Shaka at the Old Town Hall

Fruit vendor, Gas Works Junction, Pettah, Colombo, Sri Lanka. September 2018.

The Hall of Faces

A display of traditional Sri Lankan masks at the Colombo National Museum. The southeast wing of the building, in which this hall is located, isn’t part of the original construction which was completed in 1876, but was added in the early 20th century. Shot on assignment for Serendib magazine, as part of my photo story on the museum, ‘Katu Ge‘, which runs in the October 2017 issue.

Sunset at the Museum

Shot on assignment for Serendib magazine. My photo story on the National Museum, ‘Katu Ge‘, runs in the October 2017 issue.

Interior of the Aluvihare Rock Temple, Matale #2

Famous as the place where the ‘Tripitaka’ was first written down as the ‘Pali Canon’ in the 1st Century BC, the temple has been destroyed several times over the centuries. Sri Lanka, May 2017.

The English Graves

Or, in this case, mostly Scottish. Shot on assignment for Serendib magazine, as part of my story, ‘The Nuwara Eliya Season in Spring‘, which ran in the April 2017 issue.

The Maradana Railway Station, Sri Lanka

The Victorian-style Maradana Railway Station, built in 1908, is Colombo’s second-oldest operational railway station. Shot on assignment for Serendib magazine, in which my story, A Visit to the Maradana Railway Station ran in June 2017.

The Alternate Route

Original pedestrian walkway at the Maradana Railway Station, in Colombo. Shot on assignment for Serendib, the inflight magazine of Sri Lankan Airlines. My photo-story, ‘A Visit to the Maradana Railway Station‘, runs in the June 2017 issue.

Tank & Temple #13

Sunrise over the Basawankulama tank (or reservoir), with the Ruwanwelisaya in the distance. The Basawankulama, built in 400 BC by King Pandukabhaya is thought to be Sri Lanka’s oldest reservoir. The Ruwanwelisaya is relatively newer, built in 140 BC by King Dutugemunu. Shot on assignment for Serendib, the inflight magazine of SriLankan Airlines. My story, ‘The First Kingdom of Lanka‘, ran in the February 2017 issue.

Walking the Ramparts #7

Morning over the walls of the 17th century Dutch fort of Galle, in Sri Lanka. Shot from the Triton Bastion in May 2015. The rampart on the left stretches to the Vlagklip Bastion in the distance. Inside the walls is the old town. The Vlagklip Bastion (also known by its later English name, Flagrock) is the southernmost point of Fort Galle and, beyond it, the Indian Ocean stretches 8,000km, almost unbroken, to the Antarctic.

The Akersloot Bastion

Named after the hometown of Admiral Wilhelm Coster, the commander of the Dutch forces that captured Galle from the Portuguese in 1640, the Akersloot Bastion is one of the smaller strongpoints of this fort. The shallow waters and rocky shores at this spot provide a natural defence that didn’t necessitate the higher ramparts that face the open sea. Nevertheless, this bastion covers the approaches to Galle Bay and the harbour, and had seven cannon in position. Immediately behind the strongpoint is the Dutch Hospital, and the Akersloot Bastion was often used as a makeshift mortuary and for post-mortem examinations. The Galle Fort fell to the British in 1796 and, ever since, the bastion has functioned as the harbour master’s residence. It is one of the few portions of the fort’s ramparts that is not open to the public. Visible above the Akersloot Bastion is a breadfruit tree (Artocarpus altilis), and it is believed to be the first one ever planted on the island of Sri Lanka, by the Dutch. This was shot from the Triton Bastion and, beyond the ramparts, the modern town of Galle can be seen to the north, on the far side of the bay. Sri Lanka, September 2016.

For more on the historic Galle Fort, see my cover story, Climbing the Walls, in the January 2016 issue of Serendib, the inflight magazine of SriLankan Airlines.

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