Balkan Ghosts

[franklinh]

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I am continuing my Cafe in Winter Project at the noted Cafe Zoka in Seattle, home of some pretty good green tea and expresso drinks. It's within walking distance of my house.

 

In these two photos, I push the limits of how close I can get to my subject without them being aware of me, the photographer. This is the hidden (in plain sight)voyeur approach to street photography. I think you can disappear easily into the background if you are stationary, and then try to make an exposure of what comes into your field of view. So like so many others these days, I flip up the lid of my laptop and appear engrossed in what is transpiring on the Leica Camera User Forum regarding the censorship discussion . I place my digicam on the table mounted on that teeny tiny Leica tripod and is about one-inch high including the swivel head and face it - toward the table about 12 inches to my right. I turn off the sound, flash - any indications that might give away that the camera is operating.

 

I want to look a little closer at people so I can see what is happening. There is the book, "Balkan Ghosts" left on the table. Just two exposures.

 

You can't see what is happening in this cafe if you don't look. Making photographs opportunistically is a way of looking.

 

Franklin

[stuny]

Franklin -

 

These are really fun. Have you given any thought to using the computer screen as a viewfinder along with remote control software for the digicam? That way you can have a small, inobtrusive window of the viewfinder to better frame your shots and to select the moment.

[Bateleur]

I love this pair of photos. I do admit however that I masked off the doorway and window to allow me to concentrate on the girl and her actions. The hands and the blurred cover of the opening book makes for a fabulous picture just on its own too.

 

Thanks

Charles