Naugatuck, Connecticut
Bill Pierce has said that he'd love to put a book together called, "Hey Mister, Take My Picture!" It would be collected from the photographers he knows (Pierce knows everyone) who spend serious time working the street. Anyone who does has this experience over and over, and mostly the pictures aren't very interesting. But sometimes they are. I think this one works, and one of the girls said she really wanted the picture, so I told her to go online and find this blog, and here it is.
4 comments:
to be asked, I guess you are friendlier than I am. working w/ a large camera on the street, I have been asked if I am making postcards; during a long night exposure had someone come up and look directly into the lens asking where the image was; and my favorite, while in Italy three young girls quietly watched as I was working. I asked if they would like to look thru the ground glass and one replied, "...no, we are waiting for the big poof!"
Carl, when you are asked, do the subjects go in "pose mode", do you ask them to pose, or is a quick record of the moment?
Lyle, interesting question. People who ask this usually do go into "pose mode," and what I generally do is react immediately and get off a frame or two before they realize I've reacted. Then I also shoot whatever stance they choose to adopt. This picture is the first of two frames, before they've quite realized that I *am* responding. My all time favorite one of these that I've made is the last shot in this series:
http://www.carlweese.com/kingston.html
though in fact, looking at them, 6 or 7 of these ten pictures would to some extent qualify for "hey mister, take my picture."
Kingston is an interesting series. thanks for reminding me of it. Was #6 a 'take my picture'? The central figure is certainly mugging for the camera, the other two are not. Yet, they are 'under the control' of other one - is he saying, "only take of picture of me?"
Lyle, I'd interpret it as "take my picture, I'm King of the Hill!"
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