A traverse across northern India from the deserts of Gujarat to the banks of the Ganges in West Bengal. Then a first visit to the old cities of Uzbekistan with their marvellous Islamic architecture and traditional bazaars.
View as a mobile/desktop version.
Or see the photographs in these galleries:
India - Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh & West Bengal.
Spring festival time in the north-east with side visits to old headhunting villages in the restricted access areas along the border with Burma.
Slideshow - desktop & mobile versions.
For individual images, check out the Arunachal Pradesh and Assam galleries.
A week of monastic celebration at the Guru Drakmar Cham in the Pemayangtse monastery below Kanchenjunga in Sikkim with a more restful follow on at Azimganj on the Ganges.
See as a mobile or desktop slideshow. Individual images can be viewed in the Sikkim and West Bengal galleries
A short visit to Cochin in Kerala and the hill stations of Tamil Nadu. The slideshow.
A short trip to the Kerama Islands west of Okinawa's main island.
A weeklong celebration of Kro Chekor with the Sherdukpen in West Kameng, then onto the high pastures of Arunachal with the Dakpa yak herders before heading down to the plains of Assam and the national park and tea fields of Kaziranga.
Slideshow and Arunachal Pradesh (plus following page) & Assam galleries.
First of four trips scheduled for India in 2024.
Streets of Varanasi and a Himalayan colonial era bungalow.
See as a slideshow or in the Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal galleries.
With Kyrgyz herders....
One trip, two countries. Pre-Tet Vietnam - incense villages, ethnic weddings, a Hani festival. Japan - Honshu onsens in the winter storms. A journey of contrasts.
Vietnam - Hanoi Municipality, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Tuyen Quang.
A journey of two parts.
Thailand - Phang Nga bay’s magnificent karst scenery.
N. India - festivals….forts….Himalayan villages….religious dances….ancient monasteries. Timeless scenes from an extraordinary country.
Browse:
After 2 1/2 years of forced confinement on Taiwan, it was time to ease myself back into expedition mode with a gentle July journey through upper India - three weeks of slow travel south from Himalayan Ladakh to the lush greenery of Madhya Pradesh. A gentle prelude to a demanding August visit to Kyrgyzstan for my debut trip to central Asia. Staying in yurts in the ranges of the Tien Shan mountains, there were long days with the herders grazing their animals in the high summer pastures. Bookended by side trips to local markets, the culminating highlight of the journey was the magnificent Salburun festival showcasing Kyrgyz dress, culture and horsemanship, an event held fittingly below the snow capped peaks of the Chunkurchak valley.
View the whole trip as a slideshow.
Or check out the individual galleries:
With borders finally opening, it was time to wrap up Taiwan travels with visits to a couple of festivals I'd had in my sights for a while. In between breaks in the rain, I also took in some picturesque spots around Taipei and the remote island of Dongyuping that I had yet to fully explore. Images from:
North - Pinglin, Shiting & Jinshan
Central Mountains - Rueili and the important annual Tsou festival at Tefuye
East Coast - Fuli area for a Matsu birthday temple circuit
Penghu - Dongyuping
View as a slideshow here.
Restricted again from overseas travel by the virus, it was a further 6 months of photographing Taiwan. Highlights included visits to:
North - Luzhu, Taipei's Di Hua Jie, Yehliu and an unusual temple in Zhonghe
South - Baozhang, Yuanchang & Tailiao for Taiwanese opera performances, Jinhu - the centre of Taiwan's mullet roe industry, the fishing port of Chingkungshen and the umbrella makers of Meinong
Central Mountains - high mountain areas of Nantou
East Coast - Fuli & other areas of the Rift Valley at harvest time
More travels in Taiwan in the second year of the virus.
North Pages 1 & 2 - Taipei, Pinglin & Wuqi
Central Mountains - Ren-ai
East Coast - Zhuoshi
South - Mailiao & Meinong
Penghu Pages 1 & 2 - Magong, Shili, Xiyu, Niaoyu & Wangan
Or view all as a slideshow.
Photographs from another 6 months of travel in Taiwan and its offshore islands in this era of the virus. It was partially revisits to old haunts while also an opportunity to explore areas I'd overlooked in previous travels. Images here include those from:
North - Taipei, Xinpu, Linkou, Yangmingshan & Tahu
South - Wanggong, Shaluen & Tainan
Central Mountains Pages 1 & 2 - Central and Southern Cross Island Highways & Meishan
East Coast - Rift Valley & Erjie
Penghu - Xiyu
I attended a number of religious events unique to the island which can be seen in the Religion (pages 6 & 7) and Festivals galleries. Images in the the Hunting & Fishing gallery (pages 1 & 2) record Taiwan's large but little documented fishing industry.
The complete set can be viewed as a slideshow.
A positive start to 2021 when I learned that I'd been selected as a finalist in the main Travel Folio competition of the 2020 Travel Photographer of the Year awards. TPOTY is one of the more important global photography competitions. Folios of 21 photographers were selected from the 25,000+ images submitted by entrants in over 140 countries. The first competition I have entered so I wasn't unhappy.
Submissions were required of 8 linked images taken in any recent period (not just 2020). My folio comprised a selection of Russian Arctic photographs.
Final judging and announcement of the winners takes place this month.
Update 02/02/31 - Results are out. Honours went to a Russian Nat Geo photographer. Deservedly so. Magnificent photographs. An enjoyable challenge. Roll on this year's competition!
2021 calendar out now!
14 stunning images capturing fishers and farmers in Taiwan. A must have for those interested in Taiwan's rural life.
Desktop format printed on matt paper with ringed hanging on a black board. The perfect Xmas or New Year gift for relatives, friends and colleagues.
See the Shop page for how to purchase.
For customised corporate requirements, please contact me directly.
All previous editions have sold out. Reserve yours now!
Unable to travel internationally in this virus year, it has been 6 months of exploring, in many cases rediscovering, Taiwan's mountains, plains and islands. There are photographs here from:
North - Guanxi, Tamsui, Pinglin, Guishan & Yangmei
South - Meinong, Donggang & Shanzihjiao
Central Mountains - Nantou, Yunlin, Chiayi & Pingtung counties
East Coast - Ilan, Hualien & Taitung (inc. Lanyu) counties
Penghu - Beiliao, Wai'an & Niaoyu
Western Islands - Kinmen
Some of the lesser known/more unusual activities I came across can be seen in the Agriculture (pages 6 & 7) and Hunting & Fishing galleries.
The whole portfolio can be viewed as a slideshow.
The Lisu New Year festival at Mogok.
Check out the slideshow or the Mandalay Division gallery.
The 2020 is on sale from today. 14 stunning images capturing the beauty of celebrations that are highlights in the lives of Asia's ethnic groups.
The calendar is printed on matt paper with a ringed wire hanging on black board.
See the website Shop page for how to purchase.
For customised corporate requirements, please contact me directly.
Early ordering recommended. All previous editions have sold out!
A traditional La Chi festival in Ha Giang followed by visits to Dao groups I had not met before in Tuyen Quang.
Viewable as a slideshow.
A Shan shinbyu (novitiation ceremony).
The photographs can be viewed as a slideshow and in the Shan State gallery.
A multi-day trek through the Adi villages of the Siang valley and festivals of the Puri, Galo, Mishmi and Nyishi.
Slideshow is here.
Arunachal Pradesh gallery (and following page).
Out now, the 2019 calendar. People of Vietnam's Northern Mountains. 14 beautiful photos of the glorious tapestry of ethnic groups.
The calendar is printed on matt paper with a ringed wire hanging on black board.
Orders can be placed by via the website Shop page. Let me know the number of calendars required and the address to which they should be shipped. Shipment will be made within 3 days of receipt of the Paypal payment.
For customised corporate requirements, please contact me directly.
Order early. All previous editions have sold out!
Two Ladakhi monastic festivals and a crop blessing ritual.
Photographs in the Jammu & Kashmir gallery.
Slideshow version.
A long exploration through India's eastern Himalaya and Assam visiting the tribal groups, many of which maintain traditional lifestyles, religious practices and architecture.
See the Assam and Arunachal Pradesh galleries or view as a slideshow.
Lunar New Year activities of the Dao, Hani, Thai, Lao & Lu people in Tay Bac.
Lai Chau and following page.
January in the eastern Shan State - rice planting and festivals.
Images in the Shan State gallery. Or view the slideshow.
The daylily fields at Liushidanshan in Hualien County.
Photographs in the East Coast gallery, also viewable as a slideshow.
A spring migration with the Kazakhs of Mongolia's far west followed by a stay with a herding family that uses eagles for hunting.
Photographs in the Bayan-Ölgii gallery or view as a slideshow.
A journey to Nepal and India. The photographs can be viewed as a slideshow and in these galleries:
Rajasthan (and following page)
A selection of my Arctic photographs is on show in Hamburg as part of the "Eiszweiten - Die Menschen des Nordlichts" (People of the Northern Lights) exhibition at the prestigious Museum für Völkerkunde, one of Europe's leading ethnology institutions.
A short video tour of the exhibition is on YouTube. Continues until May 14, 2017.
Slideshow of my Arctic portfolio.
The 2017 calendar is out now. A portfolio of rare photographs from the Buddhist monasteries of the Tibetan plateau and Himalayas.
14 pages. Matt paper with a ringed wire hanging on black board.
The calendar always sells out so order early from the Shop page.
Through the Spiti valley and over the high passes to Kulu during festival season.
The slideshow is here or check out the Himachal Pradesh gallery.
A journey to four states. Snake catchers; tattooed women; naked Naga sadhus; exquisite mural decorated havelis; tribal devils; peripatetic sheep herders; hilltop temple complexes; wandering nuns. A unique land. See it here or view in the galleries:
India's tallest waterfall and tshechus of eastern Bhutan.
Presented as a slideshow or view in the Meghalaya and East Bhutan galleries.
The 2016 calendar is on sale now. Portraits of one of Asia's last remaining nomadic peoples.
14 pages on a free standing black board with wire hanging.
Order early from the Shop page as the calendar always sells out.
A woman standing sewing on a rice terrace; a stilted house hidden in a bamboo grove; a traditionally dressed Yao woman carrying sugar cane home from market. Timeless scenes from a Vietnam where change comes slowly.
Images in the Lao Cai, Lai Chau and Yen Bai galleries or view all images as a slideshow.
A selection of my photographs is appearing in an exhibition at the Trustman Gallery at Simmons College in Massachusetts - "Skirting Identity : Woman and Weaving in Laos, Thailand and Myanmar". If you're in the Boston area, drop by.
On until April 16, 2015.
For a preview of some of the photographs, check out this slideshow.
I do much wandering in Asia seeking beauty. Sometimes it is close to home. Photographs from Nantou county in Taiwan's Central Mountain range or view as a slideshow.
A January trip to the Monpa Torgya festival high in the Indian Himalaya at Tawang followed by an expedition to a remote festival and villages of the little known White Hmong in Burma's Shan State.
Slideshow here.
My new solo exhibition opens next Tuesday (November 25th) at the Qian Gallery restaurant in Dihua Jie. "The Last Wanderers". Enjoy rare photographs of Asia's remaining migratory peoples over some fine dining.
A preview of a selection of the images in the exhibition can be seen here.
On until February 1, 2015.
A journey along India's NH22 to the Himalayan region of Kinnaur.
See the images in the slideshow or the Himachal Pradesh gallery.
I'm particularly pleased with this year's edition. The matt paper elegantly brings out the stunning colours of the winter tundra. There's an almost painting like feel to the images.
14 pages on a free standing black board with ringed wire hanging.
The calendar always sells out so order now from the Shop page while they are still in stock.
A week in central Nepal, first in the Kathmandu valley, then the Western Hills.
A slideshow of all the good things we came across.
August and September are festival months in the semi desert areas of western Gujarat. We took in five, notable among them the Saang Wari and Bhed Mata fairs. The spectacle of 500 camels heading towards the temple at Kotda for their annual blessing was something else! The fairs, plus the wandering Rabari shepherds and traditional bunga architecture in the Banni, made for a fascinating trip.
The slideshow is here or check out the Gujarat gallery, pages 1 & 2.
A small selection of photographs from the summer in Taiwan. Travels took me to the east coast, central mountains and some of the north's most spectacular areas. Easy to understand why the first Portuguese explorers named the island Ile Formosa (the "beautiful island") .
For a slideshow version, click here.
Xiapu County in Fujian has a long established aquaculture industry where, traditionally, many of those engaged in it have lived in floating houses. Spring is kelp season and it was much in evidence on our visit. From there we headed to the rugged karst mountains of Napo County on the Guanxi/Yunnan border and its Zhuang and Yi villages, two of which were celebrating their fourth month festivals.
The slideshow is here.
Two weeks with the nomadic Nenets reindeer herders of the Yamal peninsula. Where: 500km north of the Arctic circle. Temperatures: -25º C. Accommodation: Reindeer skin teepee ("Chum"). Clothes: Reindeer skin "malitsa" & "kisy". Food: Raw reindeer meat. A remarkable experience in a remarkable land with remarkable people!
Photos in the Yamalo-Nenets gallery or view as a slideshow.
A week staying in villages in the E. Shan State, where in Ban Nong we came across the unusual funeral rituals of the Eng, before crossing into Thailand and a few days at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Old Sukhothai, the first Thai capital.
See the Shan State and Sukhothai galleries for the photos or view as a slideshow.
A set of photographs of Taiwan's red brick "U" shaped courtyard farmhouses and temples. Known as "san-ho" or three-sided structures, their distinctive swallow tail roofs are in the classic Chinese architectural style. Many of these buildings are falling into disrepair. The Taiwan government is finally providing financial support to help maintain some of the most architecturally outstanding examples.
December & January are the perfect months for the multi day walks needed to reach the highland villages of Burma and Laos. With many of the resident ethnic groups enjoying their New Year celebrations, it was an excellent opportunity to photograph the usually shy, and opium loving, Loma and Pala as well as the Khmu, all of whom were dressed in their finest. From Phongsali we crossed the border into Yunnan to visit Dai, Yao and Hani groups with the highlight being an invitation to a wonderful village wedding of the latter.
Additional photographs in the Mandalay and Yunnan (pages 4 & 5) galleries.
The 2014 edition is on release now. This year's subject is "Villages" featuring some of Asia's most unusual and beautiful. 13 photographs on a free standing black board with ringed wire hanging.
See the Shop page for more details and how to order.
A first visit to the fascinating Indian state of Gujarat with its remarkable architecture and people. The trip highlight had to be the time spent with the wandering Rabari shepherds and their families who travel an annual migration route carrying their belongings on camels and donkeys and sleeping in the open.
From India it was straight to Phongsali province in Laos and multi day hikes to different Akha groups, most of whom still maintain their traditional beliefs, lifestyles and clothing.
Images in the highlighted galleries.
Two of the major frustrations of travel in China, execrable roads and unreliable information, this trip had in spades. After a wasted week in Yunnan, the karst scenery of W. Guanxi was a pleasant surprise and moving onto Guizhou more spectacular scenery was to be found with the rice terraces at their greenest.
See the Guanxi and Guizhou galleries (page 5) for the photographs.
A 2,500+km meander across the Tibetan Plateau starting in Lanzhou and ending in Kangding. Highlights included a first visit to the astonishing religious academy at Yaqing with its more then 10,000 jaemu (nuns) and the Cham dances at the Yazer Gon monastery in Manigango. Motorcycles have now replaced horses as the herders' choice of transport on the high grasslands though the majestic vistas, enhanced on the last afternoon by stormy weather that brought out several stunning full rainbows, are difficult to surpass.
Photographs on pages 2 & 3 of the Tibetan Plateau gallery and also on page 3 of the Religion gallery.
A shorter than intended visit to the Ladakh region of Jammu & Kashmir, shorter because a fair portion of the trip was spent waiting for flights in Delhi airport! Ladakh didn't disappoint though with its dramatically located monasteries and stark terrain softened only slightly by days of deep blue cloudless skies. Truly a harsh environment.
Trip photographs can be found in the Jammu & Kashmir galley.
A week exploring the Keramas and other nearby islands off the west coast of Okinawa. Scenically beautiful and little visited, this is one of Asia's least polluted environments. Less prominent in the tourism literature are mentions of the closing days of WWII when more than 500 islanders jumped to their deaths from the cliffs in mass suicides.
Back in Taiwan, courtesy of Peresang Sung, I had the rare opportunity to attend a wedding of Rukai royalty in Pingtung county.
Photographs in the Ryukyu Islands and Rukai galleries.
With relations between the Burmese government and the armies that control the ethnic areas improving, it was time to explore some new areas. After a short expedition to the Eng outside Kengtung who were busy with their annual thatching, with the consent of the local militias I was able to reach usually off limits areas north of Lashio where there are interesting Hmong, Lisu and Palaung groups that I hadn't previously visited.
From there it was onto northern Vietnam and the spectacular scenery of the Dong Van plateau. Having put a thousand plus km. on the motorcycles through some dramatic landscapes, there was still plenty of terrain left unvisited so a return trip in hopefully better Autumn weather is called for.
Location photos in the Shan State, Lao Cai and Ha Giang galleries.
For once the weather in Guizhou cooperated making normally impassable dirt tracks to higher areas navigable. Beautifully constructed wooden villages, stunning terraced valleys and clear skies made for pefect photographic conditions. From there it was onto Laos for an exploratory trip to the ethnically vibrant northern province of Phongsali.
Photographs on pages 4 & 5 of the Guizhou gallery and a small number of Laos shots on the Phongsali page.
The Indian wildlife authorities can congratulate themselves on a job well done at the Kaziranga Park in Assam. More than 2,000 one horned rhinos, a similar number of elephants and, it is thought, somewhere around 100 tigers though few people are lucky enough to glimpse one of the latter. After a few days at Kaziranga, and some great game viewing, it was off to Chhattisgarh and Orissa to visit some of the "Adivasi" (indigenous) groups whose architecture, jewellery & markets are markedly different from those of India's non-Adivasi communities.
Photos in the Assam, Chhattisgarh and Orissa galleries.
A market tour of southern Yunnan plus a spectacular Yao "dujie" (coming of age) ceremony in a mountain village close to the border with Vietnam. The highlight of the event was a test of courage where the 12 & 13 year old boys had to fall backwards from a high platform into a vine net. Spectacular!
Photos from page 3 of the Yunnan gallery and also in the markets and events galleries or search on dujie for a quick snapshot of the Yao event.
My latest exhibition opens this Tuesday (Nov. 20th). Theme : "Women Of Guizhou". Place : Qian Restaurant Gallery, Dihua Jie. Great food, cool atmosphere and images of women from some of Guizhou's lesser known areas.
More at the Qian blog including a map link.
On until Mar. 3, 2013.
The "gassho style" farmhouses of Chubu are notable for their steeply pitched thatched roofs which allow the frequent heavy snow to slide off more easily. A World Heritage Site, the villages of Shirakawa, Gokayama & Ainokura are some of the most atmospheric in Japan and a meal (accompanied by liberal drafts of saki!) around the hearth of a gassho house can be a memorable occasion.
Images in the Chubu and wooden architecture galleries.
I have just received from the printers the first batch of my limited edition 2013 desktop calendar. This year's subject is "Women Of Guizhou". 13 beautiful photographs on a ringed wire hanging on black board.
See the Shop page for more details and how to order.
A quick trip to the Hoi Yang villages in the Kengtung area for their annual swing festivals. A fascinating day at Hoi Yang II watching the construction of their swing followed by the opportunity to capture digitally the highly photogenic Akha women in their festival best.
Photographs in the Shan State and Hani galleries.
10 days with the Nuosu Yi in the Daliangshan (Greater Cool Mountains) region of southern Sichuan. Until 1949 this was essentially an independent Yi kingdom, Han and other visitors requiring specific permission to enter the territory. Even today, it has some of the highest mono ethnic concentrations in China with some counties having a population more than 95% Yi. Traditions and culture remain correspondingly strong.
Highlights of the trip included the markets - Tuo Mu Shan was a particular favourite with its fortune telling bimaws, seamstresses and outdoor dentists - as well as the bull and ram fighting events that are held around torch festival time when I was there.
The apogee of the trip, in several ways, had to be the funeral I attended on a mountain high above the Xide valley. I was initially hesitant about the probity of taking photographs but it transpired that the deceased had lived to an unusually advanced age (78 is high longevity for Sichuan mountain farmers) and had a passed away of natural causes. Thus the event was a celebration of his life rather than the grieving that would have accompanied a younger unnatural death.
Given the abundance of subject matter, I took rather more images than I usually do. They all appear in the Sichuan gallery and in other relevant galleries in the Life section.
It's been a long time in the making but it's finally here.
The core of the site is self evidently the Galleries. They are arranged by geography, by people (ethnic groups) and thematically.
The search function has more than 40 pre-defined searches so that anyone looking for, say, all the images of headwear, can find them in one place. Specific search words can also be input.
The Journal will be updated regularly whenever I'm back from a trip or something of note such as an exhibition I'm contributing to is coming up.
The Links page is in its infancy. Over time I hope to make it a comprehensive resource for all things ethnic in Asia.
Lastly there's a Shop section where my calendars can be purchased.
I hope that viewers of the site will find it a user friendly experience and enjoy the site as much I have putting it together. In this context it would be remiss of me not to mention the contributions of my two assistants, Nathan Lin and Jenny Hsu, without which this site would not have been possible.
I hadn't been to Xinjiang since 2009 and was looking forward to a return visit. We were a month later than the previous trip, thereby unfortunately missing the annual migrations of the Kazakh herders who by the time of our arrival were up in the high pastures.
We did however achieve our main objective which was to attend the annual aobao festivals of the Tuva at Kanas and Hemu, a major component of which is the horse races. Cooperative weather and late evenings also made for some great shots of the, for China, unique "A" roofed wooden villages. It was nice to have some return for the enormous entry fees the local authorities charge to enter these areas!
Photos are in the Xinjiang gallery.
A quick trip to Nujiang in N.W. Yunnan.
The Nu is one of the three great rivers of western China, rising on the Tibetan plateau and flowing south parallel to the Burmese border. It has carved a deep narrow valley, almost a gorge in some places. Upper Nujiang is difficult to reach. It took me 15 hours on a bus from Baoshan, the nearest airport 300km to the south.
I based myself in Gongshan and made day trips into the surrounding mountains. The roads are execrable. Most villages are only reachable on foot or by horse. Trip highlights included a long day at the Tibetan Christian villages perched high on the mountain above Dimaluo and a day in Qiulatong, a group of Nu hamlets on the old caravan route to Tibet. I also came across a Dulong woman in Fugong with a full facial tatto. Much as I wanted to photograph her, it wasn't appropriate. Maybe next time.........
The photos appear on page 3 of the Yunnan gallery.
