International Travel Photo Gallery

    A Gathering of Nosu Yi Women, Butuo, China. 1997

Butuo’s ethnic minority is said to have been the last holdout against Chairman Mao’s Communist army. This scene, where several women gather to talk and spin yarn, typifies the town’s rammed-earth buildings and quiet agrarian culture. Nikon F3, Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8 lens, Fuji Provia 100F.

    Fishing Boats at Anchor, Phuket, Thailand. 2005

Near the end of an assignment to photograph with an ABWE Tsunami relief team, we rented motorbikes to visit the south end of Phuket Island at sunset. The exposure was hand-held with a 24-85 Nikkor lens on a Nikon D70.

    Ponte Vecchio, Florence, Italy. 2001

This quintessential Italian bridge just happened to have a sculling athlete passing underneath as I positioned myself and raised the camera. My visit came during a brief respite in a month-long assignment for Country Walkers to Greece and Italy. Nikon F100, Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8 lens, Fuji Provia 100F.

    Fish at Market, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. 2002

Travel photographers love markets. This basket of fish was softly illuminated by indirect daylight with blue reflections from an overhead tarp. Nikon F100, Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 lens, B+W warming filter, Fuji Provia 100F.

    Mosuo Man in Canoe with Potatoes, Lugu Lake, China. 1998

Lugu Lake is home to the Mosuo matriarchal society and much studied by sociologists. Most travel is conducted in pig-trough canoes. Women communicate by singing with paddle in hand, songs being heard for miles over placid water. Dr. Joseph Rock, the famous early 20th century National Geographic explorer, traveled these waters. I met an elderly man in the region who, as a young man, studied botany from Dr. Rock. 20mm Nikkor lens on Nikon F3, Fuji Provia 100F.

    Painting Horns at Sacrifice Market, Bangladesh. 2002

The Korbani Sacrifice is celebrated similarly in South Asian countries: sacrificial animals are decorated and sold at market before the ceremonial Islamic sacrifice is held. Meat is eaten by its owner, given to family members, and distributed as alms to the poor. In addition to cattle, sacrificial animals include goats and camels. Nikon F100, Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8 zoom lens, Fuji Provia 100F.

    Huli Warrior Wearing a Ben and Jerrys T-shirt, Papua New Guinea. 1989

In the highlands of PNG, Makia, a Huli warrior, demonstrated traditional face painting and donned his wig (made in part from his own hair). I’d brought a Vermont t-shirt as a gift and thought him the perfect recipient. I presented a print of this to Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in Waterbury at their ice cream headquarters. In typical fashion, Ben gestured to Jerry, saying, “Look, a dude from New Guinea.” Years later, I was told of an Australian documentary film that included images of a Huli man wearing a Ben & Jerrys t-shirt… could it be? The background of this image was desaturated in Photoshop.

    British Handover Celebration Fireworks, Hong Kong. 1997

The handover of Hong Kong sovereignty from the British to the Chinese occurred midway through a six-month volunteer photo and reporting assignment for Mission Without Borders International. I hired a friend to hold a harbor-side space on the north side of the harbor, as crowds were expected to be overwhelming. Sporadic rain showers subsided just in time for the record-setting fireworks display, but southerly winds arose, sending show-obscuring smoke in my direction. Typical fireworks exposure for ISO 64-100 slide film (Fuji Provia 100F rated at EI 64): f/8 – f/10 for several bursts, using a tripod and cable release.

    Fording a River at Dawn, Bangladesh. 2002

A wide but shallow river lay below the compound from which I was working while in the tribal Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. A man crossed the river this day at dawn, creating a silhouette against the reflection of the eastern sky. Nikon F100, Nikkor 80-200 f/2.8 lens, Fuji Provia 100F, tripod.

Contact the photographer for information about purchasing prints or reproduction rights to photos: info(at)paulrogersphotography.net

BACK TO TOP