In a comment in the post below a reader stated his or her uneasiness that most of my candids are of "unsuspecting women." It bothered the reader and it also makes me feel uncomfortable. I have stated this feeling in various posts. Still, these are photos taken in public places with individuals as they wish to appear to the world.

Most candids do not reflect anonymity of subjects. Mine do.

I commute three hours or less a day. It is most of my "free" time. I have limited subject matters. I am learning how to use a most simplistic camera.

I find most of the men pics I take boring. Women are better subjects - both form and function. My work skirts guerrilla fashion - I fear my subject for being shallow and decorative.

I take (and publish here) too many photos of the backsides of women. It is much easier to take photos from behind (timing and anonymity). A head on encounter is likely to blur due to movements towards each other. It also is a "one shot" interaction that requires perfect timing or morel likely great fortune. Most "head ons" fail. Many times I cannot even press the camera button properly and you get out to camera mode and suddenly are in an email.

Yes, too many pictures of women taken from behind. But sometimes it can be fortuitous art.



Today I sat across from a young woman on the LIRR - I took three portraits - none of which readily identifies her. Is doing this cheap? Would I have gotten similar results is she had been asked and agreed to pose?

I have never shots candids like this in my life. Years ago I always gotten permission for close up poses. I was younger then. I am embarrassed to ask. So now I take candids. In public places.

Is it invasion of privacy? Am I exploiting the subject I do think she would have liked these images....





The picture below is the easiest to take. You can time it and since you are going in same direction you get multiple shots. Notice how the moving (walking) people are in "focus" and the standing people are blurry. I was walking at the same same speed as the subject, jockeying through a crowd...hard to do in low light and long exposure situations.




These are head on shots - one roll of the dice and instant trigger. Reacting rather than thinking. Lights, action, camera, blur.







And then there are misses - you expect a shot from the hip and, later, you realise you missed the shot and, still, sometimes you find "something" you did now know was missing (or present perfect).



The key is to continue finding beauty rather than exploiting it or something less honest. I hope this makes sense.

Sometimes I do feel like I should do another form of art, but for now this is where I am.