A beautiful vendor prepares lotus flowers for sale at Pak Khlong Talad in February 2016.
A girl waits near the MBK mall in Bangkok, while a bus rushes past.
Evening commute can be tiring in a city without efficient transportation as Bangkok.
A girl walks past Dusit Thani while checking her phone.
Two girls look at a show at Central World, during the Christmas illuminations
A girl seems to come out from a showcase at Central World
A very trendy Bangkok fashionista passes near Central World.
Very geometric and lovely composition in this picture of a girl at EmQuartier.
A girl poses for a photographer at the Siam Square mall.
Two girls take a selfie in the Christmas lighting at Central World.
A girl poses for a photographer at the Christmas illuminations of Central World.
A girl crosses the EmQuartier square.
Three students (recognizable at their black skirts) pass at Siam Square.
Two girls take a selfie with a pout at Chocolate Ville in Bangkok
A girl is busy posting her pic on social media at Chocolate Ville.
Two girls in red wait near Siam while checking their phones
Three girls equipped with water battle stuff wait at Siam during Songkran
A vendor at a flea market in tones which reflect the linen which she was selling.
Two Japanese ladies bring their dogs out at one of the few mall accepting pets in Bangkok.
Bangkok girls over the years
Having lived for several years in Bangkok, I must say that I was gifted with a nice opportunity to take pics of pretty ladies almost at every turn, if we may speak this way. For street photography, Bangkok girls are a gift that keeps giving.
A girl walks past Dusit Thani while checking her phone.
If you ever felt that you were limited by subjects, Bangkok is an incredible trove of subjects in terms of street photography. You do not need to go in red light areas to find interesting and pretty ladies – on the contrary.
A girl waits near the MBK mall in Bangkok, while a bus rushes past.
Candids or interacting photo?
Ah, that’s an eternal question of the photographer. Let me give you two examples of pictures taken with an interaction with the subject:
A vendor at a flea market in tones which reflect the linen which she was selling.
If I did not ask this young lady for her permission I probably would not have had her look into the lens, nor her lovely smile which is just as warm as the surrounding clothes.
A beautiful vendor prepares lotus flowers for sale.
In this case, it is a bit different, as I did not ask her consent, but I was very close (shot with a 20 mm), and she was happy to have her shot taken. Afterwards I thanked her for the picture. As the goal was to show her work, it was useless to have her pose. Of course, afterwards, I thanked her and she kindly acknowledged.
Compare and contrast with this picture, where the lady poses for the picture.
One of the vendors with the most colorful stands at Pak Khlong Talad.
In short, there is no single answer. It will depend of the scene and what you are shooting. As much as possible, avoid being creepy though. Respect and appreciation of your subject is the key word in street photography.
Conversation