The Tao is called the Great Mother: empty yet inexhaustible, It gives birth to infinite worlds. It is always present within you, like a veil, barely seen. Let It use you any way It wants! In some ways this short chapter of the Tao Te Ching was the most difficult, to date, upon which [...]
Heaven and earth last forever. The reason why heaven and earth last forever is that they do not live for themselves. Hence, they last forever. Therefore, the True Person leaves self behind and thus is found in front, is not guarded and thus is preserved, is self-free and thus is able to find fulfilment. When [...]
Hannah Has Recovered, One Week After Her Arrival! Just a week ago I had to collect Hannah from Dalaman Airport at an ungodly hour and so decided to get some rest during the evening. I had just nodded off when our, very loud, door-bell rang and I found Yasemin from ‘The Orange Garden‘ on the [...]
Amazon, Hannah and Irem Near the Çardak Restaurant, Turunç The E-400 isn’t considered to be a great camera for taking pictures at night. People claim the Kodak sensor is noisy, especially when compared with the Panasonic sensor in the E-410, and E-510. I think the problems with the E-400 sensor are exaggerated and last night [...]
“I know you’re photographing me, but I am taking no notice” It seems just yesterday that Hannah arrived but two precious weeks are running away all too quickly. We arranged for Divers Delight to collect her from the pier at Amos so she could, at last, get some value from her sub-aqua diving licence. Today [...]
Communing with a tree will invite joy into your world far more than talking with most people. You and a tree may be like minded whereas people tend to be stubborn. ———————— Every one of us is an illusion. There is only, for want of a better description, unlimited potential, light, or in other words [...]
Note: even though today Hannah is a business woman, she still wears her docket from ‘The Glade‘! Note the boots and cut of the suit . . . . . . all were styled and made in Turkey
11-22 Olympus Zuiko D Zoom at 11mm During the past few days I’ve been playing with the Olympus Zuiko 11/22mm digital zoom lens. It was recently returned to me from Portugal where it has been undergoing repairs under warrantee. It never worked properly from the day I acquired it. Fortunately Olympus have done a good [...]
Irem loses it in Ümraniye Carrefour! On the one side of her there is Granny prattling on about the price of soap powder, or some such thing. On the other side there is a little girl holding on to her and shouting “Mimmy, Mummy!” at the top of her voice. Opposite there is an [...]
Looking East by Steve McCurry I guess like most proud parents I’m prejudiced and consider my daughters to be the most beautiful girls in the world. Recently, however, when shopping in Ümraniye Carrefour I saw a face on this book by photographer Steve McCurry peering out of a shop window at me. What a delight, [...]
Why has Amazon a bemused and appealing look on her face? This Is What She Wanted! Ooops, All The Tasty Dondurma Has Gone I Can’t Believe I Ate It That Quickly!
From The Restaurant Window This is our second day of rain since we came to Istanbul. It’s really refreshing, although Damla came here to attend a wedding and the weather must be a disappointment for the bride. We are in Sirkeci today buying those essentials that make life enjoyable. A new camera bag, a protective [...]
One of the things I enjoy about Turkish Cities is the juxtaposition between the cultures that subsist within them. Here I am drinking Turk Kahve at a relatively smart cafe when in the distance I spy two traditionally dressed women sitting under a tree. All around them appears to be litter, blown or dumped, in [...]
Olympus Zuiko 11-22 Digital Zoom lens at 22mm A few days ago I displayed this image taken with the Olympus Zuiko 11-22 Digital Zoom lens at 22mm. It was shot at F 3.5, the widest aperture possible for the lens. The same day I also took some photographs with some other lenses. These support wider [...]
Çapa Hospital at Dusk It’s just amazing how much can change in an hour. Here, above, is a photograph of Çapa Hospital taken from Dr. Behiye’s pied à terre on the opposite side of the road. Behiye is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Psychiatry at Istanbul University and is based at Çapa Hospital. [...]
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Difficilis,querulus, laudator temporis acti.
Sepuero, castigator, cesorque minorum
Stephen Jeremy Maxwell Bray lives with his wife Irem, and daughter Amazon at Amos, Turunc near Marmaris, Turkey..
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