film photography – Page 9 – Hong Kong Lucida

Loosening Up in Street Photography

Posted on January 5, 2015January 5, 2015 by eddietay in Monochrome

I’m a bit of a maximizer (as opposed to a satisficer) when it comes to choosing/doing things.

I try to find out all there is to know before making a decision.

When it comes to execution, I try to go through the various steps in my mind in order to get everything right beforehand.

Which is why zone focusing and street photography is such a re-creation for me.

We’re working with a circumference of acceptability.

Is good enough good enough? There’s motion blur here which adds to the sense of movement.

I was close enough, but it doesn’t mean I could see clearly.

And if we don’t always notice everything around us, why should we demand a photography that sees everything accurately and in sharp focus?

On the other hand, how much loosening up can one do before one loses discipline?

There’s a spectrum here, between trying to get everything clinically right and hence losing the moment and operating without some sort of discipline, as if one is holding a camera for the first time.

Sometimes, good enough is good enough in street photography.

Try to get everything right and one might lose the “street”.

There’s that tendency to overthink and hence lose the art.

On the other hand, one must possess discipline in order to lose it.

So my job is to learn everything I can, and then forget all I have learnt.

Imperfection is an art in itself.

And so is perfection.

And perhaps art is about improvising and about knowing how to move back and forth between perfection and imperfection.

Thanks for reading.

Camera: Leica M6

Lens: Summicron 50mm Type II

Film: Ilford XP 2

Zone Focusing with the Leica M6

Posted on December 23, 2014December 23, 2014 by eddietay in Monochrome

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

Fare Well Occupy Central

Posted on December 12, 2014December 11, 2014 by eddietay in Colour

All images were taken with one camera on a single roll of film on the same day.

Fare well, Occupy Central.

At Causeway Bay.

Freedom under watch.

At Admiralty.

Camera: Contax TVS II

Film: Kodak UltraMax 400

Occupy Central: A Monochrome Meditation

Posted on November 23, 2014November 22, 2014 by eddietay in Monochrome

All images were taken with one camera, one lens, on the same roll of film and on the same day.

This is a visual meditation on Occupy Central.

Once upon a time, Occupy Central was an idea. It was an event that was yet to come.

It then became an event.

It will be an event that is always already present, even if it ends today or at some point in the future.

At Admiralty.

At Mong Kok.

At Causeway Bay.

Thanks for reading.

Camera: Leica M6

Lens: Voigtlander Nokton Classic 35mm f 1.4 SC

Film: Ilford XP2 400

Revisiting Occupy: Mong Kok, Admiralty and Causeway Bay

Posted on November 19, 2014November 20, 2014 by eddietay in Colour

The sites are being cleared even as I’m typing this.

So, this is going to be memory soon.

Mong Kok:

Admiralty:

Causeway Bay:

Camera: Contax TVS II

Film: Kodak Ultramax 400

Street Exhibits at Admiralty

Posted on November 11, 2014November 9, 2014 by eddietay in Colour

This is getting obsessive, I know. But I can’t help but think it’s important to document these sites.

They aren’t going to be here forever.

I think these are supposed to resemble corpses, indicating that the protesters would be waiting here till they die.

An installation of a protester.

(Very) rough translation: Respect Hong Kong’s right to decide.

The umbrellas.

The hope of a generation.

A closer look.

Another installation. There were many of these on the road.

Learning from history and literature – is it possible to argue against the above banner?

Umbrella revolution – a work in progress.

Hmm…

The writing on the wall.

A minion!

A balloon with inverted umbrellas.

Message behind bars.

There are so many banners.

The people continue to speak.

Still waiting.

Building a community.

If I’m not wrong, that’s the traditional practice of using a slipper to slap a picture of your enemy.

That’s a pretty strong statement.

That’s what it’s about.

Thanks for reading!

Camera: Contax TVS II

Film: Fuji Venus 800

Causeway Bay Monochrome

Posted on November 5, 2014November 5, 2014 by eddietay in Monochrome

There’s a road map.

Is anyone reading?

Is anyone listening?

There are prayers.

We’re reading.

So much to think about.

The work of waiting.

The work of gesturing.

Do not forget.

Keep on remembering.

Teach the young.

Camera: Leica M6

Lens: Voigtlander 35mm F 1.4 Nokton Classic SC

Film: Ilford XP2

Notes to Self

Posted on October 24, 2014October 24, 2014 by eddietay in Colour

The past few posts have been about Occupy Central.

After all, we could only occupy what’s central to our hearts.

This post is a change of pace.

I’ve talked about a few sights on the campus where I work in this post.

It’s a 20-minute walk down the hill from my office and it gives me time to think about what I’m doing and where I’m going in terms of my poetry, photography, research and teaching.

We all need space to dwell and grow.

I’m grateful to be where I am, in an unpretentious and authentic space, in service of a community I feel committed to.

Once in a while, you need to be empty in order to be filled.

So yes, I’ll need to fill up that container eventually (figuratively speaking).

And find a sense of balance.

Sometimes, I take a 5-minute detour and I’ll see this on my way home.

That red flower is beautiful, but it is beautiful not in itself, but in where it is.

And 5 minutes later, I’ll see this.

We swim in the pond in which we find ourselves.

And in every moment there is a painterly harmony to be sought.

This is what I’m looking for in my photographs and in my work in general, and what I’m looking for in myself.

Camera: Leica M6

Lens: Voigtlander 35mm F 1.4 Nokton Classic SC

Film: Fuji Natura 1600

What Hong Kong Wants

Posted on October 21, 2014October 21, 2014 by eddietay in Monochrome

I’ve been to the various protest sites over the past three weeks at various times.

They keep changing.

They keep changing simply because it is the nature of the protests.

They require a constant infusion of people, energy and creativity, of which Hong Kong has in abundance.

Hence, I kept raising my camera to my eye.

These were taken at Mong Kok about three weeks ago.

There is a need to see, understand and document.

What Hong Kong wants – that’s not very difficult to understand.

The writing is very clear.

What Hong Kong will get, no one knows at this point.

We don’t really have a bird’s eye view.

All one could do is to keep asking.

And be willing to do the hard work.

Sacrifice, toil and labour.

And pray that something good will come out of it.

The work of waiting and keeping watch goes on.

And there’s always hope.

History will be the judge.

All images were taken with the Contax TVS street camera and converted into monochrome from a single roll of Fuji Superia 800 film.

The Tents at Causeway Bay

Posted on October 18, 2014October 14, 2014 by eddietay in Colour

The tents at Causeway Bay speak for themselves.

All images taken with Contax TVS II, loaded with Fuji S 400.

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