What holds these photos in common is that I didn't look at the camera for either of them. With the first photo, my wife and I were walking down, oh, 42nd street (I'm making that up), and I noticed this woman striking a James Dean-like pose. I was holding my camera, and because I didn't want to weird the woman out, who was looking my way, I just took the photo by pointing it at her from normal walking position, with arms down. I hoped I was pointing in the right direction, and I was. So it was a lucky shot worthy of a spy. But because I didn't stop to take the photo but took it while walking, it's a little blurry. After we passed her, my wife told me that she was standing in front of the "No Soup for You!"-inspiring soup restaurant.
The other shot I took in Central Park. Unfortunately, my wife was ill so we couldn't explore the park by foot, but I still wanted her to see it. So naturally we hired a poor immigrant from Kaskakhstan to peddle us around on a two-person rickshaw. I found it humiliating, frankly, but it made for good stories which I'll share with you, my dear reader, when I find the time. Because as you know, I don't really do stories, only analysis, so when I get a good story I must share it. This will be the first story of the blog, and perhaps my life. So hold on. Anyway, after our poor immigrant friend pedaled us past Yoko Ono's pad, I saw this vendor, um, kind of letting it all out to bask in the sun. We were moving quickly--or at least quickly for a two-person bicycle rickshaw, and I didn't have time to turn on the camera and point and focus. So I took the camera and reached behind me as far as possible after we passed the dude and just clicked blindly.
Two blind shots. Sort of like Kobe Bryant. Yeah, I'm good that way. (Like Kobe.)
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1 comment:
In the spirt of this photo, let me "react without focusing." I think both these photos are very good and in their own way capture the essence of NYC, as I envision it anyway. Great photos!
Now, here are my questions/quick analysis of your descritions.
For the photo of the lady, though on closer inspection it looks like she's not actually, at first blush it looks like she is doing her own "point and click" at you, without aiming.
Two is, on the same photo, it struck me that "right, it would not appear at all 'weird' that you're walking around the City with a camera constantly and indiscriminantly clicking in your outstretched arms, rather than aiming and focusing it at selective people/things"...
Three is, the story about the second photo is very good, at least the part you have shared so far. Let me just be clear though on the situation -- you were embarrased to take framed photos of the denizens you came across, yet you were fine to pay Fredo five bucks to haul you around Central Park for a couple hours while doubtless barking orders at him like a mule, taking pictures of his many vendor friends on the sly... :)
Just kidding -- these are really neat photos!
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