Open air
(‘Gondolier’ on boat and a man washing dishes: Zhouzuang, China)
My favourite method of photography does not involve turning all the wheels on a camera and surfing the screen menus, I do that, but only to allow my technique a head-start. ‘The Peeping Tom’ is the move I prefer to all others, it permits me to take surreptitious shots whilst the subject is turned away. I ensure my camera is completely silent, except for the short mechanical blink of the shutter and thus employ ‘the Tom’ at every opportunity. I am positive that one day I will find myself in some trouble or other, most likely with the parent of a young child in a park or something, or I shall be savaged by the wildlife I am closing in on.
That aside, this is an example of the images I enjoy capturing. The man in the background is washing his dishes in a sink on the balcony. Perhaps this is his main household sink, or he is enjoying the afternoon air, maybe both. The water running from his plates trickles down to the right of his feet and through the brickwork to the water below. It is difficult to know if this water drainage system is recent or if that is how this town has always been. The lady in the boat had been moored farther downstream and sat knitting with several other boat women, clearly waiting to be called for customers upstream.
The gift of being a stranger in such a place is that I am ignorant. Mostly this is a burden, but it frees me to create my own stories and narratives using what I see as inspiration. I have never seen a boat pass someone doing the dishes outside. Such scenes are regular here and completely unremarkable to all the Chinese tourists, yet to me these are as interesting as any attraction.
