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My first attempts at smoke photography.

I found out the hard way it's not as easy as it looks! Took me an hour to even get some results I could use.

Post processing I made a mirror image and the dust you see is actually the incense sticks ash dust as I was blowing it to make swirls in the smoke.

Loi Krathong takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional and they do this all evening on the 12th monthThai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November.

Loi means 'to float', while krathong refers to the (usually) lotus-shaped container which floats on the water. Krathong has no other meaning in Thai besides decorative floats, so Loi Krathong is very hard to translate, requiring a word describing what a Krathong looks like such as Floating Crown, Floating Boat, Floating Decoration. The traditional krathong are made from a slice of the trunk of a banana tree or a spider lily plant. Modern krathongs are more often made of bread or styrofoam. A bread krathong will disintegrate after a few days and can be eaten by fish. Banana stalk krathong are also biodegradable, but styrofoam krathongs are sometimes banned, as they pollute the rivers and may take years to decompose. A krathong is decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, incense sticks, and a candle. A small coin is sometimes included as an offering to the river spirits. On the night of the full moon, Thais launch their krathong on a river, canal or a pond, making a wish as they do so. The festival may originate from an ancient ritual paying respect to the water spirits.

The preparation: this candles will illuminate the staircase to the river

Loi Krathong takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the Western calendar this usually falls in November.

According to the Royal Institute Dictionary 1999, loi (ลอย) means "to float", while krathong(กระทง) has various meanings, one of which is "a basket to be floated on water in the Loi Krathong festival". Several translations of krathong are found, such as "floating crown", "floating boat", "floating decoration". The traditional krathong are made from a slice of the trunk of a banana tree or a spider lily plant. Modern krathongs are more often made of bread or styrofoam. A bread krathong will disintegrate after a few days and can be eaten by fish. Banana stalk krathong are also biodegradable, but styrofoam krathongs are sometimes banned, as they pollute the rivers and may take years to decompose. A krathong is decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, incense sticks, and a candle. A small coin is sometimes included as an offering to the river spirits.

On the night of the full moon, Thais launch their krathong on a river, canal or a pond, making a wish as they do so. The festival may originate from an ancient ritual paying respect to the water spirits.

Government offices, corporations and other organizations launch large decorated krathongs. There are competitions for the best such krathong. A beauty contest is a regular feature and fireworks have become common in recent years.

Loi Krathong is often claimed to have begun in the Sukhothai by a court lady named Nopphamat. However, it is now known that the Nopphamat tale comes from a poem written in the early Bangkok period. According to H.M. King Rama IV, writing in 1863, it was a Brahmanical festival that was adapted by Thai Buddhists in Thailand to honor Buddha, Prince Siddhartha Gautama. The candle venerates the Buddha with light, while the krathongs floating symbolizes letting go of all one's hatred, anger, and defilements. People sometime cut their fingernails or hair and place the clippings on the krathong as a symbol of letting go of past transgressions and negative thoughts. Many ordinary Thai use the krathong to thank the Goddess of Water, Phra Mae Khongkha (Thai: พระแม่คงคา).

The beauty contests that accompany the festival are known as "Nopphamat Queen Contests". According to legend, Nang Nopphamat (Thai: นางนพมาศ; alternatively spelled as "Noppamas") was a consort of the 13th century Sukhothai king Sri Indraditya (who is also known as Phra Ruang) and she had been the first to float a decorated raft. However, this is a new story which was invented during the first part of the 19th century. There is no evidence that a Nang Nopphamat ever existed. Instead, it is a matter of fact that a woman of this name was the leading character of a novel released at the end of the reign of King Rama III, around 1850 CE. Her character was written as guidance for all women who wished to become civil servants.

Kelantan in Malaysia celebrates Loi Krathong similarly, especially in the Tumpat area. The ministry in charge of tourism in Malaysia recognises it as an attraction for tourists. Many people visit the celebration each year.

Yi Peng

Thousands of Khom Loi in Mae Cho, Chiang Mai

Loi Krathong coincides with the Lanna (northern Thai) festival known as Yi Peng (Thai: ยี่เป็ง). Yi means "two" and peng means a "full moon day". Yi Peng refers to the full moon day in the second month according to the Lanna lunar calendar (the twelfth month according to the Thai lunar calendar).

Swarms of Lanna-style sky lanterns (khom loi (Thai: โคมลอย), literally: "floating lanterns") are launched into the air where they resemble large shoals of giant fluorescent jellyfish gracefully floating through the sky. The festival is meant as a time for tham bun (Thai: ทำบุญ), to make merit. Khom loi are made from a thin fabric, such as rice paper, stretched over a bamboo or wire frame, to which a candle or fuel cell is attached. When the fuel cell is lit, the resulting hot air is trapped inside the lantern and creates enough lift for the khom loi to float up into the sky.

During the festival, people also decorate their houses, gardens, and temples with khom fai (Thai: โคมไฟ), intricately shaped paper lanterns which take on different forms. Khom thue (Thai: โคมถือ) are lanterns which are carried around hanging from a stick, khom khwaen (Thai: โคมแขวน) are the hanging lanterns, and khom pariwat (Thai: โคมปริวรรต), which are placed at temples and which revolve due to the heat of the candle inside. The most elaborate Yi Peng celebrations can be seen in Chiang Mai, the ancient capital of the former Lanna kingdom, where now both Loi Krathong and Yi Peng are celebrated at the same time resulting in lights floating on the waters, lights hanging from trees/buildings or standing on walls, and lights floating in the sky. The tradition of Yi Peng was also adopted by certain parts of Laos during the 16th century.

A fantasy character, the smoke warrior, returns. Photographing smoke trails gives some weird and wonderful shapes and patterns. When this is combined with photoshop, it is surprising what can be achieved. An abstract smoke trail image. Original photograph manipulated and coloured in photoshop.

If you cannot find the colour that you require please contact me via either of my websites or Facebook or Twitter.

sjpgalleries.weebly.com

thesmokeguru.weebly.com

www.facebook.com/steve.purnell.12

twitter.com/StevePurnell1

Der Balinesische Garten spiegelt das Streben der Menschen nach Einklang mit sich selbst, ihrem Umfeld und dem gesamten Universum. Auf Bali heißt es, dass ein harmonisches Miteinander der Dämonen der Erde, der Götter des Himmels und der Menschen auf der Erde unabdingbar ist und Leben erst ermöglicht. Der Balinesische Garten ist so gestaltet, dass alle Elemente miteinander in Einklang kommen können. Darum heißt er „Garten der drei Harmonien“ – auf balinesisch Tri Hita Karana.

Er entstand 2003 im Rahmen der Städtepartnerschaft Berlin-Jakarta, zunächst in einem kleinen, bereits bestehenden Gewächshaqus.. Im Zentrum der Halle steht ein südbalinesischer Wohnhof, der durch eine Lehmziegelmauer von seiner Umgebung abgegrenzt ist. Die baulichen Elemente der Wohnstätte wurden von dem indonesischen Architekten I Putu Edy Semara entworfen und zu großen Teilen auf Bali vorgefertigt. Die „Pura“ gennannte Tempelanlage dient der in Berlin lebenden Bali-Gemeinde als Ort, an dem sie ihre Kultur pflegen und ihre Religion ausüben kann. 2012 wurden zwei zusätzliche Schreine gebaut, die in einer feierlichen Zeremonie von aus Bali eingeflogenen Priestern geweiht wurden. Auf ihnen wirst du stets Opfergaben wie Blumen, Früchte oder Räucherstäbchen finden, die dazu dienen, die Götter gnädig zu stimmen.

Für die IGA 2017 wurde dann eine 1.200 qm große Tropenhalle über dem Gewächshaus errichtet, das nach ihrer Fertigstellung abgebaut wurde. So konnte die bestehende Anlage deutlich erweitert werden. Das energieeffiziente Warmhaus ermöglichte die Kultivierung anspruchsvoller tropischer Pflanzen. Nun endlich konnte sich ein richtiger balinesischer Dschungel entfalten.

In der 14 m hohen Halle sind die Wohnanlage und die Gärten untergebracht. Das feuchtwarme Klima in der Halle stellt im Winter den Fotografen vor große Probleme, weil die Optik immer wieder beschlägt.

Quelle: GrünBerlin GmbH

The Balinese Garden reflects people's striving for harmony with themselves, their environment and the entire universe. In Bali it is said that a harmonious coexistence of the demons of the earth, the gods of heaven and the people on earth is indispensable and makes life possible. The Balinese Garden is designed so that all elements can come into harmony with each other. That is why it is called the "Garden of the Three Harmonies" - Tri Hita Karana in Balinese.

It was created in 2003 as part of the Berlin-Jakarta city partnership, initially in a small, already existing greenhouse. In the centre of the hall is a South Balinese residential courtyard, which is separated from its surroundings by a mud-brick wall. The structural elements of the dwelling were designed by the Indonesian architect I Putu Edy Semara and largely prefabricated in Bali. The temple complex, called "Pura", serves the Bali community living in Berlin as a place where they can cultivate their culture and practise their religion. In 2012, two additional shrines were built and consecrated in a solemn ceremony by priests flown in from Bali. On them, you will always find offerings such as flowers, fruits or incense sticks, which serve to make the gods merciful.

For the IGA 2017, a 1,200-square-metre tropical hall was then built over the greenhouse, which was dismantled after its completion. This allowed the existing facility to be significantly expanded. The energy-efficient warm house enabled the cultivation of demanding tropical plants. Now, finally, a real Balinese jungle could unfold.

The 14 m high hall houses the living quarters and the gardens. The warm and humid climate in the hall poses great problems for photographers in winter because the lens keeps fogging up.

Source: GrünBerlin GmbH

The Tai Hang Fire Dragon has its origin in 1880 . At that time , Tai Hang was only a small Hakka village and the villagers , most of them farmers and fishermen , Led a simple and peaceful life . The tale started when the villagers once killed a serpent in a stormy night , but in the next morning , the dead body of the serpent had disappeared . A few days later , a plague spread out in Tai Hang and many people died of infection . Meanwhile , a village elder saw Buddha one night in his dream and was told to perform a Fire Dragon Dance and to burn fire crackers in the Mid-Autumn Festival. The sulphur in the fire crackers drove away the disease and the villagers were saved. Since then , every year the Tai Hang residents would perform the Fire Dragon Dance for three nights in the Mid-Autumn Festival in memory of the incident. The Fire Dragon is altogether 220 feet long with its body divided into 32 segments , all of which are stuffed with straw and stuck full of incense sticks , So it is known as the "Fire-Dragon".

In June 2011, the Tai Hang fire dragon dance have been added to the third national intangible cultural heritage list.

www.taihangfiredragon.hk/about.htm

Camera for the photo : Olympus OM-D E-M5

Lens for the photo : Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm F2.8 ASPH

Joss sticks are incense sticks burned in hindu and buddist temples

This was at Pathini devalaya in Katharigamam in Sri Lanka

The Tai Hang Fire Dragon has its origin in 1880 . At that time , Tai Hang was only a small Hakka village and the villagers , most of them farmers and fishermen , Led a simple and peaceful life . The tale started when the villagers once killed a serpent in a stormy night , but in the next morning , the dead body of the serpent had disappeared . A few days later , a plague spread out in Tai Hang and many people died of infection . Meanwhile , a village elder saw Buddha one night in his dream and was told to perform a Fire Dragon Dance and to burn fire crackers in the Mid-Autumn Festival. The sulphur in the fire crackers drove away the disease and the villagers were saved. Since then , every year the Tai Hang residents would perform the Fire Dragon Dance for three nights in the Mid-Autumn Festival in memory of the incident. The Fire Dragon is altogether 220 feet long with its body divided into 32 segments , all of which are stuffed with straw and stuck full of incense sticks , So it is known as the "Fire-Dragon".

In June 2011, the Tai Hang fire dragon dance have been added to the third national intangible cultural heritage list.

www.taihangfiredragon.hk/about.htm

Camera for the photo : Olympus OM-D E-M5

Lens for the photo : Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm F2.8 ASPH

Der Balinesische Garten spiegelt das Streben der Menschen nach Einklang mit sich selbst, ihrem Umfeld und dem gesamten Universum. Auf Bali heißt es, dass ein harmonisches Miteinander der Dämonen der Erde, der Götter des Himmels und der Menschen auf der Erde unabdingbar ist und Leben erst ermöglicht. Der Balinesische Garten ist so gestaltet, dass alle Elemente miteinander in Einklang kommen können. Darum heißt er „Garten der drei Harmonien“ – auf balinesisch Tri Hita Karana.

Er entstand 2003 im Rahmen der Städtepartnerschaft Berlin-Jakarta, zunächst in einem kleinen, bereits bestehenden Gewächshaqus.. Im Zentrum der Halle steht ein südbalinesischer Wohnhof, der durch eine Lehmziegelmauer von seiner Umgebung abgegrenzt ist. Die baulichen Elemente der Wohnstätte wurden von dem indonesischen Architekten I Putu Edy Semara entworfen und zu großen Teilen auf Bali vorgefertigt. Die „Pura“ gennannte Tempelanlage dient der in Berlin lebenden Bali-Gemeinde als Ort, an dem sie ihre Kultur pflegen und ihre Religion ausüben kann. 2012 wurden zwei zusätzliche Schreine gebaut, die in einer feierlichen Zeremonie von aus Bali eingeflogenen Priestern geweiht wurden. Auf ihnen wirst du stets Opfergaben wie Blumen, Früchte oder Räucherstäbchen finden, die dazu dienen, die Götter gnädig zu stimmen.

Für die IGA 2017 wurde dann eine 1.200 qm große Tropenhalle über dem Gewächshaus errichtet, das nach ihrer Fertigstellung abgebaut wurde. So konnte die bestehende Anlage deutlich erweitert werden. Das energieeffiziente Warmhaus ermöglichte die Kultivierung anspruchsvoller tropischer Pflanzen. Nun endlich konnte sich ein richtiger balinesischer Dschungel entfalten.

In der 14 m hohen Halle sind die Wohnanlage und die Gärten untergebracht. Das feuchtwarme Klima in der Halle stellt im Winter den Fotografen vor große Probleme, weil die Optik immer wieder beschlägt.

Quelle: GrünBerlin GmbH

The Balinese Garden reflects people's striving for harmony with themselves, their environment and the entire universe. In Bali it is said that a harmonious coexistence of the demons of the earth, the gods of heaven and the people on earth is indispensable and makes life possible. The Balinese Garden is designed so that all elements can come into harmony with each other. That is why it is called the "Garden of the Three Harmonies" - Tri Hita Karana in Balinese.

It was created in 2003 as part of the Berlin-Jakarta city partnership, initially in a small, already existing greenhouse. In the centre of the hall is a South Balinese residential courtyard, which is separated from its surroundings by a mud-brick wall. The structural elements of the dwelling were designed by the Indonesian architect I Putu Edy Semara and largely prefabricated in Bali. The temple complex, called "Pura", serves the Bali community living in Berlin as a place where they can cultivate their culture and practise their religion. In 2012, two additional shrines were built and consecrated in a solemn ceremony by priests flown in from Bali. On them, you will always find offerings such as flowers, fruits or incense sticks, which serve to make the gods merciful.

For the IGA 2017, a 1,200-square-metre tropical hall was then built over the greenhouse, which was dismantled after its completion. This allowed the existing facility to be significantly expanded. The energy-efficient warm house enabled the cultivation of demanding tropical plants. Now, finally, a real Balinese jungle could unfold.

The 14 m high hall houses the living quarters and the gardens. The warm and humid climate in the hall poses great problems for photographers in winter because the lens keeps fogging up.

Source: GrünBerlin GmbH

Large if you press L -to see all the texture --its one of those -"it looks better large" shots

one of my favorite pass times is watching light and how much it changes the scene as in moves to different angles --side light-- back light-- front light and diffused light all have there own advantages in certain situations like if you wanna show the texture to this water mist its gota be back lit for the effect ----just like yesterdays shot with the incense sticks and smoke -that photo works because of the back light --if it were to be front lit you wouldn't be able to get that pop of the texture from the smoke or water mister in this case ---so after deciding on a color for my flash -i tryed a few set ups but went with the yellow -i thought it worked best --set my camera on a tripod and self timer in my make shift studio -then ran to get in place and wait for the exact time to shoot the mist --i wanted to make sure there was a direct line from the end of the mister and doing that on self timer was harder then it looks --but in the end i got day 307 done and again the kitchen was a mess ---365 is on the home stretch 58 days left

strobist -- sb-800 camera back right (bare)at 1/4 power gelled yellow and fired via nikons cls

Abstract Photography - - SMOKE

This is the smoke of Incense Sticks, shot on a black background (my EminΞm t-shirt). Then worked on PS to get the solid black[use Levels Slider to achieve Solid Black].

This photograph was taken with the Kodak C653, Compact Digital. I always wanted to exploit the best out of Compact Cameras vs the High End Ones. All your encouragement and applause proves the little wonder can do what it's bigger brothers[EOS, and Ds's] can too!

I took this at a stall/shop at the side of the road in Vietnam where these sticks are made.

I originally labelled them as brushes so thanks to the corrector!

Used Incense sticks

Gdańsk is mentioned the Vita of Saint Adalbert of Prague who baptised the inhabitants of "urbs Gyddannyzc" in 997.

Later the site was a duchy of Poland. In 1224/25, merchants from Lübeck were invited Significant German influence did not appear until the 14th century, after the takeover of the city by the Teutonic Knights.

In 1300, the town had an estimated population of 2,000. Low on funds, the Pomeranian Samborides lent the settlement to Brandenburg, although they planned to give it to Poland. Poland threatened to intervene, and the Brandenburgians left the town. Subsequently, the city was taken by Danish princes in 1301. The Teutonic Knights were hired by Polish nobles to drive out the Danes.

In 1308, the town was taken by the Teutonic Knights. Primary sources record a large massacre carried out by the Knights against the population.

In 1358, Danzig joined the Hanseatic League.

After a series of Polish-Teutonic Wars, the Order had to acknowledge that it would hold Pomerelia as a fief from the Polish Crown. The city thrived as a result of increased exports via the Vistula River trading routes. While under the control of the Teutonic Order German migration increased. A new war broke out in 1409, culminating in the Battle of Grunwald in 1410. The city came under the control of the Kingdom of Poland. Only a year later, with the Peace of Thorn, it returned to the Teutonic Order.

In 1440, the city participated in the foundation of the "Prussian Confederation", an organisation opposed to the Teutonic Knights. Upon the request of the organisation King Casimir IV of Poland reincorporated the territory to the Kingdom of Poland in 1454. This led to a war between Poland and the Teutonic Order.

Casimir IV of Poland granted the town the Great Privilege. With this, the town was granted full autonomy and protection by the King of Poland. The privilege removed tariffs and taxes on trade within Poland, Lithuania and Ruthenia.

Gaining privileged access to Polish markets, the seaport prospered while simultaneously trading with the other Hanseatic cities. Being the largest and one of the most influential cities of Poland, it enjoyed voting rights during the royal election period in Poland.

In the 1575 election of a king to the Polish throne, Danzig supported Maximilian II in his struggle against Stephen Báthory. Stephen became monarch but the city shut its gates against him. After the 6 months siege of Danzig in 1577 the city's army was defeated. A compromise was reached: Stephen confirmed the city's special status and its privileges. The city recognised him as ruler of Poland and paid the enormous sum of 200,000 guldens in gold as payoff.

During the Reformation, most German-speaking inhabitants adopted Lutheranism.

The "Battle of Westerplatte" was the first battle of the German invasion of Poland, marking the start of WW II in Europe.

The historic city centre of Gdansk was 90% destroyed at the end of WWII. It was reconstructed by Poles at great expense and today attracts tourists.

According to tradition in 1243 Duke Swietopelk had a wooden church built where the Bazyliką Mariacką is now.

Construction of a new hall church on a Romanesque predecessor began in 1343. By 1447 the eastern part of the church was finished, and the tower was raised by two floors in the years 1452–1466.

From 1485 the work was continued by Hans Brandt and after 1496, the church was finally finished under Heinrich Haetzl

In the course of the Reformation most Danzigers adopted Lutheranism. After a short wave of turbulent religious altercations in 1525 and 1526 the authorities favored a smooth transition to Lutheran religious practice. In 1529 the first Lutheran sermon was given here. From 1536 on both Lutheran services and Catholic masses were held.

After King Sigismund II Augustus had granted Danzig the religious privilege of celebrating communion with both bread and wine in 1557, the City Council ended Catholic masses in all Danzig churches except St. Mary's, where Catholic masses continued until 1572.

The "Ołtarz Koronacji Najświętszej Marii Panny" (Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary) is a late Gothic retable of the main altar, dated 1511-1517, attributed to Master Michael of Augsburg and his workshop. It is located in the presbytery of St. Mary's Basilica in Gdańsk. The work is five metres high.

The contract with Master Michael was concluded in 1511. On 25 January 1517 the altar was placed in the church. In the same year two fixed painted wings were added to form the back of the retable. During the fights of the town with Stephen Báthory, silver figures of apostles decorating the altar were melted down for coins. In 1866-1877 the retable was restored and given a neo-Gothic finial, which was dismantled in 1936. For the jubilee of the Baptism of Poland and the millennium celebrations the retable was put back in its former place.

The central section, measuring 489 x 390 cm, depicts the scene of the Coronation of Mary. Above Mary's head float angels holding a crown and below her rises the Dove of the Holy Spirit The corpus is framed by a carved vine on which sit 24 old men of the Apocalypse, who hold, among other things, musical instruments and golden incense sticks. 12 of them are authentic sculptures, the other two have been reconstructed.

This is smoke! I used some incense sticks and a Canon EX430II flash. If you want to learn more about the technique, watch this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iv39UmuiYNA&feature=feedlik

Hope you like it!

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- Canon 500D

- Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM, 1/50, f/16.0, ISO 200.

- Processed in Photoshop CS5

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Incense sticks - yay / nay?

The only smoking I do is with incense not cigarettes.. okay, I might have a miniature cigar once in a while but shhhh.

I love the smell of incense but the smoke is also great used in backlit natural light photos.. it lights up beautifully for mystic vibes and creates such a magical atmosphere.

I hope you like this self-portrait, taken on my Huawei P20 mobile phone! (Phones are legitimate cameras too!)

...can prevent forest fires (haha I'm hilarious).

Created by firing a wireless flash upwards into the smoke coming off of the incense sticks. Very little photoshop used.

5D + 35L + single 580ex placed underneath the incense sticks and fired upwards.

Cake candles were the source here. Some post processing done to enhance the colours. So much more dirty smoke than that from incense sticks. I had a Lee Straw 3 filter mounted for this.

© 2020 Martin Roos Holm

Taking using incense sticks for the smoke & a Fujifilm finepix HS 50 EXR & my home made off camera remote flash see link. www.wilneyweather.co.uk/fujifilmhack/index.htm

Diwali (also spelled Devali in certain regions) or Deepavali, popularly known as the "festival of lights", is an important five-day festival in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, occurring between mid-October and mid-November. For Hindus, Diwali is the most important festival of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. Deepavali is an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore, and Fiji.

The name Diwali is itself a contraction of the word "Deepavali" (Sanskrit: दीपावली Dīpāvalī), which translates into "row of lamps". Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (diyas, or dīpa in Sanskrit: दीप) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends. Most Indian business communities begin the financial year on the first day of Diwali.

Diwali commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen-year-long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst crackers.

In Jainism, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BC. In Sikhism, Deepavali commemorates the return of Guru Har Gobind Ji to Amritsar after freeing 52 Hindu kings imprisoned in Fort Gwalior by defeating Emperor Jahangir; the people lit candles and diyas to celebrate his return. This is the reason Sikhs also refer to Deepavali as Bandi Chhorh Divas, "the day of release of detainees". Deepavali is widely celebrated in both India and Nepal.

The first day of the festival Naraka Chaturdasi marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. Amavasya, the second day of Deepawali, marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation vanquished the tyrant Bali, and banished him to hell. Bali was allowed to return to earth once a year, to light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance, and spread the radiance of love and wisdom. It is on the third day of Deepawali — Kartika Shudda Padyami - that Bali steps out of hell and rules the earth according to the boon given by Lord Vishnu. The fourth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj) and on this day sisters invite

In each legend, myth and story of Deepawali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each Deepawali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope. From darkness unto light — the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope. Diwali is celebrated around the globe. Outside India, it is more than a Hindu festival, it's a celebration of South-Asian identities.

While Deepavali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", the most significant spiritual meaning is "the awareness of the inner light". Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. The celebration of Deepavali as the "victory of good over evil", refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance, the ignorance that masks one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With this awakening comes compassion and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (joy or peace). Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Deepavali is the celebration of this Inner Light.

While the story behind Deepavali and the manner of celebration varies from region to region (festive fireworks, worship, lights, sharing of sweets), the essence is the same – to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying Reality of all things (Brahman).

Source : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali

A smoky tree. This was the first one I processed and I think it's my favourite.

Used incense sticks to get a smooth consistent smoke trail, lit with a snooted flash, then inverted in photoshop and coloured gradient overlayed.

The Fire Dragon Dance is one of the many traditional festivals in Hong Kong. I found it very amazing as these guys were using a super giant lighter to lit up many incense sticks at one shot.

This stunning event is usually held around Mid-Autumn Festival in Hong Kong sometimes in Sept, sometimes in Oct because it is based on the Chinese New Year Calendar so each year is different.

Must see on Black

Missed all the action for almost a week now. Came down with a bad Flu that had put me in bed for a week. After almost 10 days of not touching my camera, I took it out yesterday after seeing the smoke from the incense sticks that my wife lights everyday for her prayers. Smoke photography is something very easy for which the setup or the thought process does not take a long time. Although I ended up with some cool shots I did not download them to the comp until today evening which is very unusual. This is the first shot I processed. Keep visiting back for more.

Strobist Info:

Used an incense stick for the smoke. Placed a 580 EX II at 1/32 power pointing at the smoke from the right and a black sheet of paper to hide the spill light. Placed a black backdrop and used a canon 100mm macro lens on a T1i body. User wireless trigger for the flash.

Please comment by writing what comes to your mind when you see the shape in the picture.

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Adorn the walls of your office and household interiors with canvas prints like the one below in various sizes. Please send in your request here and I'll get back to you within 24 hours.

See more smoke sculptures

Diwali (also spelled Devali in certain regions) or Deepavali, popularly known as the "festival of lights", is an important five-day festival in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, occurring between mid-October and mid-November. For Hindus, Diwali is the most important festival of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. Deepavali is an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore, and Fiji.

The name Diwali is itself a contraction of the word "Deepavali" (Sanskrit: दीपावली Dīpāvalī), which translates into "row of lamps". Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (diyas, or dīpa in Sanskrit: दीप) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends. Most Indian business communities begin the financial year on the first day of Diwali.

Diwali commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen-year-long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst crackers.

In Jainism, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BC. In Sikhism, Deepavali commemorates the return of Guru Har Gobind Ji to Amritsar after freeing 52 Hindu kings imprisoned in Fort Gwalior by defeating Emperor Jahangir; the people lit candles and diyas to celebrate his return. This is the reason Sikhs also refer to Deepavali as Bandi Chhorh Divas, "the day of release of detainees". Deepavali is widely celebrated in both India and Nepal.

The first day of the festival Naraka Chaturdasi marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. Amavasya, the second day of Deepawali, marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation vanquished the tyrant Bali, and banished him to hell. Bali was allowed to return to earth once a year, to light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance, and spread the radiance of love and wisdom. It is on the third day of Deepawali — Kartika Shudda Padyami - that Bali steps out of hell and rules the earth according to the boon given by Lord Vishnu. The fourth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj) and on this day sisters invite

In each legend, myth and story of Deepawali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each Deepawali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope. From darkness unto light — the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope. Diwali is celebrated around the globe. Outside India, it is more than a Hindu festival, it's a celebration of South-Asian identities.

While Deepavali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", the most significant spiritual meaning is "the awareness of the inner light". Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. The celebration of Deepavali as the "victory of good over evil", refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance, the ignorance that masks one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With this awakening comes compassion and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (joy or peace). Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Deepavali is the celebration of this Inner Light.

While the story behind Deepavali and the manner of celebration varies from region to region (festive fireworks, worship, lights, sharing of sweets), the essence is the same – to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying Reality of all things (Brahman).

Source : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali

Incense sticks for sale near Hue, Vietnam

"Wisdom begins in wonder"

- Socrates

These past few weeks I've been spending lots of time studying for my University exams. Sometimes while you're sinking in a desk of books and notes, it happens that your mind wanders off into another world. I guess it tends to happen to me more often! I've been thinking about smoke art for a while now... thought it impossible to achieve. But here I am, after 30 minutes of shooting, with hundreds of great images on my hard disk waiting for me! And the best thing about smoke art is that you can let your imagination run wild in photoshop... so you haven't seen nothing yet! Oh and my room smells of Yellow Rose incense sticks too by the way! Hope this stuff isn't unhealthy in some strange way... but even if it is... just look at the result... I won't mind! =D

This one wasn't shot with strobes, as I'm still waiting for my wireless transmitters to arrive by post for my 430EXII. I just used an old 1000W constant light source, placed camera right, exactly in front of the smoke. I also used a chair as a cover to prevent the light from entering the lens and producing unwanted flaring, etc. I had to use a chair and didn't dare stick some cardboard to the light or anything of that sort as I'm sure it would burn up... the light source gets VERY hot. Hot enought to burn your hand... don't ask how I know!

For those wandering how the heck this works, just Google Smoke Photography... there are countless tutorials waiting for you!

Incense - Incense Sticks ©Digital Incense

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Varanasi is a sacred and oldest city of the world located at the banks of the holy River Ganga. Ganga aarti or arathi is a holy ritual performed daily in the evening by a group of priests at the Dashashwamedh ghat. Through the aarti, Agni Pooja is performed in which a commitment is made to the Lord Shiva, Mata Ganga, Surya, Agni (Fire) as well as the whole universe made by the Lord Shiva. On some special occasions, religious festivals and second day of the week (Tuesdays), a particular type of aarti is held at this ghat.

This beautiful ritual makes every moment of the evening period special and fills us with spiritual thoughts. It is performed by brass lamps accompanied by mantra chant in the presence of a huge crowd.

All the priests who have to perform the aarti, wear a certain dress code (the dhoti and kurta) which is tightly bound with a long towel. First they make preparation of the Gange aarti by making collection of the five elevated planks, a multi tiered oil lamp, an idol of the Goddess Ganga, flowers, incense sticks, a conch shell, a big and heavy brass lamp having a snake hood. Boats are also hired by devotees to experience this grand ritual. Ganga aarti is generally performed by students of the Vedas and Upanishads which is lead by a head priest of the Gangotri Seva Samiti. The whole event takes around 45 minutes.

Prior to the Aarti a special short event called "Ganga Pooja" (the whole ritual starts here) is done by one voluntary devotee who likes to do his salutes to the Holy Ganges. The Aarti on that day is done on his name.

Copyrights © Kals Pics - 2014. All Rights Reserved.

No graphic comments please

@寶島時代村

Diwali (also spelled Devali in certain regions) or Deepavali, popularly known as the "festival of lights", is an important five-day festival in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, occurring between mid-October and mid-November. For Hindus, Diwali is the most important festival of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. Deepavali is an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore, and Fiji.

The name Diwali is itself a contraction of the word "Deepavali" (Sanskrit: दीपावली Dīpāvalī), which translates into "row of lamps". Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (diyas, or dīpa in Sanskrit: दीप) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends. Most Indian business communities begin the financial year on the first day of Diwali.

Diwali commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen-year-long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst crackers.

In Jainism, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BC. In Sikhism, Deepavali commemorates the return of Guru Har Gobind Ji to Amritsar after freeing 52 Hindu kings imprisoned in Fort Gwalior by defeating Emperor Jahangir; the people lit candles and diyas to celebrate his return. This is the reason Sikhs also refer to Deepavali as Bandi Chhorh Divas, "the day of release of detainees". Deepavali is widely celebrated in both India and Nepal.

The first day of the festival Naraka Chaturdasi marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. Amavasya, the second day of Deepawali, marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation vanquished the tyrant Bali, and banished him to hell. Bali was allowed to return to earth once a year, to light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance, and spread the radiance of love and wisdom. It is on the third day of Deepawali — Kartika Shudda Padyami - that Bali steps out of hell and rules the earth according to the boon given by Lord Vishnu. The fourth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj) and on this day sisters invite

In each legend, myth and story of Deepawali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each Deepawali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope. From darkness unto light — the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope. Diwali is celebrated around the globe. Outside India, it is more than a Hindu festival, it's a celebration of South-Asian identities.

While Deepavali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", the most significant spiritual meaning is "the awareness of the inner light". Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. The celebration of Deepavali as the "victory of good over evil", refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance, the ignorance that masks one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With this awakening comes compassion and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (joy or peace). Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Deepavali is the celebration of this Inner Light.

While the story behind Deepavali and the manner of celebration varies from region to region (festive fireworks, worship, lights, sharing of sweets), the essence is the same – to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying Reality of all things (Brahman).

Source : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali

Normal speed strobe, snoot, match and two incense sticks.

Temple in Hong Kong

Main building of Taipei Mengjia Longshan Temple was built in 1738 by settlers from Fujian, China, a classical Taiwanese temple architecture with influences from southern Chinese.

Like most temples in Taiwan, the Longshan Temple worships a mixture of Buddhist, Taoist, and folk deities such as Matsu.

Wanhua District,

Taipei, Taiwan

艋舺龍山寺

Incense sticks burn at the shrine of Abdullah Shah Gazi in Karachi, Pakistan

Vietnam - Day 6 of 12, 10:49. On our way to the Imperial City of Hue, we stopped by these street venders, making and selling incense sticks. With so many vivid colors, I could not resist.

No Group Invites/Graphics Please.

© 2010 Alex Stoen, All rights reserved.

My photos may be purchased at: store.alexstoen.com

Digital Incense - smoke art or " art based on luck"

Incense Sticks - No processing except cropping.

Setup:

Nikon D300 full manual ( Auto focus on 1st shot to get the correct distance to the smoke)

1 SB-600 wireless triggered from in-body commander.

More data in the exif.

The Egyptian circle or ancient wheel of fortune is a Sphinx which represents the mystery of life. It also represents the SELF, the real person behind the mask that we wear (PERSONA). That is to introduce an element of change in the querent's life, such change being in station, position or fortune: such as the rich becoming poor, or the poor becoming rich.The wheel is not always shown inscribed with any lettering. Where this is the case, the letters T-A-R-O (clockwise) or T-O-R-A (counter clockwise) can often be found aligned against four of the spokes, which can also be interpreted as R-O-T-A, the Latin word meaning "wheel". In some decks, such as the Waite, the wheel is also inscribed with additional alchemical symbols representing the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water (which are also said to be represented throughout the Tarot by the four "suits" of Pentacles or Discs, Swords, Wands, and Cups respectively.

At the top of the wheel perches the sphinx, who is there to remind us that if we stay stable amidst turmoil and use reasoning then we can retain the power to change our own lives instead of staying at the mercy of chance.This creature is Anubis – the Egyptian God which guided dead souls and was the giver of new life. Anubis help consciousness rise from lower to higher. The axis mundi (also cosmic axis, world axis, world pillar, center of the world, world tree), in certain beliefs and philosophies, is the world center, or the connection between Heaven and Earth. As the celestial pole and geographic pole, it expresses a point of connection between sky and earth where the four compass directions meet. At this point travel and correspondence is made between higher and lower realms. Communication from lower realms may ascend to higher ones and blessings from higher realms may descend to lower ones and be disseminated to all. The spot functions as the omphalos (navel), the world's point of beginning. The image relates to the center of the earth (perhaps like an umbilical providing nourishment)[citation needed]. It may have the form of a natural object (a mountain, a tree, a vine, a stalk, a column of smoke or fire) or a product of human manufacture (a staff, a tower, a ladder, a staircase, a maypole, a cross, a steeple, a rope, a totem pole, a pillar, a spire). Its proximity to heaven may carry implications that are chiefly religious (pagoda, temple mount, minaret, church) or secular (obelisk, lighthouse, rocket, skyscraper). The image appears in religious and secular contexts.[6] The axis mundi symbol may be found in cultures utilizing shamanic practices or animist belief systems, in major world religions, and in technologically advanced "urban centers". In Mircea Eliade's opinion, "Every Microcosm, every inhabited region, has a Centre; that is to say, a place that is sacred above all."The axis mundi is often associated with mandalas.

The first thing you might not know about obelisks is what they are. If you have ever walked across the Place de la Concorde in Paris, or seen any rendering of ancient Egypt in its glory, you are very familiar with obelisks: vertical stone columns that taper as they rise, topped by a pyramid. .An obelisk (UK: /ˈɒbəlɪsk/; US: /ˈɑːbəlɪsk/, from Ancient Greek: ὀβελίσκος obeliskos; diminutive of ὀβελός obelos, "spit, nail, pointed pillar" is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. These were originally called tekhenu by their builders, the Ancient Egyptians. Ancient monolithic megalithic structures have now been identified to as far back a 15,000 years. Monolithic Menhirs (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menhir) are the great grand father of the obelisk. Thousands of years before the first Egyptian style obelisk, our distant family gathered together and set aside in some cases, 20 years of work of dozens if not hundreds of people to build and raise up a Menhir. We did this on every single continent that has had human development using carved stones up to 250,000 pounds. Thousands of these megalithic structures have been placed all around the world and many still stand. The Greeks who saw them used the Greek term 'obeliskos' to describe them, and this word passed into Latin and ultimately English. Ancient obelisks are monolithic; that is, they consist of a single stone. Most modern obelisks are made of several stones; some, like the Washington Monument, are buildings.Obelisks were prominent in the architecture of the ancient Egyptians, who placed them in pairs at the entrance of temples. The word "obelisk" as used in English today is of Greek rather than Egyptian origin because Herodotus, the Greek traveller, was one of the first classical writers to describe the objects. A number of ancient Egyptian obelisks are known to have survived, plus the "Unfinished Obelisk" found partly hewn from its quarry at Aswan. These obelisks are now dispersed around the world, and fewer than half of them remain in Egypt. The earliest temple obelisk still in its original position is the 68-foot (20.7 m) 120-metric-ton (130-short-ton)[5] red granite Obelisk of Senusret I of the XIIth Dynasty at Al-Matariyyah in modern Heliopolis. The obelisk symbolized the sun god Ra, and during the brief religious reformation of Akhenaten was said to be a petrified ray of the Aten, the sundisk. It was also thought that the god existed within the structure. Benben was the mound that arose from the primordial waters Nu upon which the creator god Atum settled in the creation story of the Heliopolitan creation myth form of Ancient Egyptian religion. The Benben stone (also known as a pyramidion) is the top stone of the Egyptian pyramid. It is also related to the Obelisk. It is hypothesized by New York University Egyptologist Patricia Blackwell Gary and Astronomy senior editor Richard Talcott that the shapes of the ancient Egyptian pyramid and obelisk were derived from natural phenomena associated with the sun (the sun-god Ra being the Egyptians' greatest deity). The pyramid and obelisk might have been inspired by previously overlooked astronomical phenomena connected with sunrise and sunset: the zodiacal light and sun pillars respectively. The Ancient Romans were strongly influenced by the obelisk form, to the extent that there are now more than twice as many obelisks standing in Rome as remain in Egypt. The ancient Egyptians placed pairs of obelisks at the entrances of their temples. According to Gordon, the columns were associated with the Egyptian sun god, and perhaps represented rays of light. They were often topped with gold, or a natural gold-and-silver alloy called electrum, in order to catch the first rays of the morning light. Twenty-eight Egyptian obelisks remain standing, though only six of them are in Egypt. The rest are scattered across the globe, either gifts from the Egyptian government or plunder by foreign invaders. The symbol originates in a natural and universal psychological perception: that the spot one occupies stands at "the center of the world". This space serves as a microcosm of order because it is known and settled. Outside the boundaries of the microcosm lie foreign realms that, because they are unfamiliar or not ordered, represent chaos, death or night.[8] From the center one may still venture in any of the four cardinal directions, make discoveries, and establish new centers as new realms become known and settled. The name of China, meaning "Middle Nation" (中国 pinyin: Zhōngguó), is often interpreted as an expression of an ancient perception that the Chinese polity (or group of polities) occupied the center of the world, with other lands lying in various directions relative to it.Within the central known universe a specific locale-often a mountain or other elevated place, a spot where earth and sky come closest gains status as center of the center, the axis mundi. High mountains are typically regarded as sacred by peoples living near them. Shrines are often erected at the summit or base.[9] Mount Kunlun fills a similar role in China.[10] For the ancient Hebrews Mount Zion expressed the symbol.[citation needed] Sioux beliefs take the Black Hills as the axis mundi.[citation needed] Mount Kailash is holy to Hinduism and several religions in Tibet. The Pitjantjatjara people in central Australia consider Uluru to be central to both their world and culture. In ancient Mesopotamia the cultures of ancient Sumer and Babylon erected artificial mountains, or ziggurats, on the flat river plain. These supported staircases leading to temples at the top. The Hindu temples in India are often situated on high mountains. E.g. Amarnath, Tirupati, Vaishno Devi etc. The pre-Columbian residents of Teotihuacán in Mexico erected huge pyramids featuring staircases leading to heaven. Jacob's Ladder is an axis mundi image, as is the Temple Mount. For Christians the Cross on Mount Calvary expresses the symbol.The Middle Kingdom, China, had a central mountain, Kunlun, known in Taoist literature as "the mountain at the middle of the world." To "go into the mountains" meant to dedicate oneself to a spiritual life.] Monasteries of all faiths tend, like shrines, to be placed at elevated spots. Wise religious teachers are typically depicted in literature and art as bringing their revelations at world centers: mountains, trees, temples.Because the axis mundi is an idea that unites a number of concrete images, no contradiction exists in regarding multiple spots as "the center of the world". The symbol can operate in a number of locales at once.[7] Mount Hermon was regarded as the axis mundi in Caananite tradition, from where the sons of God are introduced descending in 1 Enoch (1En6:6).[13] The ancient Armenians had a number of holy sites, the most important of which was Mount Ararat, which was thought to be the home of the gods as well as the center of the Universe.[14] Likewise, the ancient Greeks regarded several sites as places of earth's omphalos (navel) stone, notably the oracle at Delphi, while still maintaining a belief in a cosmic world tree and in Mount Olympus as the abode of the gods. Judaism has the Temple Mount, Christianity has the Mount of Olives and Calvary, Islam has Ka'aba, said to be the first building on earth, and the Temple Mount (Dome of the Rock). In Hinduism, Mount Kailash is identified with the mythical Mount Meru and regarded as the home of Shiva; in Vajrayana Buddhism, Mount Kailash is recognized as the most sacred place where all the dragon currents converge and is regarded as the gateway to Shambhala. In Shinto, the Ise Shrine is the omphalos.[citation needed] In addition to the Kunlun Mountains, where it is believed the peach tree of immortality is located, the Chinese folk religion recognizes four other specific mountains as pillars of the world.

Sacred places like Concorde (unite people) constitute world centers (omphalos) with the altar or place of prayer as the axis. Altars, incense sticks, candles and torches form the axis by sending a column of smoke, and prayer, toward heaven. The architecture of sacred places often reflects this role. "Every temple or palace--and by extension, every sacred city or royal residence--is a Sacred Mountain, thus becoming a Centre." The stupa of Hinduism, and later Buddhism, reflects Mount Meru. Cathedrals are laid out in the form of a cross, with the vertical bar representing the union of earth and heaven as the horizontal bars represent union of people to one another, with the altar at the intersection. Pagoda structures in Asian temples take the form of a stairway linking earth and heaven. A steeple in a church or a minaret in a mosque also serve as connections of earth and heaven. Structures such as the maypole, derived from the Saxons' Irminsul, and the totem pole among indigenous peoples of the Americas also represent world axes. The calumet, or sacred pipe, represents a column of smoke (the soul) rising form a world center.[16] A mandala creates a world center within the boundaries of its two-dimensional space analogous to that created in three-dimensional space by a shrine

The first thing you might not know about obelisks is what they are. If you have ever visited the Washington Monument, however, or walked across the Place de la Concorde in Paris, or seen any rendering of ancient Egypt in its glory, you are very familiar with obelisks: vertical stone columns that taper as they rise, topped by a pyramid. Washington’s Monument and the Fascinating History of the Obelisk, by John Steele Gordon, is an absorbing account of the obelisk’s place in human civilization. Here are seven things revealed by Gordon that you might not know about obelisks. The ancient Egyptians placed pairs of obelisks at the entrances of their temples. According to Gordon, the columns were associated with the Egyptian sun god, and perhaps represented rays of light. They were often topped with gold, or a natural gold-and-silver alloy called electrum, in order to catch the first rays of the morning light. Twenty-eight Egyptian obelisks remain standing, though only six of them are in Egypt. The rest are scattered across the globe, either gifts from the Egyptian government or plunder by foreign invaders.

Around 250 B.C., a Greek philosopher named Eratosthenes used an obelisk to calculate the circumference of the Earth. He knew that at noon on the Summer Solstice, obelisks in the city of Swenet (modern day Aswan) would cast no shadow because the sun would be directly overhead (or zero degrees up). He also knew that at that very same time in Alexandria, obelisks did cast shadows. Measuring that shadow against the tip of the obelisk, he came to the conclusion that the difference in degrees between Alexandria and Swenet: seven degrees, 14 minutes—one-fiftieth the circumference of a circle. He applied the physical distance between the two cities and concluded that the circumference of the Earth was (in modern units) 40,000 kilometers. This isn’t the correct number, though his methods were perfect: at the time it was impossible to know the precise distance between Alexandria and Swenet. If we apply Eratosthenes's formula today, we get a number astonishingly close to the actual circumference of the Earth. In fact, even his inexact figure was more precise than the one used by Christopher Columbus 1700 years later. Had he used Eratosthenes’s estimation, Columbus would have known immediately that he hadn’t reached India.True obelisks as conceived by the ancient Egyptians are “monolithic,” or made from a single piece of stone. (The literal translation of monolith—a Greek word—is “one stone.” On that note, the word “obelisk” is also Greek, derived from obeliskos, or skewer. An ancient Egyptian would have called an obelisk a tekhen.)

The obelisk at the center of Place de la Concorde, for example, is monolithic. It is 3300 years old and once marked the entrance to the Temple of Thebes in Egypt. So difficult is the feat of building a monolithic obelisk that Pharaoh Hatshepsut had inscribed at the base of one of her obelisks the proud declaration: “without seam, without joining together.”Nobody knows exactly why obelisks were built, or even how. Granite is really hard—a 6.5 on the Mohs scale (diamond being a 10)—and to shape it, you need something even harder. The metals available at the time were either too soft (gold, copper, bronze) or too difficult to use for tools (iron’s melting point is 1,538 °C; the Egyptians wouldn’t have iron smelting until 600 B.C.). The Egyptians likely used balls of dolerite to shape the obelisks, which, Gordon notes, would have required “an infinity of human effort.” Hundreds of workers would have each had to pound granite into shape using dolerite balls that weighed up to 12 pounds. This doesn’t even address the issue of how one might move a 100-foot, 400-ton column from the quarry to its destination.

The ancient Egyptians placed pairs of obelisks at the entrances of their temples. According to Gordon, the columns were associated with the Egyptian sun god, and perhaps represented rays of light. They were often topped with gold, or a natural gold-and-silver alloy called electrum, in order to catch the first rays of the morning light. Twenty-eight Egyptian obelisks remain standing, though only six of them are in Egypt. The rest are scattered across the globe, either gifts from the Egyptian government or plunder by foreign invaders.

A common shamanic concept, and a universally told story, is that of the healer traversing the axis mundi to bring back knowledge from the other world. It may be seen in the stories from Odin and the World Ash Tree to the Garden of Eden and Jacob's Ladder to Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel. It is the essence of the journey described in The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. The epic poem relates its hero's descent and ascent through a series of spiral structures that take him from through the core of the earth, from the depths of Hell to celestial Paradise. It is also a central tenet in the Southeastern Ceremonial Complex. Anyone or anything suspended on the axis between heaven and earth becomes a repository of potential knowledge. A special status accrues to the thing suspended: a serpent, a victim of crucifixion or hanging, a rod, a fruit, mistletoe. Derivations of this idea find form in the Rod of Asclepius, an emblem of the medical profession, and in the caduceus, an emblem of correspondence and commercial professions. The staff in these emblems represents the axis mundi while the serpents act as guardians of, or guides to, knowledge. Snake lying against Wheel. The snake represents Set, the Egyptian god of evil. He also represents death and rebirth. However the other message of the snake is about creating form from energy. The snake is wrapped around the Magicians waist. Through will and cosmic manifestation creation happens on earth. We are co-creators of our life and destiny. The snake also reminds us that we have to shed the old skin (habits etc) in order to grow the new. he number of The Wheel of Fortune is 10. 10 is often seen as a combination of 0 and 1. Nothing and the first manifestation. The Creator represents 10 therefore because the Creator makes something out of nothing. The creators of the Rider Waite Tarot deck were members of the Golden Dawn, a group that had many teachings based on the mystical Kabbalah of the Jewish nation. When I say Kabbalah forget about monotheism, Judaism, God, and religion for a moment. Kabbalists are mystics in a sense. They believe God is neither male nor female and in fact has many aspects. Their systems are all about learning why we are here, the mystery of the universe and what the big plan is. Inside the Rider Waite deck is a multitude of Kabbalistic meanings. I will briefly explain a few of the Kabbalistic meanings within The Emperor card. Believe me when I say you could learn for the rest of your life about Tarot and Kabbalah and still only scratch the surface. I’m keeping it superficial but easy to understand. I am also using on purpose the word Kabbalah rather than Cabala. The Wheel of Fortune is represented by the letter Kaph – כ – which is the first letter in the name of God. The Wheel of Fortune on The Tree of Life sits on the path between Chesed and Netzach. In Kabbalah the number 10 is a number of completion of a cycle and the beginning of another. We have 10 sephiroth on the Tree of Life describing the process of Creation. We have the 10 commandments which describe how to create a world that reflects God. 10 is also two numbers – 0 and 1. 0 is the Fool (nothing) and 1 is the Magician (manifesting out of nothing). Together they explain how God created the universe. The name of this Wheel is ‘Rewarding Intelligence of Those Who Seek’ and means that those who seek for the understanding of the greater picture will be rewarded. In other words, ‘Seek, and ye shall find’. If we go into more detail we can explore the letters on the orange wheel. In Gematria TARO adds up to 671 and the name of God יהוה adds up to 26. Together the total number is 697 which breaks down to 22.,22 is the number of cards in the Major Arcana deck and the number of Hebrew letters in the alphabet.

Around 250 B.C., a Greek philosopher named Eratosthenes used an obelisk to calculate the circumference of the Earth. He knew that at noon on the Summer Solstice, obelisks in the city of Swenet (modern day Aswan) would cast no shadow because the sun would be directly overhead (or zero degrees up). He also knew that at that very same time in Alexandria, obelisks did cast shadows. Measuring that shadow against the tip of the obelisk, he came to the conclusion that the difference in degrees between Alexandria and Swenet: seven degrees, 14 minutes—one-fiftieth the circumference of a circle. He applied the physical distance between the two cities and concluded that the circumference of the Earth was (in modern units) 40,000 kilometers. This isn’t the correct number, though his methods were perfect: at the time it was impossible to know the precise distance between Alexandria and Swenet. If we apply Eratosthenes's formula today, we get a number astonishingly close to the actual circumference of the Earth. In fact, even his inexact figure was more precise than the one used by Christopher Columbus 1700 years later. Had he used Eratosthenes’s estimation, Columbus would have known immediately that he hadn’t reached India. True obelisks as conceived by the ancient Egyptians are “monolithic,” or made from a single piece of stone. (The literal translation of monolith—a Greek word—is “one stone.” On that note, the word “obelisk” is also Greek, derived from obeliskos, or skewer. An ancient Egyptian would have called an obelisk a tekhen.) The obelisk at the center of Place de la Concorde, for example, is monolithic. It is 3300 years old and once marked the entrance to the Temple of Thebes in Egypt. So difficult is the feat of building a monolithic obelisk that Pharaoh Hatshepsut had inscribed at the base of one of her obelisks the proud declaration: “without seam, without joining together.” Nobody knows exactly why obelisks were built, or even how. Granite is really hard—a 6.5 on the Mohs scale (diamond being a 10)—and to shape it, you need something even harder. The metals available at the time were either too soft (gold, copper, bronze) or too difficult to use for tools (iron’s melting point is 1,538 °C; the Egyptians wouldn’t have iron smelting until 600 B.C.). The Egyptians likely used balls of dolerite to shape the obelisks, which, Gordon notes, would have required “an infinity of human effort.” Hundreds of workers would have each had to pound granite into shape using dolerite balls that weighed up to 12 pounds. This doesn’t even address the issue of how one might move a 100-foot, 400-ton column from the quarry to its destination. While there are many hypotheses, nobody knows precisely how they did it. Until the 19th century, hieroglyphics were thought to be untranslatable—mystical symbols with no coherent message beneath. Jean-François Champollion, a French Egyptologist and linguist, thought differently, and made it his life’s purpose to figure them out. His first success came from the Rosetta Stone, from which he divined the name “Ptolemy” from the symbols. In 1819, “Ptolemy” was also discovered written on an obelisk which had just been brought back to England—the Philae obelisk. The “p,” “o,” and “l” on the obelisk also featured elsewhere on it, in the perfect spots to spell the name “Cleopatra.” (Not that Cleopatra; the much earlier Queen Cleopatra IX of Ptolemy.) With those clues, and using this obelisk, Champollion managed to crack the mysterious code of hieroglyphics, translating their words and thus unlocking the secrets of ancient Egypt. (Almost 200 years later, the European Space Agency’s mission to land a spacecraft on a comet commemorated these events; the spacecraft is named Rosetta. The lander is named Philae.)

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_mundi

Watching the Cham dancing at the Hemis Summer Festival 2011 in Ladakh, India.

The Hemis Festival is dedicated to Lord Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) venerated as the Dance Performance at Hemis Monastery representative reincarnate of Buddha. He is believed to have been born on the 10th day of the fifth month of the Monkey year as predicted by the Buddha Shakyamuni. It is also believed that his life mission was, and remains, to improve the spiritual condition of all living beings. And so on this day, which comes once in a cycle of 12 years, Hemis observes a major extravaganza in his memory. The observance of these sacred rituals is believed to give spiritual strength and good health. The Hemis festival takes place in the rectangular courtyard in front of the main door of the monastery. The space is wide and open save two raised square platforms, three feet high with a sacred pole in the center. A raised dais with a richly cushioned seat with a finely painted small Tibetan table is placed with the ceremonial items - cups full of holy water, uncooked rice, tormas made of dough and butter and incense sticks. A number of musicians play the traditional music with four pairs of cymbals, large-pan drums, small trumpets and large size wind instruments. Next to them, a small space is assigned for the lamas to sit.

The ceremonies begin with an early morning ritual atop the Gompa where, to the beat of drums and the resounding clash of cymbals and the spiritual wail of pipes, the portrait of "Dadmokarpo" or "Rygyalsras Rinpoche" is then ceremoniously put on display for all to admire and worship.

The most esoteric of festivities are the mystic mask dances. The Mask Dances of Ladakh are referred collectively as chams Performance. Chams performance is essentially a part of Tantric tradition, performed only in those gompas which follow the Tantric Vajrayana teachings and the monks perform tantric worship.

A lot of folks who've seen these shots have asked how they were done so I'll attempt to explain...

There's probably a few variations on the theme but firstly here's what I used to do it

1. Canon 100mm macro lens (probably don't need a 'macro' lens as I found the best results were obtained from about 60 cm's ish)

2. What really makes a difference is an off camera flash. I was lucky enough to get a 580EX as a present with an off camera flash cord. This is important because with standard front facing flashes you run the risk of lighting up the background. This makes it harder to isolate the smoke form the background later in photoshop if it hasn't stayed completely black - you with me? If you have remote release for the flash gun even better - no cables!

3. A dark background. I initally used a black jumper but anything black is good. Preferably of a good size too so you have a bit of freedom of movement with the camera whilst still keeping the background in the frame.

4. Incense sticks and holder. Simple!

5. Tripod for the camera.

Basically set your background up and put your incense sticks about 1or more metres in front so the background will be blurred.

Set the camera up about 60cm away from the incense sticks. Pre focus the camera and use an aperture of f8 - f14 so you get a decent DOF. Experiment here.

Check the viewfinder for position making sure it's filled with black backdrop.

Set the flash ready. Vary the angles of flash if you can - I found a 45 degree angle to the smoke pointing 45 degrees up is ok. With the 580EX on 1/4 power about 6 inch distance is good for even light. Just experiment with this. If like me you just have a flash on the stand and no tripod an assistant can be handy to hold the flash.

Light the incense sticks, wait for pretty patterns and shoot away!

The best way I found of getting plenty of swirls is using two incense sticks burning simultaneously. Have the burning tips near each other and one will induce turbulence in the other stream. Otherwise with one stick burning you wait an age for anything interesting.

Download photos and tinker till your little heart's content in photoshop or whatever you use!

Keelung Zhongzheng (Chung Cheng) Park has a urn for worshippers to place their incense sticks and a curio shop to buy BIG Buddha mementos.

was actually using the incense sticks to try and get some smoke shots, with the incense sticks out of the way, but i actually preferred this lol.....PS my house smells wonderful this morning, we got through ten sticks :)

Diwali (also spelled Devali in certain regions) or Deepavali, popularly known as the "festival of lights", is an important five-day festival in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, occurring between mid-October and mid-November. For Hindus, Diwali is the most important festival of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. Deepavali is an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore, and Fiji.

The name Diwali is itself a contraction of the word "Deepavali" (Sanskrit: दीपावली Dīpāvalī), which translates into "row of lamps". Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (diyas, or dīpa in Sanskrit: दीप) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends. Most Indian business communities begin the financial year on the first day of Diwali.

Diwali commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen-year-long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst crackers.

In Jainism, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BC. In Sikhism, Deepavali commemorates the return of Guru Har Gobind Ji to Amritsar after freeing 52 Hindu kings imprisoned in Fort Gwalior by defeating Emperor Jahangir; the people lit candles and diyas to celebrate his return. This is the reason Sikhs also refer to Deepavali as Bandi Chhorh Divas, "the day of release of detainees". Deepavali is widely celebrated in both India and Nepal.

The first day of the festival Naraka Chaturdasi marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. Amavasya, the second day of Deepawali, marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation vanquished the tyrant Bali, and banished him to hell. Bali was allowed to return to earth once a year, to light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance, and spread the radiance of love and wisdom. It is on the third day of Deepawali — Kartika Shudda Padyami - that Bali steps out of hell and rules the earth according to the boon given by Lord Vishnu. The fourth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj) and on this day sisters invite

In each legend, myth and story of Deepawali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each Deepawali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope. From darkness unto light — the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope. Diwali is celebrated around the globe. Outside India, it is more than a Hindu festival, it's a celebration of South-Asian identities.

While Deepavali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", the most significant spiritual meaning is "the awareness of the inner light". Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. The celebration of Deepavali as the "victory of good over evil", refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance, the ignorance that masks one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With this awakening comes compassion and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (joy or peace). Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Deepavali is the celebration of this Inner Light.

While the story behind Deepavali and the manner of celebration varies from region to region (festive fireworks, worship, lights, sharing of sweets), the essence is the same – to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying Reality of all things (Brahman).

Source : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali

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Incense sticks smoke under light.

Sunlight floods into a temple building with a makeshift altar in Cambodia.