Jim Kayalar

Asia Alight Jim Kayalar

Asia Alight is a historically significant photo book. It portrays vintage images of Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam from an era long gone. The book will showcase to the reader the beauty of mystical and exotic South East Asia. South East Asia is a destination of dreams and a dream of destinations. Starting with Burma; Yangon the capital formerly known as Rangoon, a vibrant Asian port town, Mandalay the second largest city alight with saffron color and serenity, Bagan, where two thousand pagodas await with endless patience of eternity and the sublime vistas of Inle Lake with its elegant fishermen in their sleek long boats. You wish it would never end. You wish to never wake up from this dream. You wish to see more endless magic around the next corner. Burma does that you. "This is Burma, it is quite unlike any place you know about."said Rudyard Kipling. If you have been to Burma or plan to visit soon before human progress in the name of modernity overwhelms the country, its people and its culture then this book will serve as a eye-candy memory of Burma. Chapter Two takes the reader to the colorful Buddhist Wat's of former Thai and Siam capitals of Ayutthaya, the Bangkok Grand Palace, Lopburi and Sukhotai and then to the Kayan tribes of Mae Hong with the unique "ringed"women. Next up is a brief visit to Bali, Indonesia, Pura Ulun Danu Bratan and the Vietnam Rice Fields. What makes South East Asia a dream is that you never know what you will come across when you turn the next corner. The photographs have been arranged so as to surprise the reader and give them a similar experience as if they were exploring these destinations in a similar fashion. The large format of the book and layout allow the reader to better experience the vibrant colors of everyday life as it unfolds. Photography is both an art and a science. A mix of light, opportunity, time and space. It is to be at the right place at the right time as well as with the right subjects and objects. Sometimes what is in front of the camera is just as interesting as who is behind the camera. The photo represents an outcome that consists of all social and cultural paradigms both in front and behind the camera as well as technical and social skills of the photographer.