Little (happy) Khamu child

[The_Traveler]

 

[The_Traveler]

I know that many of these posts from my last trip are just plain street portraits but the real beauty of Laos is in the people, their diversity and their personality.
Our guides could quickly distinguish amongst the various tribes by headdress but I can't find an atlas on the web to help me identify them by tribe.

 

[waday]

Very cute! I love all of your shots from the trip!

You may have stated this in a different thread (and if you did, apologies), but being a foreigner with a camera, how did people (adults and children) react to you taking their picture? From your photos, it seems as if everyone is okay with it, especially the children. I'd almost expect that children would be shy, but I'm not familiar with that culture.

When taking some of the pictures, did you 'ask permission' or feel the need to 'ask permission' prior to taking a shot?

 

[The_Traveler]

I try to get pictures without being seen but, if I am noticed, and in many of these places I am as obvious as an elephant in a tutu, I don't make the camera a barrier between me and the subject. I try to make the photo the last thing in our encounter.
I also try to shoot alone so that I am approachable and I can approach people.
With this picture below, I sat with this woman for 20 minutes while she told me her story - and then I asked if I could take her picture.
People are OK with me taking the picture most of the time. Since I am an older man in countries where older people are respected, that is a plus for me. I don't lead with my camera, I keep it by my side and attempt to make some contact in some other way.
I think I am very, very good at getting 'friendly' or making contact with people, language barriers aside - the photography comes after that. I am also very quick to shoot and put the camera down so that the camera isn't a big deal in our interaction. That means that many shots are not perfectly framed but, to me, that is a fair trade for getting the shot.
I also practice a technique that I read about the Mossad using with pistols. Assuming I am not noticed, I start taking pictures as soon as I am in reasonable range and continue until I get to the spot I want to be. I may end up with lots of throw-aways but at least, if the setup dissolved, I have some shot.
I wrote a blog post about this woman's story - Lew Lorton Photography Esther Sitting By the Road
A 5 minute read but worth it for the insight into someone's life.
I also wrote a blog post about taking pictures in foreign lands - Lew Lorton Photography The secret to taking pictures of people in a foreign country - for me at least