2007 Banff Mountain Photography Competition
Special Mention
Michael Hamilton: Face of Time
“While in Myanmar, I was in the small town of Bago, on the road to the famous Golden Rock Temple Mountain. Here stands the tallest stupa (holy monument) in Myanmar, called Shwemawdaw. I stopped dead in my tracks as I came upon one of the four guardian statues for the temple, each facing a different direction. I was told that the temple is over 1000 years old and that the statues were probably placed within the past 500 years. I was instantly struck by the real-life appearance of this face, even though most of its surface has been peeled away over the centuries. It seems as if the one eye has laser vision, looking right through you. This is one of those special “Wow” moments on a side road in our world.”
Michael J. Hamilton worked as a producer, director, cameraman and writer in the film and video production business for 20 years. He changed his emphasis to fine art still photography about 10 years ago. “What I discovered was that it became increasingly frustrating to see a beautiful scene last for eight seconds, then move on to another and another without the chance to stay awhile and take it all in.” His most recent one-person show was in March 2007 in Taipei, Taiwan. He has won awards from the New York Institute of Photography, international photography awards, and photo gallery website content awards. Specializing in landscape and world travel photography, Michael now spends part of the year with his wife in Taipei. “It’s a great place to jump off from.”