solitary
one of the things that fascinated me about Hong Kong, was the
sheer abundance of people
in such a small space. now don’t get me wrong, India has a ton of people too, but India is 296,584% times larger than Hong Kong! i love Hong Kong, i was there photographing all parts of it for a week and wanted to stay longer. as i roamed the bustling metropolis at all hours of the day and night, this question kept popping up in my head, with 7000 people per square kilometre,
how do people find space to be alone?
spending time alone, me being with myself with neither the world nor people intruding, is an absolute necessity, as much as i need food and water. small chunks on a daily basis but at least once a year, its a good couple of weeks, preferably in the middle of nowhere; case in point: trip to remote areas of Iceland during winter.
this need for space, is interestingly reflected in my street photography - its always at a distance; “get closer Susan, get in there, you are removed from the scene!!” said Jean Gaumy, wildly gesturing with his hands. he is right of course, but… yeah uhm… no thanks. i did try, but i would freeze up and my subjects would look at the camera, which is not what i wanted. humans doing every day things unobserved was what i wanted. so i kept my distance inside a Susan-shaped bubble, capturing people finding their space - a doorway, a pavement, a table, a nook, an alley - to be
alone amidst the masses
the curated series is called “solitary” and my favourite picture is below
life is good after tucking into a tasty bowl of noodles and a beer or two
