Dressed in saffron robes, anonymous monks hold alms bowls in their laps. The silvery globes contrast with the warmth of golden orange. Beautifully captured by Ryan Chappell's lens, the images come from Chiang Mai. Every year on his birthday, the King is wished well by Thais, the photographer explains. In recent years, up to 10,000 monks have gathered in the streets of Chiang Mai to collect alms and to give merit to those attending the event. These bowls are carried by the monks to collect food and offerings of flowers. November can be very cold in northern Thailand and the monks are bundled up against the early morning chill. The sun is just coming out and the alms ceremony has just started. Chappell prints the color photograph on Fujicolor crystal archive paper and mounts it with a mat board passe-partout.
