I love to photograph people as they walk.  Street interaction is one of the very few instances in our lives, at least for most of us, where we can physically interact with strangers. Some people have had a job in the same location for 10 or 20 years and have been crossing paths with each other on a daily basis. Yet, most will remain strangers.

In each of these photos, there was something which stuck with me. The Chinese girl whose walking against a yellow background was in a terrible hurry. Nothing so special but the light was perfect, and so were the colours.

What I like about the one with pigeons is the fact that their are pigeons, which work very well with the arrow and the legs of the man in terms of a conceptual composition.

I love the look in the young monk’s eyes… Somewhere in between questioning and surprise. Yet, the older one at the beach completely ignored me as he was rapidly heading back to his temple after the daily collection of offerings called Bindabap in Thailand.

But my favorite is the one of the rice farmer in Northern Thailand. His walk had a quiet and peaceful purpose. Here’s a man who’s in tune with his trade. And I’m quite sure he spotted me!

I often witness this type of scene in Asia… The old and the new. In Thailand at least, it’s not a battle but rather a quiet co-existence. I hope it lasts. This lady never appeared bothered by the traffic or the pollution. She just quietly walked on her way as no driver appeared impatient at her being on the road.

stefan breton