Alan McArthur photography tours of Chiang Mai
Walking Buddha at Doi Suthep Temple, Chiang Mai
Born near Edinburgh to a Scottish father and Persian mother, Alan grew up in Scotland, Canada and England, and has never stopped his globe-trotting, inspired by his father’s tales of adventures.
After leaving his home town of Penicuik, West Loithian, behind, Alan has spent more than 15 years photographing for the travel industry—10 of those for Spanish travel company Viajes Iberia. Now Alan is offering the benefits of his considerable experience to photography enthusiasts living in Chiang Mai with his fascinating tours of the Lanna capital.
Alan discovered and fell in love with life in Chiang Mai nearly 10 years ago and decided to make it his base. The 41-year-old has published Cambridge, a book of photographs from one of the places he grew up, collaborated on Reading Buddhist Art and Arts of Asia (Thames and Hudson), and was awarded TimeOut (UK) magazine’s Travel Photographer of the Year in 1997.
For Alan, the gentle smiley nature of the people, Buddhism and the delicious food attracted him on a human level. As a photographer that humanity, along with the visual culture, has always drawn him back every year.
“A Day of Photography out and about in Chiang Mai is about distilling the best of 10 years of experience into an amazing day of temples, food markets and characterful people, all set against the beautiful surrounding nature and under blue skies,” he said.
“People are inspired by my photographs and life philosophy. It’s my images that sell the tours. They have an intimate feel to them, and I try to pass on the confidence I have to my students.”
Novice monks assemble at Wat Phra Singh
Alan's work has been displayed all around the world, including the Marriot hotel, Cambridge Massachusetts, the city's Bupa Hospital as well as numerous galleries. His website www.cambridgeimages.com is where he publishes his work and supplies a stock library of images as well a travel and photography blog.
And Alan says it was his father, a world renowned expert on world English and editor of the Oxford Companion to English Language, who endowed an appetite for foreign adventure.
“At only 18 my father hitchhiked from Glasgow to Tangiers in a kilt, as someone had stolen his jeans,” he said.
“He'd spend long Sundays cycling out of Glasgow and up to Loch Lomond. Once he spent five days at the monastery at Mount Athos in northeast Greece, where he claims he was cured of rheumatoid arthritis.”
In Chiang Mai, Alan runs workshops and gives lectures through five-star hotels or the Sangdee Gallery. And he believes his tour stand out because of the intimate relationship he has developed with Thailand's second city.
“At ground level, I’ve been photo documenting Chiang Mai for 10 years, know all the nooks and crannies, little gems, when and where the light is best, am familiar with the different communities, and speak enough of the language to get a smile on someone’s face, strike the pose, and so on,” he explains.
“We look at the psychology behind taking a great portrait, at the human aesthetic, and, importantly, understanding your camera. And the great thing is you don’t need an expensive camera. Some of my best photographs were taken with small compacts.”
Details for Alan McArthur's photography tours
Thai punks represent an alternative Chiang Mai
The day starts at 08:00 when we meet at the Buddhist teaching temple, Wat Phra Singh, for the morning spectacle of the young novice monks gathering for assembly. Then it’s on to a local fresh produce market. Afterwards, we head to the unique forest temple of Wat Umong, and its strange cemetery of abandoned Buddha statues. At 12.30 lunch is enjoyed at any one of a endless choice of delicious places to eat.
In the afternoon, from 13.30 the focus is on portraiture. We visit a man who trains fighting cocks, then head to Wat Pa Pao temple for a punk and lady boy photo shoot. At 18:30 dinner is taken, and a round-up of the day’s photography.
Lunch and transport is not included, and can be arranged at the time of booking to suit your needs.
Prices: 2,500 baht per person based on a minimum of two people. Price can be negotiated for groups over five. Single person tours cost 5,000 baht. Tours run daily.
Alan McArthur’s images and travel blog can be seen at www.cambridgeimages.com, and on Facebook at Chiang Mai: A Day of Photography. Contact tel: 0866 460 330 or email: snapper_jazz@yahoo.com for more information.
