Shanghai Street Works

In 2017 I visited Shanghai, China and spent some time roaming the streets, capturing the people, environments and scenes that continuously presented themselves to me. Shanghai is rich in culture and known for its vibrant and futuristic city. I found a small pocket close to my hotel which displayed its more authentic and human side. I found people in their daily lives, children playing on the streets, road works and a less bustling lifestyle here. It felt like the movements of a village, within an urban environment.

This particular image was shot around 10am on a weekday. I spotted the children running ahead of me and saw them stop right in front of the road works. As the jack hammer started, both boys shielded their ears from the noise as their father called out to them (unheard due to the noise). He then tried to pry them away from the scene, but the two boys were transfixed by what they were seeing.

This is the only image I captured of this moment. I found myself looking on in amusement before realising I'd missed any other photo opportunity here. So I kept walking and shooting for the rest of that morning.