Where time seems to have stood still: once upon a market in Pathum Thani

Talat Klong Sip Song Hok Wa in the Lam Luk Ka district of Pathum Thani was once a bustling market community established around the intersection of two klongs (canals) from which its name is derived: Sip Song and Hok Wa. The place, which was also home to a small Chinese community, is largely deserted now and the few families that do live there do so among empty, dilapidated buildings whose occupants have long since departed.

The once busy klongs, their waters animated by the passage of traffic, are silent now. There is evidence that fishing is an occupation for some, but the still water is only occasionally disturbed by the splash of ‘the one that got away’ or the silent wake of a water rat. If there is any success story to be told here then the clue is in the odd, well-preserved interior you may come across. For these are very popular with filmmakers.

The ‘talat’ has been used as a location in movies, television shows, advertisements and music videos and goes some way, I guess, to helping provide continuity. For the hour or so I was there I saw no other visitors save a few cyclists who pass through – the area is popular with cycling enthusiasts – and those who attended the few retail establishments weren’t busy.

The appeal for filmmakers is the authenticity of the available properties: particularly the period furniture. I came across two women about to sit down for lunch in a room full of beautiful examples of this. Though the table, with seating for six more, lent an air of poignancy to the scene. I got the impression that they were no strangers to photo requests; once they had posed for a photograph they seamlessly continued with the job in hand. I then made the photograph I wanted.

So what of the future, I thought, once the place has ceased to be useful? Will the wonderful pieces end up on a stall in Chatuchak Market, Bangkok? Or maybe grace the dining rooms of well-heeled tourists? One thing thing is certain: it has all been recorded. Many times over.

The juxtaposition above amused me: the period Thai costume and the nod to one of the most well known of cinematic icons. Looking at the way I framed the image, I am reminded that I owe a great debt to the work of Eugene Atget (1857-1927). A big influence during my time as a student of photography in the 1970s.

I couldn’t make up my mind about the barbershop: certainly the couple watching television in a far corner were not expecting custom, for I went unnoticed as I hovered in the doorway. A film set? The musical, Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007) came to mind. The scene lent itself to the chilling, but in a way that recalled (for me) one of Andy Warhol’s best works: the series ‘Little Electric Chair’ (1964/5). I made my picture and beat a retreat.

Thanks for reading my blog. Camera used was my usual: Olympus OMD EM5 Mk II coupled with a Zuiko Digital short zoom.

Will that be all, sir? Why I didn’t mind the 90 minute wait for a haircut…

The local barbers: great place for a ‘selfie’…

I visit my local barber roughly every two months. I have had my camera with me on every occasion, just in case, and once took some photographs of the staff (posed). On a subsequent visit I ensured I had some prints to give away and this stood me in good stead. The owner of the establishment, an endearing, bubbly woman who nominates herself ‘number one barber’, was happy for me to make some photographs a couple of weeks ago: I was third in a queue but it would be a long wait – the guys in front of me were having ‘the works’ – but a fascinating one.

The ‘works’, it transpired, offered photographic opportunities with results more akin to an ENT clinic than a barbershop. As a kind of drama unfolded I was totally absorbed with what was going on. The guy in the queue behind me had his own way of dealing with the long wait: he took a nap.

As did one of the guys being dealt with in front of me!

The lighting in the place was enough of a challenge to be interesting. The day was a very bright one and the only place I could easily take photographs from – without being in the way – meant I had to make my photographs contre-jour. This is a favourite of mine, however, so no real problems vis a vis exposure. The ear cleaning operation that unfolded involved the use of a small, very bright lamp. This did present a challenge, but I liked the dramatic effect it gave to the scene.

Photographers are always looking for a potential for narrative in their work, and I am no exception. The following pair of photographs – according to me – go some way to achieving this aim. They also demonstrate the importance of scrutiny in post production: the presence of elements within the frame seen and appreciated by the subconscious rather than the eye. These are usually beneficial: in the first photograph I was unaware of the Buddha statue overlooking the scene and in the second my attention was so fixed on the razor that I missed the dog statues on the opposite side of the frame.

And there you have it. The work of a barber can involve some painstaking and delicate work. My ‘number one’ barber pays incredible attention to detail – my straightforward dry cut takes around 40 minutes on average – and this made for a more productive and enjoyable day than I had imagined I was going to have.

Thanks for visiting my blog. I used my trusty Olympus OMD with a Zuiko short zoom lens for the photographs.

Chatuchak, Part 2: Vendors

My last blog took a look at the Chatuchak Weekend Market before the crowds descend. In this blog my interest is directed to those who work at this popular Bangkok tourist attraction.

Business had just begun when I made most of these photographs, the narrow alleys of the central section still quickly and easily negotiable. Some stalls were already trading while in others, vendors waited in anticipation of a successful, busy day.

A Moment of Meditation (Coffee Cup): 2017

Looking at this photograph, one thought always occupies me: ‘I wish that coffee cup had not been there’. And it is true; I toned it down a tad, to lessen the impact, but for me it remains – admitted in my title – and anyway, I only have the one shot. It remains a vendor in refective mood rather than: ‘A mildly irritated man who knows that a farang with a camera has just asked if he could move a coffee cup.’

I waited for some time for the photograph above, but I sometimes get the feeling that something may happen to complete an image. In this case I was spotted, an occupational hazard that either works or doesn’t work. Following the moment I did enjoy some friendly banter – an occupational pleasure.

Speaking of conversations, I was talking to a grand old chap at one stall – his excellent English put my Thai speaking skills to shame – when he remarked as a parting shot: ‘yes, the market has many stories, many secrets’. I was on my way home but the vendor’s words got me thinking: untold stories? Hidden away? I wondered if they would ever reveal themselves.

The thousands of visitors Chatuchak attracts each weekend are well catered for, too. I tried the street food: delicious. Hot work when you consider the climate; well into the nineties usually. The lady above was able to engage with the few basic Thai pleasantries I offered, as was her assistant – also pictured above – sitting by her side.

Street portraiture has always interested me; it offers the chance to be a little in control and it presents the challenge of giving the resulting image relevance. I met a young man (portrayed below) outside a small, glass-fronted unit which was brightly lit to show off some very large paintings. We chatted and established the paintings were his work and he agreed to a photograph. I went outside to make the shot, the unit was too small to achieve the framing I felt I needed. What I didn’t anticipate was getting my hand in; by happy accident, in the right place… at the moment of exposure.

Thanks for visiting my blog. For those who like to know, I used an Olympus OMD with a Zuiko short zoom lems to make the photographs.

A school, an hour, an education

‘Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.’ (Kofi Annan)

Having the correct documentation I had expected to spend a day at the Mae La refugee camp on the Thai/Myanmar border. As it was, I managed about an hour at a makeshift high school before the party I was with had to hurry off. And what a hugely rewarding hour that was.

It rains a lot during the summer months in Tak Province

I visited in June 2016. Mae La is the largest refugee camp of nine in Thailand; the latest figures (November 2018} show around 32,000 refugees live there, mainly Karen people, with around a third being of school age (5-18 years). The party I was with had helped in the provision of resources for this makeshift school and was escorted by a representative of an organisation that had set up a teaching English training scheme for displaced teachers.

Auxiliary staff at the teacher training facility

The school was well attended and I found myself welcomed into classrooms much like any classrooms, anywhere. The commitment to learning struck me immediately, though I did manage to disrupt that once or twice:

Some of the older students live at the school; I caught up with three of them at break time and they gave me a whirlwind tour of their quarters:

The boys pictured were keen sportsmen; the school has considerable success in sports competitions – as the trophy shelf shows – despite the small size of the school playground:

The child in the photograph above kept her distance but followed me as I made my brief exploration. One day she will be at school, though she has already embarked upon a life of learning and one which, as I know very well, does not stop.

Thanks for visiting my blog: as usual, the camera I used was an Olympus OMD with a Zuiko short zoom.

Big Buddha and Other Monumental Marvels

When you are still a fair way off and this appears out of the distant haze, you know that you will soon be facing a statue of gargantuan proportions. Thailand has many such epic tributes to their Buddhist beliefs. And they are wonderful to behold.

Some of these sacred sites are old, some are new. Here is a giant Buddha that I came across last year, being built out of a cliff face:

More often than not, these immense constructions represent Buddha himself, others are effigies of revered monks or staues of mythological entities….

Many of these celebrations are the centrepieces of Thai Wats (temples), others are found in incredibly ornate Chinese Temples.

Some attract visitors, some (at least when I was there) stand alone. Gigantic sentinels overlooking a vast landscape. Harmonious despite their huge size.

Standing amongst these titans, how small we are in the grand scheme of things….

Thanks for visiting this blog. All photographs made using my Olympus OMD EM5 c/w Zuiko Digital short zoom lens.

Wall, for wall’s sake

I’ve been trying my hand at this blogging malarkey for a couple of weeks now; the idea seems to be to maintain the momentum by publishing posts regularly… and often. But then, not to sacrifice quality for the sake of quantity; and so this morning I had that kind of feeling one gets when faced with a blank piece of paper, pencil in hand and no real idea of where to start. The first mark dilemma. A wall. Best ignore Eric Weiner when he said ‘nothing kills creativity faster than a wall’ and face up.

Looking through my files this morning it soon became evident that walls – as subject – have featured quite regularly in my life. I may be a wall lover, without realising the fact. Certain walls have stopped me – both in a physical and metaphorical sense – and I have recorded that moment.

There are walls that have had historical significance, constructed for protection:

Walls with great character:

And walls that have been used as a canvas for the street artist’s statement:

I guess (hope) there will be plenty more walls to come. Thanks for visiting; as usual the photographs were made using an early Olympus digital camera and my current OMD, except for the cute Portuguese wall which was made using an Olympus OM1, film stock was Kodachrome. I’ll leave you with a wall I found in Lincoln – I researched the markings and resolved the enigma, but that’s another story.