Isaan Quiet
The opulence of a simple life
By John W. Hubbard enso-on
Category: Travel
Tags: daily life, Khon Kaen, Udon Thani, Non Saat, Thailand, Isaan, personal, monks, phra, temple, wat, saffron, people, family, landscape, architecture, farming, food, rural, dawn, dusk, living, shopping, serenity, solace, place, peaceful, quiet, stillness, effortless, experience, journey, opulence
100 color photographs taken between 2004 and 2008 in the Isaan region
of Thailand.
When I first experienced the vast open spaces of northeast Thailand, generally known as Isaan, I was given the impression of a simple, peaceful life. Every place I took my camera, each photograph I took, reinforced this feeling. Life is not any easier here, but led with the proper devotion to one’s self, one’s family and the laws of nature, life can become effortless. This is the Isaan I have tried to capture over the years with my camera, my naivety and open eyes.
The beauty of the world is the diversity found at every corner. In this particular corner, with its expansive rural landscape and friendly faces, I find solace. Alongside my wife and family, I capture the surface of this stillness to later enrich these quiet visions with memories of taste, smell, sound, and feeling. Transcendence is a bonus.
If I had the words to describe these moments of personal connection, insofar as each person seeing these photographs interprets them from their own experiences, this book would not be necessary.
Here is my devotion to the daily inner journey.
Here is the opulence of a simple life.
— John Hubbard, 2008
(excerpt from 'Isaan Quiet')
Standard Landscape 10x8 inches (25x20 cm) 96 pages
Published: July 14, 2008
