Street Portrait Photography: Faces of China
Here's a selection of posed street portraits from China from the last 20 years or so, mostly taken with a variety of vintage Rolleiflex twin lens reflex camera from the 1960s and black and white film. These pictures all come from brief encounters with strangers on the streets, whether it's in Shanghai, Beijing or some other part of the country. In most cases, I have engaged with the subject and asked for permission to take a photo, although there are a few where nothing has been said, but it was fairly clear what I was doing and the subject did not seem unduly bothered by my presence. I'll leave you to guess which is which.
At first glance, this looks like a man with his grandchild waiting for a bus. What isn't immediately obvious is that he's also smoking a cigarette. Taken with a Rolleicord Vb, Shanghai, 2006.
Bus Stop Baby
Grindstone
A man in the street sharpening a pile of cleavers lying on the ground beside him - something you don't see too often these days, certainly not in modern-day Shanghai. Many of the images I've captured are scenes that are gone forever. Rolleiflex 2.8 E2, Ilford Delta 400 Black and White Film. Shanghai, November 2007.
This guy sells wax gourd (better known as winter melon in China) at a vegetable market. It's sold by the slice (you can see his knife in the shot resting on the gourds on the left) and is often used in soup. He was very cheerful and chatty and came over to ask about my camera, so I showed him and then asked to take his picture. Zenza Bronica ETRS medium format camera, Ilford Delta 400, Shanghai, 10th September 2006.
The Road Home
Six migrant workmen wait for their train home outside Shanghai railway station in late summer, 2006. They all look exhausted but in cheerful spirits, which is why I like this one - it reminds me that you don't have to be rich to be happy. Migrant workers typically earn a very modest income to bring home to their families in more remote parts of China. Rolleiflex 3.5 E3, Ilford Delta 400 black and white film.
3 Generations
Three generations of the same family spotted near a wet market in Shanghai. Can you see the resemblence? The grandfather seemed to be working at a stall selling vegetables while the father was working inside a steamed bun restaurant. Rolleiflex 3.5F, Kentmere Pan 400, Zhenning Road, Shanghai, June 2023.
Winter Melon Vendor
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