Image Gallery - Laos

Mountain Girl

Xepon, Laos - July 2004

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Mountain Woman

Xepon, Laos - July 2004

Sometimes, when I'm photographing people in other countries, I wish I could speak the local language. Granted, these days, English is spoken nearly everywhere (even though the French hate to admit it). However, when I do stumble across an interesting subject, I attempt to bridge the language gap. Many times, I rely on a translator to get my ideas communicated. At other times, I simply point at the camera and go through a sort of mime routine. Body language & hand movements usually work to get the message across. Parlez-vous anglais?

In the case of the girl & the woman above, I know absolutely nothing about their lives. What are their names? Are they married? Have they ever heard of the internet?

During my brief stay in Laos, I was shadowed by government officials. If I had gone as a tourist, I could have taken pictures of anything and everything. Thus, I didn't want to cause these women any problems...so I limited my questions.

Because they live in a very poor area of the Laos, it's easy to assume their daily lives are a struggle. Hell, it's even impossible to guess their true ages. Why? I've found the poor in 3rd & 4th countries age differently.

Anyhow, if you're reading this BLOG, I can safely assume you didn't take a shower in a river this morning. Additionally, there's a 50/50 chance you shop at either 7-11, Wal-Mart or Target (perhaps even all three). During my travels, I've discovered most folks not tied to the material world offer the most honest & sincere facial expressions...

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