One-Horse Race

Yes, I Had To Jockey For Position

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

These shots were taken late at night in Singapore in December 2007, when I spent a day and a half in transit on my way to northern India. It was a very short, rushed trip and I covered a lot of mileage in the week that I was away from home, I had four flights and two all-day road trips in that time - but I returned with about 2,500 images on my camera.

On this hot humid day in Singapore - a city I have visited many times since I was eleven years old - I had walked for miles and was reluctant to put my camera away. Every step of the way, there was a unique sight for me to photograph.

Then I saw this shop selling handicrafts. I was so struck by the quality of the work (and I instantly recognised that most of the goods on display had been imported from India) that I stepped in and asked the manager if I could quickly shoot some frames on his premises.


He smiled and waved me into the shop and these were among the first half-dozen that I shot. The hand-made horses are a familiar sight in India and the colours summed my attention in a magical, magnetic way.

The light was very challenging, but I reckon the results are often better when we human beings have to ponder the best way through a situation, rather than just doing what we do in an automatic fashion.

I honestly can’t say which horse was the winner, but I have to admit that if I were a betting men (I’m not) my money would have been on the dark blue horse.

Especially in a local derby.

Extra, extra, read all about it: I've been interviewed here. Thank you to all those who have checked out the interview and voted as well.


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