SCOTT MALLON
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Inside Burma - Parts 1 - 4

2/2/2014

4 Comments

 
Picture
Trishaw drivers line a street near Yangon Pier
After spending nearly two weeks in Myanmar, I am back. Although my time in the country was fruitful, by the end of the trip I was happy to come home. It had been approximately three years since my last trip to Myanmar and I was anxious to see how it had changes. There are ATM's available now, tuk-tuks are growing in popularity, and hotel prices have sky-rocketed. But for the most part, the country was as I remembered. Friendly locals, hard working tri-shaw drivers, and plenty of fresh markets.  
After spending a couple of days in Yangon, I took Air Mandalay and flew to Sittwe in Northwest Myanmar. While Air Mandalay can hardly be considered an elite airline offering the best service and food available to humans around the world, they got me to my destination. In this case, and since the flight was just over an hour, it was perfectly acceptable. I arrived alive and ready to go. After a dozen trips to Myanmar though, I was surprised how little I really knew about the place.

In the end, this journey taught me more about myself than many other trips I took in the past. Keep watching...please...my trip is all fun and games up to this point. I am just another tourist. Once I get to Mrauk-U though, things start happening and it is only when I am back in Bangkok do I realize what it is I am after as a photographer. 

Some people say a good photographer is never happy with his work. I disagree with this statement but I do understand it. I have been happy with many of my photos however they have never quite captured what I am after. In this sense, my work has failed repeatedly. Am I disappointed? Sometimes. But I view photography as I view Zen: one must strive for perfection but do so fully aware that rarely, if ever, can one reach this state.
Part 1

Leica 18191 V-LUX 4 12.7MP Compact System Camera with 3.0-Inch TFT LCD - Black
Part 2

Lonely Planet Myanmar (Burma) (Country Travel Guide)
Part 3

Burma/Myanmar: What Everyone Needs to Know®
Part 4

Leica X Vario (Type 107)
4 Comments
Gary Stamey link
2/2/2014 04:42:20 pm

Welcome home to Bangkok, your Burma videos are refreshing in that they show the new Myanmar to be growing up rapidly.

When their many islands nearer to Ranong begin developing, you'll have some great adventures..the future looks bright..,but you now see that each day matter..

Any artist is rarely content with their work..but that's the secret to getting better, you don't settle for ordinary..

Reply
Scott Mallon link
2/2/2014 11:13:49 pm

Thanks Gary. Believe me, I'm nowhere near as good as I want to be with my photography and definitely not my film/video making. But hopefully, my the time I'm an old, old man, I'll be much closer to Zen.

I believe my photos miss the angst and emotion, positive or negative, that I am looking for. Maybe I expect to much but perhaps powerful is the word I am looking for. I want more powerful photos.

Reply
Les Freedman
2/3/2014 11:02:17 am

Hi Scott
really enjoyed the vids ... It looks very basic there but i think you said you like that ... not luxurious ... I tend to like to rough it a bit if i am traveling ... I think i may have to visit Burma... look forward to more vids ...

Reply
Scott Mallon link
2/3/2014 11:50:10 am

By all means, check it out. So far you've only seen me in the city. Once I venture out to the villages, especially the Muslim villages, these are probably not the sort of places for a tourist. But Myanmar is a great place to explore and the people are as nice as anywhere in the world.

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