The Fisherman
Burma 2011 Inle Lake
I’ve shown Inle Lake fishermen on this blog before. This one is different because it is high-key and a silhouette, almost. All my other fishermen shots are in glorious color.
After I got home from my trip, I saw some photos similar to this, but with even less detail. They reminded me of Chinese brush paintings. “I should have taken some shots like those.” I remonstrated with myself. (There is almost no occasion that doesn’t call for remonstrating with myself. I was raised in the days when children were disciplined with a capital ‘D’. We knew we weren’t perfect, far from it. And that’s why we strove so hard and still do.)
Since I had shot hundreds if not thousands of photos of the Inle Lake fishermen, odds were that I had a similar shot. And sure enough, I did. On the very last day, as our long-tailed boat shot us toward the landing I grabbed this shot. We had left the hotel early. The morning haze hadn’t dissipated leaving the lake and mountains a landscape of shades of gray.
I caught the fishermen at the apex of his rowing arc, with his skirt stretched out. It’s a lovely sight. My husband shot the fishermen with a video camera. He has one sequence that I never tire of watching: the fisherman extends and folds his arms as he lays out his net on the sun-sparkled water and the motion is as beautiful and graceful as any ballet.
I used Alien Skin Exposure 4 plug-in to give this an old, grainy look. I could have made it black and white, but I love vintage or retro.