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the photographer local markets have much to offer. You will always
find an array of vibrant colors from the fruits, vegetables, grains,
spices and meats displayed. And, in places like China where everyday
life is so much different from ours, it's very interesting to see
exactly how they handle the mundane everyday kind of things. For example:
When is the last time you saw meats (right) displayed on a plywood
board and without refrigeration in the US? I'm sure there are places
where you might still see such things, but it's not something we see
in northern New Jersey a lot. But the real reward for the photographer
is in the pictures of the people, especially the children you encounter.
On this visit to the market we managed to take a couple of exceptional
pictures of the children. |
Fresh
meats for sale |
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Little
boy urinating in the street
Little
girl bored waiting for daddy
to fiddle with his camera and
take a family picture
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The
shots at left are perfect examples of what I mean by being ready
on a moments notice.
For
the top shot, we were sitting on the bus in traffic when I noticed
this little boy about two years old waddle over from a small market
to the street curb. When I say waddle I mean waddle. It wasn't what
you'd consider a normal stride for a child. I quickly grabbed my
camera and focused on the little boy not knowing what to expect.
Arriving at the curb the little boy fumbled with his pants for a
few seconds and, before you knew it, he was squatting and urinating
on the street. I know the picture isn't great, but it is a reminder
of this whole experience, of how he waddled to the curb and fumbled
with his pants to undo them.
For
the lower shot, we were waiting to enter the Summer Palace when
I noticed a father posing the adult women of his family for a photograph.
His little girl, about 3 or 4 years old, was obviously bored with
the whole procedure and the time he was taking to get the photo.
After a few minutes of wandering around near her father and tugging
at him a couple of times, she finally walked around behind him and
just rested her head against his back. Another beautiful shot captured
because I was ready with the camera and patient enough to wait and
see what developed.
Don't
misinterpret my fondness for these pictures. They're not what I
would call perfect by any means and they certainly won't win any
contests, but they captured the essence of a moment of our trip.
Years from now when we are sitting on that front porch rocking in
our rocking chairs and looking at the pictures, they will bring
back many fond memories of our trip to China and of the people we
met.
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