Without an H

Photography from south-east Asia by Jon Sanwell

In Mawlamyine

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I’m a big fan of sleepy, gently crumbling riverside towns in south-east Asia. Kompong Cham and Kratie in Cambodia, Savannakhet in Laos – these are some of the places that I’ve most enjoyed visiting over the last few years. To that list, I can now add Mawlamyine in south-eastern Myanmar. It’s not a place with any really jaw-dropping sights – the town itself is the attraction, with its weathered colonial-era buildings, its pagodas, mosques and churches, its dockside market and its friendly, curious people.

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12 Responses to “In Mawlamyine”

  1. Stephen G. Hipperson

    Great series!
    (The first gives me the impression that you ‘model’ is trying to blend into the background – it might be an interesting experiment to drop it to black and white so the colour doesn’t provide a demarcation element?)

    Reply
  2. allentimphotos2

    Wonderful series of images. You’ve really captures the sense of the communities. Thank you for opening the window so we could get a peek.

    Reply
    • Jon Sanwell

      Thank you. It’s called ‘thanaka’, and it’s a kind of natural sunscreen and cosmetic, made from tree bark.

      Reply
  3. Claire St. Hilaire

    I love these photos so much. They have so much life! I would love to see a collection of your shots like these in a book. We don’t get to see this side of other cultures enough.

    Reply
    • Jon Sanwell

      Thanks! I have made a couple of self-published photobooks, which are available as e-books or as hard copies, and are selling like cold, stale cakes. Click on ‘book’ at the top of the page if you’re interested…

      Reply

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