Heritage on a Plate

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Penang in Pictures Part 3

Hey, guys! I'm back with another (possibly terrifying) blog post about my budding photography skills! This time, I've dug deep into a photo-walk I did in late-2016. This was during my "experimental" phase, and it resulted in a lot of uhhh interesting shots.

I tend to home in on textures and details, and a lot of the photos were taken deliberately off-axis. I think I was going for a surrealist feel or something. Like I said - "Experimental."

Most of these were taken on Jalan Pintal Tali, also known as Rope Walk. Fun fact: there used to be a community of rope makers who lived and worked here, which is how the street got its name. They moved here from their original base in Little India, once the area gentrified too much to accommodate them. I know the gist of the story but I'm still researching it. I'll have more to say about it... soon-ish?

In the meantime, I present to you some photos that didn't turn out terribly! Tadaa!

Naturally, I started out with what I feel is the strongest piece. I just really enjoyed the amount of details in this picture, and the myriad stories that must be hiding behind these wind-swept and rain-battered windows. There must have been a time when this was a grand view, with beautiful carvings and giggling bright plaster. It's a withering shadow of it's former self. I feel like it's sad and beautiful at the same time.

I liked the textures in this picture, and didn't bother to create a meaningful composition while I was taking it. The outcome is pretty flat, but with a lot of gorgeous wear and tear, telling the passage of time. I liked that the house number is 88, considered lucky in Chinese numerology. The wooden window panes are being held together by string.

Now, before you start thinking that every house in George Town is pretty much held together by some twain and a prayer, this is one of the off-axis shots I was talking about earlier. It's meant to convey... something? The tilt of modernity? The inevitability of change, like pieces being pulled by gravity on a tilted board? Possible day-drinking?

Oohhhh purdddy...

That's it for Rope Walk, folks. I'll dive back into that endless barrel of Penang photographs for next week's edition of Penang in Pictures. For now, check out Part 2 of the series. And as always, safe travels and good eating :)