Ben Wilhelmi

Portraits, Burma

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burma, pictures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photography in Burma

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

photography, Burma

 

 

 

Not the usual face for a monk…

 

 

 

Burma, B/W film street photography

 

May 2004, I had taken my brand new Leica for a walk. Since my skills in Burmese are pretty limited I had no idea the water festival was going on full blast. Everybody being cheerful I was a prime target, I was the only tourist in the crowd apparently. Don’t think being wet will calm people. No they keep on throwing water at each other all day long. The vehicles here just queue in front of hose stands, and as if the hoses were not enough, bystanders give a help too. Look at the woman in the forefront, she seems dedicated. Great day in the end. I bet the people are releasing a year of frustration under the dictatorship.

 

Yes, in Rangoon some youngsters get the western influence.

 

 

 

 

 

I didn’t find Burmese food appetizing. At all. I was glad there were Indian and Chinese communities around.

 

Leica M6 and various B/W films.

Burma, various religious sites

 

This reclining Buddha is one of the largest in Asia. 65x16m, quite impressive. The hangar was specially made to house it.

Many donation boxes lie around the statue. Why so many, I don’t know.

 

 

 

 

 

people, Burma

 

 

Woaw, that a joint or what?

 

 

 

 

Burma, photography

 

Lake Inle, a young girl from the Padang tribe. I read since then that it is not so much that the neck and vertebrae are elongated but rather the collar bones that are pushed down and the jaw pushed up…. so much for the 2 myths, the 2nd being that in case of jewel removal, the neck breaks down, which would be done in case of adultery.

 

Imagine bringing your lunch pack in a usually cold and austere church… in Burma, temples are a family gathering as well. Here you pray when you feel like it, you eat  a bit and chat then go for nap. Repeat.

 

The tiles were boiling hot, shoes were not allowed. I felt like a kangaroo or something whenever I had to cross from one temple to the next. In Shwedagon pagoda, temples lie next to each, in various sizes by hundreds. You’ve got money, pay for a new one, ram or shove it between existing ones. Or bring a Buddha, same thing. Pissing context it becomes, see below.

 

 

Pagan temples…the only area I have visited in Burma where tourists are harassed like in so many other countries. Sad.

 

that yellow powder, called thanaka, is used as skin protection, extracted from tree bark.

Rangoon, Schwedagon pagoda

 

temples or Buddha statues are numerous. I learnt anybody (with enough money in this place) could have a personal temple or statue. It seems that “religious urbanism” is a loose concept here.

6 Buddhas on this picture for example.

 

another dozen on this one.

 

 

 

 

2004, Leica M6, Fujichrome.

Burma, photography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

scenes in Burma

 

 

 

Lake Inle, these boats are to be seen by dozens or hundreds.

 

A religious ceremony in the street. Rice throwing.

 

 

 

2004, film photography, my new lovely Leica M6.

Burma, B/W film pictures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

B/W film photography, Burma

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burma, film photography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

note the Lonely Planet copy in the plastic bag.

 

 

 

shot on slide films, Leica M 6

 

Burma, B/W film photography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

shot on a Leica M6.

Burma, on B/W film

 

Burma…undergoing some serious changes but some scenes will probably stay as it is for some decades I bet.

 

a woman from the Padang tribe.

 

 

 

some shots from the Schwedagon pagoda.

 

 

 

 

Notice that the whole contraption is made to be carried across the shoulders. A portable “restaurant”…

 

shot with a  Leica M6

Burma, Shwedagon pagoda

 

Burma, or Myanmar, has been through a lot lately. It seems such a peaceful people that it’s a wonder how the dictators managed to piss them off so much during the saffron revolution.

Below are some pictures of the large Schwedagon pagoda.

Here are 2 young monks in that saffron color.

You’ve got to remove your shoes to walk out there but the pavement is boiling hot under the sun! I really had a hard time to walk more than 50 m between shady areas.

Many Buddha statues or places of worship are packed next to each other.

 

 

 

As opposed to a church, food and relaxing time are allowed between prayers.

 

 

 

Burma in B/W photography

 

Padang woman not far from the Thai border.

 

 

Grandmas smoke cigars out there. But there are not rolled on the thighs as in Cuba.

 

 

Water festival in Rangoon. Cars full of passengers queue to allow bystanders to splash them.

 

Lake Inle, this village is entirely built on stilts and really cozy at the same time. Of course you need a canoe to visit your immediate neighbor.

 

A couple of beggars.

 

2 old timers resting in a monastery.

 

These monks offered me a free crew cut. True my hair were no longer that the hairdresser’s.

 

All pictures shot on B/W films with a Leica M6 and a 50mm. That’s all I had, I wanted to travel light…

Rangoon, Schwedagon pagoda by night

 

Many little altars are available to share and worship amongst bigger temples. Some are lit in neon light.

 

 

 

 

An old nun, typically wearing pink.

 

 

 

 

All hand held pictures on slide films, 100 asa, Leica M. Nothing digital here with 1000’s of asa’s available nowadays...

Burma, photography

 

Rangoon, the Schwedagon pagoda. A peaceful area but packed with dozens of pagodas and various Buddha statues to worship. Imagine a place where different churches, crosses and altars side by side. And every believer wanderer walks around and chooses one cross that looks more inspiring than the others.

Remember the saffron revolution? This monk is wearing that very color.

 

Whereas the nuns wear pink.

 

A big difference with a church, a mosk... people here can rest or bring food in a sacred place.

 

 

 

 

 

Other examples of a multitude of Buddhas sitting next to each other.

 

 

2004, Leica M6, a convenient camera for such a place. Hardly no noise, small but professional…

Burma, B/W film photography

 

a good old Leica M at work with B/W films.

About 10 years ago, Burma was still far from any kind of promised reforms. Let’s hope for the near future…

Lake Inle, a lovely area. I had rented a bicycle for a few days, or boats for a day trips.

Some idiot tried to ruin the picture nevertheless this charming girl seems happy to pose…

 

Since I sport a similar haircut, I got some extra smiles from the monks. Each man is supposed to attend a religious retreat in his life. Some guys seem to bow to tradition pressure as the news have shown lately or my personal experience by then where a junkie monk asked me for weed or at least some money to bet on sport games.

 

young sisters from the Padang people. The myth about elongated spines that would break if the jewel was removed seems to be unfounded. X-rays have shown normal spines … On the contrary the jewel pushes down on the collar bones.

Burma, B/W photography

 

recycling seems to be taken very seriously by Burmese people. These shops were selling the smallest oldest and most various items, salvaged from any appliance. Smoking ladies are common sightings.

Pictures above were shot in Rangoon but the same vision could be seen anywhere else in the country.

 

Burmese food… luckily there were big Indian and Chinese communities for proper food. I did try some Burmese dishes for the sake of it but that’s it. Prunes marinated in salt will always come to my mind… I was later confirmed that salt intake was skyrocketing in the local diet, enough to give kidney problems to many people in their 40’s.

I was a bit surprised, in 2004, to spot these modern clothes and attitudes on many youngsters. Not what I expected to find there according to my readings.

 

a tourist and a camera seemed to be a rarity in this neighborhood. One girl left running but giggling, the other one stayed there laughing too.

 

My Leica M6 at work, its first trip outside Europe and Africa.

Burma, B/W pictures

 

smoking home made cigars is very common even amongst women.

 

shot on Leica M6, Tri X films (another probably dead film soon when Kodak goes on its belly...)

Burma, people at work, B/W

 

 

 

Rangoon, street photography, B/W

 

yeah I know, Rangoon became Yangon and Burma became Myanmar. I usually hate those name changes wherever they happen. It seems to me the sounds are always worse to the ears…well my ears anyway.

pretty lady!

 

Luckily for me and my palate there was an Indian and a Chinese community in Burma. So I could eat nice dishes. Burmese food, for what I’ve seen is horrendous. Like packed prunes with a high concentration of salt? A Burmese I talked to admitted his countrymen suffered a lot from kidney problems because of the high salt contents in staple food.

Leica M6 and b/w films.

Burma, pagoda Shwedagon in Rangoon

 

a huge temple complex in Rangoon. I don’t have much spirituality but I found the place very peaceful, and interesting for people feel at ease in these temples. As opposed to churches which are not cozy and not meant to be anyway, the temples invite to lie down and sleep, have a chat or a lunch with friends. Prayers are welcome too of course.

I said temples, indeed they are packed next to each other. Anybody with a bit of cash can have a temple built I was told. Same for statues of Buddha.

saffron is the main color for the monks. Remember the deadly saffron revolution some years ago.

the nuns sport pink robes with a bit of orange.