*Backseat Nap*
Fuji TX3
Quite a few tuk tuk or small van drivers could be seen sleeping in the back of their vehicles in Luang Prabang which led me to believe that naps are as sacred in Laos as they are in China!
Take Three
*Take Three*
Fuji XT3
I always love shooting panned photos of two-wheelers, especially in countries where more than one people is commonly found on said vehicle. This one was in the main street in Luang Prabang. I love that the little girl is barefoot, so cute.
Eiffel Bridge Traffic
*Eiffel Bridge Traffic*
Fuji XT3
I already mentioned the Eiffel bridge (called the French bridge) in Luang Prabang, crossing the Nam Khan river. The bridge is only suitable for scooters and motorbikes, not for cars. I did some morning shots but they weren’t as interesting as the afternoon shots that had the lattice shadows more prominent.
Lipstick Accident
*Lipstick Accident*
Fuji XT3
While exploring the back alleys on the hill at the center of Luang Prabang we stumbled upon this little girl. At first we couldn’t figure out what she had on her face until we saw that her mother’s shop seemed to be selling cosmetics. She followed us around and danced with Madeleine for a while. She was just so cute…
Family Transportation
*Family Transportation*
Fuji XT3
In many south-east Asian countries scooters or small motorbikes have become the default mode of transportation for the majority of people. It’s surprising how many passengers a scooter can actually accommodate. In this Luang Prabang picture there are only two, but I love the little girl’s pigtails.
Gruesome Ritual
*Gruesome Ritual*
Fuji XPro-2
Models : Michel & Anaïs
In the Unknown Armies loren there is a ritual to make someone demon-possessed which requires drilling a hole through their skull to let the demon in. That seemed like a very graphic and cool thing to represent to illustrate the game. A vertical variant of this shot was used on page 68 of Book 1. The drill was really heavy though, and I remember Michel being worried that it would actually hurt him even though it was (obviously) not functional.
Spiky Demon
*Spiky Demon*
Fuji XPro2
Model: Aurélie
Demons are loosely defined entities in the Unknown Armies RPG background, but I wanted something that looked demonic enough, so I took a leaf off of Clive Barker’s imagination here. We glued the nails to Aurélie’s spine using a flesh glue that live roleplayers use for costumes, and I love the way it looks. Aurélie also had those really creepy black contact lenses, but you can’t see them in this particular shot. The shot I submitted for the game was more in your face, but I don’t think it got used.
Just a Sip
*Just a Sip*
Fuji XPro-2
Model: Anaïs
A few years ago, I was hired as one of the illustrators for the Unknown Armies 3rd Edition Role-Playing Games. Unknown Armies is a weird and disturbing game inspired by the works of Tim Powers and Clive Barker, so naturally the imagery was to be disturbing and weird as well. With my wonderful models we came up with a number of scenarios to shoot, including this woman with a stitched mouth sipping something that could look a little like blood. The frame that I ended up submitting for the game was a different one (and I’m not sure it was used in the end) but the mix of glamour and creepy in this one I really like.
Evening Prayer
*Evening Prayer*
Fuji XT3
The hours leading to dusk in Luang Prabang are fascinating as monks gather towards the city’s temples for evening prayers. I liked how this particular monk was framed by the side door of the house he was praying in.
River Crossing
*River Crossing*
Fuji XT3
Not all bridges are made equal. Two bamboo bridges cross the Nam Khan river in Luang Prabang, and by our western standards they don’t look too reassuring. But to these young monks they were not scary at all, one of them was even running the length of it…
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