J015 - Verge Magazine: Volunteer abroad, work and travel, study abroad

Verge Magazine - Photo of the Year, 2007

These images represent the best of more than 1,000 entries in our 2007 photo contest. Browse and enjoy!

This exhibit is also available for loan. Please contact us if you are interested.

Overall Winner

Lives

Filling Tanks in Halong Bay
Halong Bay, Vietnam

A man fills tanks on a boat in Halong Bay. I took the shot as I was on top of an adjacent boat, preparing to travel in North Vietnam.

Liam Cushing
Toronto, Ontario
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Lives Winner

Lives

Roadside Chef

On the road between El Obeid and En Nahud, Sudan

A roadside cook waits to prepare a meal of goat livers and black beans with bread on the main road to Darfur in western Sudan.

Lyle Stafford

Vancouver, British Columbia
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Changes Winner

Changes

A Secret School for Girls

Kabul, Afghanistan

A courageous group of Afghan girls receives an education, despite threats of reprisal from hard-line Taliban supporters. Much thanks to Fahrid Koshanni, my friend and fixer, who helped me gain access to this school despite the danger to himself.

Richard Fitoussi

Bayfield, Ontario
C004 C004
Environments Winner

Environments

Peaceful Morning

In the jungle near Chau Doc, Vietnam

A wood bridge leading to a traditional Vietnamese home in the Mekong Delta Region at sunrise.

Connie Chan

Mississauga, Ontario

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Journeys Winner

Journeys

Khadija Memories

Near Casablanca, Morocco

Travelling solo through southern Morocco, this reflection in the window was shot on a train journey from Marrakech to Casablanca. There were no other occupants in the eight-passenger train car at that time, so this beautiful woman and I were sharing silence and an appreciation of the scenery. While we couldn’t communicate because of the language barrier, we both seemed to be reflecting upon our memories.

Lola Reid Allin

Corbyville, Ontario
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Lives

Buzkashi

Kabul Stadium, Kabul, Afghanistan

Players fight for possession of a headless goat in Afghanistan’s national sport buzkashi (translated as ‘goat-grabbing’). Two teams compete for control of a decapitated goat which they then try to drop inside a painted circle. The sport encapsulates many characteristics of the Afghan experience—strength, violence, passion and courage.

Brent Lewin

Richmond Hill, Ontario
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Lives

Surrounded by her Work

Kota Bharu, Malaysia

The old market of Kota Bharu is quite the sight. There are markets in almost every town in Asia, but this one is supposedly one of the best, and it doesn't disappoint, especially for a photographer. Men and women occupy tables that are covered in so much merchandise that it simply makes sense to just sit in the middle of them and do dealings from there.

Ryan Bird

Regina, Saskatchewan
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Lives

If her Hands Could Talk

Near Bukittinggi, Sumatra, Indonesia

This woman weaves bamboo baskets all day to make money. She moves amazingly fast, and can complete a whole basket in 30 minutes. The baskets are used for carrying fruit and vegetables and are usually thrown away after a week's use. Such effort, such expertise going into something so practical that will be used for a couple of days, but will quickly return to the earth and help the cycle start again.

Ryan Bird

Regina, Saskatchewan

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Lives

Security Guard

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

This man is the security guard for Save Lives Ethiopia (SaLE). I met and photographed him in front of his home, which is inside the fenced in area of the SaLE compound. In this little corner, lie all the possessions this man has: his garden, his bedroom (the room the laddered entrance goes to) and his storage facility (underneath the bedroom).

Ed Cheung

Vancouver, British Columbia

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Lives

Kenrokuen Garden

Kanazawa, Japan

A pair of gardeners working in Kenrokuen Garden in Kanazawa. The Japanese take great pride in their gardens because, in their culture, it is considered a high art. The garden is considered one of the "Three Great Gardens of Japan," and was originally built in the 1600s as the outer garden for Kanazawa Castle.

Connie Chan

Mississauga, Ontario
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Lives

Holi Festival

Banke Bihari Temple, Vrindavan, India.

Revellers jostle for space inside Vrindavan’s Banke Bihari Temple in celebration; it is complete chaos inside. I originally entered on the main floor with the mob and being one of the only foreigners present, was assaulted by coloured powder and water. A kind man took my hand and led me up to a balcony where I had a great view of the celebration below.

Brent Lewin

Richmond Hill, Ontario
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Lives

Ahmad at his Home

The village of Gagangir, in northern Kashmir, India.

Photographed in front of his home, Ahmad Bhat, 18, is the eldest of four children. The conditions for people in his region are difficult. They live off the land, selling and trading potatoes and other vegetables and by guiding travellers on treks in the area. Tourism has fallen because of the ongoing conflict with Pakistan. And the winters bring snow, blocking the roads for months, forcing the villagers to move several kilometres south to another village for half of the year.

Solomon Krueger

Montreal, Quebec
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Lives

Lysha and Alicia

Caribana 2006, Toronto, Ontario

Caribana is the largest Caribbean festival in North America. This image was taken on Lakeshore Boulevard shortly after the costumes and dance of their section was judged.

Matthew Schlauch

Toronto, Ontario
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Lives

Looking through Angkor Thom

Angkor Thom, Siem Reap, Cambodia

It was my third day in Siem Reap at Angkor Wat and I had become accustomed to the peddlers around the temple. I took this photo of one girl who didn’t notice I was around but she seemed so comfortable at her job and the place she worked.

Liam Cushing

Toronto, Ontario
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Lives

Reflections

Boryeong Mud Festival in South Korea.

Held every year at Daecheon beach, the Boryeong Mud Festival is one of the biggest and most popular summer festivals in South Korea. I was intrigued by the reflections in the mirror; it was interesting to see different people with different expressions coming in and out of the perspective.

Afzal Huda

Calgary, Alberta
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Lives

Religious Leader

Bou Inania Medersa, Fès, Morocco

While photographing the stunning architectural details of the magnificent Bou Inania Medersa, this religious leader walked into this position fully cognizant that I was photographing him as well. He stood there for several minutes allowing me to shoot many images.

Lola Reid Allin

Corbyville, Ontario
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Lives

Sámi Fisherman

In the far north of Finland, north of the Arctic Circle close to the Norwegian border.

The Sámi, the indigenous people of northern Europe, inhabit the four countries of Sweden, Norway, Russia and Finland. In the short time I spent living with them, they opened their homes and hearts to me, and their openness and generosity is something I can only strive to emulate. This image portrays a retired Sámi man cutting down his daily fish catch from his nets in the lake by his house.

Nicole Robicheau

Meteghan River, Nova Scotia
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Lives

Fresh Fish?

Halong Bay, Vietnam

At Grotto Caves in Halong Bay, a local resident is anxiously trying to sell her goods to passing tourists. As most foreigners were on set cruises, she has a hard time with sales.

Matthew Sawycky

Delta, British Columbia
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Lives

Lonely Musician

Edinburgh, Scotland

When backpacking throughout Europe, one of my most memorable experiences was the Edinburgh festival in August. The streets were filled with musicians and performers, and among thousands of viewers and tourists, I caught one musician practicing in one of Edinburgh's famous closes.

Amy Mueller

Toronto, Ontario
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Lives

Traditional Boy?

En route from Arequipa to the Colca Canyon, Peru.

When travelling around Peru, it became clear to me that children of all ages were often forced to help their families by selling goods to tourists. This little boy is wearing knitted apparel his mother made to show off "traditional" Peruvian clothing at tourist pit stops. But beneath his traditional attire he sports little running shoes and a smile.

Amy Mueller

Toronto, Ontario
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Lives

Urban Navigation

Mekong River near Chau Doc, Vietnam

A Vietnamese woman navigates her boat around the stilt homes by pulling herself past the wooden posts. This image was shot through the window of a stilt home on the Mekong River.

Connie Chan

Mississauga, Ontario
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Lives

Fishermen in Song

Ada Foah Estuary, Ghana.

Fishers haul in their nets under the hazy harmattan sun. If you listen closely, you can hear their rhythmic song over the roar of the ocean. This narrow strip of land, squeezed between the slow freshwaters of the Volta River on one side and the screaming salty sea on the other, is one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

Shayna Stock

Sarnia, Ontario
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Lives

Happy Students

Nha Trang, Vietnam

At a school on the outskirts of this small town, excited students look at the digital images of themselves. Their guests had taken the images during the children's dance performance earlier that day.

Jim Laurence

Surrey, British Columbia
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Changes

Aftermath of the Spill

Lanyu (Orchid Island), Taiwan

An aboriginal woman cleans up after an oil spill on the remote southern island of Lanyu. There was a sad feeling in this place, where the island's native Yami men and women gathered to clean up the mess.

Solomon Krueger

Montreal, Quebec

C006 C006
Changes

Creating New Life

Southwest of Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand

A yearly burning of the forest understory allows farmers and locals to collect wild mushrooms for profit, as well as protect homes and villages from larger forest fires.

Matthew Sawycky

Delta, British Columbia
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Changes

Working Together

A school near the town of Punta Gorda, Belize

Students help each other with one of the day’s assignments at the Machaca Outreach Centre. Most kids in this area of Belize have very few basic learning opportunities, but here at the outreach centre people have come together to try and change that.

Ashley Camara

Waterloo, Ontario
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Changes

Change Sweeping Across the Community

Rural village of Dora, along the eastern border of Zimbabwe.

In a country where roughly 20 percent of the adult population is HIV positive, many children at this village school have lost one or both of their parents to AIDS. But a project that brings volunteers to help care for AIDS orphans is giving hope to many children. This image was taken from a vehicle driving away from the public school, catching the optimism of this ravaged community.

Paula Richardson

Ottawa, Ontario
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Changes

Young Artist

Temple ruins, Angkor Wat, Cambodia

Like so many other children, this young boy is trying to make some money from the sea of tourists who flock to Angkor Wat daily. Many children here set out to work at a young age because of financial hardships.

Anice Wong

Ottawa, Ontario
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Changes

Holding On

Just outside Bratislava, Slovakia

Life in Slovakia can be difficult: the country has gone through massive changes since the end of the communism. The girl in this image has her arm intertwined with the tree; the other person is also holding on, but to her. To me it symbolizes the state of the country, post-communism: people holding on to certain ways of the past but also working to get through the transition.

Scott Euser

Richmond Hill, Ontario
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Changes

The K-5 Mine Belt

Near Poi Pet, Cambodia

Aki Ra, an ex-Khmer Rouge soldier, now spends most of his time working to clear landmines from places he used to lay them as a child soldier. He has cleared over 60,000 mines with little more than a pair of pliers and a utility knife. The K-5 mine belt, shown in this photo, is said to be one of the most mine contaminated landscapes on the planet.

Richard Fitoussi

Bayfield, Ontario

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Environments

A Dog's Life

Pena Blanca, Honduras

On the streets of Pena Blanca, a Dalmatian sleeps on the front steps of a home. I was in Honduras working with Paramedics for Children International, providing school and medical supplies to people in remote mountain villages like Pena Blanca.

Shawn Talbot

Kelowna, British Columbia
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Environments

Long Crossing

Hunza River, northern Pakistan

This image was taken while crossing the Hunza River. The local villagers use these bridges every day to transport the harvest and other goods between villages located far up the mountain sides. There is real a sense of peace and timelessness here.

Philip Fust

Calgary, Alberta
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Environments

Palace Courtyard

Gyeonghuigung Palace, Seoul, Korea

Two school girls take a tour of the grounds in the courtyards of Gyeonghuigung Palace. The palace was formerly home to the Emperor, and is the most significant remaining example of Joseon Dynasty architecture that remains in Korea.

Linda Lee

Toronto, Ontario
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Environments

Enjoying the Outhouse View

Teunom, Aceh, Indonesia.

After the 2004 tsunami, I was volunteering with a local Indonesian organization, which ran a livelihood program for 15 villages surrounding Teunom. A river runs though Tenoum, and is normally crammed with people living on its edge, using the water for all their needs. One day, however, when exploring alone, I found a quite calm spot.

Colleen Arnison

Maple Ridge, British Columbia

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Environments

I Hope you Like Seafood

Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia

Sumatra definitely isn't as well-known as some of the other islands in Indonesia, but this only increases the excitement of travelling here, knowing you're seeing life as it is. Sumatrans are among the friendliest people I've met, and this market in Padang was no exception. I just pulled out my camera and people started inviting me to take pictures of them- and they loved seeing the results.

Ryan Bird

Regina, Saskatchewan
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Environments

Former Taliban Bunker

Kabul, Afghanistan

A Canadian soldier inspects the perimeter inside a bunker complex, which is scarred by shelling. The bunker was formerly held by Taliban insurgents.

Richard Fitoussi

Bayfield, Ontario
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Environments

Scraping out a Living

Garbage dump outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia

A Khmer woman earns under US$1 per day collecting metal, rubber and plastic from smoldering toxic debris at a garbage dump. More than 500 families work here, selling their harvest to local scrap yards. My friend Daniel Rothenburg has built schools here hoping that education might provide these workers’ children with a better future.

Richard Fitoussi

Bayfield, Ontario
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Environments

Atop Buda Hill

Budapest, Hungary.

As seen in the reflection of the Hilton Hotel, visitors descend the steps of the historic Fisherman’s Bastion in Budapest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Brent Lewin

Richmond Hill, Ontario
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Environments

Reflections

Lake Windamere, Australia

An autumn morning fog at Lake Windamere. The lake is located near the town of Mudgee, about a four-hour drive from Sydney. While I was an exchange student in Australia I had the opportunity to volunteer on a film production here; the production team camped here and awoke at 6:00 a.m. in order to capture this scene for a film.

Anjuli Tchalikian

Scarborough, Ontario

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Environments

Left Out

Sidi Bou Saïd, Tunisia

While strolling down the white washed alleys of this peaceful city, a little red door caught my eye. Three cats were relaxing on the stairs - two of them playfully teasing each other, and one left out. The image captures typical painted doors against the white city, but also a sense of the mellow streetlife, where animals lounge, the elderly sit outside watching people pass, and young people play games in the winding alleys.

Lusine Stepanian

Toronto, Ontario
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Environments

Letting Loose

Kabul, Afghanistan

A boy enjoys an improvised swing set fashioned from old car parts in Kabul. Resourceful local people have put to good use the abandoned Soviet armoury that litters the city and countryside.

Brent Lewin

Richmond Hill, Ontario
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Environments

Unconquerable Spirit

The Darulaman area of Kabul, Afghanistan

A mother walks her child home from school. The child’s dancing pose set against the backdrop of a bombed out government building perfectly sums up the unconquerable Afghan spirit.

Brent Lewin

Richmond Hill, Ontario
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Environments

Peace is our Concern Here

Monrovia, Liberia

In 2006 I spent 6 months working in Accra, Ghana with Journalists for Human Rights. In July, my colleague John Gaudi and I made a trip into Liberia — a country rarely mentioned without the use of the adjective wartorn. Every day we were amazed by people's resilience, and capacity for hope.

Jeff Topham

Vancouver, British Columbia
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Environments

Dae-Kwan-Ryung Sheep Ranch, Seoul, Korea.

At the DKR sheep ranch, each visitor is given a basket of hay in order to feed the sheep. It took me a lot of tries to get this picture because the sheep kept moving around. When we left, the snow on my bear hat began to melt—it looked like it was crying. Our guide said it must be sad to leave the sheep.

Bokyung Michelle Park

Coquitlam, British Columbia
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Environments

Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern Gallery

London, England

To enter the gallery via Turbine Hall is to truly see the immensity of the building. The space is so large; the ceiling so high above you, and all the while, you know that what was once one of London’s dirtiest sources of power, is now a vast temple to the world’s greatest modern art.

Anna Soper

Kingston, Ontario
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Environments

Out of Place

Khartoum, Sudan.

A ferris wheel looks out of place on the harsh landscape of the parched desert that Khartoum is built upon.

Lyle Stafford

Vancouver, British Columbia
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Environments

Whakarewarewa

Rotorua, New Zealand (North Island)

The unique living Maori Thermal Village of Whakarewarewa is situated amongst erupting geothermal activity, hot springs, exploding geysers, and hot bubbling mud pools.

Alexis Zubko

Vancouver, British Columbia
E154 E154
Environments

Night Market

Just west of Wangfujing Street, Beijing, China

A soldier purchasing food from a local eatery. This area, which is just off of the main tourist shopping district, is a series of narrow lanes and alleys occupied by small restaurants, market stalls and eateries that cater mostly to Beijing locals.

Jim Laurence

Surrey, British Columbia
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Journeys

Long Walk Home

Atlas Mountains, Morocco

A woman makes a long journey home, carrying vegetation for her flock of sheep. There was no greenery within an hour of her location, and the nearest village was more than two hours away—quite a journey for a few strands of greenery.

Julian Worker

New Westminster, British Columbia
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Journeys

Paddling Boy

Tonle Sap Lake, Siem Reap Province, Cambodia

A floating village just outside Siam Reap. This young boater was probably heading home from fishing or selling goods to tourists.

Colleen Arnison

Maple Ridge, British Columbia
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Journeys

Along the Camino de la Muerte

Outside Coroico, Bolivia

The road that connects La Paz to the Bolivian Amazon is notorious for being the most dangerous in the world. This was just a regular trip for this gentleman driver, though he reports that there are hundreds of accidents along the road every year. Further along, our bus passed a rescue crew preparing to rappel down into the valley to find a truck that had gone over the edge.

Jonathan Taggart

Toronto, Ontario
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Journeys

Overlooking the Train Station

Near the main train station in Yangon, Burma

A young boy and his father watch a train unload and reload its passengers. What struck me the most was the young boy's wonder and awe as he stared at the train. Growing up in country where your basic rights are suppressed and travel is restricted, I felt this train could only stand as a symbol of travel, freedom and future for this boy. Yet the father's eyes stayed fixed on his son, fixed on his future.

Jeremy Law

Guelph, Ontario
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Journeys

The Ticket Line is to the Left

Near Mendoza, Argentina, close to the border of Chile

On a chilly day in the Andes Mountains, this St. Bernard's coat affords him some much-needed warmth. Being on the major road through the Andes between Chile and Argentina, this town sees a lot of buses heading through and makes it easy for anyone caught out here to catch one.

Ryan Bird

Regina, Saskatchewan
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Journeys

Food Car

A train crossing the Qinghai-Tibet plateau in China

Servers in the food car of the train from Chengdu, China to Lhasa, Tibet. As the train climbs higher in altitude, the thinner air often results in fatigue. This image was taken in the mid-afternoon when the food car was empty of hungry passengers.

Connie Chan

Mississauga, Ontario
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Journeys

Footprints

Kapchagai Reservoir, near the city of Almaty, Kazakhstan

Taken in July 2006, during summer holidays in Almaty, Kazakhstan. My boyfriend and I decided to leave our prints on the shore and then took a picture of them. Later, it was interesting to see that the footprints look convex and inverted in the photo.

Olga Stepanova

North Vancouver, British Columbia
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Journeys

Evening in the Desert

Just outside of Pushkar, India

This image of a family and their cows was captured while riding a camel through the desert on a field school with Simon Fraser University. Originally we had not intended to ride late into the sunset, but one of our classmates had actually fallen off of her camel. This delay turned out to be a blessing in disguise because the sunset was beautiful (and she was not hurt!)

Andy Jonas

Coquitlam, British Columbia
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Journeys

All Aboard

Canadian base, coined "The Red Devil Inn" in Gumbad, Afghanistan

Soldiers climb aboard an armoured personnel carrier at the Gumbad Safe-house in southern Afghanistan. The convoy was unable to reach Kandahar Air Field (KAF) the previous day, when a roadside IED bomb attack left four soldiers dead in front of the vehicle I was travelling in.

Richard Fitoussi

Bayfield, Ontario
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Journeys

Desert Path

Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India

Trail of footsteps through the sand dunes; taken while on a camel safari in the desert.

Liam Cushing

Toronto, Ontario
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Journeys

CPR in the Rain

Banff, Alberta

A Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) train on a rainy day in April. The image intended to capture its greatness and the high speed at which the train was going. But it can be symbolic as well: like the train passing by, life is fast-paced, and if you don’t jump on it, it might pass you by.

Joanna Rechberger

Ottawa, Ontario
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Journeys

Flying through Bangkok in a Tuk Tuk

Bangkok, Thailand

Riding in the back of a tuk-tuk in Bangkok is both the most exciting and frightening trips I have taken. While getting an exhilerating view of the city and a cool breeze in the sticky heat, I held my breath and braced myself while dodging through traffic at break-neck speeds!

Solomon Krueger

Montreal, Quebec
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Journeys

Hands Out

A train ride from Ayutthaya towards Bangkok, Thailand

I love to take local transportation while travelling. You never know what to see or expect. While traveling with a friend in Thailand, we decided to take a local train to get to our next city. The train was a bit slow, and when it stopped, these two hands appeared, patiently waiting for the train to move again.

Anice Wong

Ottawa, Ontario
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Journeys

Tranquil Journey

On the train from the River Kwai Bridge to Nam Tok station, Thailand

Halfway through a journey to Nam Tok station, a monk boarded the train and sat across the aisle from me. I noticed how tranquil he was and how patient he looked. He was likely aware that his photograph was being taken, but it didn’t seem to disturb his tranquil demeanour.

Anice Wong

Ottawa, Ontario
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Journeys

Along the Mekong

Mekong River, near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

This image was taken during a boat ride in the thick, grassy waters in South Vietnam. While in the image it may look like a tranquil environment, it is actually an area that sees many tourists and boats moving about.

Anice Wong

Ottawa, Ontario
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Journeys

Short Walk, Long Journey

Chelsea, New York City

An elderly couple waits to cross the street on a cool fall day in New York City. The pair is very engaged with each other and seem oblivious to the rest of the world around them. Their short walk seemed to be part of a long journey together.

Tracey Tomtene

Vancouver, British Columbia
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