustles of the wind…

Pure Joy!

I can shine even in the darkest of places

Brass in Blue

Emblazon, colors follow the changes of emotion

I like to go into a little shell and be a hermit and make music for a while.

A mesh! Complexities, snares, constraints, restrictions! Or togetherness, interdependence, relations, faith!

There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.

Check out Savvy’s blog and follow her on Facebook for more beautiful captures.

Photography and Words by Anne Oswald

It’s a land of ideas, of insatiable hopes, of progress, and motion, and change…
A place where the sky does not hold limitations and where the impossible is ever so strange.
Its steps are hurried and its strides are many as it’s continually setting the pace…
But just beside it walking confidently is its other self, the true essence of this complex place.
It continues to survive amidst the landscape of change and was there long before modern day…
It is deeply rooted in history and faith and despite progress that’s where it has stayed.
It lives in the sand and in the concrete of the city, it rises with the Arabian sun…
It is found in the unguarded moments of prayer, and in each whispered voice one by one.
If you listen you will hear it, and looking you will see what else of this place so enthralls…
It’s the mindful silence, the quiet in between, the silence that permeates all.

realeyesphotography.com, Facebook and Twitter

© All text and images copyright of Anne Oswald / RealEyes Photography

See more of Anne’s work at realeyesphotography.com

and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

The Photography of Andy Schrock

 A collection of amazing captures by well-traveled photographer Andy Schrock.  Find more of his work at www.andyschrockphotography.com

Man and daughter lighting candles, Wat Pho, Bangkok, Thailand

Buddhist nun and woman praying, Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Sky and sea, Phang Nga Bay, Phuket, Thailand

Boy poses after ceremony, Wat Chalong, Phuket Thailand

Resting nun, Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Buddha head encased in tree roots, Ayutthaya, Thailand

Skytrain pulling into the station, Bangkok, Thailand

Tuk-tuk driver and monk, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

40 KM marker/Caribbean sea, Cozumel, Mexico

Skull filled stupa at Choeung Ek (Killing Fields), outside of Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Beach sunset, Langkawi Island, Malaysia

Shy nun, Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Moonrise, Mojave Desert, California

Lizard, Khao Sok National Park, Phuket, Thailand

Boy running on beach, Similan Islands, Thailand

Sunrise over Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Smiling faces of Avalokiteshvara, Bayon Temple in Angkor Thom, Cambodia

Jogger at sunset, Patong Beach, Phuket Thailand

Andy Schrock is a Long Beach, California based photographer. Initially starting his award-winning career in newspaper photojournalism, he has since branched out into headshots, commercial, motion picture stills, and most recently, travel photography. The following gallery shows a sample of his travel photography, primarily centered in SE Asia. You can see more of his work at www.andyschrockphotography.com

Photography and Words by Elly Stewart

The summer of 2011 was one to remember. It was my first summer out of college and I was fortunate enough to not only travel Colorado and the surrounding states, but also Spain and Australia! With it being my first time to either of those countries, and really my first time shooting outside of college and my home state of Oklahoma, I was very blessed to be among some of the finest professional rock climbers in the world. With thanks to my Mentor, Keith Ladzinski, I was completely surrounded by the industry that I love so much.

Rock Climbing is not only a sport of upper body strength, tendons of steel, and a complete lack of fear. This sport is 90% in the mind. Without the extreme dedication these athletes put into their sport, pushing through the pain of bleeding fingers, big falls, and disappointment of being thrown off the rock time and time again, they would not be able to accomplish the incredible feats that they do. Pushing the sport every day is something they strive for. Just a few years ago if you asked a climber if anyone would ever climb the routes that have been done today, they would have told you that you were off your rocker. These men and women dedicate their lives to pushing their minds and bodies to limits that seem impossible, then push themselves even farther. Among some of the strongest humans alive today, most people will never know their names. I consider myself lucky to have gotten to know these amazingly humble athletes and am proud to have been able to experience with them the incredible love they have for the rock.

Among these images are my favorites from my summer of 2011.

The athletes shown are Chris Sharma, Dave Graham, Nalle Hukkataival, Ian Dory, Jes D’Emilio, Keller Rinaudo, Carlo Traversi, James Kassay, and Remy Abonneau.

See more of Elly’s work at ellystewart.com and follow her on instagram.

See more of Elly’s work at ellystewart.com and follow her on instagram.