STEVEN R. TABOR
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Sri Lankan moods

Can a place have a mood?

Travel photography is often about capturing the exotic or spectacular sights of a foreign country. For me, what matters most about travels is the unique mood that a particular place, time and people seem to display. 

Sri Lanka, at the start of 2023, was in an utter economic mess. The government had defaulted on its public debt; inflation was running at over fifty percent;  the currency had been massively devalued; and there were shortages of essential medicines, fuel and power. In response, the people had risen up, stormed the Prime Minister's residence, and the President had fled the country. But shortly thereafter, old guard politicians came back into power, and started to implement austerity policies.

When I flew into Sri Lanka, I expected to find a country that was truly vanquished.  Instead, the streets were busy; the restaurants were packed; little children in their sparkling white uniforms were off to school; and religious holidays were being celebrated.  Apparently, a combination of remittances, private charity and village ties were keeping large numbers of people afloat.  Moreover, after decades of civil war, the tsunami and the Easter bombings, the population knew quite well how to survive practically any crisis. And, since nobody believed that the government was capable of solving the country's problems,  they carried on as if their future was theirs to make.

In February 2023, my wife and I visited several parts of Sri Lanka, staying with old friends. I was most struck by the different feelings or "vibes" that different parts of the country seem to exude.  In this photo series, I highlight three of the different Sri Lankan moods. The first are the way if feels in the highlands, where rituals and traditional ways of life have survived for ages. The second is the carefree mood on any given sunset in Colombo's Galle Face Green. The third series was shot on a small beach in Ahungalla, in the southern coastal region of the country. It focuses on the artisanal fisherman who line-up, chant and pull in the nets of the traditional fishing boats to collect the day's catch.  Each of these series is aimed at documenting the special mood that I sensed after just a few days in different parts of this precious land. 

For the series on the Hill Country, download the PDF photobook here. For the series on Sunset on the Galle Face Green, download the PDF photobook here.  And for the series entitled Pulling in the nets, download the PDF photobook here. 

Next series
  • Home
  • Dressed
  • Undressed
  • Redressed
  • Concepts
  • Tunes
  • All
    • Petanque
    • Les Joutes
    • Joy
    • We live here
    • Photos of others
    • Jazz now
    • Dancing the night away
    • Kampung
    • On Safari
    • 3 October
    • Fun Swim Run
    • Forbidden Pleasures
    • Garden variety
    • Outsiders Painting Large
    • Streetvew Weddings
    • Hanging out
    • Marching to prosperity
    • I was there
    • Groovin
    • Pokémon GO
    • Fooled me
    • Markets
    • In the bathroom
    • I am Sri Lankan
    • The haunting of Rogers Forge
    • My early years
    • Conflict
    • Let their voices be heard
    • Pure light abstracted
    • Chap Go Mei Zumba
    • Wild Tales of Serendib
    • HONfest
    • Homage to the Anatomy Lesson
    • Celebrating Rembrandt
    • Pride
    • Painting bodies
    • Landings
    • Mia
    • Less is More
    • Inked
    • Tattoo 2022
    • Noir et Blanc en Couleur
    • Girl and a cane
    • Poses
    • The bird people
    • Send in the Clowns
    • Picture Frames for People
    • Hold the Line
    • The Waking Hours Before Dawn
    • Bathing
    • 'Scapes
    • Ode to the Vegans
    • M in the House
    • Sofa Sofa
    • Big Fish
    • Lekker Lezen
    • Hands Off
    • Guitar Muse
    • Tulip Twins
    • Reflections
    • Bars
    • Bear Necessities
    • Sanity
    • Corona Spring
    • The Long Kiss Goodbye
    • Anahí: In the Wind
    • Sunset Beach
    • Projections
    • Anahí: Recumbent
    • Projections Volume 2
    • Projecting Malevich
    • Projecting Escher
    • Projecting Skin Deep
    • Projecting Léger, Miró & Pollock
    • Projecting Decorations
    • Projecting Mondrian
    • Projecting Mandala
    • Projecting Illusions
    • Projecting Words and Bodies
    • Projecting Kandinsky and Rothko
    • Projecting Mondrian on Zoi
    • Projecting Real People
    • Endurance
    • Unsuitable
    • Stairs
    • Veiled
    • Veiled II
    • Fall Colors
    • Pulp Fictioned
    • Lakeside
    • Creation
    • Bed, Boots & Bath
    • Mask in the Mirror
    • Relaxing
    • Freestyle
    • Natural Light Portraits
    • Showerscapes
    • Unwrapped
    • Mirror, Mirror
    • Pieces
    • Projecting Nature
    • Projecting Origami
    • O'Keeffe Reimagined
    • The Rolling Stones' Tongue
    • Repetition
    • Minding the Store
    • Lovebirds
    • Greece 1973
    • Bouzigues Remembered
    • Murals
    • Blond on Blond
    • Splatter
    • Hot & Cold
    • Stay-at-Home
    • That Scene
    • Dafne in the Mirror
    • Dafne on the Vine
    • Outtakes
    • Headshots
    • 3-6-9
    • Underground
    • Wild Thing
    • Eye of the Beholder
    • Tulip Arrangements
    • Projecting Kate Ri
    • Expressions
    • Ghosts
    • Carrot-top
    • Camouflage
    • Digital Waves
    • The English Sailor
    • Windy Beach Night
    • Quiet Hours
    • Cloud Illusions
    • Big Fish Selfies
    • Dreamcards
    • After
    • Burlesque
    • Unmute Us
    • Natural Beauties
    • Backlit
    • Ankie
    • Joiners
    • Projecting Van Gogh
    • Covering up
    • Lines and Curves
    • Lobster Time
    • Home Decorations
    • Clawin' to the Top
    • A Helping Hand
    • Fireworks
    • Lockdown
    • Meshed Up
    • Cheaper by the Dozen
    • Dubai Colorscrapers
    • Dubai Colorscrapers
    • Sparkle
    • Parking Lot
    • Lounging
    • Me and Me
    • Projecting Impressionism
    • Projecting Dubuffet
    • Portraits of Manya
    • Amsterdam in 2 Minutes
    • Trio
    • Ankie Doubled
    • Ankie B&W&R
    • Projecting Shunga
    • Portraits in Ten
    • Chained
    • The Bollenstreek Flower Parade
    • The Muse
    • Jumpin' at the Lido
    • Sliced
    • Horror Story
    • Nadia
    • Highlights
    • Festival Time
    • The Līgatne Paper Mill
    • Gaudeamus 2022
    • Jāņi
    • Behind Glass
    • Trystdom
    • Woodstock on the Water
    • The Juggler
    • Projecting Nicky
    • fête
    • Marché
    • Unnatural Disasters
    • Shadows
    • Leading Lines
    • Y.T.
    • Bear Skin
    • Dash of Color
    • Window Frame
    • Afternoon Delight
    • Ameria
    • You Win Again
    • Projecting Ameria
    • Not Your Plaything
    • Mourners and Swimmers
    • Antonyms and Synonyms
    • Dread Queen
    • Wicca and the Alphabet of Love
    • The Chat
    • Phantom Body
    • Happy Faces
    • Down and Out
    • AI Blue
    • Warming Up
    • Long Legs
    • Ellen
    • Autumn Leaves Bodyscapes
    • Shopping with Spike
    • Leaf Me Be/Travel Pics
    • Seated, quietly
    • crabby
    • Sri Lankan Moods
    • The Pescatarian
    • Baking
    • Life Is
    • Both Sides Now
    • Is There Anybody Here
    • Amie
    • Till Victory
    • Tight Rope
    • Big Yellow Taxi
    • Graceland
    • Racetrack in France
    • Bloody Motherfucking Asshole
    • Naima
    • Found Me Somebody
    • Angel from Montgomery
    • Moondance
    • Sammy's Song
    • Into the Mystic
    • Bertha
    • Baltimore
    • No Other Love
    • Cantaloupe Island
    • You Can Leave Your Hat On
    • Don't Smoke in Bed
    • Country Road
    • Hallelujah
    • Song for my Father
    • Yuma
    • She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
    • Ain't No Sunshine
    • Go Down Moses
    • God Only Knows
    • Come Together
    • Treme
    • (Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay
    • Sunshine, Superman
    • Spoonful
    • Summertime
    • Rhapsody in Blue
    • Gender Wayang
    • Old Man
    • The Motorcycle Song
    • Boots of Spanish Leather
    • Big in Japan
    • Satisfaction
    • Paris, Texas
    • Here Comes the Sun
    • What a Wonderful World
    • Trouble
    • Waitin' Around to Die
    • What the World Needs Now is Love
  • Stories
  • Contact