People

Funny creatures, people. Seemingly different across flats in the same building, countries and continents, but really, when you look at the person, and not their culture, way of life, religion, all are pretty much the same. Driven by emotions, laugh when happy, cry when sad. Slaves to their inner urges and needs.

Now personally I can’t say I am a big fan of people in the general sense of the word. I find most people irritating and things they say mostly pointless. However, I absolutely love observing them in their day-to-day tasks. Now and again, you get a person who really inspires and perhaps even changes your look on life.

Taking pictures of people is not an easy job. You need to get the aperture just right, and all other technical shenanigans. The toughest part though is getting the person ‘right’ themselves. Portraying what the person wants us, the photographers, to portray.

For today, I have dug up some of my favorite photos (isn’t it strange that I don’t particularly like people but my favorite photos are that of people?) A small island in Indonesia, a little boy sitting on a wooden terrace-like structure, waving. Waving to strangers passing by and every now and again saying “hello”. This really is one of my favorite photos. Not in the technical sense, but rather the good, warm memory that it brings back to me.

(Taken in 2008 using a Nikon D300)

Here are two more shots taken of children on that same island. A young student, who was playing with her classmates and turned around for that short second to see who all those weird people were, and a little kid sitting on the stairs nibbling away on some sweets.

(Both photos taken in 2008 with a Nikon D300)

Moving away from Indonesia to Thailand, to a floating market to be more precise. Floating markets are the perfect blend of colors, attractions and business (I will write a full entry about them in the near future, but for now let us concentrate on the people). Just to quickly put you in the scene, this floating market consisted of a water labyrinth lined with water-level shops selling shoes, masks, and other ‘souvenirs’. Sitting in a canoe like boat, you are tempted by smells and sights of all sorts of food, which is sold by ‘chefs’ on other boats like yours.

This lady was taking a break on the side of the canal, a break from selling the amazing banana fritters.

(Taken in 2011, Thailand, using the Nikon D300)

And now to finish off two of my favorite ‘people’ photos. One digital like the others, the second analogue

This digital photo of a woman, a captain of the boat was also taken in Thailand on the floating market. I don’t know whether it is because I have always loved ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ or something else, but this lady looked to me like a pirate queen. She was the captain of captains. Proud, beautiful and agile, this lady was everything. She had it all.  

 (“The Pirate Queen” taken with Nikon D300)

However with analogue you sometimes just do not know what you will get. One night in Bangkok (“and the world’s your oyster”), I was just fooling around, snapping random photos of my sister just for fun. When I got the film developed and my photos printed (I am yet to learn the skill of film development) I stopped at this photo. Now I don’t know what it is about the photo, the celestial-like appearance of the white hair, the soft, enchanting light in the middle of the frame, or the expression on the face, but all I know is that I really like this photo.

(Bangkok, taken with Lomo LC-A+) 

All in all, people may be irritating at times, say unnecessary things and get in your way, but really, they are seriously interesting creatures. 

Hope you all enjoyed it!

Till later world.