You would think that when you are traveling someplace for the first time you would want to take along your camera and grab as many photographs as possible, right? I know, I think the same thing, well at least that is how I used to think. Can you imagine if we actually still had to purchase film in order to take pictures? Holy crap, my biggest investment would be a collection of little plastic canisters., and half of the film I would be using would end up in the trash. I may take 100 or more photographs in a very short period of time yet only keep between 5 or 10 and sometimes even fewer.

I am pretty fussy when it comes to taking photographs, not necessarily because of the wow factor you get when people look at your pictures. No, I am looking for that puzzled look on their face. You know, the “what the hell is this,”, kind of look. I am not sure when I developed this habit of looking for stories with my camera but I love the stories that have been delivered to me. I have received a lot of blank stares from folks over the years. “Hey, this guy is talking to his camera!” They’re right of course, I do talk to my camera and silently direct people and things in my field of view until I get exactly what it is that I want their actions to be telling me.

The photograph here is another from one of my favorite cities in Italy, Lucca! Now there are plenty of sightseeing, touristy type of shots for you to spend time snapping away on. I love to catch the behavior of some of the local flavor when I walk the streets of some of my favorite destinations. I know without hesitation when I get back home and look over my work, my photographs are going to be telling me the same story I was hearing the same day I took the actual picture.

These guys could be seated in any city, anywhere in the world. They are as animated and as candid as they come. They are being human, heck even the dog is doing a magnificent job of just being a dog! Isn’t he? I shot about a half a dozen or so pics of these guys in burst mode. This is the one that best told me of their little gathering. I went up to them afterwards and asked if they minded that I had just taken a few pictures of them. In my best best accentuated Italian, English speak I asked if they were friends. As best as I could understand, two of them, the guys with the instruments were, and the others were acquaintances.

They were trying tp pick up a few extra bucks sitting in the city square entertaining tourists and others who might pass their way. The guy with the sunglasses and the cigarette hanging out of his mouth reminded me of an early John Lennon. They are just people, all of them, in much the same way that we are all people. This photograph makes me believe in the power of pause! How for any of us, if we take the time to appreciate what is right in front of us at any given moment the rewards can be great.

There is an excessive amount of leisure on display in this photograph. The intenseness of their genuine interest in the moment so evident in their expressions. The postures of all of them tells me of an encounter connected to friendship, perhaps some old and others new. Even the dog emits an interest in the spaces that are not that far away. Just seconds before this shot the dog was making eye contact with me, of no interest I presume he turns his head to look at another passerby.

These candid moments in time are my favorite go to stories when I travel. If I were ever to leave my paper and pen behind, the view through my camera will always tell me a story I can never forget. Friends, listen to what the world is trying to tell you. There is no such thing as silence!

Talk soon…

G