Hitting on Asia's Genderqueers

Gender consists of more than two distinct, opposite and disconnected categories; it’s a rather long male-female continuum with infinite possibilities and ceaseless gradual transitions in-between the two extremes. Genderqueer is the catch-all name for gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine - identities which are thus outside of the simplified Mars-Venus gender binary; genderqueer is not transgendered. There are many proud and beautiful genderqueer people on this planet, especially in South and Southeast Asia where the map is never the territory...

"Gender is like a Rubik’s Cube with one hundred squares per side,

and every time you twist it to take a look at another angle,

you make it that much harder a puzzle to solve..."

(Sam Killermann, The Social Justice Advocate's Handbook: A Guide to Gender)

More portrait photographs with exif data, geotags and other specs in Matt Hahnewald's

Flickr Album 2014-05a Hitting on Asia's Genderqueers

Flickr Album 2013-03a Winking at Thai Temple Dancers

Flirting with Muslim Beauties

The hijab is a veil that covers the head and chest, which is often worn by Muslim women beyond the age of puberty in the presence of adult males outside of their immediate family as a form of modest attire. Under Indonesian national and regional law, female head-covering is entirely optional and not obligatory. The sole exception where the hijab is mandatory is in the Aceh Province on Northern Sumatra with its overbearing morality police who enforce its wearing in public.

High-res portrait photographs with full exif data, precise geotags and technical details in Matt Hahnewald's

Flickr Album 2012-05a Flirting with Muslim Beauties

Kissing Batak Betelnut Women

The areca nut is the seed of the areca palm which grows in much of the tropical Pacific, South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is commonly referred to as betel nut, as it is often chewed wrapped in betel leaves (betel quid, paan, sirih). The habit has many harmful effects on health. Many Batak women chew regularly their betel quid which contains betel leaf, areca nut, local spices, slaked lime and tobacco. The areca nut contains the alkaloid arecoline, which promotes the distinctive red salivation, is itself a stimulant and powers the betel-nut stained kisses of the Batak market women from Lake Toba...

High-res portrait photographs with full exif data, geotags and technical details in Matt Hahnewald's

Flickr Album 2012-04b Kissing Batak Betelnut Women

Flickr Album 2012-04a Watching Agile Batak Dancers

Watching Agile Batak Dancers

The Toba people (also referred to as Batak Toba people or often simply Batak) are the most numerous of the Batak people of North Sumatra, Indonesia. They speak the Toba Batak language and are centred on Lake Toba and Samosir Island within the lake. Ritual cannibalism is well documented among Batak people, performed in order to strengthen the eater's tendi. In particular, the blood, heart, palms and soles of the feet were seen as rich in tendi. In 1890 the Dutch colonial government banned cannibalism in the regions under their control; rumours of Batak cannibalism survived into the 20th century.

Ulos is the traditional cloth of the Batak people of North Sumatra. Different kinds of ulos have different ceremonial significance. The ulos is normally worn draped over the shoulder or shoulders, or in weddings to ceremonially bind the bride and groom together. Ulos are traditionally hand woven and in the case of higher-quality examples are significant family heirlooms, to be worn at important events, such as funerals and weddings.

For sharp street portraits, remember the following "rule of thumb" for handheld shutter speeds:

Select a shutter speed with a denominator
that is larger than the focal length of the lens!

So, (i) if you have a prime lens that is 50 mm in length (e.g. the robust AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G fixed lens from Nikon) don’t shoot any slower than 1/60 sec, (ii) if you have a lens with a 85 mm focal length (e.g. the excellent AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.8G fixed lens from Nikon) shoot at 1/100 sec or faster, or (iii) if you are shooting with a lens of 200 mm (e.g. with the NIKKOR AF FX 80-200mm f/2.8D zoom lens from Nikon) shoot at 1/250 sec or faster. It's that simple.

High-res portrait photographs with full exif data, precise geotags and technical details in Matt Hahnewald's
Flickr Album 2015-11h Dancing with the Thai Chinese

Flickr Album 2015-11b Cheering Northern Thai Dancers

Flickr Album 2013-03a Winking at Thai Temple Dancers

Flickr Album 2012-04a Watching Agile Batak Dancers

Flickr Album 2011-04b Recording Indian Temple Dance