Banana Bag Man

When I asked to photograph this man he must have thought I was really into his shopping habits, which is kind of true. Remembering back, I was fascinated by his white, see through bag, filled up with small version bananas, but at no point did I asked him to hold it up and show them to me. Nonetheless, I am happy he did. We walked down the street together, pointing and talking about bananas, apparently. After a few hundred meters we came to his stop. A tiny shop, where he passed on the bananas to someone else.  

The Thai Boxer

One of the many good things about Chiang Mai is that it's full of small, narrow streets where I can easily walk around, uninterrupted by cars, to hunt for people. In this little passage, I got stopped by the man above. He was hanging out with his friends and wanted to show of his thai boxing skills when he saw my camera. I took it as an invite and started photographing. This was the last photo I took of him, and I think it symbolizes victory. After the opponent is beaten, you hush the applauding crowd.

Man With Scarf

From a distance I noticed John's outfit. It instantly intrigued me because it seemed like he still lived in the olden days, only this was Camberwell 2012. The 81 years old was fashionable,  old-school looking and classy all at the same time. I got closer to him and was about to stop him to have a talk, when I noticed what looked like tears running from his eyes. For a second I questioned myself if it was okay to ask a crying person for a photograph. We got eye contact and I decided to ask anyway. On a second thought, it might just have been the wind in his face, that made the tears, but I'm still to this day not sure. 

Man in Black

Tommy(69) had just exited the pub and came walking straight towards me. At the moment it felt like he was about to ask me something, rather than the other way around. This is always a good feeling to have when I'm out shooting, as I then kind of know already that he's up for being photographed. And as I thought, he gave me the thumbs up. Tommy was very interested in learning from me what to do, where to stand, how to smile, etc. I told him he was perfect as he were and asked him to hold his position. 

The Red Glow Man

It was early morning and I was walking around for hours receiving plenty of rejections from people too busy, on their way to work. The frustration was getting to me, but then on a small street just of the main road, this man got trapped between the wall and myself. I guess he felt the pressure, and kindle gave me a yes to be photographed. When I showed him a preview of the photo, he raised his voice in excitement, yet it didn't stop him from walking of. In a desperate attempt to maintain contact,  I shouted; 'what is your name?' With a turn of the head, I received the answer; 'Michael'.  

The Passport Man

This is the second Frank I meet in only a few days. Does the same name mean same look and personality too? In this case I would have to say no. Whilst the previous Frank was very neat and tidy, the new Frank had a more rough look going on. Long hear, beard and an old leather jacket. Our meeting was very short, yet we got to know each other quite well. He told me in anger how he had just spent £6 on new passport photos, and showed me them together with an empty wallet. I told him that I would be happy to send him some copies of the photo I took of him for free, and asked for his email address. Unfortunately Frank wasn't that much of an internet user and didn't have an email, so he asked if I could send it by post instead. After some writing problems, I got the address and hope to send the photo soon. 

Old Man Covering Face

Of Frank's 80 year old life, 50 of them had been spent living in Peckham. Clearly he knew a lot. As for me, having lived in Peckham less than a year, I felt inexperienced talking to him. Yet the more interesting it became. Myself I would describe Peckham as a very multicultural, up and coming area, filled with young people and artists due to the low prices (compared to Central London). Frank however, ensured me that it wasn't always like this. Over the years he had witnessed a lot of changes to the area, both in terms of local residents, culture and environment. If it was for the better or worse, he kept a little bit secret, but I didn't get the impression that he wanted to move anytime soon. 

The Seated Man

Derek(77) was just hanging out on a bench with his friend, when I noticed his characteristic face. It looked like he was about to say goodbye, so I felt okay with interrupting. At first he told me no to be photographed, but he didn't ask me to leave. Instead he asked me where I was from, and he seemed quite interested in what I was doing. After some quick lines about Norway and photography, Derek had changed his mind and felt comfortable enough to sit for a portrait. We ended up spending the next 20 minutes on the bench together, talking about his coach trip around europe, the Second World War, and a very lucky dentist appointment.   

Man with Laptop

Asking strangers to stand for a photograph is not always easy. I hope for a yes, but prepare myself for a no. When I asked Patrick, he gave me a no, and continued on walking down the street. It was a shame because I really liked his white outfit with a dash of red and the laptop under his arm. However, a few meters down the road, Patrick stopped and called me over. Luckily for me, he had changed his mind and asked me where to stand. After the photograph we talked for a bit and he pulled from his wallet a picture of his girlfriend, which he said would have been perfect for my blog. She had bright red hair and a very interesting look. I thanked for his suggestion and gave him my card incase they wanted to look me up.