I can’t remember the exact time or reason that I was first drawn to taking photos, but the nature of cautiously “observing” has always been within me.
Because I like to quietly take in the world, street photography has often appealed to me. I love capturing the fleeting moments of life that may seem ordinary to the naked eye, but become magical when frozen in time. Conversely, I have frequently felt self-conscious when taking photographs of others, and dislike being noticed because of my camera. This project helped me push through my fear of being watched, and taught me to wait for the right moment, instead of rushing and just trying to get out of the way.
I think my photo of the “Hotel Marshall” marks this change in my abilities. There was at first just one man in front of the hotel door, cleaning or surveying the entrance, and then I watched another man exit the hotel and light a cigarette. They looked at me watching them from across the street, and my first instinct was to turn away. But I loved the way they were framed by the entrance overhang, lingering in the last bits of early morning mystery, and I couldn’t bare to ignore the quiet light slowly creeping toward the hotel door and illuminating the street.
So, I paused and held my breath.
They turned away and went back to their own business, and I took the picture… even though I was afraid.
