[Leica] RE: Rat temple a tourist attraction???

[dbirkey at hcjb.org (Duane Birkey)]

I would not define the rat temple as a tourist attraction...  Sure
people may visit it, and some temples do charge for tourists to go in...
but not all do..  It isn't the Taj Mahal and it certainly isn't the
Eiffel tower or Disneyworld.

The locals who go there do it in sincerity of their religious
beliefs.... not as a source of income from tourists.  I count myself
fortunate when they allow me in to observe and take photos...  So I go
out of my way to be respectful even their beliefs are vastly different
than mine.
 
If I'm photographing their religious experience, rituals and beliefs ...
I want to capture the genuine moment... I don't want "tourist"
spectators anywhere in the images. 

But that's just me...

Duane (I really don't like "tourists" in my photos) Birkey 


***********************************

>While I totally understand your point; I also find it interesting
>that we're talking about photographing a tourist attraction and
>trying to figure out how to remove the tourists to achieve a
>"natural" document. What's wrong with this picture? ;~)
>
>Fond regards,
>George