The Prayer, Burma, 2015

It is charming and satisfying thing that there are still places in this world where magic seems to pervade the sites, smells, and sounds of a place more than the trappings of the so-called modern world.

The Buddhist monasteries that weave in and out of every corner of this soft-spoken country are where I am home. It is feeling I cannot describe but being around the monks of Burma in their distinct red and saffron robes is home to me. I found them long ago and they have never let go. It is really the monks of Burma that bring me back so often and I miss them every day.

Burmese monks are the most open, charming, friendly, accepting, nonjudgmental people on earth. Those qualities alone have caused them to be targets of the government yet they remain open and accepting in spite of the brutal treatment they’ve endured. This is a place that has been ruled by a violent and iron fisted military junta for the better part of five decades, imprisoning those who dissented, or worse.

How two such radically different views of life – one based on fear and oppression, the other on acceptance, forgiveness, and kindness – can coexist in the same country is one of the questions that draws me back, year after year.

Photographing this particular little monk, who was very special to me, was one of the most magical moments I’ve ever had in this beautiful country. Alone and away from all the other little monklets and Monkmasters, I was able to capture him the way I had always dreamed of. Surrounded by candles, eyes closed, I could only wonder what his thoughts were. What the world was like inside his head.

I am forever indebted to the many Monkmasters in this idyllic country who give me special permission to photograph the monks. I often return, sharing my images with the monasteries and cannot wait to see their smiles when they see this image. This perfect little moment. When I look at this photograph, I know I didn’t choose this profession. It chose me.

Location: Burma
Photograph Date: 2015
Medium: Chromogenic Print
Edition: 100
Available Sizes: 70cm – 200cm

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About the Photographer

Scott Stulberg

Scott’s love for travel and photography collided at a young age & have taken him to the corners of the world to capture the beauty and intrigue that this world has to offer. And from a young age, in his darkroom, under the safelights, smelling chemicals and listening to music, he lost all track of time watching his images come to life.

Although he has been using Photoshop since the beginning, it was the countless hours in the darkroom that made him fall in love with photography. He agrees with Einstein’s quote that “Imagination is more important than knowledge” as he says that his photographs lets his imagination come to life.

Scott has taught photography at many schools across the US including UCLA, where he won Instructor of the year for Photography and Photoshop. He also leads photography workshops all across the world and the United States. His coffee table book, Passage to Burma, showcases his travels since 2001 to his favorite country on earth.

From the faces of Burma, helicopters over New York City, the history and beauty of Europe, the eye candy of India, the wonders of the Galapagos Islands or the dazzling Milky Way and night sky around the globe, his images can be seen worldwide.

From Microsoft, Time, Newsweek, National Geographic, Outdoor Photographer, Conde Nast Traveler, Travel and Leisure, In flight magazines, Wall Street Journal, CNN and ABC News to greeting cards, calendars, puzzles, book covers and bill boards, his images are used internationally. They are in countless collections from top 5 star resorts to major hospitals & department stores and are also on permanent display in the United Nations. Scott lives with his wife in the picturesque town of Sedona, Arizona.

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