The following photo essay is from Gianni and Ivana, two travel bloggers I had the pleasure of connecting with in Chiang Mai, Thailand…
While I love taking pictures of landscapes, which are often the only unspoiled part of a country— cities and villages make me feel more active and engaged while on the road. Nature offers us soothing peace and physical challenges, but cities test your social skills in an entirely new way— with people.
Taking photographs of people reveals a lot not only about foreign cultures and people, but it can also teach us a lot about how to approach a stranger, how to have a conversation, and how to overcome prejudices we may carry with us on the road.
This is a collection of photos of people who caught my eye, whose stories and life conditions were touching, and whom I’d like to introduce you… through photos.
- Ouarzazate, Morocco
This couple chatting in Ouarzazate, Morocco, is a beautiful symbol of two quintessential images of the Sahara desert that stretches behind the city. The desert has a stillness that listens to your voice and a wisdom that comes to you through words in the wind.
- Chiang Mai, Thailand
A local deeply concentrated in his early morning prayer to a Buddhist monk during the alms giving ritual, on the streets of Chiang Mai, Thailand.
- Pandan, Philippines
Devotion, hope for salvation, and a strong faith are remarkable in the Philippines. This is a local believer during a Sunday mass we attended in Pandan, a tiny village in the Philippines.
- Chiang Mai, Thailand
An intently focused mechanic in his workshop kingdom in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where everything’s in order.
- Koh Lanta, Thailand
When the eye of a camera meets human eyes. Two young girls riding a scooter in the almost deserted southern tip of Koh Lanta, Thailand.
- Roxas, Philippines
The more remote places in the world you visit, the more beautiful girls you meet. Kaylen, a 14-year-old girl in Roxas, Philippines looking shyly at her father trying to seek his approval to pose for me. I’m glad he agreed.
- Ubud, Indonesia
Morning mist mingles with the smoke of incense in the early morning in Ubud, Indonesia. Here, brightly coloured petals of flowers decorate Hindu altars all through the day.
- Tibiao, Philippines
Three generations of fishermen during lambaklad fishing in Tibiao, Philippines, where they use an enormous, stationary fish trap that is the biggest in the country!
- Chiang Mai, Thailand
Say Cheese! This is quite a common sight in Chiang Mai, Thailand, nowadays. Buddhist monks carry and buy electronic devices following the same trends as all of us.
- Iloilo, Philippines
Filipino kids don’t need too much to have fun. These are jolly children at the port in Iloilo, Philippines on a hot sunny day.
- Tibiao, Philippines
Basketball in the Philippines: anywhere and anytime. You can find a basketball court in every single town and village here, where usually a lot of improvisation is involved in constructing the court.
- Chiang Mai, Thailand
A four-leg guardian and a banana vendor make a great-synchronized couple at the market in Chiang Mai, Thailand: while one rests, the other takes care of the customers.
- Rome, Italy
If you never enter, you’ll never know. A unique trattoria (local restaurant) in the center of Rome, Italy with a few, yet original traditional dishes on the menu.
- Carpathian mountains, Ukraine
Mykhaylo, a local in Kolochava, Ukraine was on the way home from the field where he collected apples to store for a harsh winter in the mountains. He was over 80 years old, yet blessed with a witty smile and full of jokes.
- Nyzhniy Bystryy, Ukraine
Serhiy, a lumberjack of the Carpathian Mountains in action. His work is one that is precise and demands thoughtfulness, decisiveness and… physical strength. His job extends far beyond counting the trees he cuts.