Ruins, Relics, and Memorials/Monuments - Pervez Photography

Some of my photos from historical sights and artifacts from across the globe, especially in Turkey, China, and London. Seeing these places and items is always such a humbling experience for me because it reminds me that, a very long time ago, people, with limited tools and technology, were still able to make magnificent works that persist to this day in some form. These are often not places where masses assemble anymore, so there's a sense of reflective peace at most of them. You can sit down, view the remains, and appreciate what it would have been like to be in one of these places many years ago. Monuments and memorials are less ancient (sometimes), but carry a similar sentiment. These places also honor the past, and are places where one can sit and reflect on history, albeit more recent in most cases. With all these places, however, there is a sense of appreciation of where we have come from, and a possibility to learn lessons for where we are moving towards in the future. 

Powered by SmugMug Log In

Sunrise at the Iwo Jima Memorial in Virginia, with DC in the background, on Memorial Day. We got up at 4 am to head out from DC to Virginia to grab this shot. The first stop was on the National Mall, but once we realized the light wasn't going to reflect very well off the Reflecting Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial, we hightailed it to Virginia to get this shot before the sun came up. Given how crowded these areas are during weekends, especially Memorial Day weekend, it was unique to have the space practically to ourselves to position our shots as we saw fit. There were a handful of photographers out, but it was practically empty. As the sun started rising, the sky turned a fantastic red/orange, and I frantically took shots and moved around with my tripod to get a handful of photos from different perspectives. You only have a few minutes to get this kind of light, so hey, make the best of it!

Iwo JimaIwo Jimo MemorialMemorial Day