Gawdawpalin Temple

Bagan (Burmese: ပုဂံ; MLCTS: pu. gam, IPA: [bəɡàɰ̃]; formerly Pagan) is an ancient city and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Mandalay Region of Myanmar. From the 9th to 13th centuries, the city was the capital of the Bagan Kingdom, the first kingdom that unified the regions that would later constitute Myanmar.
Gawdawpalin Temple is in the foreground with Ananda Temple with gold spire in background.
Bagan was virtually bereft of tourists in 1984.
Now unfortunately it is overun with hot air balloons and thousands of tourists climbing all over the temples.
Myself and a fellow traveller would have only made up about 30 tourists in the whole of this ancient city of about 2,500 temples and stupas scattered across the plains along the Irrawaddy river. Most magical place I have ever visited in my wordly travels.
Local transport was only pushbike or horse and cart.
Image shot at sunrise.
©Robert Langlois 1984

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I first picked up a camera from a friend on a trip to Bali in the late seventies. Since then I have been a lover of everything photographic be it people, landscape objects etc.
On return to Australia I enrolled for and obtained a diploma of Photography from PSC ( photography studies college) in Southbank, Melbourne.
To make a living from image taking I embarked on a three year assisting position with Brian Brandt Studios in Prahran working with Australia's top commercial, fashion and still life photographers.
This was an amazing grounding to be able to learn from the best Australia had to offer. From there I hit the road and made a base in Asia for about 10 years shooting Travel, Advertising and fashion.
Being able to use Asia as a hub enabled me to travel cheaply to the Himalayan region of India and Nepal as well as Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and then on to Africa ( sahara desert ) and then Brazil and Caribbean.
After settling again in Australia , Advertising , Commercial and Portraiture became a staple so as to earn a living. I am always keenly looking to photograph new works as photography is an endless medium.
My work can be varied as shooting a variety of subjects always throws up new challenges and I believe it teaches the photographer something new each time.
Photography is woven into countless walks of life and it brings people together to celebrate the printed or digital image.
Please enjoy my images.