Empty streets of noon with some sparkles of life

Sunday afternoon at the peak of the hot season; clear, bright, blue skies above, my tiny shadow below, my camera hanging from my neck and my forehead sweating. But I feel like walking the empty streets and see what there is to see around. With slow steps, I walk the silent alleys and take some simple pictures. There is no movement, just stillness. So I simply walk, stop, shoot, drink, and  resume my soothing walk.

Hibernating, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

 Unwelcome, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

Color behind bars, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

At the end of a long, quiet soi there was a temple; I was expecting to find traces of saffron, glimpses of a robe hiding in the shades, novices defying the sun or sweeping fallen leaves from the floor, perhaps a dog, dozing in the cold marble of the shrine. But I did not. Again, all I found was silence, lethargy, peace: echoes of human activity, here and there, and a single human figure walking away from me.

Laundry, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

Subtle steps, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

I reached the main road, and the noise of traffic reappeared. The smell of street food. The Seven Elevens. The pedestrian bridges. The BTS overhead line. And the homeless people waiting for a bit of charity along the long road.

Woman in a pink dress, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

Big, busy roads make me feel uncomfortable, as I need to be aware of the traffic and the passing people more than of the scenery and surroundings, thus not being able to really concentrate on photographing. I guess it's a question of practice, and maybe with time I will become faster at multitasking in crowded environments, but as of today, I rather walk in a quieter environment, where I can focus all my senses just in walking, observing, and capturing light and moments. So I got on the first bus that passed by, and got off a few minutes later at a much more sedated area.

 Curious peek, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

 Duplicated cables, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

Tools, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

Lots of harsh shadows and plenty of unperturbed time to see, think, and capture. I walked slowly, watching the urban furniture, and most of the times I saw myself thinking in black and white, again, reinforcing my appreciation for this tonal universe. But there is so much color in this world, that sometimes it's just needed to catch the essence of some realities.

 Getting old, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

Home, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

Walking amidst city chaos: Pratunam

I had an appointment this morning at Central World, a shopping center in downtown Bangkok. It didn't take long and I had the camera in my backpack. The idea was to spend this warm, nice Saturday afternoon wandering the streets and taking pictures; I wanted to take a bus to some other area of the city less crowded and busy than this, but the traffic was specially congested today and so I found myself trapped in the hectic, always chaotic Pratunam area. The number of people and vehicles is always high here so walking is not easy, much less comfortable, but I had no choice, and my hands were anxious to start watching, so I grabbed the camera and got into the multitude.

Through the glass, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

Repetitions, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

It was very hot, but in this bustling part of the city there is no time to rest, and everyone goes ahead with their tasks no matter the time of the day or the weather condition: the street chef patiently stands under a big umbrella waiting for hungry customers, the cobbler carefully polishes some worn-out leather sitting in a plastic stool, the fruit seller skilfully cuts the pineapple in curious shapes as he/she sweats under the sun, the buses roar along the streets... In short: a normal day in Pratunam.

Street tailor, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

Work luggage, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

Bus station I, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

Bus station II, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

The light was so blinding and flat that I decided to try some monochrome captures, focusing my attention mostly in areas and subjects of big contrast rather than colors, and I soon realized how different is the process of "seeing" if you take color out of the question altogether and focus solely in luminosity and contrast. The brights were really too bright and the darks, in opposition, pitch black, so the sensor definitely could not cope with such massive dynamic range. But, in that scenario, all I tried to do is keep the main subject in a good exposure, and let the rest fall wherever it should.

Light frame, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

Recess, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

Dark corridor, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

Arches, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

I'm really growing to like monochrome photography, it's a very different style that forces me to train my eyes to see differently, and I think I like some of the monochrome pictures the most. But I was feeling tired and dehydrated, and I decided to call it a day already to return home. But first I had a very unpleasant task to complete: waiting for the bus, as long as it would take, in the middle of the street.

 Waiting for the bus I, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm

Waiting for the bus II, GH3 + Lumix G Vario 35-100mm