Curly Hair: Rome 2006

Some of my best shots are taken while Sharon is shopping. She goes in, I hang out, and wait for something to happen. It always does. We were in Travestere district of Rome and Sharon was in a store buying some linen placemats. There was a lot happening on the street. People were coming and going, tourists were taking pictures of each other on a street corner, dogs wandered by, street musicians passed to and fro and all this time this guy who owned the bar on the corner watched the traffic go back and forth while I watched him. I loved his curl but we were sort of watching each other until this young girl with extensive cleavage walked by. He turned to watch her, I shot, Sharon comes out of the shop, we leave.

Dorothy: Montreal, 2006

Noel had asked me to photograph himself and Dorothy last year as part of an historical website that they were working on together. They needed some shot to put up on it. At the appointed time, Noel showed up and Dorothy did not. He told me she was reluctant to have her picture taken by someone she did not know. I ended up taking pictures of Noel and eventually he showed one to her and all of a sudden she wanted me to do hers also. We made a few arrangements but they were always being cancelled for one reason or another. Finally Noel emailed me and told me she was ready. I told him I was headed to Florida for the winter and it would have to be Friday or bust.

The meeting was set but the day before she tells him that something came up and she could not make it. I said enough, she's not interested in having her picture taken and Noel agreed. Last night he emails me and says her plans have changed and she wants it done as agreed on Friday, so the next day off to Montreal I go to take her picture.

It was a dark rainy day, her office is in a basement and there is very little light so I shot her using the ceiling lights which was all there was. She was very nervous for the first 4 or 5 frames but then she began to warm up. She was a natural! In all I took about 200 frames of her.

It was worth the wait.

Jewelry Designer: Rome 2006

While walking between the Piazza Navonna and the Spanish Steps, we encountered this small jewelry store which was situated on a small narrow street packed with pedestrians. It caught Sharon's eye because the jewelery on display was unlike any of the other stores on the street. This stuff was more like sculpture than jewelry and each item was displayed on a small revolving display tray which filled the entire window. Oh ya, the place was the size of a small bus shelter. In it were a father (the designer) and son (customer relations) and two chairs. You had to be buzzed in because the store/studio was large enough for only two customers at a time.

So in this place was the studio, showroom and a maximum of four people which really filled the place. We bought a small necklace for Sharon (girls really like this stuff) took a few shots and left.

Museum Entrance: Rome 2006

Trastevere is a section of Rome which I love for its down-to-earth, ordinary soul. It is a section of small boutiques, cafés, narrow streets. If it were in Montreal, it would be called NDG and in New York it would be the Village. There was a small museum there and just before going in, I shot some frames of the employees, juxtaposed with the entrance signs since they blended so well together.

Centurian on the Phone

Italians are in love with their cellphones. I am sure this custom dates back to Roman times when early Roman generals issued phones to their troops so they could stay in touch with their families during long sieges. They especially came in handy during sacking and pilaging romps because they could call their wives and get instructions on what items to loot.