Taking pics while travelling

People travel because of various reasons, some may go for relax and leisure, others may go for experiencing different cultures. People like me, a photography lover, may also travel to take good pictures.

It doesn't create any problem if photographers go travelling and take pictures of landscapes, buildings, natures.. etc. But more and more photographers like to capture the 'real culture' of the places they travel.. so they like to shoot people's daily life.

To be honest, I do have a desire to take those kind of pictures as well, especially when I saw others' great pictures! However, I do think we need to give certain respect to the people there as well.

This time I went to Laos, one of the famous shooting scene is the morning alms in dawn at Luang Prabang, where you can see monks lining up and ladies giving alms to them. I did plan to go and take pictures at first. But after I read someone's blog, I changed my mind. That person went to see and tried to take pictures of monks lining up.. and one of the monks actually walked out of the camera...

Other things I read from guide books and internet is that in Laos, ladies are not supposed to touch monks, and even when we speak to them, we have to lower our heads.. and tourists never do that, especially when they wanna take photos!

The whole morning alms session is not made for tourists.. it's Laos traditions and it's their daily life. I see no point for us to disturb them. So I decided not to go at all. It's part of their life, not a performance to us.

After I uploaded my pictures on my album, I posted a few of them on an online forum. Of course I didn't get good comments, I guess because I don't have good skills and I don't have good close-ups..

At the same day of my postings, another member posted his serious of pictures taken in Laos. His pictures were great. Lots of good comments. But as I can imagine, lots of them are taken very closed to the locals.

Just imagine... suddenly people from other parts of the world feel interested in the ways of your daily life.. and they started to come to you.. and everyday you've got giant cameras, long lens focusing you.. how would you feel??

Yes, we go to their places, we spend money and they benefit from that. But it doesn't mean that we own that place! Can we give more respect to them?

I really wish they can have their own life back.