King of the Loo Photo

Photographer’s Note

Pak Khlong market in Bangkok, I was walking a dark alley of the market when I noticed that guy who was sitting in a perpendicular, darker and even more remote passage.

Apparently I found the toilet keeper : perhaps one of the most modest occupations in a modest market. nevertheless he sat on his throne, surrounded with King Bumibhol posters.

The guy seemed happy and proud to pose for me, I hope I made his year, although it was ten to ten on the last day of the year.

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Some smart a** will ask "Why HP5 instead of TriX?". Ok, as it wasn't a primarily photo purpose trip, I stocked it from the first shop that had decent film to sell, providing it was not TMax.
Unfortunately they didn't sell TriX.... HP5 is ok too.

chicken, Clairedelune, don_narayan, ndb1958, arindam_thokder, bnallama, tcht, peter1892, Karey, kajspice has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

chicken (1781) 2006-01-08 13:38

Great street photography. I love all the details you've included, like his flip-flops, the clock, the various toilet signs, the calendars, there's so much details! I think the sharpness is a tack on the hard side, but that's very minor issue.

Clairedelune (4885) 2006-01-08 13:46

Allo Luko,
21 h 50, le 31 décembre au soir. Trop bu? Tu cherchais une toilette? ;) J'aime ce genre de photo qui m'amène droit dans les lieux ordinaires de gens ordinaires (pas péjoratif ici), à des lieux de mes propres quartiers montréalais ordinaires. Ce que je veux dire, c'est que c'est bien l'exotisme et tout et tout, mais c'est bon de voir la vie des gens dans leur quotidien. Moi, ça me fait plaisir! Très bonne composition, avec cet homme qui te regarde directement. Reconnaissance mutuelle. J'aime beaucoup le fouilli qui règne dans l'endroit. Le top du top, les sandales au sol. Ne t'inquiète pas, je ne fais pas une fixation sur la sandale en soi. Mais ici, elles m'ont frappées (cherche pas à comprendre!). Merci!
Claire

RGatward (19745) 2006-01-08 13:46

Welcome back Luko, so, back to film again, yes there's something indefinable about it that's just right for this shot. Happy new year.

AnimeshRay (8886) 2006-01-08 13:49

Fantastic black and white work, Luko. Terric use of the available light, and very well balanced composition.
[I sympathize with the spirit of your addendum on HP5. This last outing I had the same problem...they ran out of Tri-x, so I had to mostly shoot HP5 and color. I miss the rough and gritty quality of Tri-X, but here HP5 works very well indeed]

don_narayan (2014) 2006-01-08 13:50

hi Luko. A good composition, the repeat "toilet" signs and calenders are nice... good also the the clock is so well lit. nice, raw lighting.

Narayan

Homerhomer (4005) 2006-01-08 13:56

This is one cool street shot Luko, this type of business doesn't exist in many places anymore, so it's nice to see it documented. The "toilet" signs are everywhere, so even without your note you probably would be able to figure out his purpose in life.
He must have probably counted every second the clock above his head ticks, tick tak tick tak live goes by, tick tak.
I also like the fact that he is portrayed full of dignity, while many other photogs wouldn't mind to ridicul his position in society.
Very nice image, works for me.
Peter

dolin (15647) 2006-01-08 13:58

Salut Luko.
Des détail, des détails et encore des détails dans cet endroit qui fourmille de bordel...et là au milieu, ce mec, te fixant avec son air abbatu et sa poisition intéressante. Le cadrage est spendide.
J'aime bien aussi cette très bonne pdc et cet atmosphère assez étrange.
Si j'ose...je sais pas, j'aurais bien vu un poil plus de noir, un truc légérement plus contrasté...non?
Pis pour info...9h50 ou 21h50 ? Car étonnant l'endroit pour un 31 décembre ;)
Fred

ndb1958 (9248) 2006-01-08 16:07

Interesting shot of the reality of daily life with many details. Great compo + thank you for sharing.
Nino

arindam_thokder (3946) 2006-01-08 16:27

Hello Luko,

Excellent B/W picture. Very interesting subject, and like the small details like his slippers, the watch hanging from the ceiling, Old calendars, the toilet board. And really he is very happy and proudly posed for you.

Arindam

ElSato (824) 2006-01-08 16:40

A very nice find, well captured. I love the millions of details , while the man sits in a partial lotus, quite calm and dignified (and I agree with Peter that it is nice that he retains his dignity rather than being an object of fun).

Details like: the flip flops positioned in front of his feet, the clock, the multiple calendars on the wall (why does someone need more than one calendar?), the frame formed by the doorway (top and left) and the pipe (on the right), the reflection on his left eyeglass lens but the eye visible through the right.

All this and more adds up to a clutter of lines and shapes, planes and shades, interacting with each other but, as I say, the man sits amongst it all quite impertable. Very nice.

Lee

Furachan (0) 2006-01-08 17:13

Not so long ago (ok, in 1983) I was passing through one of the Chateaux de la Loire and inside the public tilet was a "matronne" settled behind her desk eating "saucisson" and EXCPECTING some cash for the service. It used to be very common in France, though few tok any pictures of it...:o))
This is what the vertical format is all about I think - extraordinary portraits of the quotidian... And the summicrn as well.
A wealth of detail "crowned" by a fine title!

ps I recently posted a vertical BW Northern English scene that might speak to you...

rowanb (864) 2006-01-08 20:24

good shot, its all about the details, the composition works very well. i like how his thongs are sitting on the ground in front of him. works very well in b&w. how do you decide whether to shot a scene in digital or film ? i bought some tri-x before christmas to try out but still haven't got around to it yet..

robiuk (10763) 2006-01-08 21:27

Very pleasing composition and depth to this shot, Luko.
Wonder if the tonality could've been even better, but this is up to the film I suppose...
Still, quite bold and even though I can hardly imagine what you were doing there at this time (not that it's my business anyway), I'm glad you WERE there actually, otherwise we wouldn't have anything to drool over!
Have a healthy, happy and successful New 2006!
Robi

Mingfang (1415) 2006-01-08 22:22

Hi Luko,

really glad to see this pic. i thought you were in Beijing and here was in Beijing Hutongs in the first sight. oh, Yes, i almost forget that there is chinatown in Thailand.

very clever to choose B&W to shoot.that give good moody. your leica M6 and Ilford HP5 work very well here. dont enumlate. just wondering how you come back to traditional photography. also dont know your 50mm, f=?

designsoul (21394) 2006-01-08 22:56

What really shocks me about this shot, Luko, is the exquisite beauty of it all. There is this utterly decrepit place, crumbling walls and seedy old calendars with bilingual toilet signs hanging on them in disarray, no flooring and proper paint, a crummy clock lit from above, and of course a proud loo worker, indeed the king of the loo, and this Tarkovskyesque zone-like hellhole is made beautiful by your lens. The composition, the clarity, the tonal range are so classy and gorgeous that the entire shot is breathtaking in its paradoxes.
sarolta

bnallama (3755) 2006-01-09 2:06

Hi Luko, yes a common sight in SEA to have these toilet keepers.. even though this one seems to need a serious renovations:-) Yes the clock, the toilet sign and the calender coupled with the keeper's look really makes the shot.. for me..

Merci pour le partage.

Bala

jinju (14265) 2006-01-09 3:48

I can spot your Leica shots. Theres something about the quality of shots you create with the Leica that the 20D cant match. I cant put my finger on it but I can feel it. Wonderful rich tones, and the somposition is great as usual. There is class to this shot. I always think you bring great humanism to your subjects, even if the situation doesnt really justify it.

sebautourdumond (3104) 2006-01-09 8:42

Salut,
Elle est superbe cette photo, belle compo, bon traitement NB, j'aime bien tous ces détails et le mec. ca me rappele bien Bangkok
Très joli
a+

jcandeli (40) 2006-01-09 11:24

hmmm... not like you to post such a soft contrasted photo. My immediate reaction was "it needs more contrast". Then it was... "pretty cool scene." Then it was... "Wish it were in color!"
I am a sucker for "bad" lighting though. I love flourecent alleys and bars. So moody. Don't know if I need to see the actual light in this photo though. An few inches higher and you would have avoided it.

It's a great note though.

Oh yeah, toilets are disgusting in Thailand. I would hate to have his job!
JP

fixed (3831) 2006-01-09 13:34

hello Luko
j'aime bien cette photo pour son aspect "brut"
... on a tout et on ne cache rien ...
les détails ont leur importance, ... j'aime bcp cette pendule, ... un repaire ... avec ces toilettes
bravo !
A bientôt
Arnaud

naxius (16679) 2006-01-09 16:12

Salut Luko et bonne année (oups, déjà souhaité je crois)
Excellent cette photo! J'aime bien les deux autocollants histoire de bien comprendre où tu te trouves et le mec, avec les sandales par terre, les lunettes, j'adore la touche ;-)
Une photo amusante.
Alex

tcht (7298) 2006-01-10 11:29

Hi Luko,
Can't find a suitable word to describe your picture. Perhaps, 'flawless' is suitable, and I don't wanna use 'perfect' cuz that's just too much. The clock and light and it's from a Leica... reminds me of Cartier-Bresson, lol.
Well, this is one of the best 'documentary' portraits that I've even seen. Thanks.
Take care,
Cheukhin Tsang

peter1892 (3201) 2006-01-10 15:51

Moody image, great use of B&W (well I'm biased towards it now!). An interesting & strange subject, well captured.

Karey (24) 2006-01-10 22:32

As a new-comer to TE and fairly new to photography, I have immensely enjoyed viewing your photos, it confirms my belief that traditional photography is so classy that it can turn life into art, in the hands of the right person. You show this mans quiet dignity. Well done. I admire your use of available light. Flash kills everything huh. All the best, Karey.

Bos (615) 2006-01-11 13:52

Hi Luko, very nice photo with good tones and use of light, and a neat portrait of this Loo-King... Good to see you upload some Leica work again.

maciekda (19587) 2006-01-12 9:08

nice image Luko, very well composed, well framed with that door frame. and some real grain. lots of things to look at. i think I like the workshop version more, maybe just because it is... vertical, but one there is one thing missing there - the sandals. good stuff, a nice, smimple environmental portrait

momo80 (847) 2006-01-24 10:49

Bonjour,

Peut être une nostalgie de souvenir mais j'aime beaucoup cette photo réprésentent cette scène de vie.
Un très beau noir blanc, un cadrage et un instant de vie qui en fait une belle photo.
Merci

Darren (6819) 2006-02-22 11:00

HP5 works fine here, although perhaps not my prefered film. Nothing to complain about here at all Luko; maybe not your most complex shot ever, but a pleasing catch of the guy and the film has given you great tones. This would not look near as good in color IMO. Nice shot.

russte (0) 2006-05-03 16:43

Luko, wonderfully seen shot. I think the HP5 works well here too. And the hardness helps to portray the basic and harsh nature of the environment this guy works in. Very nice. Stephen

Magritte (418) 2007-05-02 11:28

Voilà ce que j'appelle une photo réussie...le rendu est impeccable, la situation simple, sans mise en scène. Mention spéciale au modèle: le mystérieux sourire asiatique dont l'occidentale que je suis se demande chaque fois si c'est de la joie, de la politesse ou de la gêne (peut être les trois). En tout cas, c'est un plaisir de la regarder. Merci pour le partage.