I first visited the Tai Lue village of BanNam Thoung while on a mountain bike trip with a small group of visitors and aguide, exploring the valley around Luang Namtha. We stopped for lunch at ahouse in the village, and I took a few portraits. A week later, I returned onmy own by bicycle to bring back some of the photos. When the few pictures hadbeen distributed, the woman of the house asked me to photograph her oldgrandfather. While I set up my tripod outside the house, a crowd gathered.They’d seen the previous pictures, and soon a long queue developed of peoplewho wante their portrait taken. This was the first of a long series of portraitsessions, where I basically did the same job as a western ‘mall’ photographer,same place, same posed picture, same light. Driven by demand, this is what thepeople wanted most.