This short clip was made near Luang Prabang Laos at the end of my 20 minute photo session (poor failing light!) in a Hmong hill tribe village our tour van stopped at. I initially intended to photograph a Hmong home but could not find a house in any kind of space that worked. As I was walking along I attracted the attention of a local child, eventually I had this large group hovering around me, both adults and children. It is quite difficult to make photos with this many people around you staring and commenting on everything you do, everyone was so curious! It was especially difficult because the Hmong people speak their own language and I was not able to communicate with most of them, to get things done I just made lots of loud noises and dramatic hand gestures (they must have thought I was a bit crazy).
I would like to go back at some future date and make more portraits of the hilltribe peoples of Laos, Thailand, Burma and Cambodia. Gosh the kids were so cute, these people live in more poverty than anything I have seen in other parts of Laos or Thailand. After the photographs were taken I gave some money for the children to one the parents.
