Chinatown stroll

Some more shots from my walk through Chinatown in Bangkok. All taken with the Olympus 75mm lens, which is great for capturing people; but maybe less good for capturing a sense of place; although hopefully some of these do both.

Typical small business owner, watching over his employees and ready to do a deal. Striped shirt optional:

Keeping an eye on business

The latest beauty treatment on the streets involves caking on some powder and then rubbing it off with thread. There were several women in a line offering this service:

The powder and thread route to beauty

The streets of Chinatown are crammed with small traders, all trying to make a living from whatever they can sell:

Fruit preparation

Trading in Buddha amulets is big business in Thailand. This man was checking a potential purchase for his stall:

Checking the goods

Heated discussion

I read the news today, oh boy

Street cat

Hawking food around the pavements of hot and polluted Chinatown must the one of the harder ways of earning a living. This lady looks like she has had enough:

Dreaming of a better life

Checking the financial pages for the state of plastic hairgrip futures

You often see Thais with these inhalers, perks them up a bit and prevents dizziness. Sleeping with one up your nose is not good for you, but at least he knows where to find the cap when he wakes up!:

Inhaling dreams

Another meal sold for 25 baht

Even with a longish lens, sometime you get caught in the act of taking a shot….:

Buy my lights; or else

Substantial toothpick

Time after time

Fried everything

Two hats are better than one

Comments 🔗

2012-08-24 | Chang Noi says

That are some amazing beautiful shots …. please get lost more times! Maybe next time along the klongs? Isn’t Bangkok street life beautiful … as long as you are an spectator.

2012-08-24 | Grant says

Echo that, some of your best work seems to be done when you’re fed up and have strode off in a huff, that’s high dudgeon used to its best. People are the essence of Chinatown and you’ve caught the Chineseness to a ‘T’. Impressed!

2012-08-24 | Spanky says

Love the watch picture. The camera purge has begun and up next is a lens purge for the 75mm!

2012-08-25 | Barry says

More excellent portraits. You’ve inspired me to go down there myself. Interesting what you wrote about being caught even using a long lens - I have sometimes stared at someone in a crowd (sometimes perving, sometimes not), and quite often they’ll sense they are being watched even from a distance. Primal instinct, no doubt. On a maybe related subject, try seeing someone yawn and not yawn yourself. Not easy. I wonder why.

2012-08-25 | Spike says

My wife has a well-developed primal instinct to catch me perving.

2012-08-25 | ChangNoi says

Just “Ahaan Tha”

2012-08-25 | genuinej says

Letting the side down again Grant. No apostrophe in the possessive its. It’s a surprising mistake from a man of your standing.

2012-08-27 | Grant says

I was tired and emotional - even Homer nods…