Monk on U Bein

It was supposed to be a sunrise shot. At least that was what I had in my mind as I loaded myself into a taxi at 4:15 AM this morning. I was up early anyway since I’m a world away from my normal sleep/wake cycle.

My destination this morning was the longest and oldest teakwood bridge in the world. The U Bein bridge spans Lake Taungthaman outside Mandalay, Myanmar. With its 1,086 teak pillars the visual potential was appealing since I love repetitive structures and the lines they can create across landscapes. Throwing  in a couple people to create a juxtaposition against that graphic would be nice as well. 

The weather this time of year here in Myanmar is not always the best, but traveling in low season has other advantages. My hope was to go early to avoid any chance for crowds as this place has grown in popularity over the years. What I found, not excluding the clouds, was a pleasant morning breeze and hardly a tourist in sight. Only the locals moving quietly across the span to work.

It is always the dilemma with sunrise photography when you arrive before the sun comes up.  Just start shooting or spend time looking for the best place to shoot the sunrise. Fish or cut bait. The cloud bank looming over the horizon provided the answer. Thick black clouds moving my direction.

I always thought shots off the bridge would be good, but never expected the drama created by this structure. It was truly stunning in its simplicity. And my human elements. They arrived with a little patience. 

What I like about this picture is the texture of the teak pillars and how it contrasts against the dark flowing robes of the monks. I know their  robes have texture and detail, but like the monks themselves these are unknown elements I can only wonder about.  

I left the bridge this morning with plenty of what I thought I might find there. Never thinking that my favorite would be this shot. Closer and more tightly cropped than I envisioned, but full of perspective and drama.