weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Jim for your kind words - that is a bit too high a standard you are projecting here, but I appreciate the thought!

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you very much Jack for your kind comment.

Susan yamakawa

Most people like to be photographed👍👍😊😊

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Quite a difficult subject, Susan. Yes, many people like to be photographed, especially in our Western societies. Others do feel uncomfortable. It can also be quite a cultural thing: Photographing the faces of Islamic women, particularly if they are unaccompanied, is strongly discouraged in some countries and can get a photographer into trouble. Same with the Amish in the US.

On the other hand, some people actually yearn to have their pictures taken - I remember on a trip out in the steppes of Mongolia with just my wife Susan and a local driver & guide, we came up to a ger (yurt) out in the wide open landscape with some interesting individuals. I asked whether I could take photos and they were quite happy to say yes. They then actually approached the guide and asked if I would take a photo of the whole family and when I said yes of course, they all ran into their ger, changed quickly into their best fineries and came out again posing happily. I promised to send them the pictures, which I did via the guide.

I also remember hiking in the Wong Shan (Yellow Mountains) in Anhui province of China, being an Oldie among all these young people, and quite a few asked me to pose WITH them for a photo - though I have no idea why that was interesting to them. - As I said, a difficult but interesting subject.

bertloomis Loc: Fort Worth, Texas

I don't see happy faces. I wonder why.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Bert for looking in on the travelogue again. You are right, all the faces I captured here were rather reserved, concentrated or pensive. Not necessarily unhappy, but definitely not smiling. Of course, none of these were posed pictures, but taken mostly unawares. I have had smiling faces of the people on the long boats in post #118, also in Mandalay at some of the markets, but overall the people in Myanmar were rather shy and reserved, but pleasant. It was overall rather a happy time though for the locals when we visited in 2013 as they had their brief stretch of freedom, now with the military rule reimposed, I would have to assume that the situation would be much more unhappy.

Umnak Loc: Mount Vernon, Wa.

Outstanding portraits throughout this set Joe, well done! These images are thought provoking as I look through them. Wondering what was on that persons mind in the moment you took the image. While I don't get any answers from my internal questions, these images offer several possibilities of assumptions! I especially enjoyed the sleeping baby on that woman's back/neck! Many of these may have better "quality" components but that image is so engaging as it is! I have to ask, is the gentleman with the green head cover really going green on his skin tone? Another excellent installment sir!
Rob

srfmhg Loc: Marin County, CA

Fantastic faces Joe. You captured them well!

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thanks Rob for your thoughtful comment. Yes, in quite a few of the faces, you can see concentration on something, none smiling as Bert noted, but also not angry or unhappy. Shopping at the market seems to be a intense affair. As to the man in green, I really don't know, but definitely to not assume that his face had a green tint. Must be some colorcast, maybe from an overhead piece of fabric like a tarpaulin, or from whatever. As you know, at that time in 2013 I was still minimally processing these images in Picasa, as far as I know there was no way to correct a colorcast, or at least I wouldn't have known how. One of the many things I would do differently now, but I doubt that I will ever have time to circle back and correct this image.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thanks Mark, for once I dared to shoot portraits of unknown strangers, doesn't happen often!

Vince68 Loc: Wappingers Falls, NY

Very nice set documenting the many different faces at the local market Joe.

weberwest Loc: Ferndale WA

Thank you Vince, I am pleased to hear that you enjoyed these different ethnic faces at the market!

gmontjr2350 Loc: Southern NJ

George

merrytexan Loc: georgia

excellent shooting of the local faces, joe...i like all of them. the baby's shot is especially cute!

lnl Loc: SWFL

These are great images of everyday people. I too thought some of the head coverings look like towels, and some like blankets. I guess whatever works!
I’m always reluctant to take photos of people for fear they won’t like it. You mentioned you took these without asking. Did you use a longer lens?