Thursday, May 12, 2016

people

I walked around quite a lot and didn't see anything much worth photographing just then although there are interesting things all around like the little pool by Mad Greens, a cement block cut out like a sarcophagus with a cement body inside face down palms spread a bit like the back side of Han Solo in carbonite, it's a pool, like someone floating dead in a pool, or perhaps examining something close up, but all those things are civic and put there to try to be interesting. There are statues all over the place. Cows, buffalos, people men and women, out-scaled household utensils in primary colors, out-scaled toy horse on a chair, monoliths arranged in a group, metallic stonehenge, comic cowboys on roofs of buildings, obelisk, American indians, bronze horses, plus the architecture is interesting, more background than point of interest, save for details, and they'e not going anywhere. I never took out my camera. Past the lunch rush, circling back I ended where I started at Burger Fi, went in, took a stool at a table in the corner by the front window facing Broadway and snapped away here and there as foot traffic slowed considerably while I ate a burger and that turned out productive.  Dozens of good photos of people walking by right where I sat without moving.


The whole set of photos is included with the hamburgers on my other site if you care to see them. These were put on Flickr and within two minutes I was pinged that three were marked favorite by somebody. But not this one. I got a few shots of this girl as her group walked by. Her whole group of three are this expressive. 

That was a fun somewhat pervy voyeuristic thing to do, see people coming, oh, oh, get ready, eat a fry, lift up camera, back and forth, with all the inside diners behind me, I'm certain, observing or noticing what I am doing. 

If I'm challenged I think my defense will sound like, "You know what? I got a GREAT shot of you. Would you like it?" 

One group was taking selfie group photos before breaking up and walking past me. And I got great ones of them. They're adorable. 

In Colorado when you go whitewater rafting on some rivers like the Arizona River and Brown River they have companies of rafters going by all the time for half day or full day trips. Photographers position themselves on a bridge over the rapids, the best part of the float when people are screaming and water is splashing dramatically and glistening artistically, and they photograph each raft that goes under them and then hasten back to the company office where rafts are returned and process the photos right there and have them ready to offer for sale by the time the trip having people return and the photos are all great. They're all perfect. They got their act down. They have to be great. They are always fantastic photos no matter who you are. People love these photographs of themselves doing something great and fun like that, right at the climax. Each person on each raft wants to own at least one photo once they see them. Honestly, where will you get another photograph of yourself being athletic like that? It must be set up in advance. They rake in cash hand over fist all season long. And the clients love it while never having agreed to be photographed.

7 comments:

rcocean said...

Great photos Chip although everyone looks like a SWPL or some sort of Hipster, like they are on their way to Starbucks for a Carmel Latte.

But then I hate people, so I could be wrong.

rcocean said...

And I'm an oddball in that I never buy photos of myself or my family. I think its phony.

Plus, I"m like, I just paid an enormous sum of money for you to take me tourist place X, ride an elephant, go on Safari, raft a river, etc" and NOW you want me to pay $10 more for a photo? How bout giving it to me free?"

Chip Ahoy said...

Oh man, what a bad attitude. It's not a scam. It's an offering. And a great one too.

The Dude said...

Nice pictures - and just this evening as a thunderstorm rolled through I too was lamenting the lack of speed in photographic equipment - I took pictures of lightning near Jackson Hole Wyoming using my old Pentax K1000, but stinkin' slow cell phone - she's a-no good too. Click, nothing. Wait, I know lightning is going to happen - click, flash-boom, nothing. Zoom is going in and out on the clouds - yeah, cell phone - go to infinity and stay there - trust me on this.

So, great pictures of clouds and the dramatic cloud wall at the leading edge of the storm, but no lightning. Curses!

Chip Ahoy said...

Photographers use lightening sensors for their cameras and their phones.

They detect radio waves and red short waves that precede lightening, now they're multiple detectors built in, lightening, movement, sound. They run the range of just under $100.00 to just over $100.00 thereabouts. And like all those things on Amazon they all get wildly mixed reviews.

Here, Amazon [camera lightening detector]

rhhardin said...

Listen for the thunder and then count to minus five.

The Dude said...

Lightning is frequent enough around here that all I need is a camera that takes a picture when I mash the button. Only Florida has more people killed by lightning, which is to say WE'RE NUMBER TWO, WE'RE NUMBER TWO!!!

I think you might have a good point, rhh - but I think the way-back option for a cell phone is out of my price range.

Great lightning display last night - alas, I gave up even trying to photograph it - more's the pity, as it was beautiful branching stuff, but no pictures for me! There were some near simultaneous flash/bang events, I prefer at least 2 seconds between the sight and the sound.