Boxes outside Bowrington Road Market at midnight, Hong Kong. 2012
Taken on an iPhone.
Unfinished business
Work in progress, Wanchai, Hong Kong. 2012
The possibility of discovering something totally unexpected is one of the things I love about street photography. It is especially rewarding when things click into place when and where you least expect it. I had just wanted to walk off a heavy meal in the mild spring weather, and found this shot instead.
So do it – walk home instead of taking the subway or a cab, armed with your camera (in this case, my phone)!
Chair salad
Eclectic mix of chairs, Tin Shui Wai Walled Village in Yuen Long, Hong Kong. 2012
The entrance to this walled village is guarded by 5 grannies, some missing more teeth than others, but each armed with oodles of gumption. When we approached, the grannies were seated on these chairs in the entrance area, shooting the breeze. The ones in the group who had cameras started snapping away. The grannies quickly stopped us in a mix of Cantonese and English (“no peek-chur, no peek-chur”) until the official entrance fee of HKD 3 was deposited into a metal letterbox set in the village wall.
The grannies then got up and put on traditional hats (like a flat wicker farmer’s hat with a hole where your head goes, and black fabric skirting all around the rim) and sat in a neat row on a bench outside the village well. It was picture perfect, and I wondered if it all seemed too rehearsed to be true, like actresses putting on their costumes and coming out on stage. A few others snapped photos of them, but were soon sternly chastised – a less official “fee” of HKD 20 (USD 2.60) would be required to capture a shot of these 5 grannies sat in a row with their hats. See what I meant about gumption? We all certainly had a good chuckle. It would have made a really good picture, but part of me was not willing to pay, in principle. It nags at me a little though – perhaps I will return one day and pay the fee to the adorable old ladies.
Like this:
After the rain
Pink, Wanchai, Hong Kong. 2012
Spotted this while wandering around near my flat with a friend who wanted some basic photography tips one night. The night + wet pavements + neon signage = colour.
Like this:
The lonely camera
The lonely camera, near Samcheong-dong, Seoul. 2012
Cropped but otherwise unedited in Photoshop. Got to love that beautiful rosy sunlight the camera is bathed in.
Like this:
There’s something about the sun in Seoul
Cafe Bene in Samcheong-dong, Seoul. 2012
In Seoul, there was literally a cafe every few steps on the street, and each one had a more well designed interior than the next. I haven’t been anywhere else which has such a high density of lovely-looking cafes. Unfortunately our trip was rather rushed so this was the only time we got to take a time-out in a cafe and do a spot of people-watching. While we rested our feet, the late afternoon light was gorgeous and coming in softly through the glass windows. I like living in Hong Kong but I sure do miss the sun!
Like this:
This one, that one and that one pleeeease
Pretty please, Insa-dong, Seoul. 2012
I was squatting to take a photo of the toys on sale at this street stall when these 2 sets of legs wandered into my frame, and I was able to capture a moment between the mother and child – a moment I’m sure many of us have had in our own childhoods.
Interestingly just the legs alone (well for the mom anyway) already tell quite a bit about the body language!
Like this:
Dunkin’ Donuts, Seoul branch
Freshly fried donuts, Insa-dong, Seoul. 2012
As appealing as these bad boys looked, we didn’t try them because we were all a little under the weather. From the smell I guess they were filled with bean paste, but I also saw other people eating chocolate filled ones. There was a huge queue in the winter cold for this one.
Does anyone know the name of these pastries?
Like this:
Hold my hand
A little tot and her grandma, Garosu-gil, Seoul. 2012
Because Garosu-gil (“tree-lined street” in Korean) is a trendy shopping street predominantly for youths, I’d originally stood in this corner waiting to snap a fashionable Seoul-ite or two. Unexpectedly, this simply dressed grandma and her little granddaughter walk by. Don’t you love the little tot’s bowl hair cut?
On a more photography note, I really like the freedom I feel when I shoot with the X100. The silent operation and 35mm equivalent lens makes me feel like a “real” street photographer. I can’t really explain it but it really helps get into the frame of mind, and almost allows me to disappear. Even though it’s slow start-up time can be a pain, I’m really glad I took it with me to Seoul with the determination to get to know it better.
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Love song to light
Love song to light, near Insa-dong, Seoul. 2012
I cannot tell you how happy it made me when the sun came out in Seoul. The winter in Hong Kong has been long and grey, I’ve felt like I hadn’t seen the sun in months. My best friend Hailey said it right – photographers are like moths, hopelessly attracted to light.
Shot from the hip and without any post-processing.
