I was inspired by Sue Anne Tay’s wonderful blog Shanghai Street Stories, to go out with my big camera around the old lanes near where I live in the Former French Concession. I headed down South Shaan Xi Lu towards Zhaojiabang Lu and soon there were lanes all around me (and foreign photographers too). Fortunately I can speak some basic Chinese and so am able to communicate at a very basic level with the locals. This helps a lot with taking photos as I try to build up a relationship with the subjects first.
Some photographers poke around houses and obtrusively stick their lenses into strangers’ faces. I think this is unacceptable and I certainly wouldn’t want to live in a place where you feel like an animal in a zoo. I spent half an hour in one community and got invited to sit down in one house and have t a. The house was full to the rafters with sacks of flour holders and as I was there the husband left on the tricycle piled high with sacks he was delivering to local restaurants.
Outside their house was a young boy in a red shirt who was sitting around looking bored so after a short chat he was happy to sit for me.
Next I went to another community where I found this lovely woman tending her chili plants. She told me that she had come to Shanghai about 60 years ago when she got married but she was originally from Hunan province. If I had not learnt a bit of Chinese I would not have got the shots I managed. It makes a lot of difference when you’re living in a foreign country and of course you need some confidence to use it. I am lacking in that department so I get some good shots and make friends with lots of locals.