Shooting street doesn’t get much better than on the streets of Bangkok. See it and you’ve missed it, is one of the old sayings about how quickly things happen on the street, and how easy it is to miss that moment. The great thing about Bangkok is that there are just so many moments.
That is what makes this event – 8 x 8 – in Bangkok, organised by Monogram Asia, so exciting. Combine the dynamic, cinematic streets of Bangkok with some of the best street photographers currently shooting and you have a killer combination. I must say I am honoured to be on the line up with photographers whose work I admire so much. It will be a thrill to get to know people like Eric Kim, Gathot S, Xyza Bacani, Chatchai B, Sheldon Serkin, Olly Lang, Rammy Narula.
Here’s how it works. First, there is a three-hour photo walk around the highly-photogenic streets of Bangkok. Each of us will take a group of 8 people on the walk, along the way sharing tips, guiding the participants, and heightening that sense of photographic awareness – to get that shot!
With me, we will be shooting on mobile. That could be an iPhone like me, or a Samsung, a Sony or any one of the great cameras that are on smart phones these days. And you know what? We will be the lucky ones. Why? Who wants to lug around a heavy DSLR? Who wants the world to know you are taking a photograph when you raise that big camera up to your eye? I know I don’t. Sure, I like to shoot with a Nikon DSLR and I also use a Fuji X100T, but the best shots I get, the most fun I have in photography is with the iPhone. It is the perfect street camera. It is fast – one swipe and you are ready to shoot. It focuses correctly and quickly on auto. It’s discreet and allows you to get in close to your subject without startling them to get great candid shots. I could go on and on, but let’s keep the tricks for when we meet in Bangkok.
One of the things I am really excited about is all the conversations about photography and street shooting we are going to have. Lots of this will be informal, but there are two days of formal talks and lectures planned. Big names like Take Hayo (Big Head Taco) Bellamy Hunt (Japan Camera Hunter) and Paul Yan are pencilled in to speak. Then there’s the photo exhibition of the guest artists which is open to the public, as are the stands for all things photographic that will be on display on the same day.
So there you have it. 8 x 8 Street Photography Bangkok. This will be the street photography event of the year. Want to be a part of it? Click here for all details.
See you in Bangkok.
