Kazakh Woman
Mongolia 2014
Jim Zuckerman, our tour leader, hired this young woman to pose for us wearing a traditional Kazakh costume. There was no denying her beauty: clear, glowing skin, perfect teeth, sparkling eyes, and thick lustrous dark hair. Her costume, quilted and layered, gave her the look of a doll. Her hat resembled a crown.
We began by posing her in front of a black velvet backdrop…a piece of cloth that one of our group had wisely purchased in the bazaar. Then we asked her to stand in front of the doors to the theater. One woman asked her to peer around the partly open door. Others had suggestions for her to hold her hands as if praying. I think we were all at a loss trying to give life to the situation. She was a singer by profession and unused to posing for a group of eager photographers. The sight of us unnerved her. She felt uncomfortable and her face and body language showed it.
I took many photos yet don’t have any that please me. I made this one look like an old cracked oil painting and that made it more to my liking.