Street Photography in Songkhla, Thailand

A lot has been written about street photography. There are a great many interpretations of what makes or is included in good street photography. It is my hope that images in this genre will capture the essence of daily life. Perhaps even a glorification of the common, or as Aaron Copland the composer entitled to one of his pieces, “fanfare for the common Man.” While I teach my students to look for strong graphic compositions that easily capture the attention of a viewer, my street photography tends to be more inclusive and have an almost theatrical quality. In the past critics of my work labeled my street photography as “Peoplescapes”, and sometimes I believe that is an accurate description. It is my goal to show the glory of daily life as an emotional evocation of nostalgia and respect for the simple life. During spring break we visited the Southern Thailand town of Songkhla. Every evening the market that lines the road to and from the ocean is a vibrant market where local folks can shop and pick up some dinner on the way home. The images below are from one of those evenings. I hope they represent the relaxed and comfortable lifestyle of that quiet seaside community.