Aperture 1.8 on a 50mm lens often creates an unpleasant salad of blurry objects in the background when you shoot in the streets. Sometimes, you lose characters who turn into soap clouds with indistinct faces. But, sometimes, it makes the image. I love this picture of boys from Bangkok Chinatown, and it won't be as good if the main characters weren't separated from everything else in the back- and foreground.

Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G: Manual mode, 1.8, 1/320, ISO 2500 on March 9, 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand

Dragon Boys

Drums, cymbals, and a boy in a dragon costume jumping to the rhythm; two more teens, not involved in the show, collect money. This is a street music band in Bangkok Chinatown. I see them from time to time during my visits to Yaowarat Street. Travelers aren't their primal target, they predominantly work with shop owners and vendors. I assume the idea is that the dragon brings luck and profit to those who pay. It could be an official band of the community with a tradition behind it.

Yaowarat Street at night

Another crowded street restaurant in Bangkok Chinatown

Matter of Luck

This was on March 9, 2023, I was having another walk in Chinatown. I followed the band for several minutes but, at some point, I felt I had no luck with them - yes, this irrational feeling - no matter how hard I tried to capture their emotions and the rhythm of the show, nothing worked. I decided not to try to squeeze good photos out of this scene and left the dragon procession.

Half an hour later, I stumbled upon them again. They walked in a dense crowd, sweaty from the heat and work but happy. Two of them, the cymbal player and the drummer, were chatting cheerfully to each other. While they were passing by me, I took a few shots, two of which are presented in this post.

The second shot is less technically correct but the scale of the emotions is even greater - probably, you must be a teen to laugh that much. 🙂

Ability to See

It's amazing that, sometimes, you just get an ability to see. Now, everything seems like "I've been here too many times, everything seems so ordinary", and, then, you suddenly start noticing colors, shadows, lights, and people's emotions.

Strangers aren't dull anymore but characters of novels you haven't yet read.

50mm is Rather about Street Portraits

50mm is rather about street portraits than about street photography in its classical look. And that saddens me since I have no 35mm in my lens collection.

But this portrait-ness is also an opportunity.

Someone can object you can come closer with a wider angle and do the same. My answer: sometimes, you can but people will oftener notice you and you'll take more images of people reacting you.

Like, Bangkok street cats, being photographed with a 50mm, look kind and tranquil but, when you shoot them with a 24mm, they often look being afraid or defensive.

But these are just words... Skills of many of us don't allow us to use the most of the opportunities a 50mm or other decent lens gives.