500px Worldwide Meetup Day @ Bangkok

When last January I bought my camera and committed myself to photography at a more serious level, apart from creating my blog, I also joined a photography webpage that seemed about right for what I was looking for: 500px. Ever since then, I have been using 500px as a sort of portfolio where I upload only the best shot or shots (if lucky) of each of my blog entries. But a few weeks ago I casually read a post in the web and, to my surprise, it was a call to organize a community photo walk in different cities across the globe on the same day. I wasted no time and contacted them, and so today, after a few e-mails, the creation of a Facebook group and some online chat, the day has arrived to go out and meet a few people to walk around the city taking pictures together.

The barrier, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

The meeting point was BACC (Bangkok's Art & Culture Centre) and the time, 15:30. However, the traffic was quite congested on my way there so, afraid of being late, I decided to get off the bus a few stops before my destination and continue walking (as contradictory as this might seem, walking is in Bangkok sometimes faster than going by bus/car/taxi). Luckily, this short, unexpected walk gave me the opportunity to grab a few shots that I had otherwise totally missed, so it worked as a brief warm up for what was to come shortly afterwards.

Work uniforms, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

Urban frame, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

We slowly grew to a number of about 10 and, after the customary introductions, off we went. But we didn't have to walk far to start our photo session, as right in front of BACC a generous group of Muslim girls were gathering with flags and posters to call for peace in the South of Thailand, where they had come from (an area that unfortunately has been suffering from some religious and political violence the last years). Almost accidentally, we found ourselves in the middle of the small demonstration, and so our photo walk got started a few minutes earlier than expected.

Holding hands, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

The umbrellas, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

Warning fingers, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

Convictions, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

After taking some pictures of them, we slowly headed towards the place we had agreed beforehand: Khlong Saen Saeb, a place I'm very familiar with as some of my first photowalks at thebeginning of the year were there, but this canal runs for a few kilometres and today we were going to explore an area I had never walked before. Familiar waters, but different grounds!

Mass Rapid Water Transport, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

Diagonals, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

Khlong Saen Saeb is a place full of life, color, movement, and people. The narrow alleyways that escort the canal or hide from it between the small huts are punctuated by countless homes that, more often than not, show their doors wide open, unashamed of living with one foot inside and another one outside, welcoming neighbors and embracing a sense of community. On our march through the neighborhood, we met many people along the way, and all of them showed us bright, friendly smiles and eyes full of healthy curiosity.

Seniority, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm 

Welcome home, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

Light spots I, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

Light spots II, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

But people is not all that inhabits these quarters, for we could see cats in almost every house, well attended, clean and tidy, sleeping comfortably outdoors or watching cautiously at the strangers passing in front of their dominions from the security of a window.

Siesta, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

Who's out there?, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm 

You are not allowed to ignore me, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

Walking along these lanes grants plenty of chances to see things, big and small, full of charm and uniqueness; in a word, we could say that this place is of a high level of photographibility, and observant eyes will find many things that will ask for a closer look, and of course will deserve a picture or more.

Chasing or escaping?, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

Blades, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

Letters or numbers?, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

As much as we were enjoying our walk, some people had other duties to perform during the evening, and we had reached a dead end in the canal, so we decided to call it a day and we promised to organize another photowalk as this one sooner rather than later. After swapping numbers and goodbyes, we parted ways, and each one of us followed our own path. I decided I would walk back on the other bank of the canal to the nearest pier to catch a boat to go back home, and during this short walk I could grab the last captures of a very interesting, yet short day. See you all soon again!

Urban landscape, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

Always open, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

Grave-shaped puddle, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 35-100mm

Sunday is just another day of work

On last Monday's entry I quietly hid something: I got lost. My plan was to walk along the canal all the way back home, passing a few neighborhoods that I hadn't visited before, and, while I enjoyed the walk, I couldn't accomplish what I intended due to one main factor: at one point in my walk, the alleyway literally disappeared under my feet, crumbled into the waters. It was not a long gap, I could perfectly see the continuation of the pavement a few meters ahead, but it was more than I could cover by a risky jump, so I had no choice but to retrace until I found a small soi leading back to town. My idea was to advance inside the narrow street and return to the canal as soon as I could. But I just couldn't find a way back, and the winding back alleys forced me to go deeper and deeper, so the rest of my walk was done in inner lands. That's why today, determined to finish what I had planned last time, I went back there and started my walk right in the spot where the alleyway on the bank of the canal resumed after the gap.

Imprisoned garbage, Lumix GH3 + Lumix G Vario 12-35mm

Every bridge is like a coin: it has invariably 2 sides. The upper part is exposed and bright, populated by pedestrians, vehicles, and asphalt, while underneath is hidden, silent and dark. But not deserted, as the promise of unexpected things always lurks in those low passages, always so near, yet so invisible and unknown for most of us. They are something like the magical threshold into a fantasy world from the fairytales, the entrance to a mysterious realm, where the rules of life and survival are different.

Threshold, Lumix GH3 + Lumix G Vario 12-35mm

Trying to escape from the chaos of the city, I entered a space where it doesn't matter what day of the week the calendar indicates, for the flow of life goes on, uninterrupted, following a daily routine that spins without end. The underworld is full of workers with barely time to rest, that is for sure, taking short breaks to resume their labour as soon as they can, tireless laborers that erect the city yet have no place in it to stay.

Short break, Lumix GH3 + Lumix G Vario 12-35mm

Water and fire, Lumix GH3 + Lumix G Vario 12-35mm

Covered with clothes from top to bottom, working in small groups on the edge of precarious platforms with the only safety of their own skill, the dwellers of the canal banks have dark skin and deep black eyes, they come from distant lands yet rarely have the chance to go back. They work hard. But they also smile, and they will always pause for a second, to let the people pass.

Never too young, Lumix GH3 + Lumix G Vario 12-35mm

Rootless, Lumix GH3 + Lumix G Vario 12-35mm

But they are not the only residents, as other people populate these lanes as well, here and there, busy with their own particular businesses. Nobody idle, nobody unoccupied, Sundays are just another day of work here, and as such, everyone is working. Perhaps the word work has a different meaning in a place like this. Or perhaps we have distorted it, in the first place.

The painter, Lumix GH3 + Lumix G Vario 12-35mm

As I went on wandering around for a couple of kilometers, I reached a secondary canal that discharged its waters in the one I was exploring. I was supposed to continue straight ahead, according to my original plan, but the smaller canal seemed to lead to a quieter, more secluded neighborhood, and the opportunity of discovering something new was too strong to resist. I sidetracked, then, and entered that little community.

Open house, Lumix GH3 + Lumix G Vario 12-35mm

The waters were so thick that seldom moved, but people had got used to live on its sides, and the whole settlement rested on both banks, as close to the liquid as can be imagined, with very limited space to grow, yet full of life, present and past: nothing is a waste here, everything has its purpose and its function, the concept of rubbish is unconceivable, every single tool and object, no matter how deteriorated it might be, will eventually be needed. Therefore its imperative to keep it.

Store room, Lumix GH3 + Lumix G Vario 12-35mm

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but sometimes beauty shows up in the most unexpected of places, unclouded and transparent, counteracting debris and ruins, decay and unhealthiness: in a kid's creative hands, a rotten cart becomes a carriage.

Locked, Lumix GH3 + Lumix G Vario 12-35mm

The village was very small, so soon I returned to the main canal. Not long after that, I past under the massive highway that flew over my head casting large shadows over the ground below. And again I learned one more lesson on how different the meaning of everything is in this parallel world, for the vast shadow area below the road was not the dangerous, ominous place one would have expected, but quite the opposite: the perfect place for a playground, safe from the burning, tropical sun.

Playground, Lumix GH3 + Lumix G Vario 12-35mm

Undergrounds, Lumix GH3 + Lumix G Vario 12-35mm

But, as it always happens in the fantasy realm, it comes the time to wake up from the dream, and go back to reality. In my case, that return had the shape of a flight of grey stairs: I climbed them to overcome a momentary absence of lane, and suddenly I was beaten by the roar of loud traffic around me. There was not turning back; as much as I wanted, the gate had been closed behind me and I was there, standing in the middle of a hectic bridge, facing a common facade, trying to assume the change.

Urban welcome, Lumix GH3 + Lumix G Vario 12-35mm

I hastened: now that I was back on this side of the bridge, I wanted to hurry back home; suddenly I felt tired, exhausted, as if I had been walking far longer than I even remembered, and the noise and smoke surrounding me irritated my ears tremendously. But as I was heading home, I was forced to stop one last time: the barrier was lowering, and a rattling train was approaching, making fun of me.

Train approaching, Lumix GH3 + Lumix G Vario 12-35mm

Train passing, Lumix GH3 + Lumix G Vario 12-35mm

As soon as the barrier was lifted, I continued my fast walk, unconcerned about the environment. But just then, when I was about to turn the last corner to abandon the main road and approach my home, something caught my attention. It was just a second, but it struck me sharply, leaving me in awe: some of the dwellers of the underworld, masked under their hoods, had crossed the threshold and entered our world, going somewhere I'm still struggling to find out.

The journey, Lumix GH3 + Lumix G Vario 12-35mm

Street photography with a telephoto lens

I only have one prime lens, the Olympus M. Zuiko 45mm, a medium telephoto, mostly used for portraits due to its focal length and beautiful bokeh. I have been using it mostly in the evenings and in low light conditions, as it's the fastest of my 2 lenses, but I didn't use it in bright daylight yet, so today I decided to change my routine and do some street exploring with it as my only lens, under the harsh afternoon light. I took the bus, and went downtown for the challenge.

Departure, GH3 + Olympus M. Zuiko 45mm

I was used to see the city through the wider Lumix G Vario 12-35mm, so it took me a while to adjust to the narrower field of view. At the beginning, I tried to step back to catch more scene in frame, but this was not a very successful method, as I was walking one of my favorite and regular spots, the canal (in a neighborhood I had never visited before), and this meant quite narrow walkways and limited space to move around.

Vertical painter, GH3 + Olympus M. Zuiko 45mm

Therefore, I decided to concentrate on smaller scale subjects, focusing my view on details or reduced subjects, rather than trying to shoot broader architecture that I just couldn't catch. Occasionally, however,  I wanted to shoot one of Bangkok's usual high buildings, and due to the impossibility of fitting it all in frame, I had to take advantage of reflections to achieve what I wanted.

Fallen leaves, GH3 + Olympus M. Zuiko 45mm

Big and small, modern and traditional, Asian and Western, those are the 2 opposite words in which Bangkok lives; at times fast and noisy, at times slow and silent, you cannot walk a few meters without encountering samples of one and the other, sometimes side by side, as there are no boundaries or delimitations in this city: all coexists and shares the same spaces, contradictions walk hand in hand, impossible matches happen.

Golden shrine, GH3 + Olympus M. Zuiko 45mm

One of the predominant colors in Thailand is gold: you will see it in shrines, roof tiles, lanterns, clothes... However, another color that rivals it is red: tropical weather is terribly humid, and all metal surfaces tend to rust over time, specially those that remain outdoors. No matter what is the object and its original color, they will gradually turn maroon under the fiery monsoon rains.

Mimesis, GH3 + Olympus M. Zuiko 45mm

Out of business, GH3 + Olympus M. Zuiko 45mm

Wherever abandonment establishes its campsite, rust will be one of the usual denizens, spreading its tint all around; but it never comes along, for it has a loyal companion that accompanies him most of the times, traveling anywhere he goes, shadow and friend: garbage.

Overflow, GH3 + Olympus M. Zuiko 45mm

Bangkok is a fascinating city, full of charms, but it's also overpopulated by litter. No matter what part of the city, uptown or in the suburbs, it's never difficult to find deserted spots full of debris, ruined buildings brimming with residues, streams of water infected by waste. Sometimes they are only a handful of meters away from luxurious hotels or expensive shopping centers. There is no discrimination here: rubbish reaches everywhere.

The king of the dump, GH3 + Olympus M. Zuiko 45mm

But, in all honesty, nothing is a waste here, as there is always someone (be it animals, or people) that will take advantage of rubbish and survive on it. The waste of some is the supply for others. That's the way this city, this world works. But there is something else that shocks me the most here: it's not only about survival, as there will always be someone who will find such an environment the perfect place to just sit down, enjoy, and rest.

Home, GH3 + Olympus M. Zuiko 45mm

Second photo walk: Khlong Saen Saeb, II

I enjoyed my relaxing walk the other day so much, that I decided to repeat location on my second photostroll; being so near, it was comfortable and convenient for me to go there at any time, so after lunch, once the sun was not so merciless anymore, I took my iPod, my small backpack containing my camera, my 2 lenses, and a bottle of cold water, and left my room. To make things a bit different, however, I decided to walk the right bank of the canal this time.

Fake autumn, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

There is only a few meters of stinky waters between both banks, but everything on this side looked different, more expansive, broader, not in the physical dimensions, but in the atmosphere that I perceived while walking there: the solitude felt distinct, the light, the sounds... Even the weeds that grow with impunity in the abandoned buildings shone with special intensity.

House of nobody, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

Saen Saeb was once a clear canal, which used to feed thousands of people who lived on their sides, trusting it as their primary way of transportation, as their resource of water and fish, as their place of entertainment (Bangkok was know as the "Venice of the East" back then). Now, just a few decades later, all that remains is an oily, opaque, reeking stream of dark waters where only the speedboats seem to feel at home.

The new neighbor, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

It's amazing to me how life sprouts in the most unhealthy environments: in spite of the ruins and deserted plots, the polluted waters and the rubbish, one could find, also, bursts of life and beauty along the way. It's indeed miraculous that a seed can root, and grow, and survive with the only fuel of these waters. Maybe there is something I don't grasp, or I'm blind to. Or may it be, perhaps, that the attention of pairs of caring hands watering then, day after day, is powerful enough to overcome toxicity and poison?

The garden, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

But, again, my outing was a lonely one: afternoon makes no exceptions, and it always locks people inside their houses, wary of the darkening, tropical sun, no matter what month of the year. As I advanced, I only came across a few carefree animals who seemed to enjoy the serenity of the ambient as much as I did.

Sad-eyed, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

Wrecker twins, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

As much as I wanted to run into someone and seize any chance to capture some portraits of the local people who lives in this area, there were no chances today, and my walk was, from beginning to end, an exercise on lonesomeness. Nobody dared venturing into the sunny walkway, so I marched ahead without any obstacles. But suddenly, when I felt almost hopeless, a slight movement caught my attention: there, inside a small house, eyes wide open, a baby, barely standing on his own feet, was looking at me.

The fence, GH3 + Olympus M. Zuiko 45mm

His grandfather, who had built the fence himself very skillfully, gave me permission to take a picture of his cute grandson with a nod and a smile on his face. Yes, Thai people is, more often than not, kind and gentle, specially the farther you go from the touristic, downtown areas. But the same cannot be said about stray dogs: they are threatening and very territorial, and, after a couple of hours of calm, uneventful stroll, I reached a messy patch of land where a few unfriendly dogs came to meet me, fangs barking at me. So I, prudent and a bit coward, had to give up and step back until I reached the closest bridge, and cross back to the left side.

Links, GH3 + Olympus M. Zuiko 45mm

Only now that the sun was dimming people started populating the tight pavement, but I try to avoid overcrowded places, so I decided it was time to walk back home already (my bottle of water was long gone and I felt thirsty). I stopped for a moment to observe the twilight over the dancing waters, and, after a few minutes, while the echoes of the nearby mosque were fading in the distance, I slowly travelled back to city life. We will meet soon again, Saen Saeb!

Convenient yet unsafe, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

Natural lights, GH3 + Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm

Obviously, what welcomed me back to the bustling roads was the chaos of street vendors, settling their stands or already engaged with indecisive customers. However, today I felt tired and didn't want to snap more photos, so I walked past them as fast as I could, on my way back home. But my camera was still hanging from my neck, so it was quite fast for me to raise it one more time, as I turned the last corner before the small, quiet soi that leads to my house, and grab a colorful still to conclude the session in high spirits, and good smell! Have a good evening, everybody!

Scents of faith, GH3 + Olympus M. Zuiko 45mm