Sunday, October 4, 2026

"Reluctant Umbrella" Street Moves GIF loop

Short black and white repeating GIF of a man putting up a large free-standing umbrella at the side of a road in Petchaburi market (Thailand). The man is apparently trying to push the umbrella up so that it stays open but it keeps coming back down.

This little GIF loop of a man trying to put up a large dual-purpose shade/rain umbrella is designed to frustrate. Those dancing cars in the background clearly give it away as just a short video playing backwards and forwards and in reality the umbrella stayed up at the first attempt. However, I still feel an urge to go and help him or at least offer some "useful" advice. I am impressed with his stamina though - my arm starts to tire just watching it.

For anyone who knows Petchaburi the location is given away by the clock tower in the background. I cycled passed it a few days later and the umbrella was up.

Posted by Adrian Hillman at 8:59 AM 0 comments
Location: Phetchaburi, Thailand

Saturday, October 3, 2026

"Weathered Gun Man" Image

A photographic artwork of a man walking along a street overlaid by the blue colours and texture of heavily weathered paintwork. Both the photograph of the man and the weathered urban surface were taken in streets of Petchaburi city, Thailand. Most of the image is dominated but the intricate urban decay texture.

This is a combination of three photographs: a man walking through Petchaburi market in a "Beretta" shirt plus two macro photos of flaking paintwork.

This image has more emphasis on the weathered textures than yesterday's post because the background in this original photo was quite dull, however, the man's face is still quite obvious and there remain hints of other elements such as the road drain cover and the gun logo on his shirt.

Petchaburi used to have a reputation for being a bit of a rough, wild-west place and there still are very occasional shootings but I guess this man's shirt is just a shirt. If I'm wrong and the "Beretta" is actually an advert or warning then this might be the last image I post...

The original photos:

Photo of a man walking down an urban street in a blue shirt with the logo of a handgun and the word "Beretta" on it. It was taken in Petchaburi city, Thailand.

Macro photograph of flaking paintwork on a metal surface. The layers of peeling paint have revealed different colours in a random pattern mainly light blue and black with patches of the underlying grey metal visible which has areas of orangey rust.

Macro photograph of flaking paintwork on a metal surface. The top layer of blue paint has peeled away in patches to reveal the paler underlying paint which is also worn and weathered. The overall impression of this urban decay detail is an attractive and intricate abstract.

Photographs taken in Petchaburi, Thailand.

Posted by Adrian Hillman at 10:53 AM 0 comments
Location: Phetchaburi, Thailand

Friday, October 2, 2026

"Graffitied Butcher" Photo

A composite artwork photograph of a meat-selling woman in a dark corner of a Thai market overlaid with a macro photograph of a graffiti detail of mixed colours. In a red apron the smiling woman is clear but the details of her butcher’s stall have been masked by the abstract graffiti paint giving the image a sense of two sides of urban life.

This image is a blend of an original photograph of a butcher in Petchaburi market with a photo of some chaotic graffiti. I tried to find a good balance between the two. The woman's occupation is no longer clear but she is and the graffiti gives an extra dimension also from our urban world.

She seemed a very friendly woman...unless you are a slab of pork. I found her dark little alcove of hooks, blades and flesh slightly creepy but having talked to her I know she herself is a lovely person.

Here are the two original photos used plus a black-and-white version of the woman.


Photograph of a Thai woman in a red apron behind her butcher’s stall in a covered alley of Petchaburi market in Thailand. Prepared meat is visible on the table in front of her together with equipment such as a large chopping and cleaver. There is light from an overhead fixture falling on her from the front and single bare lit light-bulb in the alcove behind her.

Macro photographic detail of graffiti on a wall. The white, black, red and blue lines look like letters but have been painted over each other to produce an apparently random abstract confusion with some aesthetic interest.

Black and white photograph of a Thai woman in an apron behind her butcher’s stall in a covered alley of Petchaburi market in Thailand. Prepared meat is visible on the table in front of her together with equipment such as a large chopping and cleaver. There is light from an overhead fixture falling on her from the front and single bare lit light-bulb in the alcove behind her.


Photograph taken in Petchaburi, Thailand.


Posted by Adrian Hillman at 9:42 AM 0 comments
Location: Phetchaburi, Thailand

Thursday, October 1, 2026

"Looking for Food" Photo

Monochrome photograph of a man looking around a covered alleyway in Petchaburi market, Thailand. The stalls around him are selling different kinds of food with several sellers and other customers also visible. The impression is of a busy, active place. The alley is covered by awnings attached to the alley walls and sloping to meet in the middle. The light comes from bare light-bulbs hanging at regular intervals. The customer just behind the man is wearing her motorcycle helmet.

...and absolutely no problem finding it in Petchaburi's main market. You just have to know which alley to go down for whatever you're looking for. 

I always have a slightly uncomfortable sense of unease in these tight and busy places which probably comes from the fact that everybody else around me seems to know exactly what they are doing. I feel a bit awkward and in the way.

Photograph taken in Petchaburi, Thailand.

Posted by Adrian Hillman at 10:29 AM 0 comments
Location: Phetchaburi, Thailand

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

"Little and Large" Photo

Street photograph from a market in Petchaburi, Thailand. Over half the photo is taken up by the back and arm of a man standing beside a large wok containing a pool of oil. In the background a small man is sitting beside a small wooden table with his head down reading a newspaper.

The cook was enormous with a huge wok of hot oil ready to fry the newspaper reader's breakfast.

This was taken a few years ago when physical newspapers were still readily available. I quite miss the struggle to keep all those pages under control.

Photograph taken in Petchaburi, Thailand.

Posted by Adrian Hillman at 2:04 PM 0 comments
Location: Phetchaburi, Thailand

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

"Tucked Away" Photo

Street photograph from a market in Petchaburi, Thailand, of an old woman crouched down on the pavement surrounded by the goods for sale in her hardware shop. She has her back to the camera and is busy cleaning some shrimp in a bowl. The visible goods in piles include coils of rope, coils of hosepipe, a dustpan and a crumpled plastic sheet. She is bare-footed and sitting on a pair of pink flip-flops.

This lady is often tucked away somewhere behind the goods of her family's street-side shop. She never looks comfortable but it's clearly her own choice as there are places available to sit other than the pavement and plenty of things to sit on other than her own flip-flops. On this day she was preparing shrimps down there.

Photograph taken in Petchaburi, Thailand.
Posted by Adrian Hillman at 8:51 PM 0 comments
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