Nan, Northern Thailand – Behind the Lens, Frame by Frame

A Family Visit, Mountain Landscapes and Everyday Life Through My Lens

Our journey to Nan began with a family visit. My wife wanted to see her brother and his family, who live in the mountains of Nan Province in Northern Thailand. We flew from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport with AirAsia and landed at Nan’s small, easy-to-navigate airport — quite a contrast to the busy capital we had left behind.

Surrounded by forested mountains, Nan lies roughly 670 kilometres north of Bangkok, not far from Doi Phu Kha National Park. The province is home to around 467,000 people, including Tai Lue, Htin and other ethnic communities. We stayed at a hotel in Nan town, using it as our base for the family visit and my photographic walks.

As usual, my camera took me into the streets and everyday life of the town. What I particularly appreciated was how welcoming people were when I photographed them going about their daily routines. I always enjoy showing them the photographs on my camera’s display and asking whether I may publish them. Their positive reactions mean a great deal to me, and I never take that trust for granted.

The opening photograph shows the golden standing Buddha at Wat Phra That Khao Noi, overlooking Nan and the surrounding landscape. It is one of those places where I wanted to put the camera down for a moment, take in the view and simply enjoy being there.

This chapter brings together a personal family journey and my photographic impressions of Nan — its people, its streets and the quieter side of Northern Thailand.

Nan After Dark – Everyday Life at a Roadside Food Stall

Some of the most memorable moments in Thailand happen at a small roadside food stall.

Walking through Nan after dark, I came across this scene: a woman had stopped on her motorbike to buy a takeaway meal. The vendor leaned across the counter to hand her a plastic bag, while red and purple lights illuminated the little shop. Nothing staged, nothing unusual. Just another evening in Northern Thailand.

These are the moments I enjoy most as a documentary photographer. A brief encounter, people going about their daily routines and a scene that tells its own story without needing much explanation. The colourful lights, Thai lettering and motorbike were all part of the atmosphere I wanted to preserve.

Behind the Frame

I chose 54mm to bring the woman, her motorbike and the vendor together without losing the details of the food stall. At f/5.0, I had enough depth of field to keep the interaction in focus.

The real challenge was the light. Shooting handheld at 1/30 sec meant watching for the right moment when both people were relatively still. ISO 6400 allowed me to work with the available light rather than interrupt the scene with flash.

One photograph, a few seconds of everyday life and another small story from the streets of Nan.

CAMERA SETTINGS

Sony Alpha 7 IV · Sony FE 24–70mm f/2.8 GM II

54mm · f/5.0 · 1/30 sec · ISO 6400

Location: Nan, Northern Thailand

Sometimes, all it takes is a roadside food stall to remind me why I love photographing everyday life in Thailand.