Explore The Elements

I’m excited to announce that I have been nominated by world-renowned travel photographer, Elia Locardi to participate in a photography blogging contest that he’ll be judging on called Explore The Elements. Click here to read his post.

“Welcome to the Thomas Cook Explore the Elements photo blogging competition. It’s all about capturing and expressing the four elements through travel photography.

We’re looking for bloggers to publish photographs they’ve taken which best represent one of the four elements. All the categories are open to your interpretation, so you can be free to take a picture of anything you feel showcases your chosen element.

Once the competition has finished our panel of leading travel experts will come together to select the best photos. Each judge will preside over one category picking a winner from each before they collectively choose an overall winner.

The four individual category winners will receive a MacBook Air, a Fujifilm X-T1 camera, or an iPhone 6 with Bose noise cancelling headphones, depending on their personal choice. The overall winner will be awarded an amazing £5,000 travel fund. Keep up with the conversation using the official hashtag: #ExploreTheElements”

Click here for all the contest details.

—————————————–

Here are my four entries:

Earth

 Represents the hard, solid objects of the earth.  Associated with stubbornness, collectiveness , physicality and gravity.

 

Taken in Bagan, Myanmar. I’d wake up before the sun does, bike to Old Bagan, find a different temple, climb to the top to sit and wait for the dawn to break over the mist. I’d come back for sunset and do the same thing all over again, everyday. During this sunrise, I saw a few people standing on the other temple, experiencing the same thing I’m experiencing. We’re just in different bodies, I thought. I caught one of them as he stood in awe, I look at him from the distance and smile. Because I know he’s completely in it, his inner gravity is pulling all his senses to new heights. And I know, because I can feel it too.

 

Water

Represents the fluid, flowing, formless things in the world. Associated with emotion, defensiveness, adaptability, flexibility, suppleness, and magnetism.

 

Taken in Koh Rong Island, Cambodia. It was unreal. As if the stars fell into the ocean. As we swim around our boat, bioluminescent planktons start glowing all around us. Sienna, Michelle and I are yelling and laughing at how magical everything is as we create galaxies and swirling stars with our bodies. On our way back to the island I stick my hand in the sea. And the stars keep shooting out of my fingertips.

Fire

Represents the energetic, forceful, moving things in the world. Associated with security, motivation, desire, intention, and an outgoing spirit.

 

 

Taken in Kampot, Cambodia. I dipped my body into the cool water, colored by the red earth. I was mesmerized by its colors, for I’ve never swam in red waters in my life. It was as if fire made love to the water and I watched it settle, catching a glimpse of both worlds.

Air

Represents things that grow, expand, and enjoy freedom of movement. Associated with will, elusiveness, evasiveness, benevolence, compassion, and wisdom.

 

Taken in Bagan, Myanmar. There is nothing like watching hot-air balloons floating to the golden sun ascending over the traces of these ancient temples with M83’s Intro and Outro flooding into my ears and sending euphoria to every cell in my body, dissolving all that binds my flesh and bones and making me feel infinite. No words or images can ever do justice to this magic. The air that I breathe and the words that I speak have escaped me. There is only this. Just, this.

————————————

 

My 5 blogger nominations are:

Kristin Addis of Be My Travel Muse

Lauren Metzler of The Wandering Orange

Adriana Jennings of Golden Hour Girl

Nicole Villaluz of The Stillness in Moving

Mary Rose Avenido of DIY Trippers