portrait of a becak driver I

when i’m in surabaya (indonesia’s second city), i’m always drawn to photographing becak drivers. i’m sure i’m not the only street photographer to feel this way.

it’s easy to photograph a becak driver. in surabaya, they’re as ubiquitous as nasi, mie, warungs, & kaki limas. like their cousins, the kaki limas, these becak driver’s are the street. it’s only natural for a street photographer to have an affinity with them.

this gentleman at the ampel district, wanted to be photographed. yet he was shy. the woman behind him was egging him on to smile. i’m glad when people don’t smile for the camera. i always prefer be just be themselves i.e., oblivious to the camera and the photographer.

he was fidgety at first. but, i took my time focusing and checking settings on my old analogue SLR. eventually, he became more relaxed and seemed to ignore me.

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