Passageway

Malacca, Malaysia.

When we came upon this small temple in the port town of Malacca, I found myself drawn to the oversized circular window and began to compose my shot. As soon as I raised my camera, a small woman hurried past me headed down the dark corridor that lead to an interior courtyard. I knew the instant she reached the portal her figure would appear as a stark silhouette against the brightly lit background. It was simply a matter of being patient until that precise moment when all the elements within the picture frame came into perfect alignment.

. . . . .

This photo served the starting point for the long and deliberative process of selecting the 15 images for this show. It came to epitomize my impressions of Malaysia by suggesting the curious and the strange, the recognition of the familiar, and the overlap of cultural, religious, and ethnic influences.

This image also signifies a breakthrough in my growth as a photographer. I had recently decided to switch to a digital SLR camera from the medium format film camera I had been using. This move freed my dependence from tripod use and allowed me respond to situations far more rapidly than ever before.

Copyright © 2011 Blake Stenning