Harry's Photography Thoughts

An Attempt to Capture The Power of My Lake of Dreams

Phayao, 2025: a turning point in my life. We arrived just as June began to bleed into July; neither of us had visited before. However, our arrival was peppered with an uncanny familiarity, as if we knew this town already; as if we had been before. This voice, of what appeared to be that of an old friend, became increasingly louder in our hearts as the month progressed. In my case, it seemed that I always knew where I was going, and that there was no real need to navigate as my sense of direction here was innate and self-guided.  As a final preface to this particular tale, concerning The Lake of Dreams, I should say (as I’ve likely noted elsewhere) that, within my huge backpacker backpack, I had a film bag containing 25 films and, on my little bike expeditions around the Phayao province, my Canon film camera was always my faithful companion along the way.

The Lake of Dreams… I might have visited this sacred place three or four times in total. The impression it left with me, however, might suggest that I have lived several lifetimes on its shores. It seemingly called out to me; it seemed to draw me in via a magnetic pull toward it. Of course, I didn’t know this on a humid early-July afternoon, when I was seemingly cycling aimlessly in an overall westerly direction. On this occasion, my wandering took me through various small villages. Moving in this general western direction, I eventually came upon a sign that caught my interest: something along the lines of ‘Historic Buddhist Relic Temple’, written in English under some Thai and some other interesting symbolism denoting heritage significance. Without a second thought, I turned right down the dirt track. With my camera loaded with Lomography 100, I took these photographs:

Above, a Comprehensive View of Wat Phra That Phu Kwang (The Phu Kwang Buddha Relic Temple). Of the many photos I took, I have decided to share four small idiosyncrasies of the temple that caught my eye most below:

It was exceptionally quiet and peaceful. I felt deep peace there. Upon exiting the temple, I turned right again, back into the rhythm of my westerly ramble.

I was shortly out of the village and into deep countryside. The road had a steady decline, as if leading me in a defined direction. I was having the time of my life!

Despite the fact that my internal drive to ‘press on’ was rising by the minute, craving more discovery, certain small features of the landscape I passed by warranted quick stops to be observed.

After much bamboo and open fields, I reached this point in the road. I had advanced closer to the mountains than I had ever been so far, which alone was cause for great excitement. This photo (as will become a key theme of this article later on) sadly does not do justice to the sheer SCALE of this scene. The field in itself was vast, the mountains were colossal distant giants brooding over all around in the clouds, the greenery was pungent and all-encompassing in this rainy season.

I turned right, and the road began to narrow into a snaking climb up a hill seemingly into nowhere. However, upon reaching the precipice I saw a small hut and some water… the closer I got the more I was utterly transfixed with the unprecedented beauty manifesting before me. I knew that I had arrived, the pulling force of the road had been leading me here.

My First Attempt

I was met by a Lake of Dreams. I was lost for words, filled with awe. I sat in pure silence, watching, in the little wooden hut situated at the juncture between tarmac and dirt road. I sat, I watched, I listened. After some time, I came to my senses from this hypnotic trance, and attempted to take photos. In the moment, it felt futile; no angle could convey the sheer scale of this tapestry of life and harmony before me. None could capture its peace, and yet I tried. Above is the only usable one from that first discovery; whilst beautiful, its merely a shadow, a cheap mimesis.

All I felt in that moment was gratitude. I sat there for much time, existing and appreciating, one with the waves lapping idly on the breezeless waters. The waters were surrounded by mountains, and the mountains were covered in the densest green vegetation with pockets of bouquets of tree flowers poking through the sea of green. In a microscopic section of it was I, seated, now also part of this vision.

After an indescribable period of time had passed, I decided to venture on, around the lake. I witnessed lonely fisherman, marvellously exotic birds, trees great and small and, most memorably, the largest spider I had ever seen.

Eventually, I came across a herd of Water Buffalo, being driven by an old Thai farmer through the Longan Groves. I did my best to ask him for this picture, but who knows if he understood. Respectfully, I chose not to photograph him of course, just his herd of buffalo wandering westward as I too continued in that same direction.

After much time circling the lake, I decided to halt here and turn back. Intuition said ‘enough’; not out of fear, but satiation of curiosity.

The next time I came no photographs were taken that day, but I did compose this description:

Serene Tranquillity – 12th July, 2025

A great body of water sealed between mountains,

A lake nestled between verdant, living fountains

Of ancient spirits that still roam these ancient lands

Carved by magical, unearthly hands.

We sit sheltered, in silence, under a worn-out shack;

All hustle and bustle of modernity fade to black.

An antique peace resides here, pondering and breathing,

A consciousness of all, a force never leaving.

All around breathes and moves in unison, perfectly still,

Ebbing and flowing without care or will.

What is always has been and shall be,

To step outside the mind and feel the soul of every,

All and nothing, to leave behind preconceptions and doctrines,

To open your mind to gifts like empty Christmas stockings:

A glimpse is enough to change your life completely;

Come sit with us, by the lake of dreams, in serene tranquillity.

***

On that day the water was glass. I distinctly remember seeing a perfect reflection of the entire horizon on its surface. A complete, perfect mirror of all above, now below, reflected. It brought a tear to my eye, and lasted a mere moment. That was the inspiration behind this poem, that fraction of a moment where all was in complete harmony.

During my time in Phayao, I visited the lake several more times, each meeting as inspirational as the last. I found an unearthly peace in this place, a peace that has stayed with me to this day. Whenever I sit by the lake, in the rundown wooden shack, in my mind I am always brought back to that same state of peace and harmony. On my final visit, I did bring my camera, though hesitantly. I had brought it initially with the Lomography 100, then another time with Kodak Gold (see top), and this final time Ultramax. Each time I attempted to photograph the lake it felt wrong, sacrilegious, as if I were taking something from that place that didn’t belong to me.

And that is reflected in the photos themselves. I do not believe any photo can reflect what I experienced there. The photos serve now as useful illustrations to this account, though nothing more. The real image is in my mind, within the lived memory, where each of the five senses can be replayed with those other, more supernatural senses layered within it. I would much rather sit by the lake in my mind than gaze at a mere replica of it.

A photograph represents a capture of a second, cast in a frame. That place cannot be summarised in such a split second. It is timeless, there are not split seconds there. The present, past and future comingle into one. Such are the limitations of photography, in my mind. To conclude this article, however, I will share the final two images I captured of the lake. I was there alone.

My seat of reflection.

The Lake of Dreams. My final and favourite attempt.

When I visit again one day, I will not bring a camera. Not everything needs to be photographed. Instead, I shall bring a pen and paper, then sit and wait, and listen.

In researching this article, I finally got about to finding it on google maps. Rather hilariously, it is simply labelled as ‘Tourist Attraction’ there. It’s name in Thai may be of more use, if you choose to find it.

อ่างเก็บน้ำแม่นาเรือ = Mae Na Ruea Resevoir