Instant Clicks

When I'm out photographing, after preparing the camera to take pictures (pre-setting exposure, focus, etc.), I find I become hyper-aware of what's going on around me. Scanning the activities to see what might be a worthwhile subject.

Rarely, maybe once a month, a glance in a direction will show a perfectly setup scene. Perfectly composed, perfect mood, perfect expression. Since I'm ready, I can grab it in a second.

Yesterday, I was lucky enough to have two of these instant clicks. These are them:

I was across the street and looked over between cars and saw this. Not only was his pose well positioned, but the neon sign is a really nice element above it. A mood comes through that was all put together.

I was passing by an office building and found her standing like this enjoying a smoke. Almost as if she was a model. The diagonal beam is a nice secondary element. I got one shot and that was it.

Text and Ticket

I noticed this guy's relaxed pose as he sat in the back of the beer truck. He was supported by boxes of imported beer... Xingu Black beer from Brazil, Stella Artois from Belgium, Peroni Italian beer. He was most interested in what he was texting, completely absorbed.

I took a couple of shots, and went on my way, looking for other subjects on his side of the street. When I got to the front of the truck, a policeman was just finishing writing a ticket. He then placed it on the windshield of the illegal parked vehicle. The texter never knew what hit him.

I suspect the texter was not really responsible for the legality of the park (he looked too young to drive). He's probably the muscle who moved the beer. Still, I'm sure he will be held responsible. "What the hell were you doing while I was gone?!!!" Uh.... texting .

Posers

There are those who hate to be photographed. But there are also the attention seeking posers, who want nothing more than to have their picture taken. They dress boldly or provocatively, they know how to position themselves for the best picture. Since I focus on candid shots, I do not like to reward this kind of behavior (unless it's at Disney World).

However, standing at the end of Wall Street, this guy knew how to take advantage of the large number of tourists there. I guess he was making some kind of political statement about the bailouts and he was standing in front of a Brinks armored car. I'm not sure really what the point was. Actually I think the point was to get his picture taken, rather than anything else more meaningful.

So, I took a few of him from the side, so he wouldn't pose for me, but in the end I just couldn't resist letting him turn on the whole personality for me (even though I hate myself for it).

No Big Deal

Looking out of the window of a conference room while a meeting took place, the Manhattan Bridge looked like this. I ran for my camera, but didn't have my larger zoom lens with me. So, the close up here is cropped down from my many megapixels.

It looked like a rather major event to those of us in the room. The flames actually got twice as high as shown here. But, seemingly there was not much concern. Fire trucks showed up maybe 30 minutes later. And, then after 45 minutes, I got a text message from the New York City emergency response system that said there was a fire on a tractor trailer on the bridge.

I googled it today and didn't find much news about it. Guess it was no big deal.

Revolving Door

So... I was intrigued by this chrome revolving door. In particular, I thought the painting behind would provide a colorful contrast to the shiny motion of the door. I positioned myself appropriately, preset my camera and waited for people to come through.

I was looking for someone distinctive to exit. At first, there seemed to be mostly nondescript slobby people. Then, a businessman came by after a while.

I practiced as people walked in and out, timing their locations within the doors, and kept waiting and snapping, then caught these women. While I was focused on the front woman, the second woman's abstract look made the picture a bit more interesting. Sometimes, something you don't think about when shooting becomes the key to a photo.

I was fairly satisfied with this but kept waiting for other subjects, when I saw a man in a blue official-looking suit come towards me. I knew what was coming, he was security for the building. I calmly smiled. He told me not to take pictures of the building. Having studied up on my rights, I know I legally am permitted to take pictures of anything that is in visible sight from the street. I explained to him that this was not illegal. He didn't fight me, but he asked me again to "desist". I had already taken about 20 shots or so, and wasn't looking for an argument. I told him I would stop and put my camera down. He didn't leave. I realize he wouldn't leave until I left. So, I left, as my mission was accomplished.

Parking Flag Man

His job is to act such as honey is to bees, serving as a sentry to attract cars to his employer's parking garage. He stands in the street and waves his flag, like a matador. It's a tougher job now, as part of the street is under construction and there is less traffic. But, his flag continues in constant but slow motion, like the minimal wave of a beauty queen paced for endurance.

He braces himself against the construction barrier, and does the best he can to conserve energy for his hours on the street. Generally unseen and faceless, except for his flag.