Day 69/365 Southern Soul: Portraying the Resilience of Kaohsiung
Technical Metadata
• Camera Model: Leica D-Lux 8
• Shutter Speed: 1/125 sec
• Aperture: f/2.8
• ISO: 200
A Critique by Theo Marr
The light in Kaohsiung is often harsher and more direct than in the north. By shooting at f/2.8, you have successfully isolated this woman from what I imagine was a very busy, sun-drenched background. The 1/125 shutter speed is sufficient for a seated portrait, though in the high-energy markets of the south, you might find yourself needing to push that higher to capture the fast-moving vendors.
The texture of her conical hat and the "lived-in" quality of her tools—the screwdrivers and rusted springs—speak to the hardworking spirit of the Kaohsiung people. The composition creates a sense of intimacy, though the dark basket in the upper left remains a heavy visual anchor that slightly unbalances the frame.
Advice for Improvement:
• Embrace the Industrial Palette: Kaohsiung is a city of steel and sea. Look for ways to incorporate the blues of the harbor or the rusted oranges of the shipping containers into your backgrounds to provide more local context.
• Manage High Contrast: Southern Taiwan's sun can be unforgiving. At ISO 200, your sensor has good dynamic range, but watch the highlights on the subject's white headscarf to ensure they don't "clip" and lose that beautiful fabric detail.
Advancing Your Practice
To truly capture the essence of a city like Kaohsiung, you must look at your images as part of a historical archive. I noticed in your database that you are documenting "cultural landscapes" and "stage wagons". This is the right path. Keep a log of the specific districts—like Cijin or Zuoying—as the character of the light and people shifts significantly between them.
Recommended Research and Study
Photographers to Study:
• Daido Moriyama: A master of the "Provoke" era. His work is characterized by high contrast and grit, which perfectly mirrors the industrial energy of Kaohsiung's backstreets.
• Fan Ho: While he photographed Hong Kong, his use of shadows and geometric light is a masterclass for any photographer working in dense, sunlit Asian urban environments.
• Nobuyoshi Araki: Study his "Sentimental Journey" for his raw, personal approach to documenting life and death, which can help you bring more "soul" into your portraits.
Essential Reading:
• Uncommon Places by Stephen Shore – A foundational text for understanding how to photograph the "everyday" landscape with a large-format sensibility, even when using a compact camera.
• William Eggleston's Guide – Learn the power of color in the "ordinary" world. Eggleston proved that a tricycle or a person in a hat could be high art.
• The Ballad of Sexual Dependency by Nan Goldin – For learning how to capture raw, unfiltered human emotion and intimacy within your own community.
Educational Video:
This video explores Moriyama's philosophy of "stray dog" photography, which is an excellent mindset for exploring the gritty docks of Kaohsiung.