“Of all the places you’ve been for photography, which is your favorite?” That’s a question I hear a lot, but there’s no one, easy answer. Are you asking about landscape photography? People? Wildlife? It depends on what you most like to do. While I enjoy all of those, as an old photojournalist I’ve always had a special fondness for photographing people. And having been a Sociology/Anthropology major in college, I find other cultures fascinating. Which means I loved my most recent Mentor Series workshop to Myanmar (formerly Burma). This small Asian country is nestled between India, Thailand and China. It’s also the third majority Buddhist country I’ve led trips to (Thailand and Bhutan being the others), and I’ve found the people in all three of them to be incredibly friendly and welcoming to outsiders. Not surprisingly, then, despite the country’s fascinating history and natural beauty, it was the people of Myanmar that I was most drawn to, and spent the most time photographing. Here are some of my favorite photos from that trip, and the stories that go with them
We started our trip in the capitol city of Yangon. Your classic bustling Asian metropolis, there’s a local train called the “Yangon Circular Railway,” because it runs all the way around Yangon, stopping about every ten minutes. For all of about 30-cents, you can spend three hours on it doing the complete circuit, and having great photo opportunities out the windows. The blue, purple and gold surrounding the young woman matches her outfit almost perfectly. Nikon D7200, Aperture Priority, ISO 200, 1/200 at f/4, EV -0.3, Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 lens at 200mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
Our first evening in Yangon we visited the largest pagoda there, Shwedagon. It was a challenge to photograph because of its massive size – you’re too close to show all of it. So instead I concentrated on a small area, where the last rays of sun were lighting up parts of it against the dark blue sky, with candles in the foreground. The lady who stepped in to light incense, at right, added a human element. Nikon D750, Aperture Priority, 1/640 at f/7.1, EV -0.7, 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 Nikkor lens at 18mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
Our second morning in Yangon we visited a local market, which is always a great opportunity to capture slices of daily life. Using hand gestures I asked if I could photograph the girl working this clothing stall. After a few frames, she turned away, embarrassed, then looked back to me, laughing. Nikon D750, Aperture Priority, ISO 640, 1/400 at f/5, EV -0.3, 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 Nikkor lens at 18mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
A few years back I had an old Nikon D80 converted to infrared, and bring it along on a trip once or twice a year. This was from the U Bien Bridge, which spans Taungthaman Lake. In addition to the cool effect the IR gives you (and I did a color reversal on this). the bridge let us use a high angle, which was a nice change of pace. The man at left is keeping an eye on his flock of ducks, to the right. Nikon D80, Aperture Priority, ISO 160, 1/160 at f/9, EV -0.3, 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 Nikkor lens at 24mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
Every boy in Myanmar is required to spend some time in a monastery, so there are lots of monasteries, and they’re open to visitors. We stopped by this one for the morning meals procession, but I found my favorite photo as some of the boys were getting ready. Nikon D7200, Aperture Priority, ISO 200, 1/320 at f/4, EV -1.7, 70-200mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens at 200mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
While we took several in-country flights, most of our travel was done by bus. Which meant we were able to stop when we wanted, like we did seeing these herdsmen and their sheep. This young man had beautiful skin, the warmth of which worked well against his blue shirt and the sky. Plus, I showed the group how we could use a reflector I’d brought along to light up his face. Nikon D750, Aperture Priority, ISO 200, 1/800 at f/7.1, EV -0.7, 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 Nikkor lens at 24mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
On another morning we passed through a small village with a busy local market, and again stopped. The people there got a kick out of us taking pictures, and I loved how this woman was using a small flag to keep the flies off her stock of chickens. Nikon D750, Aperture Priority, ISO 1400, 1/250 at f/4.5, 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 Nikkor lens at 18mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
Some of the Buddhist monasteries also run orphanages, which sadly have plenty of children in them from natural disasters and civil wars. We had a chance to see how they care for the kids, and as a thank you for our visit left a group donation. This boy was taking a break between lunch and classes, where the yellow wall and soft light made for a perfect setting. Nikon D750, Aperture Priority, ISO 900, 1/320 at f/4, EV -1.3, 70-200mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens at 200mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
One of the most famous areas of Myanmar is Bagan, home to literally thousands of temples dating back many hundreds of years. This was during one of our sunset shoots, and while we didn’t get a beautiful sky, the layers created by the light, and rich greenery of the foliage, created a beautiful effect. Nikon D7200, Aperture Priority, ISO 250, 1/1250 at f/5.6, EV -1.7, 70-200mm f/2.8 Nikkor lens at 190mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
We visited a small village outside of Bagan, to see how people harvested and prepared food and worked with their livestock. This boy’s grandmother was taking him to visit some friends. Her wrinkled hand against his smooth face is a testament to the different generations. Nikon D750, mode, ISO 200, 1/250 at f/5.6, EV -0.3, 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 Nikkor lens at 31mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
The fishermen on Inle Lake use a unique method of paddling their boats using their leg and armpit, freeing both hands for tending to the nets and traps. We came across this man on the way back to the lodge late one afternoon, and were blessed with great light and a beautiful sky. Nikon D750, Aperture Priority, ISO 200, 1/1250 at f/8, EV -1.0, 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 Nikkor lens at 35mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
For one of our sunrise shoots, we’d hired a few fishermen to meet us at a small restaurant on the lake. The raised deck there allowed us to get high enough to take advantage of some early color as the men got ready. Nikon D7200, Aperture Priority, ISO 2000, 1/200 at f/4.5, EV -2.0, 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5 Nikkor lens at 27mm. Photo copyright Reed Hoffmann.
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