"Grumpy Old Man" Photograph

Maybe he’s grumpy because somebody made him wear a name-tag, green scarf and red bobblehat. Maybe he noticed me and doesn’t like being photographed. And while I’m making up possible reasons, maybe he stood in some dog droppings and has just spotted the culprit.

More likely, he is stuck with the expression as a result of tooth-loss and old age. I hope I get stuck with an expression just like this at his age. Then, any smile from me will be such a relief to others that it’s sure to make them happy.

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

"Waiters" Photograph

Pattern and repetition often makes for a good photograph and human stance is no exception. A small detail that I enjoy in this photograph is the fact that the repetition here is mirrored as one man’s arms are folded left-over-right and the other right-over-left.

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

"Face Slap" Photograph

Many of my favorite street photographs are ones where people have interesting expressions. Our interactions with each other depend so much on facial expressions that we are experts at picking up nuances and even quite subtle expressions can make a good picture because the viewer can identify and relate to it.

This is amplified with a combination of two or more people interacting with each other which not only gives facial expressions to be interpreted but also offers an extra dimension and the possibility of telling a story. I think the fact that we have no idea what these young men are talking about actually helps to make this photograph more interesting because in our socially-driven behavior we naturally try to interpret the interactions between other people.

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

Thai Street Massage Photo

Similar to yesterday, here is another streetside service offered in Chiang Mai and just about anywhere else in Thailand popular with foreign tourists. For anyone who can afford the flight ticket to Thailand the cost of buying a hour’s pampering is almost laughably insignificant and it’s a novel distraction on route between bars for some.

A less public experience can be had in the many massage parlours around the city ranging from traditional massage schools to expensive spa’s. There are so many, in fact, that most seem to hardly get enough business to survive.

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