Back focused in Ipoh

In August, 2010 I shot an assignment in Ipoh for Saveur magazine which I'm pleased to say is seeing the light of day in the October 2011 issue (out now).

When you ask Malaysians about Ipoh they often get this faraway look and mumble something along the lines of 'You've got to try X, then X, then X..' In short Ipoh is the Malaysian culinary Disneyland. So needless to say, apart from the thrill of shooting for a publication known for the high quality of its' photos, I was also glad to know I was going to eat very, very well.

Or so I thought. Here's the backstory, literally.

We had just returned to Malaysia from an epic 5 week trip in Turkey where too much gear, a steep, winding 5-story staircase and an evil taxi driver conspired to strain my lower back. I've had these kinds of things before so I really wasn't concerned, figuring that with a few days and some ibuprofen I'd be fine.

So when I got the call, a week after arriving back home, from the Saveur photo ed asking me to head up to Ipoh I didn't give it any thought. 

The day arrived and I packed the car and headed north - nervous but excited . I arrived at about 4pm and got right to it shooting in and around 'old town'.  Later that evening I met the story's writer and her uncle who would be with us for part of the 2+ days shoot. We set out a plan and agreed to get going at sunrise.

What transpired between our meeting and sunrise will probably make this the most memorable assignment I've had to date.  I had tucked myself into bed and was reading when seemingly out of nowhere I got a stabbing pain in my lower back, followed by a cramp in my right thigh.

This was not your  'normal garden variety' pain.. it was the kind of physically contorting pain that will send you jackknifing around the room. I popped a few more ibuprofens but nothing I could do would stop what seemed to be a full-on needle attack of my spine.

Lying wide awake at about 3am I started to think that I might need to call Saveur and try to take a raincheck but I knew that wasn't going to happen. Being good folks they probably would have said 'yes' but from my side I knew I couldn't go there. I was hired to do a job and they counted on my doing it. Put on your 'big pants' and do it, I told myself.

I finally passed out from sheer exhaustion around 4am and when the alarm went off two hours later I felt like maybe the worst had passed. I got out of bed -- and fell directly into the wall. My right leg was numb and would barely support my weight. I'm thinking it's just that the leg is asleep, so I proceeded to get in the shower and wait for that needling, tingly sensation you get when an appendage 'wakes up'. But it never came.

My leg stayed numb. And I still had work to do.

One thing that I've learned as a photographer is that the position you get yourself in before taking a photo can make all the difference. The frame isn't going to come to you, you've got to go to the frame. You have to find the 'sweet spot' that gives you a knockout vantage. That might be standing on a chair, or squatting or even laying on the ground.

All well and good when both legs are functioning as they should, but throughout the shoot I found that one of my legs just wouldn't do what I told it to. I discovered this when I climbed on a chair for an overhead in a dim sum shot that ended up being the opening shot to the article. I could climb up but couldn't climb back down.

So I stood on the chair much longer than I actually needed to to get the shot. I stood there for what seemed like a lifetime taking pics and trying to think of a graceful way to get down, short of asking for help, which of course I couldn't do. Eventually I grabbed a corner of the steamer table (which was, uh, steaming hot) and got myself down to floor level.

One challenge down, 48 hours and change to go.

I spent most of the day working around town, walking block by block looking for scenes and people to photograph and scoping out light for shots the next day. By 8:30pm or so I decided to call it quits and grabbed a few beers and ice to take back to my hotel.

Writing this now I distinctly remember that first cold sip as I propped myself up on a stack of pillows, the ice pack nestled in the small of my back. I downloaded the day's images and then waited for what I hoped would be a much needed good night's sleep.

Stupid me..as soon as I closed my eyes it came at me again..that stabbing, now excruciating pain..another 4 am night.

 
Out the door early again the next day. I wanted to hit Sun Yoong Foong Coffee Shop before they put the chits down, which would block the sun. When I arrived the light was there and I was having a great time -- but for new problem.

Now it seemed that the pressure from whatever was happening in my back meant that I couldn't lift my right foot at all. So when I walked it kind of sounded like when you get a flat tire: flop, flop, flop.

At one point I got on my knees to photograph the vendor above and found that in order to push myself back to standing I had to drop to all fours. The folks in the coffee shop were gracious but clearly concerned for what I assume they thought was a problem with my state of mind.

I still had a fair number of locations to cover so I just kept moving and shooting despite the pain.

The other frustrating thing was that I wasn't eating all that well. The back thing suppressed my appetite. Plus I was in work mode, unwilling to take the time for a meal lest I miss a critical shot.

Later that afternoon I met Shaik Acandeen, proprietor of C-T Corner Cendol . He said I looked tired. He said 'perhaps you should sit and have some cendol'.

And so I did..and he was right. Not that there's any sort of healing properties in cendol but sitting for those few minutes gave me a chance to think about the shoot and realize that I was in the home stretch. I would go until dark and then do a little more in morning but either way I would be heading back to KL by noon the next day.

The next morning I was up before dawn. The light was soft as I shot around town. I was still walking around with my 'flat tire' foot but what kept me going was the certainty that in 5 hours, for better or worse, I would be in my car heading south.

There was one last stop with the writer to shoot Ipoh's most famous dish: Hainanese-style poached chicken with bean sprouts and hor fun / rice noodles.

I photographed the dishes, then did something I hadn't yet done. I ate the props. They tasted very, very good. Maybe not in quite a Lt. Colonel William Kilgore way but close. That chicken tasted so good because I realised I had made it to the end, that I had done my job and finished my work -- something I didn't think I could do two days before. After lunch I got into the car and popped in a CD. This tune came up and I hit the freeway.

No matter how much you shoot or how many jobs you've completed every assignment has its challenges. It's so easy to second-guess your work. These may not be the 'best' images I have ever produced, and anyway that's not entirely for me to judge.

What I do know is that I pushed myself to do something that I didn't think I could do. I'm going to be carrying that around with me for while to come.

Comments

[debbie ann]

I'm impressed you got through it - but worried - is it better now? what caused the numbing.

[Nate @ House of Annie]

Lovely, lovely photos and wonderful story, Dave!

You make me want to go to Ipoh all over again.

As long as I don't have to go through all that back pain in order to do it.

[Wai]

Cool, St Michael Instituition, my alma mater. Ipoh remains dear in my heart. Thank you for taking some great pics of this place.

[Ross Duncan]

Nice story Dave, my heart goes out to you, I work with a number of photographers who suffer from the same issue, once you get the "other side" of 30, it's all downhill :)
Have you invested in a trolley for your gear?, it might give the back a break for a while.
Look after yourself.
cheers
Ross

[Dave]

Thanks, folks!

Debbie Ann - I found out after several MRI's that it was a ruptured disk. Not 100% yet but close enough.I switched to a backpack for my gear and took to the swimming pool. Both seemed to help.

Nate - Let's hope it's not a requirement. I plan to go back but don't want a repeat.

Wai - Ipoh is a gem. Great people (I'll be posting some portraits soon) and great food. St. Michael's is such a lovely building, too.

[Dave]

Thanks, Ross! Appreciate the kind words. When I was having my 'issues' I knew of 4 other photogs in similar or worse states. Occupational hazard? Yes, I have a trolley but it needs to stay back in the hotel when I'm doing location work. The backpack has helped a lot, though.

[Preeta]

Hello, Dave! I'm a Malaysian writer, a longtime reader of EatingAsia, and a Facebook friend of Robyn's. I love your work, and am therefore THRILLED that you did this feature on Ipoh -- my childhood home and the one place on earth that still holds my heart. I no longer live in Malaysia, and I've lived and travelled all over the world, but no other place haunts me like Ipoh does. Saveur isn't available in France, where I live now, but I'm going to do whatever I can to get a copy. Thank you for putting so much effort into this feature while you were in such terrible pain! I hope you're feeling much better now.

Oh, and by the way, Shaik Acandeen of C.T. Cendol is the uncle of a primary schoolmate/childhood friend of mine! Ipoh is a small world indeed.

[Dave]

Hi Preeta - Thanks so much. Ipoh is a real treasure so I was more than a little excited to have been given this assignment. When we first came to Malaysia I remember people in KL telling us that they would regularly drive the 2 hours to Ipoh for snacks and coffee and then drive back. We thought it was a little eccentric at the time but have since learned to 'sport eat' like the locals.

Funny about Shaik. He is such a gentleman (and makes a great cendol). I'm thinking this article may spawn an Ipoh class reunion (it seems that virtually everyone went to St. Michael's).

Surprised that you can't buy Saveur in France. I think you can buy single copies on line.

[Preeta]

Oh, yes, all Malaysians do that! It's nothing to drive hours to a particularly reputed seafood restaurant or curry mee stall for lunch, and then drive back home.

I'm sure Saveur is available in Paris and other major cities, but I live in the middle of nowhere. You're right that I could probably buy a copy online, but a very dear friend in the US has already agreed to grab a copy for me, so no worries. Thanks again for your great work! I can't wait to read the article and see your pictures, and very much hope that you'll be back in Ipoh many times!

[Teri Y]

A little late on the comment as I've been traveling and now catching up! Pain in the leg or what not, I just want to say that your photos are wonderful as always. Not sure how you did still manage to pull with excellent shots with discomfort in your legs. Your shots are always so real, and capturing the genuine moments of people and place (and food!).

[Dave]

Hi Teri - Thanks so much! Sorry to go on about the 'back thing'. I usually don't spend much time talking about myself but in this case it was a 'life lesson' that I felt I needed to document. Glad you were able to enjoy the pics despite all the dribble.

[Motormouth From Ipoh]

The pictures did Ipoh justice! Thanks David for the brilliant shots and revealing part of Ipoh's magic to the world.

[Dave]

Thanks, Motor-man! Good to see Ipoh enjoying a bit of a revival. Really a fantastic place.