The Weaving Song

(1/60, F5, ISO1600, 116mm)

During the last 2 weeks we´ve been traveling trough the Northern parts of Laos and every village we visited the women were engaged in weaving their tribal textiles. While in Luang Prabang we made a visit to the Ock Pok Tok living crafts centre, where some of the best weaving ladies from all around Laos are gathered to make some amazing art.

(1/160, F5, ISO1600, 123mm)

It was intriguing to see the whole process and especially to see these women showing their talented skills.

(1/60, F5, ISO1600, 60mm)

Besides enjoying this craft centre, traveling in (the Northern half of) Laos was one jaw-dropping accumulation of dramatic sceneries, rivers, valleys and beautiful people; a definite must go if you ever get the chance!

Tags: Asia, Laos, Lines, Portrait, Texture, Woman

66 thoughts on “The Weaving Song”

portapatetcormagis on March 25, 2016 at 22:04 said:

Wow! I do a bit of weaving myself. What those people create shows such an amazing level of talent, skill and experience!

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- Ron Hillmar on May 12, 2016 at 16:37 said:
  
  Oh yeah, totally agree, got an explanation how things are done, but the way they do it, the speed and craft(wo)manship is unbelievable to say the least!
  Thanks for stopping by, greetings,
  Ron
  
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Br Andrew Efo on March 25, 2016 at 21:14 said:

Silk what else

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Br Andrew Efo on March 25, 2016 at 21:07 said:

Reblogged this on Br Andrew's Muses and commented:
First the vertical strings of beads draws me in and then the almost invisible weavers with their song

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Br Andrew Efo on March 25, 2016 at 21:06 said:

Unexpected – reblogging

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denisebushphoto on March 22, 2016 at 23:04 said:

FANTASTIC!!!

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- Ron Hillmar on March 24, 2016 at 23:59 said:
  
  Thanks a lot, Denise, glad this worked for you!
  Hope you´re doing great, greetz, Ron
  
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Jon Sanwell on February 27, 2016 at 19:50 said:

What a great and unusual way to create portraits. I like these a lot.

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- Ron Hillmar on February 29, 2016 at 22:08 said:
  
  Thanks very much, Jon, it was such an interesting way to look at them and I only took photos when they hadnt notice me yet, which I think makes them more natural! Thanks for stopping by, greetings from KL,
  Ron
  
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Dalo 2013 on February 18, 2016 at 12:59 said:

Incredible photos of Laos ~ the opening photo is simply fantastic.

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- Ron Hillmar on February 29, 2016 at 22:15 said:
  
  Thanks, Randall, hard for me to find a favorite, but the little bit of see-through in the first is a nice lucky touch 😉
  Cheers, Ron
  
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  - Dalo 2013 on March 1, 2016 at 08:00 said:
    
    Nothing quite as nice as a little luck mixed in with photography 🙂
    
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Noeline Smith on February 13, 2016 at 01:03 said:

Weaving always struck me a part magic and these beautifully intriguing portraits seem to add to that.

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- Ron Hillmar on February 29, 2016 at 22:07 said:
  
  Oh , that´s nice to here, Noeline! They tried to explain the idea and the way the patterns work, but wow, it is magic, and these ladies seem to be the best of their tribal villages, glad to here most of the money goes to them in the end!
  Hope you´re doing well, greetings,
  Ron
  
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Paula on February 5, 2016 at 20:47 said:

Poetically woven 🙂 A great idea, too. I can’t remember if I have asked you already what is your camera make?

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- Ron Hillmar on February 29, 2016 at 22:05 said:
  
  Oooh, catching up on responding here, my camera is Canon 550D, what is yours, guess I asked before, but don´t remember?
  Thanks for compliment,
  Ron
  
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  - Paula on February 29, 2016 at 22:07 said:
    
    I changed a few makes. The latest one is EOS 70D
    
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    - Ron Hillmar on February 29, 2016 at 22:20 said:
      
      oh, wow, nice one! very happy with this one, dont see any use in upgrading, yeah MY skills maybe 😉
      
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      - Paula on February 29, 2016 at 22:25 said:
        
        Modest in wrong places 😀
        
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        Ron Hillmar on February 29, 2016 at 22:27 said:
        
        haha, in some way thats very kind of you 😉
        (and in saying there was no way of improving, that would be untrue and not that modest!)
        
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        Paula on February 29, 2016 at 22:47 said:
        
        Now I am.curious too see an improved Ron. 🙂 A photographer of your talent deserves the best gear available.
        
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        Ron Hillmar on February 29, 2016 at 22:55 said:
        
        Not sos ure, creativity and ideas and great photos are hardly dependent on gear, it can help, but I meant in my first ´modest´ reply that the 550D is definetely still enough for me…
        
        Paula on February 29, 2016 at 23:00 said:
        
        You ARE right Ron. Just saying that you deserve the best, not in the least stating that your camera does not do the job. The photo I sold was shot with powershot.
        
        Ron Hillmar on February 29, 2016 at 23:06 said:
        
        Ah, cool example! and I do appreciate your words a lot, when you were going thru my old photos the other day really boosted my confidence, thanks again, guess I´m just never that convinced in my own photos always 😉 a little too much perfectionist
        
        Paula on February 29, 2016 at 23:55 said:
        
        Stay as you are.
Chryt on January 27, 2016 at 18:23 said:

Great pictures! Original way of capturing the essence of weaving.

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- Ron Hillmar on February 29, 2016 at 21:56 said:
  
  Dank je wel, bizonder om van dichtbij deze kunstenaressen bezig te zien, prachtig land ook, Laos!
  Groet, Ron
  
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sriramjanak on January 20, 2016 at 21:15 said:

beautiful…:-)

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- Ron Hillmar on February 29, 2016 at 22:02 said:
  
  Thank youv ery much, Sriram!
  Hope you´re doing great, greetings,
  Ron
  
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pommepal on January 17, 2016 at 10:07 said:

I love this imaginative way to portray both the delicate threads and the glimpse of the beautiful women weavers at their work.

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- Ron Hillmar on February 29, 2016 at 22:01 said:
  
  Thank you very much, Pauline, just read your about-page, what an impressive travel and work history you have created, very inspiring, thanks for taking time out to comment here, hope all is well down under..
  Greetings from KL,
  Ron
  
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  - pommepal on March 1, 2016 at 07:06 said:
    
    It is the start of Autumn today , my favourite month.
    
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steviegill on December 9, 2015 at 17:31 said:

Great idea and nicely executed.

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- Ron Hillmar on January 15, 2016 at 23:29 said:
  
  Thanks very much, Stevie, hope you´ll have a great 2016!
  Greetz, Ron
  
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lensandpensbysally on December 7, 2015 at 22:38 said:

Nicely captured and conceived…there is drama through the layers of stories evoked by your images.

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- Ron Hillmar on January 15, 2016 at 23:31 said:
  
  Wow, thats very nice and beautifully said, Sally, thanks a lot! I was never a real portrait photographer, as you see here on my blog, but the people in Asia tell so much with their faces full of life and living!
  Have a beautiful 2016!
  Greetings from KL, Ron
  
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Truels on November 12, 2015 at 05:35 said:

Fine way to portrait the weavers through the threads!

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- Ron Hillmar on January 15, 2016 at 23:32 said:
  
  Thank you, Truels, while doing the tour and seeing these weavers and their colorful threads and faces I hoped the idea would work 😉
  Happy new year to you and your loved ones,
  greetings, Ron
  
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dunelight on November 9, 2015 at 09:39 said:

Lovely.

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- Ron Hillmar on January 16, 2016 at 13:00 said:
  
  Thank you very much, enjoy 2016, all the best!
  Ron
  
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Janes Heartsong on November 8, 2015 at 14:22 said:

Love the photos and point of view-great idea!

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- Ron Hillmar on January 16, 2016 at 12:53 said:
  
  Thanks very much, Jane, great to hear it works out!
  Have a great 2016, greetings,
  Ron
  
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Photobooth Journal on November 8, 2015 at 06:07 said:

Beautiful images. I have never seen anything like them. Thank you. Are great post!

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- Ron Hillmar on January 16, 2016 at 11:48 said:
  
  Thanks so much, Katherine, I hope to be original, so it´s good to hear you haven´t seen something like this before 😉
  Hope you´ll have a great 2016, greetings from KL,
  Ron
  
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fatimasaysell on November 8, 2015 at 00:36 said:

How lovely to see that these traditions and old methods of weaving are still in use!

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- Ron Hillmar on January 16, 2016 at 11:43 said:
  
  Hi Faitma, thanks for stopping by, these women are from all different tribes around Laos and make these to sell to tourists, but apart from that the women in the hilltribes still weave all their clothes and everything for daily use.
  Have a great 2016,
  Ron
  
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Frank King Photos on November 7, 2015 at 21:48 said:

Excellent series, Ron. Well done.

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- Ron Hillmar on January 16, 2016 at 02:03 said:
  
  Very nice of you to comment, Frank, thanks, have a great 2016!
  Greetz, Ron.
  
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michel pellerin on November 7, 2015 at 12:38 said:

Great photographs. A nice exploitation of a simple, zen like theme. When photography becomes art. You evolved in two years.

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- Ron Hillmar on January 16, 2016 at 01:18 said:
  
  Wow, thats very cool to hear, Michel, thanks. It´s always difficult when you´re trapped in your own artistic bubble to see clearly if you´re improving 😉
  Good to hear these work for you, have a creative 2016!
  Greetings from KL, Ron
  
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sedge808 on November 7, 2015 at 10:06 said:

wow. so much beauty here, and so creative.

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- Ron Hillmar on January 16, 2016 at 00:58 said:
  
  Thanks very much, Gavin, appreciate your support always, love your stuff as well!
  Have a great 2016, greetings,
  Ron
  
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SarasFloored on November 7, 2015 at 01:34 said:

These portraits are fantastic. I love this series.

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- Ron Hillmar on January 16, 2016 at 00:11 said:
  
  Thanks a lot, Sara, hope you´ll have a superb 2016!
  Greetings from KL,
  Ron
  
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allentimphotos2 on November 7, 2015 at 01:22 said:

Very nice point of view. I really like how you’ve captured this women through the warp of the loom.

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- Ron Hillmar on January 15, 2016 at 23:59 said:
  
  THanks very much, Timothy, glad to hear the pov worked for you, hope all is well!
  Have a great 2016, greetings,
  Ron
  
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  - allentimphotos2 on January 16, 2016 at 01:31 said:
    
    Ron, you’re welcome and a Happy New Year to you as well.
    
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inesephoto on November 6, 2015 at 21:59 said:

These are lovely images. I have been in such workshops, great places for photography.

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- Ron Hillmar on January 15, 2016 at 23:43 said:
  
  Thanks very much, Inese! Thought the weaving threads combined with the telling Laotian faces could work…
  Have a great 2016,
  Ron
  
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  - inesephoto on January 16, 2016 at 01:45 said:
    
    Thank you Ron, you too have a great 2016!
    
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harrienijland on November 6, 2015 at 19:32 said:

Mooie set! Spannender dan een burka 😉

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- Ron Hillmar on January 15, 2016 at 23:38 said:
  
  Dank je, Harrie! Nou, daar zeg je wat, de mooie ogen van een Arabische als focus 😉
  Beste wensen voor 2016 nog,
  Groet, Ron
  
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margaret21 on November 6, 2015 at 19:26 said:

Lovely images: I’ve forwarded them to a weaving blogger friend.

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- Ron Hillmar on January 15, 2016 at 23:37 said:
  
  Hi Margaret, thanks and hope she likes them, it was so interesting to see all the women, wherever we went in Laos, busy with weaving, most for daily use.
  Hope you´ll have a great 2016,
  Greetings, Ron
  
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Louis on November 6, 2015 at 19:21 said:

I particularly like the first image. I think that revealing just a touch more of the face creates its own sense of mystery and intrigue.

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- Ron Hillmar on January 15, 2016 at 23:34 said:
  
  Hi Louis, and happy 2016 to you, I think I agree, although I do like the mystique of having to look a little bit harder to see their face as well!
  Greetings from KL, Ron
  
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