Turkish photographer Alahattin Kanlioğlu captured a mesmerizing scene of daily life on Inle Lake in Myanmar during a photography workshop in December 2025. The image, shot on an iPhone 13, depicts a flower seller, three Buddhist monks, and two fishermen using traditional foot-controlled oars.
A photographer’s return to Myanmar
Kanlioğlu, who spent over two decades teaching communications at Ege University in Izmir, Turkey, first visited Myanmar in 2019. He was so captivated by the region that he returned in late 2025 to lead a workshop for a group of six photographers. During the trip, the group explored Inle Lake in the Shan Hills.
Life on the lake
“The people of this region live in wooden houses built on tree stumps. Some surround the lake, but others are on the water, as if they’re floating,” Kanlioğlu explains. “Agriculture and fishing are two of the main livelihoods here and, uniquely, the fishers use foot-controlled oars to steer the boat, keeping a hand free for their catch.”
The photograph showcases two fishermen demonstrating their skill, alongside a local woman and three Buddhist monks. Kanlioğlu carefully staged the shot with his students to highlight the fishermen’s technique and the monks’ daily routine of collecting food offerings. “They walk from their temples early in the morning carrying earthenware bowls. This photograph accurately depicts them receiving food donations from a woman selling flowers on the lake,” he says.
Admiration for local skills
Kanlioğlu expresses deep admiration for the fishermen’s abilities. “It’s understandable that people who have been born into this culture and immersed in water since childhood have such developed abilities, but it’s miraculous for foreigners like me to witness it,” he remarks.
