Chinatown Photowalk
But where are all the people?
I recently participated in another guided photowalk, this time through San Francisco’s Chinatown, which is the oldest Chinese enclave in the United States. The walk was led by Jefferson Graham and sponsored by Flipboard. This is my third such photowalk this year, and each one brings more surprises and insights.
In the 1980’s I lived in the North Beach neighborhood, very near to Chinatown, and would frequently walk down Grant Avenue on a Saturday (as we did for this walk) just to take in the sights, sounds, and smells (some pleasant and enticing, and others not so much…) Much has changed since I last frequented this part of San Francisco-for one, the colorful murals on the sides of several buildings are a recent addition. Other changes appeared to be related to the Pandemic, as several storefronts were dark-odd for a usually bustling Saturday morning. Overall, there was less traffic as the area continues to recover from the sharp decline in out-of-town visitors.
As our group of 20 or so wandered down Grant Avenue, with detours through interesting alleys and side streets, Jeff pointed out various points of interest that would be interesting photographic subjects, such as the overhanging red lanterns that contrasted nicely with the bright blue sky. Jeff is an admitted iPhone aficionado and he was happily demonstrating the new iPhone 14 and its advanced camera capabilities. I am not an early adopter of most technology, so my iPhone SE is almost primitive in comparison to the new 14, but it is not my main camera, whereas for many people their phones are the only camera they have. I had brought my Nikon DSLR and my Polaroid SX-70 film camera, and I photographed some of the scenes and signs of the neighborhood, but I also just observed what was going on around us, as I am aware that I can develop a sort of tunnel vision when I have a camera held up to my face, becoming less aware of my general surroundings. If I am using photography as a contemplative practice, the ultimate goal is actually not about making compelling or interesting photographs-the goal is to learn to see-really see the world around me, and if a compelling photo is made as part of the process, that’s a nice bonus.
After about 90 minutes, most of the participants had peeled off, leaving about six of us to go to lunch together at a hot-pot place located up a steep staircase. The food and conversation were great, and then we said our goodbyes.
When I arrived home and started looking through the photos, I quickly culled photos that were out of focus or had some other technical problem not worth trying to fix. I ended up with about 50 images I deemed worth saving and processing and then finished up with about 7 images I thought were worth keeping and sharing. I consider it a good photo session if at the end of the day I have roughly 10% that I would call “keepers”.
Part of the fun of these photowalks is that we are encouraged to share our photos on the Flipboard magazine page created for the event. It is really fascinating to look at the images from so many different people who were all photographing roughly the same location at the same time. Unsurprisingly, there were plenty of similar images of especially photogenic subjects, but quite a bit of diversity as well.
What was striking was that almost none of my photos were of people. Plenty of murals, lanterns, and building facades, but no people. With the exception of a photo of the group as we gathered at the Dragon Gate, once we were inside the boundary of Chinatown, I did not photograph another person. So what’s the big deal?
During the photowalk a number of the participants photographed residents of Chinatown going about their daily business, and that’s fine for them to do. I cannot imagine ever being able to do this.
If you have read my previous posts about the Mind’s Eye photography class I recently completed, you might recall that I struggled with the teacher’s strong push to incorporate photos of people I did not know-in other words, street candids. I hate street candids. Perhaps hate is too strong a word, but I have a real problem with this kind of candid photography, most especially the kind that is often done with a long lens so the subject isn’t even aware that they are being photographed. I consider it to be rude and exploitative in the extreme. I know all the arguments about there being “no expectation of privacy in a public space”, but I reject this argument for myself. The thought of making photos like this makes me physically queasy.
Why such a strong, visceral reaction to a very popular and widespread photographic genera? All I will say is that if I noticed someone attempting to photograph me in a candid manner, I would be angered and feel that my privacy has been invaded, and I do not want to make others feel the same way. Even if a photographer politely approached me and asked permission I will always say no.
At least that’s what I believe now. I can recognize that there have been amazing street photographs made, and cities are made up of people-not just buildings. Photographically speaking, this is the sharpest growing edge for my development as a photographer. I have already made a commitment to make more portraits of people who are not family or close friends, but it has been slow going. I will leave you with this one image: I saw this guy in Chinatown (not during the photowalk) and I was so intrigued by his bicycle that I overcame my reticence and asked him if I might make a photograph, and he readily agreed, and I only felt slightly queasy…
