people of myanmar

a kayan lahwi with joy

pagodas of bagan, myanmar (part 2)

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technical details: hasselblad xpan, 45mm, efke 25, D76 at 1+2, canoscan 8800f

pagodas of bagan, myanmar (part 1)

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technical details: hasselblad xpan, 45 mm lens, efke 100, D76 at 1+2, canoscan 8800f.

the circular train of life

the slow circular train of yangon, myanmar, is like a beating artery that is sustaining a nation that has just come out of a deep 50-year coma.
below are photos i took during the two-hour ride that joy, garrie and i took on one cloudy afternoon. the images were captured with a film camera on black and white.

the airport xray scanners and film

a box of new and unused iso 400 medium format films got exposed to the scanners at the airport in bangkok. reliable accounts regarding films that fog with repeated exposure to airport xray scanners are all over the internet. airport xray scanners have actually gone stronger since 9/11. and i personally saw how strong one was at a terminal abroad.  i had films in a film bag that had two layers of lead that went through the scanner and i had a chance to glance at the monitor.  the silhouette of the film canisters appeared on their screen. if this was a higher speed film, damage would be expected.  this is the reason why i appreciate the security personnel in suvarnabumi airport for accepting the bag of films i submitted for hand inspection.  checked-in baggages go through CT scans. and these are even more powerful radiation devices. fortunately, we rarely see them. below are photos that came from one of those films that went through the carry-on bag scanners. and it looks like they are unscathed.

portraits of asia dhrra leaders (in yangon, myanmar)

yoshikuni yatani: "has modern life made living better? are the gains worth the losses?"

soetrisno kusumohadi: a grounded spirituality firms up one's commitment to serve and help the poor

bambang ismawan: focusing on rice will not help farmers improve their income and alleviate poverty.

asia dhrra was holding its 9th conference and 40th year anniversary. understandably, the delegates had a busy schedule and i am deeply grateful that these luminaries of Asia Dhrra obliged me for a few minutes of posing. the camera i used is not the easiest camera to use. it does not have a light meter. it has no batteries and it has a tricky wide angle lens that has to be focused manually by estimating distance or by using a measuring tape (or the more sophisticated laser distance sensors). the hasselblad SWC is generally used for landscapes and architecture. but i took on the idea from bill brandt who mastered the use of the camera for portraits. and, i almost forgot to mention, it is a film camera.  i like the results and, now, it has become my standard portrait tool.

asia dhrra stands for Asian Partnership for the Development of Human Resources in Rural Areas.  (see link: https://www.agricord.org/index.php/agriagencies/asiadhrra)

wen-chi huang: agri-business management expert, immediate past-president of asiadhrra currently holding executive board membership

sustaining and promoting peasant concerns and issues

kya moo: a christian pastor in myanmar who is actively involved in peasant issues