My Favourite Travel Photos of 2016

My partner works in international development, which means I am fortunate to be able to join her from time to time in exotic locations and indulge my passion for photography.

In 2016 I have visited Morocco, Bali (twice) and Timor Leste. With some difficulty, I have chosen my ten favourite photographs from these trips. I have ordered them by country; the choices are made on the basis of the quality of the memory, rather than necessarily the technical qualities of each image.

I would like to share them with you and would welcome your feedback.

Morocco

The first was taken in the medina of Fès el-Bali, in Fès. A coppersmith is busy in his open workshop, beating out his wares, surrounded by his tools and products, oblivious to the tourist taking close up photographs on his phone. The industriousness of the craftsman contrasts with the tourist, who paid no attention to the coppersmith and did not attempt to engage him in conversation. I don’t imagine a sale was made.

I loved this distressed wall, with its ochre colours and the shape of the exposed stonework, revealed where the rendering had fallen away. The rust stains colouring the wall beneath  the window grille add an interesting shade to the palette.

The contrast between the dark passageway, the sunlit wall and the shadow cast by the lamp creates a calm composition.

I took this photo on my phone in a neighbourhood communal bakery in the medina of Fès. Residents take their own bread to be baked in the oven. Each person’s loaves are marked with distinctive knife cuts, so that the owners of the cooked products can be identified. I like the raw, grainy monochrome of the photo, lifted by the central colour from the oven.

Bali

Cream, maroon and light blue colours predominate in the fishing boats on the beach at Jimbaran.

This is my favourite photograph of all. It was taken in Ubud at the public creation of the royal prince Cokorda Putra Widura (also featured at the top of the page). It shows various groups of mourners and observers. The unusual quality is that the groups are quite distinct, appearing almost as though the image is an assembled collage rather than a photograph. I would like to be able to take credit for this aspect, but have to admit that it was a happy accident.

Timor Leste

Bright colours on both the lighthouse and surroundings feature in this photo taken on a hot sunny day (the temperature was approaching 35C) on the shore in Dili. On a distant hilltop you can make out the statue of Cristo del Rei (Christ the Redeemer), a smaller copy of the one in Rio de Janeiro.

Travelling eastwards out of Dili towards Areia Branca, there are some simple hotels and a variety of restaurants on the shore. The entrance to this one frames an inviting table and has a splendid view towards Atauro Island.

The young boy is holding a skewered fish. He seemed oblivious to everything around him. I like the light and shade on the bamboo screen, through which patches of sky can be seen.

This roadside shack appeared to sell only bottled motorcycle fuel, soft drinks and water. Yellow, green blue and brown colours form a harmonious scene.