It is a hazy day and the boy is dressed in his colourful Sunday best. He hurries down the very steep steps of the pedestrian overpass excitedly but cautiously. At that moment he wasn’t aware the parents have just missed the inconsistent bus to the city by a whisker. Although the mall in the massive Petronas Twin Towers appear near in this picture, it is some 8 km away from this location by line of sight.
This weekend, I’m shooting a favourite urbex subject in line with @Instagram ‘s Weekend Hashtag Project. The theme is the underside of an overpass. Many have driven on the elevated sections of DUKE (Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway) but few have seen its underbelly. In Sentul, the underside is like a forest with giant tree trunks rising to the sky. This lone, stray puppy has made it its home.
Whisper after me: “I See Dead People (buying DVDs)”. Some superstitious Chinese do not go out tonight because they consider it risky. After one month of non-stop partying, the hungry ghosts are on their way back. According to Chinese beliefs, the gates of hell are opened for the last time tonight. Last call.
The month-long Hungry Ghost Festival saw many Chinese burning paper replicas of worldly possessions for their dead relatives or ancestors. These include gadgets such as smart phones, tablets and DVD players. Blu-ray is not as popular yet in the netherworld, it seems.
By attaching several ND (Neutral Density) filters to the lens, I was able to reduce the intensity of daylight drastically. This allowed me to use a very slow exposure to capture this seldom seen side of Chinatown. The camera’s slow shutter speed resulted in moving cars and people streaking into ghostly figures.
