Dear Hillary,
My GF won’t let me take photographs of her. She says she is “mai suay” and puts her hand over the lens every time I try. Is this a cultural thing or what? She lets me take as many shots as I want with all her clothes on, so why not some good arty shots as well? Any pointers on what I should do?
Lennie the lensman
Dear Lennie the lensman,
It is quite obvious that your girlfriend is shy if nothing else, and you should be aware of the fact that most Thai women are very modest, even in intimate surroundings. When she says she is “mai suay” (not pretty), that is just an excuse so that she does not have to explain to you that she would be embarrassed by all this. You also do not say how long she has been your girlfriend. You have to go slowly, Petal. If you have real feelings for this girl, buy her a new outfit and photograph her in it in the park. Otherwise, put the camera away if you want the relationship to continue.
