7th Month Populace

In Chinese culture, the 7th month is known as “Hungry Ghost Month”. It is believed that during this period, the gates of hell are opened. A period when humans and spirits walk as one on earth. What was once dead is now amongst the living, what is living will someday be amongst the dead. Thus is the circle of life. This project examines and aims to capture the atmosphere and mood of the particular month. The photographs presented here are part of a series of street portraits of the people who gather at various outdoor staged performances (Getai), during the Chinese "Hungry Ghost Month". Hand-held long exposures are used to create an exaggerated sense of movement and softness. The deliberate tight cropping of each photograph enables the grain of the negative to be much more pronounced, making the subjects look almost like ash and dust.