As an amateur photographer, I find great joy whenever I walk in the city with my camera to capture life on the streets. Some people call it street photography with their own definitions. I do not like to define what it is and what is not. For me, it is a walk with the intention to capture what is interesting to me and what I want to document that matters to me. It is for me to enjoy taking photos and the ownership of the photograph. In the last five years, I created a few photobooks.
Most people take photos but keep them on their HD computer or in their mobile phones. May I suggest you print the selected few and make them into photobooks. The feeling is different when you can hold your photos in your own hands. It matters more when you grow old as I am.
It is almost two years since COVID-19 and my plan to do more urban photography was badly affected by government movement control orders and the SOPs we have to comply with until today. With more relaxation since six months ago, I managed to sneak out of my house and go and walk in the city. Being a senior citizen, I have to avoid crowded places to reduce the probability of infections.
One of my favourite subjects is colourful arches and building facades and road furniture as shown above. If you come to Brickfields blind-folded, you will know you have arrived because the noses can smell Indian curries and your ears can listen to Indian music. By the way, I love roti prata with lamb curry!
Another subject of my interest in street photography is watching people's behaviours. The photo above shows a small boy walking with her mother enjoying their city walk together. Even though I am a grandfather now, it still provokes my memory of when I was just like him walking with my mother more than 60 years ago.
As an engineer, I will not miss seeing the buildings, the roads and elevated railway tracks keep filling whatever available space we have in the city. I lived in Kuala Lumpur from 1984 to 2009. The traffic congestion is getting worse every year even though more roads are being constructed. Now I live in the suburbs and take the MRT train to come to Kuala Lumpur. The mess is good for my street photography as I document how the city becoming car and building centric. How I wish Kuala Lumpur will imitate Amsterdam. If you like cycling, I suggest visiting Amsterdam and cycling there. It is a heavenly ride for my friends and me who visited Amsterdam in May 2017.
