Today was the third day off work for me. It's been a lazy few days and I suspect I am coming down with a small cold, although I've been drinking lots of water and taking some medicine to fight it. Today I just lazed around the house, ate leftovers and watched some Curb, Survivor, and The Bang Bang Club, which is a movie recommended by my brother about photographers in South Africa. Great movie and it actually inspired me to get outside and try to get some photos of the Tomb Sweeping Night in action.
To confirm my suspicions that it was indeed the night where everyone burned fake money to 'send' to their relatives and family who have passed away, I went outside on my rooftop patio and immediately smelled fire. So I got my camera and put on my Canon 50 mm 1.8/f-stop lens and ventured outside. I walked up the side street where all the fruit, vegetable and meat vendors were busy packing up their goods for the night. There were plenty of people burning money though.
Funny thing, I actually asked the first guy I saw who was burning money whether I could take his photo. He waved his hand at me "bu, bu, bu" like no, no, no. After that though I noticed how concentrated people were as they lit and kept their fires. For the first time in China, I was completely oblivious to just about every person! Well, I guess everyone who wasn't lighting fires was staring at me, the tall strange looking foreigner taking photos at night, but the people who were burning money were unaware of me for the most part.
As you can see from my shots, nearly all of the poses are natural. I would crouch down about 15-20 feet away from the people and then get closer and closer, finding the best angles and shooting away. I felt like I was blending into the darkness, a keen observer and documenter of a piece of Chinese culture. It was a great feeling and that movie really inspired me to get out and shoot.
Anyways, without further ado, my best shots of the night are below. I've edited them in Apple Aperture. I prefer black and white for most of the shots (less distracting) but I've kept color in some to get the warmth of the fires. Enjoy and feel free to comment.
To confirm my suspicions that it was indeed the night where everyone burned fake money to 'send' to their relatives and family who have passed away, I went outside on my rooftop patio and immediately smelled fire. So I got my camera and put on my Canon 50 mm 1.8/f-stop lens and ventured outside. I walked up the side street where all the fruit, vegetable and meat vendors were busy packing up their goods for the night. There were plenty of people burning money though.
Funny thing, I actually asked the first guy I saw who was burning money whether I could take his photo. He waved his hand at me "bu, bu, bu" like no, no, no. After that though I noticed how concentrated people were as they lit and kept their fires. For the first time in China, I was completely oblivious to just about every person! Well, I guess everyone who wasn't lighting fires was staring at me, the tall strange looking foreigner taking photos at night, but the people who were burning money were unaware of me for the most part.
As you can see from my shots, nearly all of the poses are natural. I would crouch down about 15-20 feet away from the people and then get closer and closer, finding the best angles and shooting away. I felt like I was blending into the darkness, a keen observer and documenter of a piece of Chinese culture. It was a great feeling and that movie really inspired me to get out and shoot.
Anyways, without further ado, my best shots of the night are below. I've edited them in Apple Aperture. I prefer black and white for most of the shots (less distracting) but I've kept color in some to get the warmth of the fires. Enjoy and feel free to comment.
I can't believe how close I got to these people without them noticing me. I mean, there was no one else around at all. This has to be my favorite shot, the look on the woman's face, the coat over her back, and the ghostly fire reflection. As you will see, this appears in many of my shots. It was a bit eerie too, I imagined that they were the spirits of the deceased here to claim the money. The way I got this shot and the actually shot are pretty unforgettable to me.
Which one is your favorite?