Snap Judgments
Insight Myanmar31 Okt 2025

Snap Judgments

Episode #423: Ian Taylor is a Canadian photographer whose life shifted from the film industry to decades of work and travel across Southeast Asia. His first experience was with a government-sponsored Asian Studies program in the early 1990s. His early visits to Burma during the junta’s “Visit Myanmar Year” left a strong impression, and he became involved for a short time in advertising there.

By the late 1990s, Taylor had left advertising for photography, focusing on family portraits and NGO assignments across Asia. A formative volunteer trip to Bangladesh further deepened his commitment to humanitarian work, and led him back to Burma.

Taylor left the country in 2015, but reconnected in 2023 through the Thailand-based Border Consortium (TBC). He soon embarked on a volunteer photo project in five refugee camps, describing them as “an active, bustling town with everything.” His photography resists exploitative “poverty porn” and favors portraits that reflect dignity and agency. “Every portrait, in some way, it’s a collaboration.”

Critical of the tourism industry’s distortions, Taylor remains focused on authenticity, connection, and service. In his words: “If you could go to a holiday in the Maldives or something... well, I’d rather go [to a refugee camp]!”

Episoder(507)

Jack Myint, Part 2

Jack Myint, Part 2

Episode #203: Jack Myint's journey is a tale of cultural contrast and resilience. He had the opportunity as a teenager to attend a program at a US college, sponsored by the State Department. Coming fr...

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The Breath of Awakening

The Breath of Awakening

Episode #202: Diego Prieto, guided by the allure of the Buddha's teachings, embarked on what would become a transformative journey into Myanmar.His first experiences with meditation took place in his ...

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Navigating the Financial Landscape

Navigating the Financial Landscape

Episode #201: Sean Turnell provides a deep analysis of Myanmar's economic history and its transformation from a prosperous nation to one of the poorest in Southeast Asia. Throughout the episode, Turne...

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Battling Oppression with Economic Stability

Battling Oppression with Economic Stability

Episode #200: “I am an Indian and American, and I carry both in my blood,” says Jagdish Dalal, who goes by the name Jag. “I am one of those with a Western mind and Eastern soul. So whenever I think ab...

10 Nov 202344min

Michael Stein

Michael Stein

Episode #199: Following a period of rebellion and exploration through the tumultuous 1960s, Michael Stein embarked on a journey that ultimately led him to a profound spiritual connection with S.N. Goe...

7 Nov 20232h 3min

Wes Kingsley

Wes Kingsley

Episode #198: Wes Kingsley's remarkable journey takes us through his CIA assignments in various conflict-ridden regions, such as post-independence Congo, and Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War. It ...

31 Okt 20232h 11min

Revolutionary Poetry

Revolutionary Poetry

Episode #197: Meet Sai, a poet whose words echo the raw emotions and evolving landscape of Myanmar. Known by his Instagram handle, In the Land of Grief and Gold, his verses offer first-hand insight in...

27 Okt 202353min

The Brutal Incompetence of a Floundering Regime

The Brutal Incompetence of a Floundering Regime

Episode #196: “You have these new battlefields that the military seems unprepared for and certainly doesn't have the manpower or resources. And yet they're fighting! They've chosen to fight in these p...

24 Okt 20231h 19min

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