boris earth

<p><a href="http://www.photo.net/photos/Boris%20Earth">http://www.photo.net/photos/Boris Earth</a><br>

Shot with an M6<br>

http://igloomelts.my-expressions.com/</p>

<p> </p>

I have transferred my Asian Street Photography blog too:

http://igloomelts.my-expressions.com/

Hi

http://igloomelts.my-expressions.com/

feed://igloomelts.my-expressions.com/atom_6325.xml

Cheers

http://igloomelts.my-expressions.com/

feed://igloomelts.my-expressions.com/atom_6325.xml

Cheers

Jon

I took this shot with my rolleiflex in Singapore:

<a href="http://igloomelts.blogspot.com/2006/01/hawker-centre-singapore.html">Man

in a Hawker Centre</a>

With this shot he was just sitting there and I smiled at him and pointed at my camera and

he

nodded. I didn't take the shot at that time instead I went away for 15 minutes. When I

returned I focused on a spot the same distance away without pointing at him and walked

up

to just behind him to meter his spot. Then I walked away again wandered around and

came

back when I noticed he was sitting in an interesting way and took the shot.

Hi Steve, I visited Calcutta in September and took a rolleiflex and Leica M6 taking black &

white street photos. I suggest that less is more ie your leica should be good as its best to

travel light & I suggest using ISO400 film & colour slide films. I didn't have many problems

with crowds except for a lot of kids at Belur Math. Have a great trip!

http://www.igloomelts.blogspot.com/

I just shoot.

Alex, you know celebrities? Can you provide introductions? ;)

Thanks Paul, Steve & Alan for the comments.

Alan's web site shows some exceptional street & documentary photography from Asia & around the world.

As far as background goes, actually, it's quite interesting that most people assume I am anglo saxon but actually I am Eurasian, born in England, educated in Australia and living in Thailand & Singapore for the last 6 years.

Tri X 120 is in short supply in Singapore. The retailers say its too

expensive to import because the demand is low. Try Ruby at

Peninsula Shopping Centre or Cathay Photo opposite at

Peninsula Plaza. Also try Ron's Camera Shop which is very

close by at Adelphi in the basement.

As far as shooting goes it depends what you like. For black &

white, you could try:

Little India & Serangoon Road,

Mustafa Centre,

Arab St,

Chinatown,

Maxwell Hawker Centre,

Telok Ayer St,

Orchard Rd,

Changi Village,

The Esplanade &

along the river from the Fullarton

Good luck with your trip & shooting!

Jeff

I thought this forum was 'Street & Documentary'photography & this thread is 'Asian Street Photography'?

Or do you read the two (Street & Documentary) as the same concept with the same purpose ie documenting some 'objective truth'?

Sure, I think origin & context is important especially with documentary photography but I don't think it is as large a factor in judging street pictures. Feel free to disagree ;)

Is a quality 'Street' photo somehow lacking in 'truth' because it lacks the requisite 'local/insider' origin or context?

Is 'objective truth' even something that street photography should try and achieve?

Did Daido Moriyama or HCB ever concern themselves with labels or did they just take pictures that they liked?

In the end I am not concerned about the category/label a picture falls into, I'd rather just look at the quality of the picture & the new ways of seeing things that a good picture represents.

I agree with Mark & Balaji too. Compare Dorothea Lange, Friedlander, Frank, Winogrand & Nan Goldin. All influential & visionary photographers who show us 'American' photography. But they all have different ways of seeing things, they are all unique and all outsiders in different ways.

It's not the attribute of 'Outsider'/'Insider'/'Asian'/'Non Asian' that gives a photo its integrity or value. What is important is not the label but the quality of the pictures & the photographer.

Eddie, Jeff

An interesting discussion.

My view is that every photographer brings their own background

to their photography . This can be seen by a photographer's

objective in taking photos, their selection of shots and the impact

on the subjects of the act of taking pictures.

I have no pretension to 'be an insider in Asia'. I do not believe

there is such an objective standard. There is no 'inside' just

different perspectives albeit with different levels of technical

value, understanding of subject matter and different ways of

looking at things.

I suggest 'the street photographer' (whatever this means) is

always an outsider not just in Asia but anywhere they take

photos. When you put the viewfinder to your eye you are creating

a 'difference'; between yourself and your subject.

In the end its an interesting, if not academic, discussion as the

only thing that really matters is taking photos according to your

own vision whatever and wherever this may be.

My purpose in taking pictures is not to satisfy an ideal of 'Asian'

or 'street' photography. It is just to take pictures that I like that

may be roughly categorised as 'Asian Street' photography.

Thanks for the Japanese references. Daido Moriyama has long

been a photographer whose vision I admire. I would love to see

more Asian street photography & Eddie's stuff is very good.

In Shanghai, I saw an exhibition of a Chinese street

photgrapher, Lu Yuanmin, who was very good. http://

www.china.org.cn/english/culture/73622.htm

This website is also interesting:

http://www.sites.si.edu/images/exhibits/Documenting%20China/

pages/Lu-Yuanmin-Untitled-3_jpg.htm

Cheers

Jon

Michael, SP, Eddie (feel free to finish the sentence 8)), Richard &

Bruno, Thanks for your comments, much appreciated.

Michael s, are the 'vertical lines' you refer to the ones in gray

framing the photos or the horizontal lines in the side bar?

SP, I think your right on the size. I started out at 250 pixels - but

I'm thinking 350 or 450 may be better.

Tomorrow, I'm after to Little India in Singapore to try and get

some shots.

I welcome any constructive comments on my new Photoblog of

Asian street photography:

http://igloomelts.blogspot.com/

I had a quick look at your galleries (I like the fist). You may consider the following suggestions:

Singapore:

1) Shots of the Esplanade (aka a pair of Durian aka flies eyes) from the Supreme Court steps.

2) Botero & Dali sculptures around the UOB Building off Raffles Place in the City.

3) Orchid Garden in the Botanic Gardens.

4) Arab St Mosques & the Hindu Temple on Serangoon Rd

Hong Kong:

1) If it's a Sunday & its raining then take shots of filipino maids sheltering under the Lloyds Bank building.

2) Mid levels escalators for people & strange geometric shapes of buildings.

Shanghai:

1) Jazz Bands & pigeons on the roof of the Peace Hotel on the Bund.

Beijing:

1) Take a wander around the Hutongs.

For other ideas take a look at my galleries on Singapore & Shanghai at http://www.jongresham.com/phothome.html.

Some photos of Prague I have put on the web:

http://www.jongresham.com/photprague.html

Cheers

Jon

I am from Sydney and used to live in MCMahons Point around

the corner from Luna Park:

http://www.jongresham.com/sydney7.html

Your web site is well designed and easy to navigate.

But more importantly I think your pictures are great and show

creativity and diversity.

www.jongresham.com

Some shots of Jakarta taken around Batavia in 2003 that I have

recently posted on the web.

http://www.jongresham.com/jakartababy.html

I am visiting Jakarta this weekend visiting friends and hope to

take some more pictures.

Craig, thanks for your comments.

Alas, I think the symbol is reversed because I took the symbol

from a scan and then cleaned it up in photoshop and in the

process managed to reverse it.

On the locals, they are friendly, but I agree, most say no when

you ask to take their photo.

Richard, yes indeed. It is quite practical. They appear very

comfortable and relaxed in their pyjamas. I wonder what they'd

think of my Prada Boxer Shorts. [My apolgies. To much

pretentious information] 8)

Cheers

Jon

I bought a second hand Noctilux in Singapore about 2 months

ago.

I usually use a 35mm Summicron. I found the Noctilux a lot

heavier but just as heavy as an 'average' SLR, focussing took a

bit of getting used to but the results are amazing.

Here are some shots I took in Shanghai a couple of weeks ago

with the Noctilux.

http://www.jongresham.com/china0618a.html

http://www.jongresham.com/china0623a.html

http://www.jongresham.com/china0621a.html

Cheers

Jon