MARTIN ‘RED EYE’ REEVES’ INFRARED PHOTOGRAPHY REVEALS A HIDDEN REALM. HIS FOOTAGE OF THE REGION’S HILL TRIBE PEOPLE UNCOVERS A DIMENSION THAT EXISTS BEYOND THE CONFINES OF OUR VISUAL SPECTRUM.

TEA GIRL This Lisu girl worked on a tea plantation near Mae Salong in northern Thailand. In order to get this angle, I lay down in the soil with my camera pressed into the tea bush, much to the amusement of the girl. His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand created tea plantations in the area as part of a royal project. The aim was to offer an alternative crop to opium, as well as provide a source of income for many different hill tribes.

HERE COMES THE BRIDE An Akha bride walks through Saen Charoen Kao hill tribe village with her party, towards the groom’s family house where the wedding is set to take place. The bride’s head is covered with a jacket, which is customary during a traditional Akha wedding ceremony in northern Thailand.

TOOTHY GRIN An Akha hill tribe lady from Saen Charoen Kao village, northern Thailand, smiles to show her teeth – which have been blackened by the daily chewing of betel nut. Betel chewing is a tradition that dates back thousands of years.

ANTISOCIAL CLIMBER After a gruelling climb to the peak of her mountain village, and as the rising sun streams across the valley below, an Akha lady returns to her bamboo house with water. Her village is situated some 50km from Phongsaly in northern Laos.

KACHIN THE SUN This photo is from a trip in 1997 when I was taking pictures for a book project named Vanishing Cultu1res of the Golden Triangle. The Kachin girl is from a village about 40km north of Myitkyina, northeast Burma. At the time, Myitkyina had only just opened up to foreigners and the locals were as curious about me as I was about them.

QUIZZICAL QUARTET These Akha girls were curious to see a tall muddy foreigner with bed-hair wandering around at flrst light. Their village was a steep one-day climb from the river below, and about 50km from Phongsaly in northern Laos.

MOUTH THE WORDS An Akha hill tribe man from the hilltop village of Saen Chavroen Kao in northern Thailand. On his face are traditional Akha tattoos. He was so proud to be photographed for the book project, Thailand, 9 Days In The Kingdom, commemorating His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 80th birthday.

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