Laos

Some time ago I was commissioned to spend time in Laos photographing the impact that hydro electric power was having on the mountain populations.

The effect was not good-flooding of burial grounds and general exploitation of the local populations. Norwegian machines. Simplistic. Email me for the politics of it all.

Here are some photos I made.

In case any of you have to photograph a hydro electric installation in low light requiring a 30 second exposure in a structure that is rattling like a gattling...on large format...

TIP:Park your tripod as firmly as you can on the floor and have faith that everything in the vicinity will begin to vibrate at the same frequency. It works. The money shots were these shots of the main generator shafts.

I traveled for 2 days on crap planes and in sawn-in-half B52 bombs on Mekong tributaries to reach these locations. On reaching the buildings which housed the generators I realised that there were serious light deficiencies and vibes de luxe. I screwed the ribber shoes on my tripod over the metal leg-pins and then retracted them in order that the film and the subject jig together. On returning to Berlin I was happy to check that all was sharp-sharp.

The old geyser was 114 years old then and I was late for my plane when he arrived. He is a living talisman and, on account of his age, travels for free in any medium. He was excruciatingly slow to answer questions, but hey, at double one four who wouldn't be drawn out.

The dam wall has a log on it. The trunk is about 60m long and was chucked up in a flood.