X-Pro2 in Myanmar
Hi all, I’m a novice at photography, having started to learn 10 months ago after picking up a Sony A6300, which was replaced quickly with a Fuji X-T10, followed by an X-Pro1 and now an X-Pro2, a camera I really enjoy using.
I recently went on a trip to Myanmar and fell in love with the country. I hope it’s ok to share a few pictures from that trip, taken with the X-Pro2, along with a bit of written context. While my pics are nowhere near as nice as Verheyph's, I thought I’d still put them out there in order to make a small contribution to this excellent community.
To summarize Myanmar (aka Burma) in one statement, I would say it was an unexpected “trip of a lifetime”. I can’t imagine visiting another country that captured my heart as strongly as Myanmar did.
Myanmar is the second largest country in Southeast Asia by geographic size, and has a population of 55 million which puts it far behind Indonesia and the Philippines, and a little behind Vietnam in terms of population.
There are 129 ethnicities in Myanmar, with the majority (~70%) being Bamar or Burmese. Eighty-eight percent of the population practice Buddhism with Islam and Christianity also playing its part in some parts of the country, albeit both combined being less than 10%.
The country has recently opened up to the world (2010 onwards) and the economy is on a tear with GDP at USD65BN and growing at 8%+. The Myanmar people are full of hope, energy, excitement and the passion to build a better future. They are genuine, generous, and kind, and it shows in everything they do.
SOOC with cropping. When I first asked these two women at the temple if I could take their picture, they were anxious, but after I showed them how beautiful they looked in the photo, they happily obliged.
Yangon
We started our trip in the largest city of Yangon (aka Rangoon in the British colonial times). The city is full of beautiful colonial buildings that are in dire need of restoration. Thankfully, most buildings are still intact, and as the economy continues to improve, the government has plans to restore each building back to its formal glory. Some old buildings like The Strand Hotel have recently been tastefully restored and look incredible. We had a wonderful stay at the Strand Hotel and would highly recommend a stay there, or at least a few drinks in their great bar.
Edited in LR to adjust perspective. As the economy grows, I hope these beautiful buildings will be restored to their former glory.
Edited in LR to increase shadows. A famous hotel (built by the Armenian brothers who built the Raffles Hotel in Singapore). It was recently restored in a tasteful way.
Edited in LR to improve highlights. As the economy grows, I hope these beautiful buildings will be restored to their former glory.
Yangon has a number of temples and pagodas including the Sule pagoda pictured below and the lake-side museum that’s shaped like a dragon temple. They’re all lit up at night and create a magical atmosphere in a super busy big city.
SOOC with cropping. Amidst the hustle and bustle of Yangon, the serene pagodas shine bright.
SOOC. The temple museum on the lake in Yangon.
SOOC with cropping. The temple museum at night.
The main attraction of Yangon is the incredible Shwedagon temple complex. I have intentionally left out the pictures I took of this amazing place because my photography skills are not sufficient to do it any justice. I’ll share one from across the lake that gives a hint of how amazing this place is, but I’d encourage you to try and experience this place in real life.
SOOC with cropping. The golden Shwedagon Pagoda still shines bright on a hazy day.
The streets of this city of ~10 million are teeming with people, things to buy, Monks, and an unending energy; there are street markets everywhere at all times of the day and night. With the recent surge in the economy, traffic is even worse than Bangkok or the city that I live in, Beijing.
SOOC with cropping. Rapid economic development brings the usual problems. The traffic is worse than even Beijing or Bangkok.
SOOC with cropping. The streets are full of people, colours and energy.
The best part about walking around this bustling city is the opportunity to try all the amazing street food. The prices are inexpensive and the quality high. The quality of the food and the meat was fantastic; the meat especially seemed to be locally raised and had that wonderful organic taste. We ate on the street every day and loved every minute of it.
SOOC with cropping. The street food is fresh, fast and inexpensive.
Bagan
Next stop on our trip was to head north to the western heart of the country in the small towns of Bagan (Old Bagan and New Bagan). What we saw here blew our minds, captured our hearts, and changed our lives. At one time, there were more than 10,000 temples in Bagan, built over centuries by various kings with each temple having a unique story. There are 3,000 remaining after the others were lost to World War II and two severe earthquakes.
Edited in LR to fix horizon and lift shadows. Temples in Bagan, some thousands of years old. There were 10,000+ temples at one time, but ~7,000 were destroyed in World War 2 and from severe earthquakes.
SOOC with cropping. The smoke surrounding the temples creates an eery visual feast.
One of the guilty pleasures we had while in Myanmar was a hot air balloon ride over the temples of Bagan. At USD300/person, we thought it was rather expensive, however, it turned out to be the best USD300 we’ve ever spent. Waking up at 4am to take an old relic of a bus to the launch pad, having breakfast with strangers from all around the world, and then watching the sun rise from the sky surrounded by balloons is not a memory we’ll soon forget. As an added bonus, they gave us champagne after landing, which is a nice treat at 6:30am!
SOOC with cropping and increase of contrast in Mac Photos to offset some of the atmospheric haze. Balloons above Began.
Sunsets in Bagan are epic, and in my opinion, life-changing. As we watched the sun set over these magical temples, it was easy for the mind to slip into deep self-reflection on the life we’re living and the ways in which we can do better for the world.
Edited in LR to increase shadows in the foreground. The sunsets are sublime in Bagan.
Edited in LR to increase shadows in the foreground. Every night in Bagan, we witnessed sunsets just like this. It's a wonderful norm.
As can be seen in this picture, there are some very popular spots to watch the sunset, however with 3,000 temples to choose from, we had several sunrises and sunsets with the temple essentially to ourselves. The people we met in the temples were incredibly friendly and everyone was in awe at the stunning sunsets we were witnessing.
SOOC. While this temple was busy with sunset fans, there are 2,999 others to choose from that have less people.
I’m not very good at people pictures as I’m too shy and I don’t like to impose on others, but I do want to share this one woman who had the most amazing face. I asked for her permission and she clearly had been asked plenty of times before! I bet she has thousands of interesting stories she could tell about her life. She was working in the local market, smoking away the entire time.
SOOC with heavy cropping. This woman had the most amazing face and attitude, full of character and wisdom.
Mandalay
We then moved across to Mandalay, the true heart of Myanmar, and the second largest city in Myanmar with around 1.5 million people. Mandalay is a rough and tumble city, but it has that something special that just pulls at your heartstrings. Maybe it’s the rawness, or how genuine and real everything is. Or perhaps it’s the “Vatican City” of Myanmar that resides in the suburbs, where all the monasteries are located.
SOOC. The beautiful hilltop temple at Mandalay Hill.
Being a Buddhist country, there are stray dogs and cats everywhere, and they’re very comfortable around humans. These two cuties gave us company as we ate lunch in Mandalay on the way to a temple. The dog was especially cute because he immediately got up and posed when I pulled out the camera.
SOOC edited in Photoshop to remove a napkin on the ground. This adorable cat provided company to us during our lunch. There are cats and dogs roaming the streets of Myanmar.
SOOC with cropping. This adorable puppy stood up and posed when I pointed the camera at him. This was definitely no auto-focus test, he stayed absolutely still until I got the picture I wanted.
There is a famous wooden bridge in Mandalay called the U Bein Bridge. It was built by a King in order to make safer passage to see his girlfriend across the river. The wooden planks are uneven lengths and there are no side rails, which makes for a sketchy walk when the bridge is packed at night to see the sunset. Legend has it that if you’re able to walk the entire length (I believe it was ~1.5km) with your girlfriend or boyfriend, it means you’ll be together forever; you see a lot of couples walking the bridge.
SOOC. The king built this bridge to have quicker access across the river to his girlfriend. The bridge has no rails and inconsistent width planks, which makes for a harrowing walk. Legend has it that if you walk with your gf or bf the entire length, it means you'll be together forever.
SOOC with cropping. Sunset as seen from the U Bein Bridge.
Throughout our trip, we were inspired by the energy and passion of Myanmar’s youth. They’re full of hope, entrepreneurism, and a desire to make their country better for future generations. There is a real collectivism that we witnessed and an incredible generosity.
SOOC with cropping. Our handsome horse driver constantly chewed the Betel Nut, which made his mouth beet red.
I hesitated on taking this picture because I feel that Monks deserve privacy, but this monastery of 1,000 Monks has been designated for tourists to learn more about Buddhism and the Monks’ lives. Sadly, I witnessed some very bad behavior from fellow tourists and photogs that made me squeamish and embarrassed (there can be no excuse for taking pictures of unclothed Monks taking showers when there are clear “NO PHOTOS” signs visible). Even after our guide warned the photographer not to take the picture, he quietly waited for us to leave and then tried again L
Edited in LR to change to BW and heavy cropping. Monks procession to their final meal of the day before noon.
Inle Lake
We then headed south to Inle Lake, where there’s a traditional fishing community thriving on the influx of tourists. While incredibly beautiful and serene, Inle Lake was the one place where we felt that tourism has started to change the local culture. There were experiences here that were similar to what we’ve experienced in Thailand and Cambodia (children asking for money). Having said that, we still thoroughly enjoyed the food, the lake, the gorgeous sunsets, and the entertaining fishermen. To be transparent, one of the fisherman pictured below posed for us (the one with the circular net), but he is a legitimate fisherman that makes extra money on the side.
SOOC with cropping. Traditional fishermen use these cone shaped nets to trap the fish in the shallow lake, then spear them from the opening above. He was posing in this case rather than actually fishing.
SOOC. A real fisherman counting his haul.
Edited in LR to fix horizon and minor dehazing. A real fisherman at Inle Lake.
Much like Bagan, the sunsets here are epic. For a small fee, you can get a person to take you out on a long boat taxi to watch the sunset from the middle of the lake; the hotels are also a great place to view the sunsets as most of the resorts that have sprung up over the past few years are right on the lake. There are currently 120 resorts either completed or under construction! The pictures below are from a boat and also from the Novotel Inle Hotel.
Edited in LR to increase foreground shadows. A chaotic sunset from the Novotel Hotel Inle Lake.
Edited in LR to fix horizon and lift shadows near the boat. A fiery sun setting behind a family being transported on the typical boat taxis.
SOOC with mild cropping. Another beautiful sunset from the Novotel Hotel. You can rent these boats with captains for USD25 for the entire day.
A few km away from Inle Lake, you will find a beautiful display of modern and ancient pagodas, many of which are donated by foreign countries. I don't have the skills to convey how beautiful it is, so I will only share two pictures here.
SOOC. Near Inle Lake, they look even more incredible in real life.
As mentioned at the beginning of this section, tourism is starting to affect the local culture. The fishing village has many silk and textile operations that are now targeting tourists. The prices being charged cannot be affordable to the local population.
Edited in LR to increase shadows and pull back highlights. A textile worker in a tourist destination. Each scarf is ~USD25-100 which is 25-100% of a typical Burmese's monthly income.
Back to Yangon
After Inle Lake, we headed back south to Yangon to catch our flight back to Hong Kong enroute to Beijing. It was an incredible experience, and if I was younger, I would pack my bags and move to Mandalay. The country is full of opportunity and the nicest, most generous and genuine people I’ve ever met. I can’t wait to go back!
SOOC with cropping. Nuns walking away in a Buddha hair relic temple in Yangon.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this trip through a few cities in Myanmar.
