I shot this photo before I became sick and lost my will to make photos. I’m feeling better now, so I worked on the photo this morning. I like the result.
It’s been six weeks since I shot this photo. In that time I’ve been through a lot. My creative urges are finally starting to return. It is a wonderful feeling to need the creative process. I cannot put it into words beyond saying I dreamed of this photo and my mind would not rest until I made it real.
I remember when I shot this. I had my camera with me at a flea market in Long Beach. I normally shoot a hundred photos on trips like this one. I shot two; both were of the same subject. I was so tired that I could barely walk the rows. I could not summon the energy to think visually. I let a dozen good photos fade away without a second thought or a care. I should have recognized the lethargy as an indicator of an underlying health problem, but I did not. This is the way of things though. We do not see what we do not want to see.
Some people tell me street photography is intrusive and that I should not do it. I do not understand their position. Its like people who do not understand poetry telling poets that writing about love is a waste of time. It makes no sense to the poet. It makes no sense to me either. Street photography is beautiful.
