Myanmar Images - GH4 and IR mod. GH3

In Jan. my wife and I were privileged to go on a 2 1/2 week photo workshop with eight other photogs to Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos, led by Rick Murai - a retired photography teacher in the CA state university system, whose infra-red images from SE Asia I had seen in a striking exhibition a few months earlier, that led me to have my backup GH3 converted to IR.

Rick encouraged us to give up the usual obsessions with gear comparisons and settings, buy postcards for the standard temple shots, etc. (always with better lighting and no people!), and concentrate on the people and their activities. Take what the moment gives you - if it's motion, show it in some way; if it's people, try for a bit of rapport first - in the markets, make eye contact, perhaps buy something, get their consent if possible.

All of this a bit threatening to me in spite of almost 55 years in "the game", shooting few people I didn't know and speak the language, and always going for an image a classically perfect as I could make it. My wife shot a little Panny P&S, and me the GH4/P-L 14-150 on a cross-chest strap, the 7-14 in a small belt cannister, and the IR coverted GH3/14-45 in a classic barrel-down belt holster. Most of the others with two FF Canons - 24-105 on one and a 16-35 or (!) 70-200 2.8 on the other.

Thousands of images, most not processed, but here's the rather diverse crop from Myanmar - a truly unforgettable place where we spent the most time: Yangon (Rangoon) the capital, Bagan the ancient capital, with over 3000 temples, Mandalay, and Inle Lake with its villages on poles.



Banana boat gal, bobbing next to our taxi boat. I was set up for slow shutter panning of passing boats to blur background, but couldn't resist her sunny smile or her bananas!


My first shot in Yangon. She was on a bus, briefly stopped. I was captivated, intrigued...


In the massive Schwedagon Pagoda complex.




Libations - Schwedagon Pagoda complex


Novice monk - Bagan cave Monastery, candlelight only, but from several wall niches


Each photographer had the opportunity to pose two young monks with the help of an interpreter. It was an uncomfortable situation to me not being able to communicate directly and establish some rapport.


In morning alms-giving ceremony, Mandalay, with many monks of all ages. I tried to isolate individuals with several techniques, but the slow SS fast zooming was the most successful. Handheld.


Mandalay monastery monk, in IR, which renders the red garment white in B/W. Slow SS panning to blur background.


Evening Market, Mandalay. I have no idea what it is either!


Evening Market - Mandalay. She consented to photo after I bought a bag of peanuts. Many women and children have a pigment applied to the face - usually on the cheeks, in some sort of pattern - eg a leaf.


Born to the Water - Inle Lake. An IR image, which gives an interesting look to the eyes and very smooth skin tones to older subjects also.




Inle Lake Fisherman - IR image.




Inle Lake Sunset.

Thanks for looking, and any C&C appreciated.

Pete

Nice photos. Thank you.

Thank you!

Pete

Thanks for showing.

Myanmar has always intrigued me but I never dd get therte -- and won't now.

But then I am in my bit of paradise!

Nice captures.

Great photos! Years ago I took similar photos in South America. Why do westerners like going to foreign cultures to photograph "exotic" looking people? Would they find us equally exotic? And why does b&w work so well with so many of these images! Just thinking out loud?

The IR fiherman, and the morning alms stand out to me. Great set in its entirety though. The juxtuposition of my idea of a monk in tranquility and the movement you have imposed is what keeps mee looking at the monk image. And then the fisherman in that surreal light be it first or last of the day really captures the solitude of the task.

Great set. I love the black and whites (IR, but they don't look like the white tree IR's I've seen) and I love the look of the woman in the bus, film like color.

Hen3ry said:

Thanks for showing.

Myanmar has always intrigued me but I never dd get therte -- and won't now.

But then I am in my bit of paradise!

Click to expand...

And I will unfortunately probably never get to New Guinea!

Pete

Hen3ry said:

--
Geoffrey Heard
Down and out in Rabaul in the South Pacific
http://rabaulpng.com/we-are-all-traveling-throug/i-waited-51-years-for-tavur.html

Click to expand...

Calnature, I wouldn't be surprised if they found our motley crew a rather scruffy lot after their exposure to Hollywood's perfect bodies, hair, teeth, nails and shoes - all else forgiven! The simplifying effect of B/W is what intrigues me, particularly with the riot of color you so often see.

Lambert4, our instructor's forcing me to get out of my comfortable box was a revelation - particularly in exploring motion, and ways of isolating subjects, though I do admit to trying the zoom-while-shooting technique used with the Morning Alms image, on my own. Only two of twenty or so were usable, though - come to think of it, about the same ratio as my usual!

Jkrumm, the only one of the IR's that gives itself away is the Mandala monk on the move - and that only if you know his robe should be dark. The Inle Lake fisherman backlit image pretty much hides the effect completely.

And the girl in the blue hat - I did a great deal of darkening of the image around her, to the point of barely showing the ear of the shadowed head in front of her, hoping to bring in a bit of Hopper-esque mystery to counterpoint her lovely face.

Pete