The Bar Lady, a photo from Loei, Northeast

Photographer's Note

The Thai bar ladies are unique: server, friend, confident and entertainer, she is all thing to all men. The sleazy beer bar business of Thailand would be nothing without her. This lady has retired from the brash bars of the tourist cities to open her own small bar in her home village in the North. She is still cheeky, humorous, philosophical and cynical. She has seen it all, knows it all; life has no surprises for her. The story of her life is written on her face. But she still knows how to serve a cool beer and to make her customers laugh. Long may she enjoy her retirement!

serp2000, flory, adores, siolaw, riclopes, dareco, Dyerco, grandklaus, MLINES has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

serp2000 (47063) 2007-08-08 10:48

Hi,Kevin,
good portrait and dramatic story.I remember my bar girl and I am missing her.
You are right, all hard life on the face.
Best regards,
Serghei

vincz (19113) 2007-08-08 11:08

Interesting catch with great compostion, very unique colours, and great expression. A very good daily life scene.

flory (4848) 2007-08-08 11:40

hi Kevin,
hm,see..you could keep your spirit young after a hardly life; so deeply glance,like this strong woman,well captured in that place where she continues her life..
nice day,
flory

foibles3 (1479) 2007-08-08 13:00 [Comment]

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kinginexile (2598) 2007-08-08 18:21

This is a very good portrait, Kevin, she sure looks the role, and you put her in context still, of her former occupation. Most bars are not too sleazy, I remember having a drink with 2 very good friends ;-), last winter in Patpong, talking and watching the world go by, came in as gentlemen, left as such too. Most girls working there are very prudish, most guys are respectful of them on the whole, very aware of the dos and donts.

Probably only in Thailand can you you meet 2 good friends in such setting (1), without the least bit of self-consciousness or shame, or even lust. Live and let live....

(1) If you allow me, I could put a pix of them that night, to illustrate my point, as a WS....

Furachan (0) 2007-08-09 5:18

Cool shot and an unusual subject matter for yo, Kevin. My only disappointment is in the colors, a lttle to pinkish for my liking and a feeling of overexposure somehow throughout. I shall attempt a workshop just to keep my hand in.

Cheers,
Francis

[workshop] [compare] +

adores (46979) 2007-08-09 17:39

Hi Kevin!
Great porrait and great note. Her expression is fabulous and I like the composition with the bar in the background.

Senk (2355) 2007-08-09 19:32

Hi Lung , many good Picture of u from Pee Ta Khon , and this one I remember this lady she cheer just only LEO beer no another beer and u like Leo beer also? good shot with old lady siting wiating for customer
thank you

NOng

siolaw (38294) 2007-08-09 21:13

Hi Kevin,
Well caught expression, telling a lot of her life story.... Good Dof with the blurred beer machines in bg.. I like the framing, with her leaning at the entrance of the bar...
Well seen
Laurent

tcht (7565) 2007-08-11 0:36

Hi Kevin
very well caught candid moment here - especially like her eyes! also nicely framed image with the red post on left. perhaps tech quality may be improved but everything else are excellent here.
Cheer
Cheukhin

riclopes (35577) 2007-08-12 2:18

Olá Kevin, great shot of this bar lady and very good note, telling the story of her life. Love the framing and the combination of strong colors, making it an aesthetical image. Excellent moment.
Ricardo
p.s.- I'll be visiting Laos and North of Thailand in October/November, arriving in Bkk in 28 of Sept. Any chance of meeting you?

roamermark (1592) 2007-08-15 6:41

Hi Kevin,
Climbing back into TE after a long break and it is great to return to some really great shots of yours here.
I love this 'real' travel portrait. It has a sense of detachment without being to sneaky or snoopy. I love your simple title as well.
You are dead right about her life being written on her face...writ large I would say.
Well Done
Cheers
Mark

jwillie44 (1236) 2007-08-17 14:41

What an ugly emotion you serve here :( Your impressionable shot compiled with your note is very descriptive, positive, informative yet, IMO, truely sad. I'm glad she is still laughing in her retirement though:)
sincerely
michael

kensimage (8563) 2007-08-19 8:19

Seen it all, indeed, Kevin! What you describe is exactly the tough, hardened type she appears to be--your shot makes the nice note almost unnecessary! I bet this would also look good in B/W or sepia. It seems to have a bit too much red in it here, especially the skin tone, but the overall look is fine. Regards, Ken.

dareco (17136) 2007-08-23 0:39

At first I thought this lady was crying. But, you're right, her face tells many stories. Great colors! TFS

LamCam (3717) 2007-08-24 12:50

Hello Kevin
The bar lady caught in her natural habitat!
She looks resilient although her eyes do speak volumes. I could not guess her age.
The red curtain casts a warm glow on the woman,which I like, also the repetition of red areas across the shot gives balance.
Best Wishes Maggie

Dyerco (10185) 2007-09-01 23:16

Hi Kevin

You have captured an interesting and provacative portrait here. A lady in familiar surroundings. It reminds me of Elton John's song entitled "Sweet Painted Ladies". The exposure is spot on.

Well done.

Phil

BrianGraney (1740) 2007-09-28 2:18

Great portrait here - which seems to suggest a range of emotions.
I don't think she'd look too out of place in a UK pub! (Except she wouldn't be able to smoke in there now.)
Cheers
Brian

MLINES (12516) 2008-05-31 21:55

Hi Kevin, Interesting photo and especially comments, i wondered what happens later on in life for these gentle folk. Not glamorous but true life. TFS. Murray.