Payae Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

Forgive my obession with the Chin ladies but it really was a memorable journey up the Lemro river. She is from the another village a few kilometers further up stream than my last post. As you can see while her facial tattoes (Payae) are the same, her ears sport bamboo rings.
She told me (via an interpreter) that her face was tattoed at the age of nine, she was wrapped in a bamboo mat with only her head protruding and bound so she could not struggle for the ordeal. For almost six weeks after she could only eat rice-gruel/pap while the wounds healed. I can imagine that infection was also an issue.
Nobody is really sure how the custom became established, but a legend was that hundreds of years ago, Burmese kings and nobles used to come to Chin Hills and hunt for the beautiful Chin girls, as the fame of their beauty reached the court of Burma. To avoid their women being captured by the Burmese, they changed their beauty by tattooing the face of young girls.
As I said before this practice has now stopped.

delkoo, InasiaJones, Waylim has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

delkoo (35058) 2008-02-08 2:06

bonjour Eliane
what a beautiful portrait, light is so sweet on her face, i am completely fascinated by those strange custom.

have a nice w.e
didier

vagabondtravels (6115) 2008-02-08 3:42

Hi Elaine

Great portrait. Nice vertical comp and very sharp. Good color and dof. Interesting image from the North. What a tradition! Well done.
Ben

indraajeet (1773) 2008-02-08 6:14

excellent artistic compo. great lighting
and sharpness
indrajit

InasiaJones (20729) 2008-02-08 6:42

Hi Elaine,

I can guarantee you that I would be as obsessed as you are with these Chin ladies, if I would had the chance to photograph them as well!

Of the 3 close-up portraits you have made so far, this one is my favorite, for the fine facial features of the lady, her candid pose, the soft light, the perfect sharpness and blurred background. I also like the red ear decorations matching her lipstick; that's the kind of detail that makes a portrait totally attractive and more complete.

The two highlights in her eyes are somehow very appealing, as another manifestation of your sharp focus.

Friendly greetings,

André

Waylim (11391) 2008-02-08 18:05

Elaine,
Beautiful potriat. Thanks for sharing. These are not the typical pictures we normally see of Myanmar, and thank for the story behind the photos.
Way

vincz (19075) 2008-02-11 2:21

This one is also very good. I love the assemblage of blue (clothes, tattoo) and red colors (earings, lipstick). This is very unique. Her face and glance are extremely well caught all seems very sharply focused as her glance.

happypoppeye (4064) 2008-12-21 22:14

Whew...
I gotta go to Myanmar.
Nice shot, good note.
John