Photographer By Night | Behind the scenes with Tomasz Wagner
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  • January7th

    Asia 2008 | Day 18 | Nara Park, Japan | Travel Photographer

    Posted in: Japan, Nara, Travel

    Today’s day trip destination was Nara Park. I was compelled to visit Nara was because of the huge population of tame deer that populate the 660 hectare park. The myth behind this city says that as the sun broke through the clouds, clearing a path that shon down on earth, a god rode down from the sky on a white deer. Ok, so I might have exaggerated a part or two, but if the story didn’t make you lift an eyebrow then I don’t know what would. The city of Nara greets and takes care of the deer, and for this reason alone it deserves a look around.

    Every morning I made myself quick instant oats again, but the bland taste didn’t appeal to my taste buds today. I decided to leave a little early this morning to find a place to sit down and enjoy something other than oats and granola bars on the go. On the way to the park my eyes caught a glimpse of a Mister Donut tucked away in a shopping district across the street. My eyes instantly glazed over and my mind was forced to make an emergency detour. Having been so health-conscious throughout the trip I decided to treat myself to something nice. The selection inside was spectacular, with donuts that I’ve never seen before. The meal I ordered included chicken noodle soup, warm tea and a donut of my choice. I knew the mind was a couple steps behind the stomach because when the meal arrived so did an extra donut. The prices were right anyway, no returns were going to be made today.

    Spotting a deer became as common as seeing a person when I got closer to the park. There were fences put in place for their safety, but for the most part they were accustomed to graze anywhere they felt was in their best interest. The deer were very tame and human’s attention didn’t bother them one bit. If you had the need to pet or hug them you might get away with it; although a treat might have to be sacrificed to do so. I found that if you’re going to buy food, be prepared to for a bunch of deer heads invade your personal bubble. These deer have a specialty and it’s to scare you. Don’t expect them to just roll over and say please just because you’re carrying food. From some of the pictures below, you can see the individual holding food will get chased down; even stalked! Makes for great photos!

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  • January2nd

    Asia 2008 | Day 11-12 | Hong Kong | Travel Photographer

    Posted in: Hong Kong, Travel

        My plans in Hong Kong weren’t as extensive as they were in the other cities I had visited. There were the couple tourist attractions here and there, but for the most part I was there just to familiarize myself with HK and it’s delicious food! The morning in HK was the first lazy start that I had up so far in my trip, so just lay in bed attempting to catch up with my delayed blogs. By the time I left the hotel, it was already an hour into the afternoon. I was heading to Ngong Ping 360 for the gondola ride, but I got distracted by the markets outside the Mong Kok subway terminal.
        When I arrived at the base of Ngong Ping’s gondola ride, I was informed that the entrance to the large Tian Tan Buddha had already closed and the last gondola was leaving in 30 minutes, while the last bus departed in 60 minutes. Well since I already paid to get here, and I knew I wasn’t returning here tomorrow, so I just decided to go ahead and pay for the one way gondola there. The gondola was an enjoyable experience, and the view of Hong Kong was alright, nothing spectacular. As I was the only one on board, I was able to move freely through the tram and capture some neat effects with how the gondolas were moving. The day was already coming to an end as the light diminished over Hong Kong. When I came back down, a lot of the shops were starting to close. I managed to quickly drop into one of them to buy myself a souvenir fridge magnet. To some of you that don’t know me all that well, I’m trying to cover the fridge with magnets from every place I go to. I’ll take a photo of it one day and write a quick entry. Night drew over Hong Kong and not only did the temperature drop, but it was also coupled by a frigid, cold wind that blew across the top of the mountain. I wasn’t properly prepared for the cold, so when a draft came by I couldn’t help but shake throughout. The grand solitary statue known as the Tian Tan Buddha was an ominous figure portrayed as a shadow in the distant dim background.

    “The statue is named Tian Tan Buddha because its base is a model of the Altar of Heaven or Earthly Mount of Tian Tan, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. It is one of the five large Buddha statues in China. The Buddha statue sits on a lotus throne on top of a three-platform altar. It is surrounded by eight smaller bronze statues representing gods or immortals. Like the Daibutsu in Kamakura, Japan, the Tian Tan Buddha is an image of Amitabha Buddha. The Tian Tan Buddha was constructed beginning in 1990, and was finished on December 29, 1993, the birthday of Gautama Buddha, the historic Buddha. The construction costs of the giant Buddha were estimated to be up to $68 million. It was formed out of 202 separate pieces of bronze. In addition to the exterior components, there is a strong steel framework inside the statue to support the heavy load and wind pressure.” – Wiki


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