This is the personal blog of London photographer, backpacker, traveller Mark Coughlan. The intention of the blog is communicate updates from my personal website and on my photography projects and travels both in the UK and worldwide. When backpacking the obscure places on earth, this blog will be continually updated with images and thoughts from the road. [Read more about me]

Friday 28 December 2007

Petrol cannister and Gaffer tape...

Armed with every day holiday essentials, we head to Heathrow tomorrow with rolls of gaffer tape, bungee cables, tow rope and a petrol cannister - causing all sorts of security alarms no doubt.

Our first day in Cochin will be getting acquainted with our three wheeled purchase and hopefully be pleasantly surprised by the "pimping" that has taken place thanks to the marvel that is email. However, India being India it probably looks nothing like the design, or as is more likely the case from experience of India, is that no-one has done anything.

It is here on my blog that there will be daily (I hope) updates on our movements - both in the Rickshaw and bodily - so you fine folk in Blighty can sit back in envy or laugh at us as we cruise the Indian Sub-Continent or breakdown/get lost/pull a temper tantrum just getting out of Cochin!

Use the subscribe button opposite to add your email address so an 'alert' email will be pinged to you when I've added to the blog over the next 2-3 weeks.


Posted 28th December 2007

Thursday 20 December 2007

Supporting the Railway Children, India

One of the charities who we are supporting by doing the Rickshaw Run is the Railway Children. After a quick search on Youtube, I've found a small video clip that will hopefully highlight to you all the fantastic work that the Railway Children do in India, and how your sponsorship will be used.



The Railway Children is a UK based charity that helps the runaway and abandoned children who live in or around the world's railway stations.
They have centres in India and provide a point of contact for these children by giving them shelter, healthcare, education, training and protection. Anyone who has ever travelled in India will have come into contact with the children who live around the train stations and relate to the work undertaken by this charity.

We have both been astonished by the support we have received from you all and can't thank you enough, you will see from the video clip that sponsorship really will go to a great cause.

Sunday 16 December 2007

In the beginning....

I've always rejected the idea of having a blog, so I'm starting off small... unwilling even, and see how I get on. Don't expect massive enchanting novels, for that you can point the finger of blame at my time spent at Kris Akabusi High School in West London.

Unsurprisingly, the foremost of thoughts at present are pretty much in getting everything in place to tackle the Rickshaw Run 2008. With less then two weeks before we hit India and start racing the length of the country in the equivalent of a lawn mower, things are slowly coming together.

So far its a case of:
Nepalese Visa, tick.
International Drivers Permit, tick.
Indian (and now Nepalese) flag bought on ebay for 96 pence, tick.
Map from Waterstones, tick.
Extra batteries and memory cards, tick.


I'm slowly working my way through the 6 hours of the highly recommended DVD "The Story of India" by Michael Wood. You may have seen the series on BBC2 a few months back, if not you can pick it up on Amazon. It throws up potential places of interest to pass through that even we haven't thought of. Watching it only makes you realise that you could spend years backpacking/travelling India and still only scratch the surface.

All this does is further ignite the desire to spend a few years in the Indian Sub-Continent to do it justice. With its size, clamour, sensual overload and diversity, India is the most intriging, facinating country on earth, where you quickly develop an abiding passion for it.

Lots on the agenda before Christmas. I eagerly await the delivery of a new (bloody expensive) camera lens, yet another day of pushing and shoving at the Indian embassy and trying to gain a bit more sponsorship.

Posted 16th December 2007

Saturday 15 December 2007

About me.....


Two of my great passions in life are travel and photography. I believe that travel broadens our view of the world. Experiencing other cultures, meeting people from other communities and other countries and seeing the beauty, and sometimes ugliness of the world drives me to capture my experiences through photography.

Through my photography I strive to document my own personal experiences, to capture scenes and events as I see them and to share with others the beauty and diversity of the world I've seen. As the images of other photographers have inspired me to explore the world, I hope my own contributions will inspire others to do the same.

I feel privileged to have visited some of the most inspiring countries this world has to offer including Myanmar (Burma), Mongolia, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Bolivia to name but a few.
I keep my images simple and contemporary and use bright, vivid colours, interesting shapes and textures to bring my work to life.

Of late I've gone down the 'Adventure' route, participating the the Rickshaw Run 2008 and this summer I've assembled a team to tackle the Mongol Rally.

I hope you enjoy the website and reading the blog.

Mark
Image the Earth Photography

 
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