Thankful and colorful...

Colorful opposed to black and white that is... Just to make sure that there is no misunderstanding! In any case today I took another trip on the subway, trying to get more images for my project... And when I got home I decided to try to process them in color... Not that I didn't like the contrasty black and white look of my last post... But I wanted to find out if I can do this in color as well to match my non people subway images... I like the opening image... I'm cranky today as I had loads of sugar last night and am still pretty tense... So this image puts me at ease... Relaxes me... I think I want to listen to this guy's story... He seems happy and content!

I missed the point when this passenger actually made his lighter work... He spent the next five minutes trying to fix it... Maybe more... But I got off the car by then... ;)

 Walk by shot... Didn't actually see the dog until it was too late, but luckily I had the shot already...

 Guy with great hair carrying a big box... Maybe a cake? Yummy!

This is at Times Square... It was actually quite busy there today... I was pleasantly surprised... In this image I like that the guy created this calm spot in this super crazy environment just by submersing himself into a paper...

 Love this: The lines, the arrow, the styling and the profile...

They were so cute together! Young love! ;)

He reminds me of a Danish photographer I know... But I doubt he would wear shades in the subway...

 They noticed me... But they didn't mind... Me neither!

 Shades again!

 Reminds me of another friend of mine... But with more spiky hair (More belongs to spiky here!)

 Love the way she looks up above me?

 More people interacting with smart phones...

After this one I was happy to return home... This might be my favorite of the day!

People in the subway keeping me distracted...

I was trying to figure out how to approach the people part in my subway series... This is a test with a smaller camera... Not really in the mood to write at the moment but working on the images helped as a welcome distraction... So far I think that I like where this is going, but I most likely should get a longer lens as I feel I could be closer to my subjects... In general I like the grittiness of the black and white, as skin tones in that light are kind of tough... Don't know though if that is not an easy way out... I guess I have to just keep at it...

After having gone through the images again I'm actually quite happy with the new images... This was a 4-extended-trip post and I feel that this is a good start... Next: Longer lens and more rush hours or rainy days... More extreme weather tends to show in peoples' faces...

And here's an offer: If you find yourself in one of these images and would like a print, please leave a comment or send me an email...

I love to look at people in the subway... Of course then the idea was: How to capture what I see? But always felt I was facing a dilemma: Either approach them and have them behave not "real" or just take their picture which was tough with a "normal" camera... With a smaller camera the second option becomes more viable... But still contemplating if it's morally ok to do so... I just loved this guy in his suit... So formally dressed... But not at rush hour or so... The stories one could make up...

A couple sightseeing... Maybe exhaustion taking over...

 Older couple apparently in love getting looks from woman passing by...

 Girls boarding the train... Hard to catch the crowds on the subway as most views get blocked...

This feels more akin to the non people images... In this case, to fit into this post, I made it black and white... Might use it in color later...

 Can't say why I like the image... Guy on the left obviously makes the shot...

I think smart phones are great... As are books and iPods... Gives me more room to play... Although... Who really wants to see the 25th pic of someone on a phone?

Love the depth... And the bag makes me curious about her...

I had pix with her face unobstructed, but this one is clearly stronger!

So moved by this image... Could have been closer... But I actually like the sense of space and abandonment here... 

Love it! 

Sometimes I like to figure out what is happening in the picture... Do they know each other? Where are they going?

Love this!

Mmmh...

MTA employee...

Man on smart phone... Love the not perfect symmetry...

Man listening intently to subway musician at Times Square...

Note to self... Autofocus is not quick enough to pick someone up who is walking by that closely... As well there is going to be motion involved in this scenario... I still like the image... She looks confident and content...

I had seen this guys face on the platform and had to take his picture... 

Love the different layers here... 

 I love when the images have depth... Of course as one cannot control the environment in a situation like this one can only shoot more images... And hope for the best...

I was on the to picking up some equipment I had left behind... Not quite as big a bag as this one, but I was already dreading schlepping it home... I guess I was not the only person who didn't like schlepping big bags...

This morning... This has an almost timeless feel to it... Don't know why... Still like it!

Actor, Firefighter, Muslim... Superman!

This entry is about a shoot I did for the 9-11 issue of the German weekly newspaper Die Zeit: A portrait of Muslim firefighter and actor Hisham Tawfiq... He was interviewed about 9-11, being a firefighter on that day, being a Muslim in the US since and so on... Originally our shoot was scheduled very short notice for that evening... But he was tough to get a hold of for me... So I almost had him down as "one of those subjects"... But it turned out that he was actually filming that day and they were running late but not giving out info as freely as one would have hoped for... In any case we decided to shoot the next morning and meet at his station at 7am instead... We got great images (I think!) and I really enjoyed our conversations... Hisham turned out to be really down to earth and a great guy to work with...
I even got invited for a tour of the station later that night... What's not to like? ;) 
Maybe I should explain the title of this entry some more: As I was learning more and more about Hisham through our conversations I became more and more impressed by his story: Living in the Middle East, becoming a Marine, working as a corrections officer then firefighter... And finally breaking into acting... Wow, that truly sounds like a lot of hard work! Good luck making it!



Trying to capture some of a typical New York City feeling...



Love this one... Looks to me like a poster for an action movie!

Sitting on the stoop of an abandoned building in Harlem actually very close by where I live...

Close up time... Same location...

A dog, another dog!

This is another image from the trip to the Baltic Sea... A shot of the young hovawart puppy Atos... My dad's new dog... Really neat when he doesn't try to grab your hand with his teeth... ;)
Anyway, I tried to take his portrait numerous times... But he still has tons of energy, always moving around... So I got him here in the trunk of the car... Really like his attentive look...



I was actually quite surprised how much of the clouds were reflected in here... I don't remember noticing that when shooting... I guess I got lucky again! ;)