Tag Archives: Portraits

Thailand: A Beach between Chumphon and Surat Thani

Posted on July 8, 2013 | Leave a comment

Early this morning, we left Pak Tako to Surat Thani.

A long road and little sleep the night before. Along the way we stop to have lunch on a desert beach. A seafood restaurant (picture 2): too bad for me, I do not like seafood, lol! Huts and threatening sky. Stray dogs and cats and too many mosquitoes! I decide to explore lonely one side of the beach.

Fantastic light giving an emerald reflection to the sea, the tide is low. On land, post card’s palm trees and conifers. Far away, empty canoes ripple on the surface of the water. Opposite, a small fishing community. I have the feeling of walking into a movie set. Light wind, the sky is covered like waiting for an impending tropical storm.

Always impressive, the sky turns black at once, no rain yet. I go to the boats first (picture 3), and then to the fishermen sitting in a large hut covered with palm leaves. Men, women and children are busy unraveling the threads. Exchange of smiles, I show my camera to ask if I can take pictures and portraits.

I appreciate when people photographed are complicit and forget my presence. Sometimes there are meetings and great energy, as in this group. As always the best meetings are those due to chance. I barely had time to make some shots that other journalists arrive (!). It starts to rain, I have to leave in the direction of the restaurant. Many thanks to this small community for their hospitality!

Follow my whole trip in THAILAND and Twitter. You can also discover my other pictures in the Facebook of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and the Facebook of the Royal Thai Embassy in Belgium. ENJOY!

Thailand, Amphawa: Romhub, the unusual market of Mae Klong

Departure to Thailand: Sawadee Ka Bangkok!

DESTINATIONS

Thaïlande: une plage entre Chumphon et Surat Thani

Posted on July 8, 2013 | Leave a comment

Nous sommes partis tôt ce matin de Pak Tako vers Surat Thani.

Beaucoup de route et peu dormi la veille. En chemin nous nous arrêtons déjeuner sur une plage déserte. Un restaurant de fruits de mer (photo 2) : pas top pour moi, j’aime pas les fruits de mer, lol! Quelques huttes, ciel menaçant. Des chiens et chats errants, trop de moustiques! Je décide d’explorer seule un des côtés de la plage.

Superbe lumière donnant un reflet émeraude à la mer, la marée est basse. Côté terre, des palmiers et conifères. Au loin, des pirogues vides tanguent à la surface de l’eau. En face, une petite communauté de pêcheurs. L’impression de marcher dans un décor de film. Léger vent, le ciel se couvre de plus en plus, comme l’imminence d’un orage tropical.

Toujours assez impressionnant, le ciel devient noir d’un coup, mais la pluie tarde. J’avance vers les pirogues (photo 3), puis me dirige vers les pêcheurs, assis à l’abris sous une large hutte recouverte de feuilles de palmiers. Hommes, femmes et enfants sont affairés à dénouer les filets. Echanges de sourires, je montre mon appareil, pour demander si je peux faire des photos, des portraits.

J’apprécie lorsque les gens photographiés sont complices, au point qu’ils oublient ma présence. Parfois il y a une rencontre et une belle énergie, comme au sein de ce groupe. Comme toujours les plus belles rencontres sont celles dues au hasard. J’ai à peine eu le temps de faire quelques clichés que d’autres journalistes arrivent (!). Il commence à pleuvoir, je repars en direction du restaurant. Merci à cette petite communauté pour son accueil!

Suivez mon voyage Travel Different Thailand dans la rubrique THAILANDE (tous mes posts) et sur Twitter. Découvrez aussi mes autres photos de ce voyage sur le Facebook de l’office du tourisme thaïlandais et le Facebook de l’ambassade royale de Thaïlande en Belgique. ENJOY!

Autres articles :

Thaïlande, Amphawa: Romhub, l’insolite marché de Mae Klong

Départ pour la Thailande: Sawadee Ka Bangkok!

DESTINATIONS

Thailand, Chumphon: The Return of Fishing in Pak Tako

Posted on July 6, 2013 | Leave a comment

Still in Chumphon.

After the boat tour of the estuary of Pak Tako, we decided to attend the return of fishing. A short drive to the fishing warehouse to follow the action.

The boats are unloaded immediately by organized teams. At first glance, it seems that there are a lot of people. But very quickly you realize that everyone has a very specific task, in order to optimize the whole process.

Fishing is mainly composed of crabs (pictures 2, 4 & 5) and anchovies (picture 3). Each boat is specialized in shellfish or in anchovies. And while these traditional boats may seem craft, I am impressed by the quantity fished: 3 tonnes of anchovy today!

Smiling, the boat owner told me that it is a daily average. Time to shoot some more portraits. And we have to hit the road, tight schedule.

We will have many stops till Surat Thani, including the visit of a silk fabric and a Bouddhist meditation centre. The last two pictures: the Pak Tako beach. During the rainy season, throughout the day the weather is a mix between rain and heat.