This image emerged from an unexpected location scout beneath Bangkok’s Sathon district. We discovered this service tunnel during a routine visit with the building’s maintenance supervisor, who we convinced to run a mandatory sprinkler system test while we were present. What started as a safety check transformed into something extraordinary when the afternoon sun aligned perfectly with the ventilation grates above, and the sprinkler mist created a cinematic atmosphere we couldn’t have planned better.
The technical execution required perfect timing. The maintenance crew activated the sprinkler system at exactly 3:47 PM, knowing we had a 10-minute test cycle before automatic shutoff. The tunnel’s concrete floor, now slick with fresh water from the sprinklers, created perfect mirror-like reflections. Using a Canon R5 with a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens locked at 35mm, we positioned ourselves low, almost lying on the wet concrete, to capture both the golfer and his reflection as dual protagonists in the frame. Our golfer, a scratch player from the Royal Bangkok Sports Club, had to work quickly between sprinkler bursts.
What elevates this image is the serendipitous interaction between the sprinkler mist and natural light. The fine water droplets from the fire suppression system became thousands of tiny prisms, catching the slanted rays entering through storm drains and ventilation shafts. We shot at 1/500s to freeze the mist as golden particles suspended in space, while the tunnel’s maintenance lights created the repeating ceiling pattern. The sprinkler test, initially a favor from the maintenance supervisor, became our special effects department.
The photograph speaks to Bangkok’s hidden dimensions and the creative opportunities that emerge from unconventional collaborations. Our golfer’s form, captured at the apex of his backswing while sprinkler mist swirled around him, transforms from sport into cinema. The industrial tunnel becomes a stage where a routine safety test created conditions worthy of a Hollywood production. This image reminds us that extraordinary photographs often arise not from perfect planning, but from creatively reimagining standard procedures – in this case, turning a mundane sprinkler test into atmospheric magic. Sometimes the best lighting designer is a building maintenance supervisor with a testing schedule.