Chef Lee Ae-ran, a North Korean defector, at her restaurant in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: Tom Coyner
Since he first arrived in Asia in 1970, American Tom Coyner has traveled extensively across the region, from the beaches of Pacific Isles to the ridges of the Himalayas.
On those multiple trips, Coyner never ventured far without a camera, which he has deployed to capture a range of people and places. His primary focus has been on Asia’s traditional architecture, costumes and markets as well as its religious and cultural practices.
Following earlier galleries featuring Asia’s clergy and its houses of worship, Coyner this week turns his attention to the female half of Asia’s population. Once again, the gallery follows an east to west course, starting in Tahiti and ending in India.
A former ‘Miss Tahiti’ dances at a local nightclub. Photo: Tom CoynerIn Mo’orea, French Polynesia, the bell is chimed for Catholic prayers. Photo: Tom CoynerA geisha-in-training in Kyoto, Japan, shows why she and her colleagues have such extensive online fandoms. Photo: Tom CoynerA woman from Chiba, Japan, visits Kyoto in July, dressed appropriately for both season and location. Photo: Tom CoynerGirls dressed in rented hanbok – traditional robes – take selfies, a common sight at palaces in South Korea. Photo: Tom CoynerA market trader in Yeoju, South Korea, in a cheery mood. Photo: Tom CoynerA Buddhist nun captured in the moment in South Korea. Photo: Tom CoynerElderly women pray at a Daoist temple in Taipei, Taiwan. Photo: Tom CoynerA Balinese woman witnesses the cremation of a village elder. Photo: Tom CoynerA Balinese woman in traditional costume. Photo: Tom CoynerA seaborne fruit vendor hard at work in Halong Bay, Vietnam. Photo: Tom Coyner
A market vendor in Luang Prabang, Laos. Photo: Tom CoynerA shy Hmong woman in northern Laos beats a retreat from outsiders. Photo: Tom CoynerA young girl and other women in rural Thailand celebrate a young man’s elevation to the Buddhist priesthood. Photo: Tom CoynerA Kayaw refugee girl from Myanmar shows off her long-necked good looks near Chiangmai, Thailand. Photo: Tom CoynerMarket day in Bagan, Myanmar. Photo: Tom CoynerPa’O women, members of Myanmar’s seventh largest ethnic minority, pose for the camera. Photo: Tom CoynerA coy elderly Bhutanese woman toys with her rosary. Photo: Tom CoynerA yak-herding nomad visits the Punakha Valley, Bhutan. Photo: Tom CoynerA pigment vendor at work in Varansi, India. Photo: Tom Coyner
To view a larger collection of similar images by Tom Coyner, please click here
