one of my goto subjects lately has been anybody who is asking me for money (that is not homeless), or anybody that is trying to pass out flyers or something like that. I hate being solicited to on the street. Its not like they want to talk to me, they just want to ‘talk me into’ something. I suppose that street photography is sort of invasive like solicitors are, but I’d like to think of street as a way of complimenting people, or at least a way of recognizing them as human. Solicitors just want money, and that is icky. I suppose when solicitors approach me and i shoot them, its my way of disarming them and taking the upper hand before they can get into their pitch. If I really wanted to get her goat I would have taken more shots, but my rule is 1 shot per person. Which I break sometimes, but I find that my first shot is usually better than the following shots, at least when I shoot digi…
So, I could tell that this chick was about to do just that to me, so I took her photo. I think her face really says this as well, because she is trying to greet me, but I’m already attacking her with my camera before she could attack me. i suppose what is extra-ordinary about this image is that when i was showing my girlfriend marisa my photos from this trip, she actually knew this girl, and actually was her roommate in santa cruz, long ago, and the girls name is Liz. She was telling me that i could afford charities if i managed my money differently. What about her stupid hair dye, her stupid ring, her stupid ear rings, stupid nail polish. all that cash could have feed a starving baby. i didn’t say that, but i did tell her i was a starving artist and i spend all my extra money on processing film.
i also prefer to eliminate the middleman by giving money directly to the bums who ask. the worst experience i had with people asking for money happened in new york. someone’s friend was having a “benefit concert.” the proceeds for this concert would go to a new york artist person who wanted to go to haiti and make a documentary about the earthquake! that seemed to me rather sketchy. of course that person probably needed the money too, their monthly rent was undoubtedly something like 5000 dollars a month for a 10 by 10 box.
these charities folks should be asking corporations or the government for these funds and not people on the street. Would you trust a pink hair with money.
I think they would spend it on a bag of frozen taquitos.
this is a great idea Brian! i think i’m gonna run with it as well. U want to bother me with donating or giving me a flyer, i’m taking your picture.
thats a sick candid man~
Thanks. I want to get back to Oakland to shoot again sometime soon.