Photographing total strangers at close range in public spaces can be challenging for any number of reasons. The initial difficulty is the fact that it’s inherently an intrusive act, which can get in the way of establishing rapport. Second, it requires some level of acceptance and commitment on the part of the subject(s), which might never materialize. Finally all the technical/artsy considerations come into play: composition, depth of field, background, the decisive moment, breathing, etc. etc. Probably thirty seconds elapsed between my first glimpse of these folks, requesting permission to photograph, and taking 4 frames. Thirty seconds seemed a comfortable span of time for all of us, perhaps the limit. Could I have done better with that time ? With more time ? Probably, but “close enough” is much underrated in in the art and science of photography.
This was the first frame, and I like it the best of the series, despite a busy background, and even though the last shot (below) has a simpler composition.