The Faces of Everyday Life
Editor’s Note: These photographs may look old-fashioned now, but when we first started posting photos most images were scanned in from film negatives, and the resolution on the internet was very poor. Images needed to be only a few kilobytes so that you could download them with a phone modem; now they are thousands of times bigger.
I’ve found that many times I go through my day without absorbing the people around me — you know, the cashier at the register, the man next to me on the bus, the woman in the elevator, etc. I also realize that if I take just a minute to acknowledge my environment, there are some truly funny, quirky, interesting and amazing people out there. This pictorial is a small snapshot of some of the people I’ve encountered. Who do you encounter?” Little boy with Powerade cap in Mouth: This shot was taken at the tennis finals at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. While all the adults were watching the intense tennis match, this little boy was finding the simple joy in playing with his Powerade cap.
I was on my way to a friend’s wedding in Lake Maggiorre, Italy and stopped to stretch my legs. When I saw this man, his profile struck me as quintessential “Italian.” I loved his stature juxtaposed against the crooked fence. The icing on the cake was the sun beaming perfectly on the sailboat in the background.
I am fascinated with Savannah, GA. After reading the book, “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” I had to go to Clary’s diner. I walked around back and saw this dishwasher taking a break. The sun was hitting his smiling face perfectly.
This shot is quintessential New York City. Shot in Soho, it captures the intensity and eclectic nataure of the people who live and survive in NYC. The reflection is interesting because you’re not quite sure who is inside the store, and who is walking on the street.
I was at a drive-thru in Georgia and saw this old woman in my rearview mirror in a very old car behind me. She had the greatest gruff, sourpuss face and I had to capture it. So I cautiously raised my camera to my side rearview mirror so she wouldn’t see me, and without even looking through the viewfinder, shot this picture.
This was shot at 2AM in a small rock club in Quebec City, Canada. What I love about this shot, aside from the dreadlocks, is that if you look closely, the blur of the picture actually created tiny neon musical notes.
I was at a stop light in Savannah, GA and turned my head to the left and saw this father with his two boys in front of a dime store. The one boy was making the cutest faces and I had to capture it. Fortunately I had my camera in my front seat, so I grabbed it and shot this before the stop light turned green.
This was shot at the Dog Park on West 79th St.. in NYC. She was there with her father and dog enjoying the day. I shot her from the outside of the fence. I particularly loved the natural lighting on her.
This was shot on the “D” train in NYC as it was moving, coming down from the Bronx on a Sunday morning. This couple, probably in their 70’s, was dressed to the nines for Sunday church — as you can see from her Sunday bonnet. The truly unique aspect of this shot is there is absolutely no advertising on the inside of the subway car making this shot timeless — I’ve never seen that before or since.
I was walking the streets of New Orleans, LA. I didn’t have my camera with me so I ran back to the hotel and hoped he would still be there when I returned. Fortunately, he was. His face is a classic. Perhaps one too many hotdogs?