My street photography this month was done in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province in southern China, and where I currently spend ,most of my time. Quite the change from 2023 where I spent time in East Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and most recently Vietnam.
Guangta – Historical Guangzhou
I spent most of the month of February walking around an area of Guangzhou called Guangta — an area in Yuexiu district, the historic center of Guangzhou. Guangta is home to one of the world’s oldest mosques dating back 1,300 years. To my understanding, when the mosque was built, this part of Guangzhou was populated by Indian, Arab, Persian, and Jewish traders.
The mosque is surrounded by a network of old alleys and lanes that seem to have been somewhat neglected and left behind; in stark contrast to the neighboring ultra-modern areas of the city center.
I wasn’t very happy with my output this month. Not only did I not manage to get a decent amount of shots, I also did not manage to get any that I really liked. It felt like the city was in a dark haze almost the entire month. The weather was quite miserable almost all of the time, and, to add insult to injury, I chose the absolutely worse times to go out shooting.
I spent the month with a bunch of old vintage Seagull prime lenses that I bought for some buttons and lint, back in the day. At least two of the lenses were on display on a blanket on the side of the street in Wuhan. I got them for around 5$ each — and with a camera attached to each lens…
Attached to a speed booster and a micro four-thirds camera these three primes give a full-frame-equivalent field-of-view of 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm. The lenses are quite old and somewhat soft. I know many will not find that appealing. For some reason, I find it extremely enjoyable shooting with them, and I don’t mind the lack of sharpness that much.
Weekly Street Photography Walk I
After a very poor start to the month I ventured down an alley I haven’t been down before; somewhere near Sweet Water Lane. As I turned left I saw this old couple hanging laundry to dry. I fired off a few rapid shots and prayed that some were in focus (most weren’t). Within a few seconds the old couple were back indoors and I had these few vertical shots to show for.
I turned back to Sweet Water Lane, an alley full of market stalls, and waited for some interesting light that never arrived. After a while, I managed to capture this lady in her stride before I called it quits and headed back home.
Weekly Street Photography Walk II
The following week the weather app forecasted another hazy day, so I brought along an 85mm equivalent lens. Not a big fan of this field-of-view but thought it might work with the forecasted weather.
As soon as I arrived at the market the skies opened up and it started to rain and spent most of the afternoon running for cover from the unexpected downpour.
It got dark real fast and once the rain stopped, I quickly set off on my home. On the way to the subway, I passed through another market that sells mostly electronics and audio equipment. I manage to capture this shot hoping to show complete cacophony of this scene.
Weekly Street Photography Walk III
The following week we finally got a sunny day. Well, some of the time. It was still very cold and, it being the lunar new year, there were very few people out. I did manage to shoot this lady trying to catch some sun.
And these two gentlemen argue over the price of ginger.
After another uneventful day, I decided to call it quits and head over to the subway station. On the way back I saw an old lady return home from the market.
My favorite shot of the month ended up being the last one I took. The whole scene was a mess of cables, trash cans, and bicycles. Believe me, this photo does not do it justice. But I like it — and it is my photo of the month.
Make sure to check out the YouTube Channel for weekly street photography walks and other videos.
Gear Used
Panasonic Lumix GX9
Zhongyi Lens Turbo II MD-M43
Seagull Haiou 24/F2.8
Seagull Haiou 35/F2.8
Seagull Haiou 58/F2.0