Life on the streets

[lesneo]

SEN003

I remembered following my mom to the wet market when I was little. I helped to carry purchased stock while listening to her bargained at different stalls. Although such negotiation is less practiced today due to clear displayed prices, the tradition of children following their parents to the wet market is very much alive. This girl will probably inherit the cooking skills and knowledge of different recipes from her mom, starting her lessons young in the wet market.

 

[lesneo]

SEN004

The man who owns every bright sparks in this little outfit of a shop. From the looks of it, LED lights are taking over the world. Ask this man, he will tell you that he brings in less bulbs and tubes nowadays. Long life and low maintenance are the rave of this newer light source, lasting up to 50 times longer than the conventional tungsten or fluorescent. So what is the most sellable in this shop? Guess what LED the way?

 

[lesneo]

SEN005


I can't think of anyone I know who doesn't fancy ice cream. It's a top choice for comfort food, whether you have or haven't any teeth (warning: don't leave babies alone with ice cream). If you bother, you can count the number of licks you'll take to finish off an ice cream cone - believe it or not, it's recorded that it's about 50 licks. This young man knows that an indicator of manhood is when you can buy your own ice cream and you needn't ask your parents for permission. Vanilla flavour, anyone?

 

[lesneo]

SEN006

Boy taking a well deserved break with a cold drink in hand. Cause everyone knows following Mom around in the wet market is a tiring affair.

 

[lesneo]

SEN007

I feel that the point of interest in this photo is the way the vendor appeared to be checking out the clock. It's a play of perspective and we know that she wasn't really looking at the time. My respect goes to wet market vendors like her because the hours they keep are very different from us office hours people. Many of them punched in during the wee hours of the morning and won't stop till after lunch. To me, they upkeep a strong tradition which modern folks like us tend to take for granted.

 

[lesneo]

SEN008

Catching up on the news. Catching up on yourself. This man and I have our different ways to the latter - he reads the newspapers while I walk the streets. Important thing is, slow down, catch your breath and recharge. Set aside that time and space for yourself. It's becoming a luxury nowadays in this rat race world, but it's necessary. You're worth it.

 

[lesneo]

SEN009
Little girl with big brother inside McDonalds. The mix of artificial and natural light from inside and outside the place caught my attention for this shot. Just as McDonalds has its way of drawing kids, the same effect have scenes with contrasting lights on me. Lighting is photography's best friend. I'm loving it.

 

[lesneo]

SEN010

To be sure if the fish is fresh, check the gills. I caught this man demonstrating such savviness as I recalled several other marketing tips learned from my mom while growing up. To me, these are the little but critical life skills which define and are still defining me.

 

[lesneo]

SEN011

The fruit seller makes it conducive for customers by cutting up his fruits and serving them in a ready to eat state, neatly displayed and wrapped on foam plates. I don't know if he sells more fruits this way but I applaud him for being creative.

 

[lesneo]

SEN012

There's something about this little girl's pose and expression that made me like this photo. Perhaps it's that natural vibe she portrayed. But truth be told, I didn't get this shot right. It isn't all sharp. It could be my focusing or camera shake. Yet, the genre of Street Photography is rather forgiving when it comes to technicalities. Though life is imperfect, we live and let live, and hope to define its essence in our own ways.

 

[lesneo]

SEN013

The fact is, there are more variety of vegetables than there are of meat in the wet market. Knowing the different names for each vegetable is hard enough, let alone knowing how to pick them right. Guess I'll stick with chicken.

 

[lesneo]

This is still my favourite street photography venue - our own Chinatown. Though the name speaks Chinese, it's really a melting pot, due to the very famous Sri Mariamman Temple at the entrance of Pagoda Street. Love my Singapore.

 

[lesneo]

This photo wasn't taken in Thailand and neither was this man expressing "sawadikap" to me. I happened to snap him right after he yawned. You'd never know what priceless expression you can capture on the street.

 

[lesneo]

The old world charm of Bras Basah Complex. This place holds a special place in my heart. I came here often when I was a design student. Now I direct many of my students here for material purchases and design related services. It becomes more personal now as I bring my daughter here to hunt for graphic books. It won't be our last trip.

 

[lesneo]

Love them or hate them, stairs are an incredible design innovation. They remain constant whenever lifts or elevators break down, and promise better health if you would use them more regularly. Life may take you to places high or low; chances are, stairs will be there to offer you their services.

 

[lesneo]

A good book often needs to be picked from a pile. That's why the books here had the undivided attention of this gentleman, who stood motionless like a statue, as he scrutinised each title in hope to find that special one that would make his day. I found my unique street photography moment through this photo. I hope he found his book.

 

[bullterrier]

Love your photos and narrations. Lovely pieces of work.

I have a friend who passed away yesterday morning from complications from dengue. He was here to attend another friend's wedding. Didn't make it in the end. Life can be so transient so we really should stop our daily rush to smell the roses or take photos and looked a the world in our case. Take care and all the best.

 

[lesneo]

Hi bullterrier, thank you so much for visiting. I can't agree with you more. Life is so transient. We need to intentionally stop to smell the flowers by the way, or we miss the essence of things that make this journey in life fulfilling. That's why I love street photography, and I'm getting into a little writing, to constantly remind me of the common and normal things that I do often take for granted. I'm very sorry to hear about your friend. Please take care.

 

[Nikonzen]

View attachment 9793
A good book often needs to be picked from a pile. That's why the books here had the undivided attention of this gentleman, who stood motionless like a statue, as he scrutinised each title in hope to find that special one that would make his day. I found my unique street photography moment through this photo. I hope he found his book.

Yep...that is me all right.

Staircase to office...stairway way to heaven...and a bag included no less.

 

[lesneo]

Haha Nikonzen, that really you? You pulling my leg, right?

Here's my post for the day. Trying to commit to post a pic a day. The street beckons.


If you think about it, life is a series of waiting. It's definitely less boring if you have a company. Like this pair of friends here, I was also waiting when I made this shot. They were passing time for their friends to turn up, I for the rain to stop. If you look closely at the reflection on the sunglasses, you can see that I didn't have the luxury of a company then.