IMAGEFRONTIERS Post #005...And Now for Something Completely Different

My Quirky Collections: Hanging Out to Dry in Shanghai, China 2016

Jun 15, 2025

A woman and three children riding a single moped in Shanghai, with a laundry line and cartoon bedsheet in the background. Urban family life meets quirky transport and daily routine. — The Quad Moped Ride - Captured in Pudong, Shanghai, 2016.

This post is part of my continuing exploration into street photography, cultural contrasts, and what makes a scene feel visually alive. Captured during two months in Shanghai in 2016, this photo story blends quirky moments and human detail. Welcome to another chapter in my visual series documenting everyday beauty.

A new meaning to Quad Bike—this image I captured sent me on a hunt...

I captured this first image in Shanghai, China. It struck me as odd and quirky for a couple of reasons:

First, four people on a moped. I had grown up with contests on how many people could be stuffed into a telephone booth or Volkswagen Bug, but never how many riders could fit on a moped.
Second, China’s traffic was crazy—was this even safe? I grew up in a state with mandatory helmet laws for a reason.
Finally, what is with the clotheslines? Shanghai is an extremely modern, clean, and culturally rich metropolitan area—so what gives?

Some Background:

My wife was on a one-year assignment in China for her company, our kids were away at school, and this was my first chance to spend time in Mainland China. I was diving deep into the manufacturing industry and used this time to learn more about China's supply chain while networking with tech execs in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, and beyond. But this story is about my photography—not my business life.

Back to My Photography 📸

While I hadn’t declared a focus on photography yet, it’s always been in my blood. I try to make time to walk around the places I’m lucky to visit—across five continents—using my cameras and occasionally my phones. I spent about two months in Shanghai with my wife, with a light schedule and time to wander while she was in meetings.

So, after spotting that moped and clothing line, I started noticing the striking contrast between modern architecture and traditional habits. Things we no longer see much in U.S. cities were everywhere here. That’s what inspired this little series I’m calling “Hanging Out to Dry.”

These photos have sat in my catalog of more than 170,000 images (and growing) since 2016.

Hanging Over History - Brick apartment facade in Xuhui, Shanghai, 2016.

I’ll share additional pictures from Shanghai and China of the color, culture, architecture and history in upcoming posts. I’m still not sure exactly why, but this quirky, visual collection speaks to me—with humor and curiosity. Hope you enjoy the images. Let me know what resonates.
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Geek Stuff 🤓

I was on my third main digital SLR camera at the time, experimenting with the Canon EOS 70D and my favorite travel lens: the EF-S 18–200mm f/3.5–5.6 IS. (Still hadn’t tried real L-type lenses... YET!).
I was starting to figure out what shooting “RAW” meant. Unfortunately, only a portion of these photos were shot in RAW—the majority were captured as 20.2 megapixel JPEGs. Now, I shoot exclusively in RAW and don’t even create jpg duplicates. Like Jared Polin says, “I shoot Raw.”

That lens had image stabilization, which allowed me to work in lower light, gray skies, and to filddle with iso more. I could feel the flexibility to experiment with light and handheld compositions, especially on the streets.

OK. Enough geek. Back to our content. 🙂

Modern, Massive, Dense Metropolis: Shanghai 🌆

When I landed in Shanghai, I expected skyscrapers, neon lights, and nonstop motion. And yes, I got all that—towering high-rises, electric scooters humming, and malls that looked like spaceships. I had lived and worked in New York City and its shadows in New Jersey, but Shanghai dwarfed it in size and population.

Some things that struck me:

Roads were smooth—pothole-free. Unheard of in NYC, NJ, Boston, or Chicago.
The subways were ultra-modern and whisper-quiet. A world apart from the EL in Chicago, Boston’s T, or screeching NY transit.
The scale was mind-bending. Pudong alone, a district of over 10 million people, made Manhattan look small.
The skies were perpetually gray—not blue. Pollution warnings were routine, and many locals already wore masks. But the alerts? They weren’t public unless you had a VPN.

Heavy jackets and pants hang from bamboo poles outside apartment windows, flanked by air conditioning units. Practical life against the grit of dense city dwelling. — Puffers and Pipes - Everyday garments drying in Pudong, Shanghai, 2016.

After noticing the moped and laundry lines, I began spotting them everywhere—shirts, towels, pajamas, and dresses waving in the wind outside apartment buildings.

Black and gray clothing dries along a narrow stone alleyway. A quiet, hidden domestic moment amidst tight Shanghai lanes. — Between the Walls - Narrow lane scene in Xuhui, Shanghai, 2016.

That’s why I’m calling this post “Hang Out to Dry”—not just because of the laundry, but because it felt like a soft rebellion. A human act in a mechanized city.

A compact balcony protrudes from a high-rise with children's clothes drying on a rack. Laundry spills out into the urban skyline of Shanghaiâ€™s residential towers. — Tiny Balcony, Big Life - Residential tower in Pudong, Shanghai, 2016.

In high-rises stacked like filing cabinets, people still lean out of windows, pinning their lives to the breeze. It’s a gesture of continuity—residents who moved from rural China into these concrete towers still drying their clothes the way they always have.

Dozens of balconies on neighboring apartment buildings covered in colorful hanging clothes. A visual rhythm of daily life in vertical density. — Every Balcony Tells a Story - Balconies full of laundry in Xuhui, Shanghai, 2016.

Each street had its own rhythm—layers of texture and color. I’d walk for hours through Xuhui and Pudong, camera in hand.

A cluster of garments, mostly pinks and whites, hang from a cantilevered metal pole on a tiled high-rise corner. A quiet domestic act defying gray skies. — The Corner Hang - Outer corner pole drying in Shanghai, 2016.

At the same time, I couldn’t ignore the reality of the air. The American Embassy’s app showed daily PM2.5 levels—red alerts, spikes, factory-grade inhalation warnings. But locals? Many had no idea.

White shirts and towels hang crisply against a vibrant blue tile facade. A minimalist but striking contrast of color and form in urban laundry life. — Whites on Blue - High -contrast colors in downtown Shanghai, 2016.

VPN on, I’d check the pollution data and wonder how anyone thought it was okay to hang clean laundry in that atmosphere.

Bright pink garments sway from extended drying racks outside a modern apartment block. Leafless trees frame the image with seasonal starkness. — Pink Against the Gray - Concrete apartment backdrop in Shanghai, 2016.

The irony was sharp: beautiful clothing lines fluttering like art installations... in air you could practically taste.

Multiple layers of hanging laundryâ€”sheets, towels, and clothesâ€”cascade from balconies on a densely packed Shanghai apartment facade. — Layered Living - Stacked city views in Xuhui, Shanghai, 2016.

I’d see aunties in slippers stretching bedsheets from balcony to bamboo poles. Kids clipped clothespins to wires like toys.

An aerial shot of residents walking and working among dozens of laundry lines strung across a flat rooftop. Clothes and conversation mingle above the city. — Rooftop Choreography - Daily life above the streets in Shanghai, 2016.

Some rooftops became collective drying zones. It provided a place for the community to gather and socialize. Communal. Practical. Intimate.

A vivid red puffy coat outstretched over a storefront awning. Bicycle-lined sidewalk and signage mark this quintessential Shanghai street corner. — Red Jacket Above the Store - Seen near a market in Shanghai, 2016.

Sometimes a single jacket became the star of the sidewalk scene.

An overhead network of bamboo poles holds sweaters, socks, and shirts aloft in a breeze. Laundry appears like garments in flight against bare winter branches. — Wind and Wool - Bamboo pole setup on a gray day in Shanghai, 2016.

Other times, it was the bright colors of wool, flapping like signal flags over narrow alleys. The sky seems too blue from what I remember. Did I shift the Temperature too much?

Dozens of windows and balconies stretch into the distance, each with lines of laundry above the alley. A visual tapestry of urban density. — The Clothesline Corridor - Residential towers near central Shanghai, 2016.

Entire buildings came alive—like vertical stories told in fabric. Courtyards filled with crossing power and telephone lines and clothing out to dry providing color and character.

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Teal, yellow, and cobalt clothes sway from shiny aluminum poles outside an apartment. A close-up burst of visual warmth on a cloudy day. — Pops of Color - Spotting bold garments in a muted Shanghai skyline, 2016.

There were pops of color. Personality. Quiet resistance.

A striking black and red floral coat hangs from a pole beneath tangled power lines and A/C units. Fashion meets function above the sidewalk. — The Floral Coat - Details along a tiled building in Shanghai, 2016.

There were also reminders of tradition—like a floral embroidered coat clashing beautifully with exposed wires and bricks.

Final Two Shots 🎬

Before I close, two more to share:

A man and two children ride a moped across a bustling Shanghai intersection. Modern high-rises and a city bus frame the scene of urban movement. — Trike Moped: City Style - Traffic moment in downtown Shanghai, 2016.

This one reminded me again of the quad-moped image. Fewer passengers this time—but no less energy. I call this one The Trike Moped. THREE Is a good number, right?

A woman washes her hair in a bucket while other women, including one holding a baby, gather in front of a home. A multi-generational street portrait of daily life. — Three Generations, One Sidewalk - Life outside a home in Yangpu, Shanghai, 2016.

And one of my all-time favorites: a sidewalk scene showing, I believe, three generations—someone washing her hair, a baby held close, and daily life unfolding outside their apartment doorway. Not laundry this time. Just life, happening.

These shots keep the memory alive. The colors, the textures, the people leaning out to pin their lives to the wind. They remind me of a city that’s complicated, flawed, and impossibly alive. 🌏

Lessons Learned 🧠

While I have ADHD and work hard to stay focused, I’ve also learned to embrace the hunt for ideas. I seem to have a knack for spotting patterns early—and with confidence. Often, what I notice turns out to be more common than expected. These patterns aren’t limited to objects; they might appear in light, shadows, moments, locations, or human situations. The key is to stay curious.

Explore and seek. You’ll be amazed at what becomes visible when you’re actually looking. David.

Your Turn: Let’s Talk Quirky Collections 🤔

Do you have images that you think are weird—but you still love them?
I do. In fact, this post is one of many in what I call my “Quirky Collections.” Others include intentional camera movement, in-camera multi-exposure, quick tilts, and more. I’ve even gathered photo series based on signs from around the world—some hilarious, others deeply serious.

Now it’s your turn:
What are your “quirky” collections? What strange, delightful, or accidental images are you proud of?