Global Eye: Northern Thailand
Photographer: Swoan Parker, Brooklyn, New York
Getting the shot: The shot was taken in Chiang Dao, Northern Thailand, in November 2007. My camera is a Nikon D200 with a shutterspeed of 1/250 seconds and an aperature of f4.5.
The details: The Karen hill tribe, with a population of approximately 300,000 inhabitants living in northern Thailand, is the largest minority group in that region. The Karen occupy lowland areas engaging in agriculture and the cultivation of rice as well as being skilled at weaving. The Karen wear woven v-neck tunics of various natural colors and turbans.
While visiting a Karen village in the beautiful, peaceful, mountainous area of Chiang Dao, just north of Chiang Mai, I came across this woman sitting on the steps outside of her home. She was sharing conversation in her local tribal language with my guide, Boontan Kamla. There was such a warm spirit about her. She allowed me to “see her soul” and capture the warm nature of her people that was evident in my every interaction.
IT loves how positively genuine this woman appears. Check out those fantastic smile lines on her face!
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Is this the same Karen hill tribe featured in the latest Rambo movie? Apparently at the start of the film he has to ferry missionaries up to the Karen tribe, who are being oppressed by the Burmese/Myanmar government. Northern Thailand does border Myanmar.
http://www.slate.com/id/2182755/
Posted by: EricW | January 24, 2008 at 08:39 PM