A Thinking Street Photography Site
To be interested in street photography is to be careless.
The above might look better if the boats were cut out of the photograph. The subject would be clearer.
But the eyes don’t always discriminate properly.
Found scenes are things as they are.
Boats and paths as they are.
A child as he is.
There’s an accommodation of sorts.
An ordering of nature.
Camera: Leica M6
Lens: Voigtlander Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 SC
Film: Kodak BW400CN
What, really, is there to talk about when it comes to street photography?
In the end, we’re capturing our selves.
And the constraints that shape us.
Street photography is another way of thinking.
Another way of looking.
Sometimes the scene seems a bit bare.
Until one encounters a human figure.
The art is long and life so short.
In the meantime, my exhibition is still on-going – come by if you’re in the area.
Camera: Leica M6
Lens: Voigtlander Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 SC
Film: Kodak BW400CN
I’m here again and again.
It doesn’t look like much – but it has wonderful views.
The environment is a work of art.
The mood is always leisurely.
The debris is zen.
There’s artless beauty here.
I’m happy to be marooned here.
Camera: Contax TVS II
Film: Venus 800
A vision of the night.
There’s usually nothing to see.
Still, we try.
It’s a time for reflection.
We try to think.
We sit.
And rest.
Camera: Leica M6
Lens: Voigtlander Nokton Classic 35mm f/1.4 SC
Film: Ilford XP2 400
We’ll need to slow down.
We can’t think like skyscrapers.
We need to dwell a little bit.
Take a walk.
Sometimes to be inane is to make sense.
A certain order at a certain time.
Think good thoughts.
Let a thousand thoughts flourish.
So we need a better government of our selves.
So as not to run aground.
Camera: Leica M6
Lens: Voigtlander Nokton Classic 35mm 1.4 SC
Film: Kodak BW400CN
It’s that existential condition, of always searching, waiting and thinking.
We can only have images of ourselves.
The glimmer is often only a few steps away.
Thanks for stopping by today.
Camera: Leica M6
Lens: 50mm Summicron Type II
Film: Ilford XP2
Given an ISO 400 film, if the light is good, I’d simply set the aperture to f/16 and shutter to between 1/60, 1/125, or 1/250 depending on whether I’m in the shade.
The f/16 aperture would allow for a broad depth of field, which allows me to zone focus with a wide latitude.
The whole procedure sounds complicated, but it’s for me the mid-point between going fully auto with a point and shoot camera, and going fully manual and getting all finicky and missing the moment.
It allows me to work intuitively and be disciplined at the same time – that’s the flow state I look for, whether I’m teaching, writing or on the streets with my camera.
I’m at Wu Kai Sha beach – yet again.
All images are from the same roll of film, all taken within an hour or so.
I like the word “take”. To take a photograph is to take something from the world you see.
There’s a contemplative and leisurely mood here I’d like to immerse myself in.
It’s nice to see people relax and do nothing in particular.
Like a frame with nothing at the centre, because the image is the frame.
My favourite street photography trick is to start whistling – people will look at me for a bit while my camera is pointing elsewhere and then ignore me after that.
They’ll think I’m a normal person… though the guy above wasn’t quite convinced…
At other times, they’re too involved with their own thing to notice.
I’d like to think that every photograph I take is an image of myself.
Sometimes there’s no need for explanations – it just is.
It’s a way of life – this awesome village house faces the beach.
We all have our journeys to make.
I wish I understand jogging.
I’m learning to look for patterns.
Looking for moments of insight.
We wait.
We’re on the lookout.
We look at ourselves.
We think some more.
Our pigeon thoughts will lead the way.
The pigeons are lining up in my mind.
Thanks for reading!
Camera: Leica M6
Lens: Summicron Type II 50mm
Film: Ilford XP2 400
We’re on Sentosa, an island theme park.
The Merlion – Singapore’s tourist icon which is an allusion to the 13th-century myth of a prince spotting a lion on an island which he later named Singapura (“Lion City” in Sanskrit).
The fish tail is supposed to remind Singapore of its origins as a fishing village.
It looked more menacing than usual on that day under a harsh sun.
The Sky Ride!
Woohoo!
It’s definitely not for those with a fear of heights.
That’s the luge ride – the other reason we were in Sentosa.
This looks rather poetic …
Another poetic shot … what can I say – I’m a street photography genius!
Tourism in a bus.
Much needed on a scorching hot day.
An even better idea on a hot day (every day) in Singapore.
That’s what it says…
The view is nice.
There’re still quiet corners on Sentosa.
No kidding! Or is this a trick?
It’s not a trick. *wink*
Waiting in a quiet corner.
Yes, there’re many scenic moments.
This is definitely not a stealthy camera…
Thanks for reading and check out my Saatchi Art page!
We’re still at Noah’s Ark.
Though this time, in contrast to my previous post, I figure I’ll go the monochrome high contrast way just to see the difference.
Did I mention there was a beach next to Noah’s Ark?
So we have a couple posing for wedding photographs, quite oblivious to the sun-bather who is enjoying the view.
The humor is gone from the photograph… instead it’s a kind of existential commentary on human aspiration…
A reflection on the ups and downs of everyday life…
For some reason the same photograph in high contrast monochrome looks grittier …
There’s plenty to keep the kids busy. Educational too.
The Last Supper.
The Last Supper, with the kids in front and gallery guide behind.
The giraffe looks overextended.
Park attendants sorting things out.
From behind a popcorn and bbq stand.
The village house is still beautiful.
Time to relax.
Thanks for reading!
There’s something going on at Wu Kai Sha beach.
I keep seeing Zen-like arrangements:
The stones are speaking.
And there’s always someone painting the rocks. Sometimes, you see “God is love” in both English and Chinese etched in the sand.
And once in a while, someone builds a turtle sculpture…
This gentleman has been at it all morning…
The sand is reclaiming its boat:
The water has achieved what the sand is doing:
Am I a shadow thinking I am a man or a man thinking I am a shadow?
Or am I a shadow of a man or a man emerging from his shadow?
I text, google, search and take a picture – therefore I am.
Hong Kong Lucida 