Songkran is when Thailand celebrates its New Year and is a time of tradition and history. Songkran is a cultural celebration full of gratitude, kindness, and joy. The festival typically takes place from April 13 to 15, when people bathe Buddha images and pour water over the hands of elders as a sign of respect. In recent times, this celebration has morphed into a huge water fight. Few places would be as packed and busy as the Walking Street in Phuket’s town of Patong.

Gear

Whatever I took was going to get very wet. I looked at ways to waterproof my Olympus Camera using rubber bands, plastic bags, and electrical tape. Secondly, I looked at purchasing a water-proof housing for the camera. Lastly, I thought about buying a new waterproof camera. All of these ideas were scuppered for financial reasons. So… I headed out with the phone, a now slight dated Xiaomi 13 Pro.

Excuses, excuses, excuses…

You may think I could have done better, BUT phones do not work well when wet and I could not see as my glasses were also covered in water. The camera app kept crashing, and at one point I realized I was in the document scan mode, which failed to produce usable images. Consistent noise made sure that I could not think clearly. Ever! I started the day shooting in ‘Pro Mode’ and was able to take control of ISO and aperture but quickly realised this was a not going to work. The screen was obscured by water and the camera kept opening random apps and changing settings all by itself. Somehow my phone kept working, which is nothing short of a miracle, and spewed out some very inflexible HEIF photo files which were wrestled into submission in post processing.

One Day Was Enough

I started this shoot around 2pm, when the light was incredibly harsh, making me wish I had a camera with an ND filter, and better dynamic range. Highlights were blow left right and center, which I struggled to correct in Lightroom. Topaz AI came into play and improved the HEIF files somewhat. At some point I must look into JPEG v HEIF. If anyone knows a good informative article, please drop a note in the comments. I further processed the pics using a version of ON1 effects that are available FREE. I like the film colour film simulators this package offers, opting for a Kodak Velvia 50 filter to create a slightly less harsh image. I had finished taking pics by 6pm, as the crowds were getting bigger, and the booze was making everything far too rowdy!

Mud, Talcum Powder, and Beer

Further risks to camera gear are the vast quantities of Mud, Talcum Powder, and Beer on the streets. When I cover the event next year, I will be sure to arm myself with a waterproof camera housing, ear plugs, and safety goggles. Whilst most people aim for a body shot, the occasional drunken ‘hero’ will go for a high-powered face shot, which on one instance knocked my glasses clean off my face.

By six o-clock I was done, and the light was fading anyway. Nighttime can be great for street photography. However, I was wet and tired, with a great hotel room and an even better wife to return to. My phone miraculously worked the next day. The events will continue tomorrow, and I would like to visit the old town to get a more traditional take of the festival. As always, watch this space!

Take care and keep clicking, Chris