One Night in Bangkok: Ari Neighborhood

I'm trying to become a better photographer. Over the years living in Thailand, my photography skills have certainly improved. I try to document both my everyday life and my big adventures as much as possible, but I've come to realize that the visual medium is perhaps even more important than the words that I write in my blog posts. After all, a picture is worth 1,000 words, right?

One of my big weaknesses is night photography. Because of my weird work schedule, I'm rarely outside after dark, and when I am, I don't do much besides walk to and from the train station. I've decided to try to improve this with my new series, "One Night in Bangkok".

Last night, I went to go pick up my fiancee from the hospital where she works in the hip and trendy Ari neighborhood. I've been here hundreds of times, but decided to walk out a little early to photograph it, focusing mostly on mood, light, and color.

It's my first real attempt at nighttime city photography, but I'll try to keep up with these posts from time to time. I hope to see some real improvement in this area over the coming months!

It was just around 8:30 pm, but I tried to capture the mood, atmosphere, and feeling of late night in a big Asian city.

***

tuk-tuk drivers waiting for passengers along a busy street (Soi Ari)

the warm glow of a local spirit house lights the neighborhood

motorbikes sit parked on the road as their owners order food from a local vendor

some friends walk home beneath the cool neon glow of a boat noodle shop

Ari is known for its great restaurants and trendy cafes, many of which are open late into the night

a man waits for his order of bubble tea at a local cafe

the fried chicken looked delicious, but the vendor was nowhere to be seen

the streets are narrow here, so the best way to get around is by motorbike

closing time on a quiet side street

If my readers enjoy the more visual aspects of this blog, you're in luck! I'll try to post more of these "Photo Gallery" type posts from time to time. I'm not the best photographer, but I'm working on it, and sharing my photos here in public is the first big step at getting better!

One of my big new goals is learning how to capture mood and atmosphere in a photo. I'll keep up at it with more visual-heavy posts published alongside my regular adventures!