The month of September in Laos means boat racing season. I photographed a local team through practice to race day, a truly local experience, and a wet one!
I squeezed my hips into the seat the best I could, and the young man in front of me took the handle end of his paddle, knocked it against the inside of the boat 3 times, and immediately (attention was given) the whole team bowed down in their seats. One more knock of the paddle, a guttural team noise in unison, and everyone sat upright poised with their paddles above the water; we were ready to begin the nightly ritual of boat practice.
I squeezed my hips into the seat the best I could, and the young man in front of me took the handle end of his paddle, knocked it against the inside of the boat 3 times, and immediately (attention was given) the whole team bowed down in their seats. One more knock of the paddle, a guttural team noise in unison, and everyone sat upright poised with their paddles above the water; we were ready to begin the nightly ritual of boat practice.
in this box: