My sincere thanks for all the comments and votes on my previous upload – especially to Trish (MRSbiscuit60) for the User Award.
Back to the more familiar type of image for me this time, although the extremely encouraging comments about stepping out of my comfort zone may tempt me to do so again in the future.
I espied this fascinating individual in Bangkok on one of our afternoon walks from Prachan through to Tha Tien; it was searingly hot and we had resolved to head for some welcome liquid refreshment and a rest at a favoured watering-hole near Wat Po called the Rub-a-Roon Cafe Bar.
Unkempt and ill-clad, shoeless and unwashed, this unfortunate character was slumped against the base of a tree near the corner of Tha Chang, quite close to the Grand Palace. Two or three plastic bags were by his side, which I assumed were all his worldly goods. He did not proffer a begging bowl as many do in this city; he did not even attempt to attract attention from passers-by. For much of the time he just sat motionless, in a forlorn world of his own, staring sadly into space. Occasionally he took notice of what was going on around him, his eyes flitting around as people went about their business, but not once did I notice him utter a sound or raise his arms to engage anyone’s attention. People walked by as if he didn't exist.
I moved to a vantage point about forty feet away, crouched as if adjusting my shoelaces, primed the camera for action, tilted the viewfinder and waited for the right opportunity. For what seemed an eternity my target was staring into space but facing away, but eventually he turned his head and I was able to squeeze off the shot between a gap in the thronging mass that was wandering up and down looking at the wares of the amulet sellers and other street vendors.
I have uploaded three versions of the same image - colour, sepia and mono. It will be interesting to see which you prefer.
The gentle amble from Prachan to Tha Tien was something that we did several times on other occasions during that visit to Bangkok but despite looking hard I did not see him again. Every time I look at this image I wonder what his story was – how did he come to be in such a situation, what was his background, what events had shaped his life, was there any hope on the horizon? For me it is a very sad image and a sobering reminder - there but for the grace of God ---------------------
Tags: Portrait
Travel
General
Man
Bangkok
Candid
Thailand
Close-up and macro
Portraits and people
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