Faceless Faces

Sometimes you make your own luck.

I was trying to take a photograph of the group of girls huddled over looking at some goods. There were other people moving around between us and I wasn’t quite as close to them as I wanted to be. The chances were that the picture would not work, perhaps being blurred or blocked or just fail as a composition but I took it anyway and love the result of people in a crowded situation all turned away from each other with visible but incomplete faces.

It would have been so easy not to have bothered pressing the shutter-release.

Photograph taken at the “Sunday Walking Street”, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Streetside Jeweller in Chiang Mai

In this case it is a jeweller sitting working in his mobile shop on wheels in Chiang Mai but it could just as easily be one of many other types of tradespeople. Thai streets are full of them and in the major population centers it’s usually easy to find the right person for any particular job that needs doing. Unfortunately for many this means a continual struggle as what work there is gets spread too thinly amongst the competition.

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Photograph of Thai Brotherhoodie

Photographing from the hip as I do makes precise composition impossible particularly when very close to the subject. I got a bit lucky here in that just enough of their faces are showing to make it a good photograph.

What drew me to photograph these particular young men was the hand on the shoulder. A small detail which gives them such a strong connection.

A great photographic tip I once read was that hands are an overlooked but very important part of portraiture.

Chiang Mai, Thailand

'It's Time' Thai Street Photo

Is that a hint of reluctance on the boy’s face? Getting dragged into the adult world of time-keeping, I’m sure he’s bright enough to tell the time but perhaps can’t quite see the point yet.

I don’t know the truth of what was happening between this man and boy in this frozen moment from their day and it could be something completely different. However, that’s why I love this type of photography. This is a real moment in these peoples’ lives but the interpretation of it is ours.

Chiang Mai, Thailand