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Street food


Street food
Photo Information
Copyright: Lee Marshall (litiancai) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 106 W: 1 N: 148] (493)
Genre: People
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-04-10
Categories: Daily Life
Camera: CANON EOS 40 D, Sigma 24 - 70 mm EX DG Macro
Exposure: f/2.8, 1/10 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-04-29 0:56
Viewed: 552
Points: 22
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Baoji is a part of China that does not see much interest from the outside world, and hence it has maintained many of the traditional ways of doing things which are now looked down upon in the cities foreigners now visit.

Street food vendors are controlled, moved and even banned across some parts of China as the Chinese government views them as old fashioned, and something a modern China should be moving away from. Thankfully this has not happened in Baoji yet as they are great places where you can eat a good meal for less than 5RMB ($0.70)

They all cook from these coal burning stoves which are fanned from underneath by some sort of garden leaf blower, often with flames 3ft high when they remove the wok and burn about as hot as a blow torch. Great food though!
AiresSantos, salvator, macondo, mariandrea, josediogo1958, Golden_Eagle, ls7902, kyzer, Silversnow, yasin has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To ddrwx2: Clarificationlitiancai 2 05-21 09:40
To macondo: Street foodlitiancai 1 04-29 07:38
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Lee
Welcome to Trekearth.
Nice to see this street picture. I know it's not easy to take this kind of pictures any way the light management could be better.
Greetings
Aires

Hi Lee and wellcome to TE,
Very nicely shot except for the eye catching blown up white part of the fire. Nicely composed.
Best regards. Salvator.

"the Chinese government views them as old fashioned, and therefore evil!" ?! ?! ?!

Silly of you ! don't spread the rumour here !

Hello Lee.
I must say I'm puzzled by the previous critique and the unsmiling smiley. Strange, coming from a member whose gallery is largely composed of skyscrapers.
Anyway, I found you via an interesting critique you had written, which I agreed with. Welcome to TE.
The photo does suffer from having that large over-exposed flame in the middle. I'm not sure how you can get around that, except by waiting for a moment when the flame is lower. I also think that it would be better to wait until the woman is doing something a little more animated, perhaps with her hands and the utensils. If you are going to use the portrait format with the woman occupying most of the space, she should be more animated.
I found your note rather interesting; I would have expected to find scenes like this all over China, but obviously 'modernisation' is a policy that must be enforced in myriad ways.
Regards,
Andrew

  • Good 
  • BennyV Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 264 W: 1 N: 292] (1301)
  • [2008-04-29 10:56]

A difficult shot, Lee, but it is appreciated, especially since you are putting Baoji on the TE map. I'd never heard of it and I spent several weeks in Shaanxi this summer!

I don't think banning street food is a general official policy (although this does happen at places, including, in fact, in my own city here in Belgium). There are enough unfair generalisations about China being spread already, so I do understand ddrwx2's reaction here.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to more of your pictures. Enjoy your time in China.

Benny

Hi Lee, welcome to Trekearth!!! nice picture with good notes, it`s a pity that Chinese government view were so bad... These traditions should be kept... Chau chau,

Maria

Hi Lee
Amazing street shot!
Thanks for the note and welcome to Trekearth
All the best
JDiogo

Hi Lee,
I like this shot - well captured. Even though it could be a bit sharper still the theme presented delivers a strong message.
Regards,
Daniel

Hello Lee

Welcome to TE, I see that in addition to a beautiful photo the people have political reaction even if here this is not the place for this kind of conversation.
Chris

Hello Lee,
No problem for me with the intense flame ... it's the way it is and it was what you wanted to include. You can't see the detail even with the naked eye. I'm attracted to the flame & rising smoke plus the sweet face of the woman at work. In my city food hawkers are being licensed & relocated to food courts & hawker centers for better health control & fee collections. Those that are still operating on the streets will have to play a hide & seek game with the city hall officials. I do buy take out from them for convenience & taste. TFS. Have a great stay in China. Regards. Latiff.

  • Great 
  • kyzer Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 75 W: 16 N: 59] (335)
  • [2008-05-21 4:07]

Hi Lee,

great note and thanks for sharing such a daily life happening photograph with the world ..

I know that the photo could't have been sharper because of the smoke form the traditional coal stove.. which is very well captured as natural that we see in the rural Indian villages..

Cheers
Paddyrags

Very interesting scene of everyday life that feels quite exotic ;)
I love the soft light & the movement is well captured.
Too bad that coal is the most polluting fossil fuel...

You captured the fire in motion very well. Regarding the composition, I would try cropping out the guy on the left. Otherwise, really good shot!

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