Inle Lake — Leg Rowing Fisherman
190.96 €
An Inle Lake fisherman demonstrating the traditional Intha leg-rowing technique — one leg wrapped around the oar, the body upright, the conical fishing net ready for casting, the lake reed beds behind in morning mist.
Description
Inle Lake in Myanmar’s Shan State is home to the Intha people — fishermen who developed a unique technique of rowing with one leg wrapped around the oar handle while standing upright on the stern of their wooden canoe. The standing position allows the fisherman to see over the tall reed beds that cover much of the shallow lake, navigating and spotting fish simultaneously. The conical bamboo fish trap (nga-pa), lowered and then driven into the lake bed to trap fish, is used in combination with the leg-rowing technique. This photograph was made from a hired wooden canoe at 6:30am, positioning the photographer at water level alongside the fisherman in the reed-bed section of the lake where the morning mist creates atmospheric depth. The fisherman’s cooperation was facilitated by the boat guide. The leg- rowing posture — one leg free, body perfectly balanced on the moving canoe — is one of travel photography’s most iconic human subjects.
