Framing shots with a window is a photographic cliche. But then since I’m not a professional photographer, who cares? Besides the views windows provide at wats in SE Asia are often too choice to let pass, so this type of picture is a standard for me.

Sometimes the best view is looking in, sometimes it’s looking out. The shot above is the former, a view of the temple’s monks gathered for evening chants at Wat Hosian Voravihane in Luang Prabang. I took several photos of the gathering – the bald heads really caught my eye – some without the window frame, but ended up liking this one the best. Peeking in on the proceedings adds an element to the shot that otherwise wouldn’t be there.

The photo below is from the Baan Ping Temple just inside the ancient city walls of Chiang Mai. It’s a small wat, with rather ornate exteriors but quite plain and unspectacular inside the wiharn. The shutters, like at many temples in Thailand, are gilded scenes of Buddhist imagery; it was the monk robes hanging to dry outside though that really set this shot apart.

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