Burmese Light is a collection of photographs by Hans Kemp capturing the beauty and serenity the country. The photos – and a small selection of his other Asian images – are on show at the OXO Tower Wharf in London until 16 September
Thu 12 Sep 2013 16.07 BST
Early morning mist rises over the ancient ruins of Bagan. Between the 11th and 13th century more than 10,000 Buddhist temples and pagodas were constructed in what was the capital of the Kingdom of Bagan. Over 2,200 still survive. This photograph was taken from a hot air balloon. During the winter months these balloons take off before sunrise and drift over the pagoda-studded plains.
An Intha fisherman stands on his boat on Inle Lake in Shan State. The Intha are known for their 'leg-rowing' technique whereby they propel themselves by standing at the stern and wrapping one leg around the oar.
Dusk at Kyaiktiyo pagoda, also known as Golden Rock, in Mon state, one of Burma’s most important pilgrimage sites. When the sun has disappeared behind the horizon, the sky darkens to a deep blue. Together with the rising smoke from incense sticks, the ephemeral light creates a mysterious atmosphere.
Pagodas appear as the early morning mist dissolves in Mrauk U, the old capital of Rakhine state, in the far west of Burma, near Bangladesh. Mrauk U is a magical place, especially during the winter months (October-January) when the nights can be quite cold and every morning the valley is covered with a thick layer of mist.
A group of Pa O farmers harvesting rice in Shan state to the west of Inle Lake. I spent about an hour with this group of farmers, who were working in perfect unison. It was a scene from a bygone era - soon it might all be mechanised.
32nd Street in downtown Rangoon is part of the area around Sule Pagoda with many examples of colonial architecture. The buildings are in various states of disrepair but the unique colours and textures add to the character of the town.
Monks walk across the U Bein Bridge in Amarapura, the world’s longest teakwood bridge, built in the mid 19th century. Most visitors come to the bridge to watch the sunset but early mornings offer perhaps a better opportunity to capture this unique structure.
Fish is spread out to dry on large plastic sheets at Jade Taw village on the southern end of Ngapali beach, Rakhine state. Early morning is the best time of the day to witness this activity, with a pleasant temperature and rays of sunlight streaming through the trees.
Hoi An is an historic town on the coast in central Vietnam. Strolling through town one late afternoon I saw the sun illuminating this particular corner. I really liked the shadow play but felt that it would be good to have someone walking by. So I waited and was fortunate to catch this woman. Soon afterwards the sun set.
Fishermen at Koggala beach in Sri Lanka perched on sticks over the water. Ownership of these spots is passed on from one generation to the next. I waited till after sunset to photograph this scene and took a long exposure to smooth out the water and capture the slow movements of the fishermen.
Farmers in Dalat in the central highlands of Vietnam, wash carrots in the local stream. I was especially attracted to the geometry of the scene, and standing on a nearby bridge managed to hover over the action to create a bird’s eye perspective.
