My Shanghai City Walk | 35mm B&W Film Street Photography & Fading Memories
shanghai It’s been six years and now I’m
back This time I brought my Leica M6 with a 35mm f1.4 Pre-A lens Walking around in downtown
Shanghai take street photography on 35 mm black and white film This video going to be a little
long with more than 100 of black and white photos I hope you make it to the end And this
video isn’t a typical travel guide vlog No fancy skyline shots of the Bund or Pudong
Although there will be bits of history talking but it’s just a video of street photography
of Shanghai through my lens It’s my Shanghai I brought few rolls of Kodak Panatomic-X
ISO 40 black and white aerial film I want something harsher something imperfect and not
elegant But I didn’t expect was I shoot so much I burned through all Panatomic film
in just two days So I went to the camera gear market in town grabbing a few rolls of
Fomapan 100 instead because I couldn’t find Panatomic-X there The sequence of the photos
and the videos are slightly mixed up They look similar but not the same I’ll label
each image with the which one film I used Here’s map of Shanghai You see this big river
That’s the Huangpu River and the skinny one Suzhou Creek But this map kind of boring
right I show you a more interesting one a map from a 100 years ago when Shanghai
was in foreign concessions There is a place I missing So I’m going to north
first You see the north of Suzhou Creek and Huangpu River on this map It was the
Japanese concession established in 1870 See this road Scott road today it name is
Shanying road I know this place very well Most of houses in this neighborhood haven’t
changed in decades In 1943 the Wongjingwei regime renamed it Shanying same as a place in
Japan 山陰地方/San’in-chihō. And also you can find this alley here still keeps a name that remind
people of Japan’s Nikko Toshogu Shrine Yeah but here the houses though they don’t look Japanese
style at all more European I think Kind of British layout Some houses with larger beautiful
gardens here were handed over to high ranking naval officers They are still behind
the tall walls today pretty much untouched This street built in 1911 still doesn’t have
a bus route and there are not many shops These photos I took here back in 1994 It’s always been a quiet place full of locals
You’d hear woman chatting as they return from the market sounds across courtyards about food price
and quality today in the summer evenings people sit outside in the alley eating watermelon
and play chess that was life simple warm heading south along North Sichuan road and
this bridge it have a Japanese name from long time ago Yokohama Bridge keep walking
south and you’ll hit the Suzhou creek This building here used to be the
city’s post office be called the post and the telecom building now it’s a museum Back in the day Suzhou creek was disgusting
yes it smelled like [ __ ] with black water honestly here are some clips from one
of my favorite films [Suzhou River] this is exactly what it looked like in 80s and 90s All these bridges linking the north
to the downtown core in South Bank On August 13 1937 war broke out between
China and Japan right here in Shanghai The Republic of China (now the Taiwan government)
threw in 800,000 soldiers Japan had 270,000 The battle stretched from the suburbs all
the way to the north bank of Suzhou Creek Meanwhile people on the south bank watched like
it was theater life show literally because South Bank was international settlement In 1863
the British and American concessions merged into this area you can even see from the old
flag also was included many European countries Eventually the Japanese did take whole Shanghai
and eastern China except international settlement They didn’t cross the bridges until the Pacific
War started so from 1937 to 1941 international settlement and the French concession area in
central Shanghai had a nickname the Lonely Island Once you cross the bridges you enter
the heart of the city but we’re not crossing just yet Instead let’s walk
a little further along the creek to the biggest steel bridge Waibaidu Bridge once we are across we will hit the Bund Waibaidu bridge was first built in 1856
Back then it was called a wells bridge also was be called a Garden Bridge in
English because that large garden of former British consulate general is right
by the bridge For a while I used to pass it every day by city bus and I’ve always
like it It had that storybook nostalgia feel Even now after we cross it we are in
the Shanghai spectacular street the Bund This is probably the most iconic part of
Shanghai at least the version you’ve seen on postcards Colonial era buildings lined up
feels like you have accidentally walked into Europe Decades ago they were plastered with tacky
signs and neon ads that totally ruined the vibe Now they’ve all been restored to their former
glory This area was originally British turf In 1856 it became a shared concession between a
bunch of western countries That’s when all these foreign banks started putting up their flagship
buildings This was once the British consulate general I will look back to that spot later
Behind it is a district called the Bund Origin You see this tall building here
Now it’s the industrial and the commercial bank of China It used to be
the Yokohama Specie Bank built in 1924 In 2024 right on its 100th birthday
it got a full-on renovation This one used to be City Bank
This intersection right here is the heart of Shanghai Commerce Nanjing Road On both corners the Peace Hotel formerly the Cathay Hotel Inside hotel it finally
looks the way it did a century ago A street behind the Peace Hotel It’s actually more
interesting kind of has a Manhattan photo vibe Lots of movies were filmed here So now it’s
become a popular spot for TikTok influencer People say Shanghai is turning into one big livestream check-in city…
kinda funny but kinda true. You may notice some damage from
after 1949 that’s harder to fix but most of it’s been beautifully restored This was once the HSBC headquarters So here’s the plan I’ll keep walking south
along the Bund, take a turn onto Fuzhou Road, and explore the neighborhoods just behind
all this grandeur.
Then we’ll loop north, back toward the Suzhou Creek, and
complete a nice little walking circle This Spanish restaurant it wasn’t here before Probably you can get both here
the historic street and the crazy monster buildings of Pudong in the same frame Now I’m on Jiangxi Road Maybe I was right
turn on Sichan Road heading north again this place I like it very much It’s the famous
pan fried buns I used to grab lunch here all time This is the taste of Shanghai It’s pretty local
not some out of town version trying to fake it Right past the church People
waiting here for photos I have never seen anyone take a selfie
here before No no no My memory is too old It’s the memory before the
internet passing here on a bicycle This area is East Beijing Road and right
next to the Bund They call it the Bund Origin It’s one of the most historic
spot in the city Remember the British consulate I mentioned earlier right after
we crossed the bridge that’s just around the corner here It was the very first foreign
building to go up in this part of Shanghai And just like that we are back at Suzhou Creek
You see that post and telecom building over there yeah that’s where we were standing
earlier on the other side of the bridge I have no idea why they painted
these murals depicting old life scenes in alley on the walls of soon to be
demolished Shikumen houses Do they think it looks nice Let me explain about Shikumen ( Chinese: 石庫門)
is a traditional Shanghainese architectural style combining western and the Chinese elements that
first appeared in the 1860 that Longtang( Chinese: 弄堂) means Shanghai style alley Nanshi the old city
south of the Bund has seen the biggest changes 100 years ago this area wasn’t part of foreign
concession It was the real native heart of Shanghai Be called a Chinese city or old city
packed with narrow lanes and the crowded homes It didn’t have the elegance of the concession
architecture And maybe that’s the why today the government doesn’t see much value in preserving
it These old alleyways are vanishing fast I used to walk around the old lanes with
my camera Even though they were not like the alleys of French areas they were still
unmistakably deeply Shanghai This time I just went to some of the neighborhoods I used
to walk in Unfortunately they are disappearing This little street used to be
run-down but full of life I was shoot some photos back then Now it’s
been cleared out half torn down already The typical story goes like this Residents who’ve
had a rental rights for generations are given compensation by the government or developers Then
they leave behind the Longtang they once hated but now can’t help missing That classic Shanghai
Longtang vibe fades further and further away The Confucian Temple area once a heaven
for book markets has been emptied out. All that’s left are temporary renters and
one lonely Shaoxing restaurant still hanging on But the people who used to live here they
come back sometimes just to look just to feel Most Longtangs have these metal gates at the
entrance My friend’s mother once told a story interesting when she was a little girl in 1949
she lived in one of these Longtang in center area as the people’s liberation army the communist
army breakd into Shanghai in one night she snuck downstairs, curious, and peeked out through the
metal gate and what she saw scared her so much she bolted straight back upstairs Why She had never
seen anything like it thousands homeless people in ragged clothes sleeping on the streets over there…
Actually those were soldiers of PLA They slept on the streets Another friend of mine whose father
was a medic in that very army attacked Shanghai told me they were so unfamiliar with the city life
they thought light bulbs might help them light cigarettes In some way Shanghai got lucky The city
wasn’t shelled to pieces It was just a civil war Walking along Fuxing Road and the nearby
street in the former French concession You might feel like you’ve somehow wandered into a
quiet corner of France Before 1943 the streets even had French names Huaihai Road This
main commercial street was called Avenue Joffre And the Fuxing Road was Road Lafayette
It’s pretty beautiful right This is one of the most beautiful areas in Shanghai and thankfully
it hasn’t changed too much That’s mostly because many of the houses buildings are protected
as historical architecture The ones that are not they’ve been steadily torn down especially
the old Shikumen lands I used to walk here all the time and today I still do Step by step
tracing my old road towards the fuxing road Xintiandi area is located on the east
side of Fuxing Road A classic example of how history and the modern life can
blend They transformed the old Longtang houses into a complex of shops restaurants cafes These photos was taken here in 1994 back when
the idea of restoring older lanes instead of demolishing them was still something new Some Longtang style was iconic not the Shikuman lanes type in south also not be protected type
So what does a real iconic Longtang lanes feel like Luckily that’s still one nearby that’s
survived at least for now It’s the same alley as the Xintiandi before transferred Just off
Danshui Road near Xintiandi there is a Longtang that still holds on to that atmosphere This photo is from decade ago and honestly not much has changed People still live here It’s not
some preserved museum land It’s the real deal From there I head to Fuxing Park and I keep
walking west along Fuxing Road Actually this whole area is beautiful Not just Fuxing Road but also
Nanchang Road Sinan Road Ruijin Road all filled with older trees These trees were first introduced
to China from France and cultivated in the French concession Shanghainese usually call them French
plane trees quiet corners and unexpected charm Just like Shanying Road in north before 1949 many
of the foreigners and well-off Chinese families who lived here fled the city leaving behind some
truly special elegant European style homes with bigger gardens Honestly I have no idea who lives
in them now I think even people who owned one of these before 1949 political movements afterward
would’ve made it nearly impossible to keep On Sinan Road, there’s a quiet little café hidden
in one of these houses. It’s filled with nostalgic Shanghai things—vinyl records, old books,
vintage furniture. Not many people come here, maybe because the coffee’s a bit pricey. But it’s
so peaceful. This street has always been peaceful
#shanghai #streetphotography #leicam6
youtube.com/c/StevenTanno
A slow walk through my memories of Shanghai.
Captured with a Leica M6 and 35mm black & white film.
This is not a travel guide—just the way I see the city as it fades and transforms.
🖤 Over 100 photos, quiet alleys, and forgotten corners.
Thanks for walking with me.
📍Shot on Kodak Panatomic-X and Fomapan 100.
————— Contents of this video —————
00:00 – Introduction
01:44 – North bank / 蘇州河以北
09:26 – The center / 外灘中心區域
28:26 – South city / 南市上海老城廂
35:32 – French concession / 西區法租界
💬 Super Thanks
It’s a feature where you can buy a fun animation and leave a custom comment to show support!
You’ll find the Super Thanks button below the video, next to “Like”, “Share”, and “Save”.
☕️ Or buy me a coffee if you’d like:
https://ko-fi.com/steventanno
#Shanghai #35mmfilm #streetphotography #blackandwhitefilm #citywalk #filmphotography
Follow me on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steventanno/
Thanks for watching! Please like, comment, & subscribe.👍
PLAYLISTS
Film Cameras & Lenses reviews: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOHkNBZXpeNsYc8t_LMSsSxavoNeAX9A5
Film Photography videos: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOHkNBZXpeNusv-CqDwoXeuKweR-UlHbp
SHOOTING FILM ON A BUDGET: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOHkNBZXpeNv53X4GRkS3bSoMmvfQywq6
Film developing & scanning: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOHkNBZXpeNttb7mKneqh9w5oUeoiMzKS
Umimachi Diary – A documentary film photograph project in Japanese seaside towns: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOHkNBZXpeNswmuoOztOBo_Em-Zn3-l3q
44 Comments
There is no hope for humanity. Apparence is all it's left. Interesting the contrast with your past photos
Thank you
Wonderful storytelling, Steven. You are documenting the past, present and visually preserving that which will disappear very soon.
Wonderful video, then you!
Thank you!
Travel, history and fine photography. Just what we like. Subscribed and looking forward to viewing your back catalogue.
Fantastic video Street photography and History 👌👌👌
You put a lot of effort and time into those videos and i 0:04 t really shows. Love the historical context between the 1995 and now pictures. Thank you for sharing.
That was a thoroughly rewarding watch Steven, thank you. I watched while developing 9 rolls of HP5 and really liked the look of the Panotomic X. I'll have to try some. I need to get back to Shanghai and see it more deeply, so much history!!
The best 47 minutes I’ve spent on YouTube. Do you miss it there?
Steven, 这里面的视频侬是用啥拍额？
A very informative and refreshing piece, wonderfully presented.
Is a ISO 100 film fast enough for street photography? You did a good job doing it.
Just loaded my BW film in my Nikon yesterday at home in Shanghai, now watching your work in 4K television. Really enjoyed
This is extraordinary! 感谢您的上传。
This was so relaxing, comforting, and even compelling. It had wonderful videography, a well chosen soundtrack, great photography, and a seriously interesting informative narrative. It left me wanting more. Well done Steven!
♥♥♥
I’ve always wanted to go to Shanghai…..I’ve been shooting film for many decades, now it’s mostly digital. After watching this I definitely feel more knowledgeable and I really like the nostalgia feel and narration. Nice photos, thanks for your efforts, very well done.
Great video. Thank you
beAutiful!
蘇州河以北的郵電大樓，這是我兒童時經常玩耍的地方，9:10拍到河濱大樓這棟遠東最大住宅，這是我從小長大的地方。喝咖啡太小意思了，如果你願意下次來東京請你喝酒😊。
请教老师，我英语一般，所以用中文打字，有个国外大师说D76原液会有比较低的反差和较为细致的颗粒，原话是“Stock solution will give you a little lower contrast and a bit fine or gray. The lower contrast will also give you more latitude in your negative. Versus 1+1 dilution which will give you more contrast and a bit more grain, also a little more sharpness.  The flatter contrast negative will allow  have a bit more detail in the shadows and the highlights. Less likely to blow out the sky，但是我又听说1:1才是低反差，到底哪个才是正确答案，难道我英语理解有问题吗，我冲洗胶卷总是天空细节爆掉，可能和冲洗有关系，我在纠结原液还是稀释1+1，谢谢。
Fantastic! I don't even realize that this video is 47 minutes long.
Epic Video, Right pace, great photographs, inspiring to get your analogue camera’s and photograph with film again. Where is my SP and F3/T …..
Wonderful and inspiring, thank you for this. 🙏
Extraordinaire vidéo, assurément ma préférée parmi celles que vous avez publiées! J'aime particulièrement les photographies que vous avez prises en 1994, elles sont intemporelles. Votre manière de raconter vos pérégrinations photographiques nous permet de voyager avec vous, merci!
Steven,
Thanks very much for another fascinating video. So many of your works in this channels impose, hmm, kinda reeducation to us. Well, reeducation might be a heavy word but on a positive connotation in this context. There are a good number of these cities we thought we knew yet you walk up and down the streets, alleys, and what-not's to show us there are still way many facets we hadn't been aware of.
My only time to Shanghai was in June 1986. The best memory was the much famed bar in Peace Hotel. On top of the renowned jazz band probably with the original members, I only remember the hotel at the time to be very dark, a far cry from what is in your video.
Hands down my favorite channel!
truly awe inspiring, no propaganda, no political agenda, just simple walking around…. thank you for sharing
Thanks
Thanks!
This is a wonderful, sensitive look at Shanghai. I recently found your channel, and very much enjoyed your walks through European and Mid-East cities, but I think this might be your best yet. Perhaps this is because you lived in Shanghai as a younger man, and left for some time. I think your voice had a sense of wistfulness as you walked through districts and streets you knew then. I think that it is a part of human nature that as we age, we view changes to our memories as melancholy events, even if we understand that change is inevitable. So it goes.
Very well done. Thanks.
This is moving, Steven- it’s as if I lived there, too, many years ago, and Im visiting to see what was once there, to find it has changed and has somehow forgotten me. Something like the Japanese concept of mono no aware. It’s both sad and beautiful. I love the way you see and express things- very deep and philosophical.
Thank you Steven. A wonderful documentation about an interesting part of Shanghai. The area along the Suzhou river is my preferred tour when I am riding bicycle. Interesting hotspots and not so much traffic. Many of your pictures are very familiar to me. Recently some changes happened and Shanghai goes through a cultural development again. I think you can make a new video soon. Btw. I also like it to make photos in Shanghai 🙂 Take care. KJ
Exactly the kind of content we need more of here on YouTube. Thank you very much for the effort you put into this.
我也是上海宁，非常喜欢侬的这个vlog以及其它的视频，看了侬的视频也帮我在F~F4这几台机器犹豫中决定了买了一台F4。📸
excellent
Very interesting video, about an interesting city.
And some great photos, like the 3 ones with the little girl, walking alone in the street.
Interesting, although I was looking for some authentic local street photography, not so much interested in the colonial lifestyle and architect which also deserves a respect here too.
Beautiful, thank you for sharing 💚💛❤
很有怀旧的感觉
Outstanding Steve! You are a master photographer at the top of you game and great story teller too. It must be truly nostalgic to revisit a city that you had live many years ago and the memories flooding back must be quite overwhelming. Thank you so much for sharing a part of Shanghai that we never see. I've been there a few times before, but always for work and very little time to explore except for Nanjing Road, The Bund and the financial district in Pudong area. I'll like to go back again, but alas, in my old age now, I fear I may not be able to do so.
Your photography inspires me to do better.