[Leica] SE Asia shots

[csemetko at gmail.com (Craig Semetko)]

> Craig, the shots are very interesting and colorful.... absolutely  
> great....
> the rapport you had was rather special
>
> But the question that I always want to ask.....
>
> How did you get this kind of access to your subjects?  Were you  
> hired by the
> school to do this?  By a foreign group that gave you an introduction  
> and
> basically a "license" to be there?
>
> I do not think you just walked in and took pictures, un-announced.....
>
>
> Frank Filippone
> red735i at earthlink.net

Hey Frank, thanks for your kind words. Actually, I did just walk in  
unannounced. I discovered from a trip to Luang Prabang in Laos three  
years ago that if you say, "Sabadee" to most any of these monks they  
will immediately ask you where you're from and try to have a  
conversation. They are extremely interested in the outside world and  
want to practice english on somebody. I usually have a good rapport  
with people and that goes a long way. I literally said hello to one of  
these monks and within 1 minute another approached me and asked me to  
correct his english essay. I sat down and started marking up the paper  
and when I looked up there were probably 20 monks in a semi-circle  
around us. A few asked to me have lunch with them, and we bought fish  
and chicken and rice and papaya salad on the street and went back in  
the school house and pushed three tables together and we ate it with  
our hands. It was a very memorable experience. I went back the next  
day and got more shots and another lunch. Had I had more time, a  
couple of them wanted to take me out to their provinces to see how  
they and their families lived. As I say when I speak about my  
photography, the most important things a street photographer needs are  
a good pair of walking shoes and a smile. And a Leica, of course:))

Craig