Those of you who have followed this blog for any length of time know that portraits are not my thing. I almost never photograph people, preferring to shoot landscapes or cityscapes. If there are humans in the photo, it’s generally because I simply couldn’t avoid them. But on this day I decided to deliberately seek out and photograph people. This can be difficult, for several reasons. First, I’m not the type who can approach a complete stranger and ask if I may photograph them. Second, not everyone wants to be photographed. There are many people, myself included, who guard their privacy. But I wanted to make the effort, and see what I could capture.

There were no words spoken for this photo, just gestures and nods, but it was all I needed. I have other portraits from that day which did require conversation. But I have to say that I enjoyed the experience. Perhaps next time I venture onto the streets, it will be a little easier.

To begin with, I wasn’t even using my standard equipment. Due to a recent surgery, I decided to forgo my 5D and heavy glass for our walk along Lady Bird Lake. Instead I used my wife’s much lighter T2i, along with a new lens somewhat less ponderous than my usual wide-angle. The tripod stayed in the truck as well. When you can’t do what is ‘normal’, you have to improvise. The time of day, and the lighting, were all wrong for me as well. I love to shoot early morning or late evening, when the light is more dramatic. But the important thing is that I was shooting, after a too long hiatus.

Again, the scene held promise, and by selectively toning the water, and saturating colors overall, it was transformed from something drab to this. The kayak is vibrant, and the intricate, interrelated patterns of ripples on the water surface are revealed. Just as in life, you sometimes have to look more deeply in order to see the richness of detail and color. And sometimes you simply have to step in and add that color and complexity yourself.