Chinese Water Meter Reader Captures Unexpected Moments on The Streets

32-year old Tao Liu works as a water meter reader for the Hefei Water Supply Company. He travels up and down the city on his motorbike and into streets and alleys to knock on doors and write down numbers. His job is mechanical and tedious, but it also allows him to visit every nook and corner of the city. Taking advantage of the nature of the job, Liu started taking photos, but unlike your average street photographer, Liu’s photos are laced with black humor - a glamorous girl on a poster appears to be kissing (or smelling) the bottom of a casually dressed man as he bends down to pick up something, the shadow of a man perfectly enclosed within a frame and a dog's head appearing to replace a person’s body.

A self taught photographer, Liu has been uploading his photos online through photography websites for the last three years. The response was usually tepid, until recently, when a famous photography magazine published his photos. Within a few weeks, Tao Liu became a household name. Recently, he was also invited to stage a photography exhibition in Beijing, where he also won a prize.

Find more of Tao Liu’s work on Lofter.

via Colossal