Chatuchak, Part 1: before the crowds descend

Rendezvous Point: The clock tower dominates the market, 2017

Covering some 27 acres, Bangkok’s Chatuchak Weekend Market is one of the biggest in the world. The market comprises around 15,000 stalls, the bulk of which are arranged grid-like with crisscrossing alleyways – which barely allow the passage of two people abreast – contained within a broad perimeter ‘avenue’. It is from this circulating walkway that the famous Clock Tower can be seen, offering hope for the lost: it is a popular meeting point for that reason. It is here that you can reunite with friends, sit and reflect on the experience or contemplate the wooden ‘croaking frog’ you just bought because, well, one does. I made the photograph above when things came together for me, contre-jour, a little after sunrise. The market largely dormant.

I like to visit the market early morning – before the latest contingent of the 200,000 who visit the market annually – because I have the place to myself. Nearly. Sometimes among the lifeless mannequins, the piles of books, t-shirts, souvenirs and other items, the well worn tarpaulin stretched across goods yet to be revealed… life pops up unexpectedly and the market wakes up.

A benefit, for me, of having a place like Chatuchak to oneself is the chance to look at things closer. Occasionally I spot a detail that gives me a chance to consider what is before me in a more contemplative way, exploring elements of composition, light and shade. This doesn’t happen often, but here are three examples: lights waiting to be switched on, polythene sheets stretched to cover their brimming contents and parasols waiting to be unfurled.

Naturally, as we are in Bangkok, there are oddities: I came across a bust – a replica of some classical work – sat on a table at an intersection in the artists’ zone. It didn’t appear to be on sale and I was having no luck with it. A farang with a briefcase was hurrying along. I picked my moment; on reflection I got it wrong – not the ‘decisive moment’ – but I like it anyway.

I have a wooden frog somewhere, consigned to a box and hidden away. Perhaps I’ll find it one day and be able to tell someone, ‘look, it croaks!’.

Written off, but not forgotten: crashed cars, spare parts and untold stories

Top of the heap, the latest acquisition: 2015

I paid a short visit to a dismantling firm – spur of the moment decision really – in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire during July of 2015. I had arrived in the town on an early morning train and made my way to the outskirts where once stood the vast buildings and blast furnaces of steelworks.

I was looking for something I could not find: the new warehousing depots and characterless industrial units, some still waiting for occupation, were not it. The weather was deteriorating fast and my getaway toward the town centre took me past a dismantlers’ yard: I remembered finding parts here for my first car – an old Renault 5 – over 40 years previously.

What an odd beauty destruction may bring: 2015

The guy in the office gave me the ‘once’ over – twice – before allowing me in to make photographs. After I’d had a good look around – making shots later to be ignored – I began to look a little closer. Occasionally, among the clutter and chaos, I’d find a few interesting arrangements of distorted metal and displaced parts. Then I made a photograph of an interior and things got a little more philosophical.

The door of this car was missing and I didn’t resist the temptation. I crouched in the passenger side – the seats had been removed – and considered the scene; ‘what were your thoughts at the moment of impact?’, ‘did you have time to have a thought?’. The dashboard was intact; maybe, on the premise that cars are replaceable, this story had a happy ending.

I recalled JG Ballard, whose book, Crash I had enjoyed:

‘A car crash harnesses elements of eroticism, aggression, desire, speed, drama, kinesthetic factors, the stylizing of motion, consumer goods, status – all these in one event.’

I noticed a redundant church that overlooked the scene and found this connection appropriate. As I made the short walk into the town – and shelter – the drizzle had become rain.

For those who like to know, the camera was an Olympus OMD coupled with a Zuiko short zoom lens. Thanks for visiting my blog.

First steps on ‘the road to who knows where?’

Student work: 1973 – 1977

Aged 18, I had an idea to become a fine artist. With that in mind I enrolled on an art foundation course in London, E17. All art disciplines were covered over a year; one of these was photography. For the first time in my life I had a ‘proper’ camera in my hand along with a couple of rolls of film which I would develop myself.

The photograph above shows the children of two families I shared a house with and is on the second roll of film I ever exposed. The first was full of very unremarkable shots; I had chosen the old Covent Garden market as a subject – getting there towards midnight and staying until breakfast – and the tricky lighting, mainly bare fluorescent tubes, was too much for this novice. But I really enjoyed the experience of being there and, despite getting no decent photographs, I was hooked. At the end of the year I applied to undertake a full time course in photography.

The course was split: I did my first year in Nottingham and my remaining two years in Derby. Though I perhaps didn’t know it at the time, the influence that the course had on shaping my outlook (and inlook, if there is such a thing) was immense. In fact, I still haven’t managed to shake it off to this day.

The first book of photographs that really grabbed my attention as a student was ‘A Day Off: An English Journal’ by Tony Ray Jones (1941-1972). It included photographs made at seaside resorts (interesting to me as I was from a seaside resort); over the next couple of years I made several trips to the coast in search of my own seaside. I’m still looking.

Looking back at these photographs, it is interesting to me that my style has not really changed over the years. I find that reassuring.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this small collection of photographs. I’ll leave you with another seaside shot. As for gear, probably Nikon Nikkormat – I didn’t get my own camera until after college – with various Nikon lenses….

At the end of the line and what I saw there…

‘Railway termini are our gates to the glorious and unknown. Through them we pass out into
adventure and sunshine. To them, alas! we return.’

The above caption is an observation made by the English novelist, E M Forster (1879 – 1970). He knew a thing or two about travelling and his quote is very apt for the subject of this blog: Bangkok Railway Station.

People like having their photograph taken with trains here in Thailand. I have witnessed wedding shots being made at a couple of provincial stations, though never at Bangkok Railway Station – or Hualamphong as it is locally known – …yet.

I have visited the place many times over the years, looking for pictures. More often than not I don’t get them but the experience of being at this perpetually busy place is always an enjoyable one.

My favourite time for visiting Hualamphong is very early morning when the overnight trains arrive. The platforms become a hive of activity; passengers, still only half awake, alight, cleaners board, restaurant car staff finish up. Dirty linen is thrown from the train whilst maids and porters execute its transport to the laundry with military precision. By the time I have finished watching this fascinating process the laundry has already fired up a good head of steam.

Trains are well used in Thailand and offers a cheap way of getting around. The journey times are long (the trip from my local station to Hualamphong, a distance of around 24 kilometres, takes about 45 minutes), but I personally enjoy the leisurely pace.

The prospect of the journey ahead, Hualamphong

Monks frequently travel by rail and occasionally present an opportunity for me to flex my observational, narrative style. The presence of barbers on the platform at Hualamphong has always been a bit of a mystery to me….

I will doubtless return many times to these familiar platforms, coffee shops, ticket offices and washrooms before I head back to the UK. Perhaps I’ll step out into the sun or maybe just hang out until it is time to catch the train home. Either way it’ll be an adventure.

I remember wondering who left those shoes and gloves and under what circumstances, lol. The photographs in this blog were taken on my trusty OMD with a Zuiko short zoom on it. Thanks for visiting, I’ll leave you with someone who had obviously had a very tiring day….

Grandad! Take my picture!

Since the photograph above was taken I have gained a grandson.

I remember the day I first received the news that I had become a grandparent and how very pleased I was; I also recall a sudden feeling of growing old. This said, I have come to realise that the important things about my new role are the first five letters of the title; for the experience is indeed grand.

As a keen photographer I enjoy recording those moments I spend with my grandchildren; I find it interesting how sometimes the snapshot aesthetic combines with my own narrative style:

And this, below; at the time, my daughter was in an advanced stage of pregnancy:

Grandchildren are demanding; in fact, sometimes I get worn out just watching them:

I’ve come to realise that there can be a strong bond between those at one end of life and those at the other; it’s a good feeling, like being comfortable.

I don’t see my grandchildren as often as I like, so my collection of photographs is a constant reminder of how they were; I hope there will be many more photographs of how they are. I look forward to that…..

Early Doors, First Light

‘Then a change began slowly to declare itself. The horizon became clearer, field and tree came more into sight, and somehow with a different look; the mystery began to drop away from them.’

The words above are from one of my favourite books – The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame – and are found in the chapter, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

I have always been an early riser and wherever I find myself I will be up and about with my camera before sunrise. I love the way the scene – from city streets or country lanes – in front of me unfold; the deep shadows and the striking shapes they create, the slowly revealing detail, the sudden rustle that makes you start and the unseen population of all those who have been there, leaving their mark or a simple feeling of presence. The Maud Foster drain, cut in 1568 (when Boston was one of the wealthiest ports in Europe) and once used to transport corn and flour (the windmill in Boston still stands) is now empty of traffic. But with a little imagination…..

I’m a Lincolnshire lad and I love my home county. All the photographs here form part of my ongoing project: Notes in Passing, Lincolnshire. I’ve been tramping the streets and lanes for many years and this summer I aim to try and fill in some gaps and try to make some sense of what I have. The county town, Lincoln is a particular favourite of mine when it comes to exploring.

I don’t always get photographs, but my early morning walks are never unproductive; the experience of being there at that time is reward enough.

For the tech-minded, the camera used was an Olympus OMD (bar one, which was shot with an earlier Olympus digital) and a Zuiko Digital short zoom lens. Thanks for visiting and here’s a swan:

1984 and all that: Scunthorpe Free Rock, part two…

Continuing my story of when we were treated to a day of free music, laid on by the town council, I thought I would take a ‘behind the scenes’ look. It wasn’t difficult to access the dressing room of local favourites, Harry the Spider’s Coming Out Party; a friendly bunch, with an image that was both wacky and plausible (they had a strong set of original music), they were happy to have their big day recorded.

Harry the Spider’s was the brainchild of Sean Ingoldsby and his brother, Garry. Inspired by Sean’s idea of stories aimed at primary school children (or so I believe), the songs followed Harry and his friend, Elvis Goldfish through a number of scenarios (Wild Elvis Goldfish and Flies For Tea are two numbers I recall). The set was filled out with gothic parodies about Dracula and the like before finishing with a storming version of an old classic rewriiten as Ghost Spiders in the Sky.

Kevin ‘Finch’ Brown, who was also performing that day, pops in to say hello

I cannot find the pictures I made of the band on stage, so here is one that I shot on the day, downloaded from my facebook page, so apologies for the quality:

‘His name was Elvis Goldfish, Wild Elvis was his name…’

I remember that the band went down pretty well. A few more crowd shots to finish and thanks for visiting.

For the tech-minded, the camera I used was an Olympus OM1 with various Zuiko lenses. Film stock was Kodak Tri-X Pan.

Noted in Passing: Thailand, Part 1

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My hotel room did not have a balcony.

The shot above was made by hanging out of a hotel window in Bang Saen, a small community that meanders alongside the eastern seaboard of Thailand, somewhere between Bangkok and Pattaya. I have a real fear of heights and felt really uncomfortable at the time, four floors up; it was early morning and I’d opened the window for a breath of fresh air when I noticed, below me, a guest taking advantage of an empty pool. His progress was leisurely and he seemed to form a harmonious relationship with the environment. I leaned out as far as I dared and made some photographs; in this one I believe I managed to show that relationship.

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I love travelling by train and I love railway stations. The photograph above, from one of many visits to Bangkok railway station (Hualamphong is the local name), was a long time coming. I had spotted an arrangement of three monks sat in the large waiting hall. As I considered the scene, I noticed another monk making his way towards the group. The hall was very busy and I felt a little exposed as I waited, camera to my eye, for a picture to take shape – it seemed like an eternity although it was probably less than half a minute – and I was lucky when the arriving monk sat down in a position I couldn’t have got better if I had been orchestrating the shot. By this time the monks were very aware of my presence – I think that enhanced the photograph – and, after a smile and a polite nod, I went on my way.

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Above are a couple of photographs from a project that I am resting for a while. After more than 40 years of monochrome photography I felt I’d like to do a series in colour. This turned out to be a mistake; I hadn’t considered how different the approach would be and felt that what I was producing were mono photographs in colour rather than colour photographs. The two examples are the best of a poor bunch. However, the experience of my many visits to Talat Noi – a very old community on the fringe of Bangkok’s Chinatown – was enjoyable and thoroughly interesting. Another area I considered for colour work is Kudi Jeen, – situated on the Chao Praya river – once the Portuguese quarter of Bangkok and now home to a small Chinese community. The photograph below shows the catholic church from the labyrinth of narrow alleyways that make up the area.

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Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok is one of the largest outdoor markets in the world and attracts visitors in their thousands. I like to go there very early, before the crowds arrive, for the photographic opportunities the place offers me. Below are a couple of pictures from what is proving to be an extended ‘project in progress’.

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I’m currently thinking I may have to brave the crowds and revisit the market during peak hours in order that I may provide a contrast to the shots I already have.

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The photograph above was made during a short break in Bang Saray, a busy fishing harbour on the eastern seaboard between Pattaya and Sattahip. This shot was taken on the arrival of the ice truck; great blocks of ice were put through a crushing machine before being loaded onto the fishing boats in a process fascinating for the speed at which it was completed. I like this photograph for the graphic starkness and I felt there was a narrative potential that went beyond the real scenario. I called it ‘the iceman cometh’: though O’Neill’s play of the same title has nothing to do with trawling, it does address the need for self deceptions in order to carry on with life (thanks, Wikipedia).

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In 2016, I was fortunate to spend an hour or so in a makeshift school at the Mae La refugee camp on the Thai/Myanmar border. This is one of my favourite images from that visit and shows Burmese students learning English in an open classroom. I liked the light, the air of study and the contrasting relationship with the camera of the girl on the left. Most of all, I really enjoyed being there for that brief moment.

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Dogs are everywhere in Thailand but they rarely trouble you if you act normal and pay them no attention. This is my favourite photograph of a soi (street) dog, not so much for him but for the way the frame has split – almost like two halves put together – in a way that I didn’t notice at the time of exposure. I like to think that it confirms the important role that the subconscious plays in determining the actual moment of exposure.

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When I’m walking around I sometimes feel an impulse to stop in my tracks. Usually there is a photograph, though sometimes it is not immediately apparent and takes some looking for. Of the many photographs I have made of Buddhist statues, this one – from a car park where I was having a crafty cigarette – remains a favourite. The cultural delights of Thailand offer a wealth of possibilities for any photographer and I’m ending this blog with a photograph I took in a cave and which shows another visitor who I had seen going to great lengths for an interesting record of the moment.

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For the tech-minded, all shots were made using an Olympus OMD EM5 and a Zuiko short zoom lens.

A Salmon, Some Haddock and Some More Salmon

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The smokehouse stands, as it has done for a century, on the fringe of an area of Grimsby Docks known locally as ‘The Casbah’. Alfred Enderby had been working at the smokehouse for many years before buying it in 1961. Eventually the business was passed on to his son, Richard who, in 2016 and after 42 years with the company, decided to call it a day. My brother, Patrick Salmon (pictured above) – a regular customer – bought the business. I made these photographs during a visit in the summer of 2017.

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As the photographs above and below show, the Casbah is a long neglected area. Within my own memory I remember it as a busy place; smokehouses, ship chandlers, fish merchants cafes – the last one closed only a few years ago – and outdoor clothing suppliers. Plans are underway, I believe, to regenerate the area. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

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The close proximity to the Grimsby Fish Market – a mere stone’s throw from the smokehouse – is an advantage; fish is bought fresh in the early morning, filleted and prepared for overnight smoking and dispatched the very next day. This maintains the excellent quality of product for which Alfred Enderby’s is justifiably renowned (I’ve tried it and it is exquisitely delicious). In 2009, the smoked haddock was awarded Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and last year both the smoked haddock and the smoked salmon won Great Taste Awards from the Guild of Fine Food. Endorsed by chefs throughout the country – including Marco Pierre White, Gary Jones and Aaron Patterson – the brand is steadily building.

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The team are dedicated to the cause and expert at what they do; they put up with my presence in friendly fashion and when they chatted about the job it was with genuine enthusiasm. I even got to have tea break with them which produced my favourite photographs (below).

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I really enjoyed my visit and will be there again this coming summer. I’m proud of my brother with his philosophy of maintaining traditional values and producing as good a quality product as is possible, pleased that his wife and daughter are getting involved and I really can’t wait to try some more of that awesome fish.

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‘I’m not interested in making massive amounts of money. My objective is to produce something really beautiful’

For the tech-minded, the camera used for these photographs was an Olympus OMD EM5 with a Zuiko Digital short zoom lens.