Bac Ha (elevation 900m), 144 km from Sa Pa, is a new paradise for tourists and dreamed destination for photographers where you can see 10 minority groups at Sunday Market, a weekly hill tribe event that draws locals in from all over the surrounding area.
Unlike Sa Pa, it is not staged for tourists and far fewer tourists make it up this way... It is warmer than Sa Pa and much less tourism industry than Sa Pa. The bad thing is the infrastructure in Bac Ha is not as good as in Sa Pa (hotel and power are in worse condition). Minority men are heavy drinkers and it is amazing to see groups of tribal women heading home, each one leading a horse behind her with her drunken husband on the saddle. Anyway, the people and landscape are far more interesting than Sa Pa. It may be nicer in the middle of the week but you can not go to any market and if you want to see minority groups, you sometimes have to walk for 20 km.
These minority people live highest in the mountains, and are renowned for their musicality, songs and word-play. The women wear tunic-style dresses of hemp fabric, dyeing with natural indigo to a deep purple-black. They wear strips of indigo cloth as leggings, and stunning silver bangles around their necks and arms.
This photo shows a minority teenager in front of a skirts stand. I don't understand the tribal language they spoke during their bargain, so I guess she was considering the price against her budget.
i've been 3 times to Iran .. iranians seems to like to be photographed. i have many portarits for iranians looking at my camera waiting to hear the CLICK :)
however, i can understand you as here it's the same, espacially when it come to shooting women.
I agree with you that, "it would have been even more interesting if she was looking at you". Unfortunately, minority people are not always ready to be, or welcome us to photograph them. They don't invite you for photo, they don't smile to your lens. When they see you point your camera toward them, they cover their faces with scarf, hide the head in hands, or close eyes ? whatever way to discourage you.
I am including an example showing a girl with new method of objection. I wasn't sure what she had in mind, this attitude was for the another photographer in front of me. I didn't feel too safe, so I walked away, after clicking this picture.
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{K:36599} 12/7/2004
