By Zach Murphy
From the ultra modern skyline of Kuala Lumpur, to the colorful streets of India; from the white washed beaches of Thailand, to the majestic mountains of Kyrgyzstan. Asia is a hard continent to sum up in a few photos, and with over 4.4 billion people, it is impossible to sum up over half the worlds population in a few portraits. A vast array of cultures and unique traditions call Asia home, but beneath all the cultural clothing or customary hats, there is a faint resemblance of a long ago ancestry. Long before flights transported people around the world in a few hours, and well before ships traveled from port to port in a few months, the vast continent of Asia was traversed by brave travellers that took to the land by foot on many year long journeys of trade and discovery. Through this ancient exchange, we still see remnants of religion, food, clothing, architecture, and culture that whisper history’s secrets. It’s through these people that the heart of the culture continues to beat and it’s through their eyes that Asia’s soul pours out. As I travel, it is this aspect of culture that intrigues me more than anything else. The people create the culture and the culture creates the places. From place to place, all over Asia, and all over the world, we see so many differences, but it’s in the people that I see the common humanity we all share.
Ani, Turkey
Bangalore, India
Beijing, China
Datong, China
Karakol, Kyrgyzstan
Kathmandu, Nepal
Mai Ai, Thailand
Phan Tiet, Vietnam
Siem Reap, Cambodia
Sindapulchuk, Nepal
Turkistan, Kazakhstan
Turpan, China
Wu Tai Shan, China
Follow Zach on Instagram or visit his website here.
With a background in Graphic Design and Marketing, I have turned my artistic passion toward documenting the unique people and places of the world through the lens of photography. Using photography as a tool to travel the globe, I have worked as a portrait photographer for a studio in Australia, captured the beautiful landscapes of the Mediterranean for a few travel companies, and created awareness as a humanitarian photographer for non-profits and mission organizations. These experiences have sent me to over 55 countries, across 6 continents. Most recently I was was chosen as one of the 150 top content creators in the world by @BeautifulDestinations.
In 2015, I founded the Faces of Places Project in an effort to create social awareness. As I explored the unique cultures and destinations this world has to offer, I was able to document the common humanity we all share and bring these foreign cultures to life. Two books have been published showcasing my work from this project and are available to be purchased here.
4 Comments
tanya selden
December 29, 2017 at 10:51 pmThere are some absolutely beautiful photos here. Particularly like the photos from Bangalore and Nepal where the subjects aren’t quite looking back at the camera. I want to know their stories.
Annapurna Mellor
January 26, 2018 at 6:32 pmThanks so much Tanya! Zach is such an amazing photographer and we are happy to share these beautiful portraits 🙂
Alan Rimmer
December 31, 2017 at 12:44 amAn excellent article Zach, and oh so very true. We are all humans with the same senses and feelings.
Safe and happy travels in the future and I’d love to read about them.
Cheers, Alan
Annapurna Mellor
January 26, 2018 at 6:31 pmThanks for your comment Alan! Glad you liked this post 🙂