Travel Photography: Working in the Paddy Fields of Bhutan
I was in Bhutan last month photographing its cultural heritage and the lives of its people. During the fourth day of my week-long trip, I had a chance to visit a small village surrounded by paddy fields in a wide mountain valley. Walking through the fields and enjoying the salubrious mountain weather, I struck conversation with the women working in the fields with an intent to understand the work they were doing and also make photographs in the process.
The month of May is a transition period between harvesting and sowing new crop. There were sections of the fields where a full-grown crop was waiting to be harvested, and at some places, they were already taking the winnowed crop home. The women I spoke to were a step further ahead preparing for the next season, spreading manure in the soil before the upcoming monsoons allowed them to plant fresh saplings. They were friendly, and were more than willing to be photographed, except that they posed a condition: I must give them prints of the photos that I made. I gladly agreed and we were on a roll.
I was conscious from the beginning that the photographs should not look posed, but should reflect their natural mood and the work that they were doing. To ensure this, I let them continue their work even as I kept photographing them. Conversations continued through all this, making sure that a connection between us is not broken and at the same time allowing me to understand their work and helping me plan the photographs I should be making. In the middle of all this, some of the women asked me for posed photographs with their dear friends, for which I was glad to oblige as well.
The women spoke only dzongkha, Bhutan’s national language. Much of our communication had to be facilitated by our local guide who doubled up as a translator. This was of considerable help, as our conversations were important for making these photographs. Without a communication bridge between us, a crucial connect would have been missed. In such a situation, I would at best have made an opportunistic photograph or two from a distance. The friendly banter that lasted nearly half-an-hour allowed me to pick shots of my choice and capture everything I wanted to convey with my camera, without any inhibitions.