Add to taste

On our first trip to China I noticed that people would sometimes pose for selfies in such a way that they made sure we were in the background. In vengeful response I began to take photos of people who were posing for photos. This sub-genre of street photography, which I’ve begun to call ambush photography, turned out to be useful. People are at their most unguarded for a few moments before or after their photos are taken. I got this one in Turkey on the Golden Horn, moments after the couple had finished taking a selfie.

While converting the original (above) to sepia, I hesitated. I did not want to lose completely the colour combination that the woman had chosen: the burnt umber of the leather jacket harmonizing the green of the scarf and the red of the handbag. So I made it into a colour boosted sepia. The particular balance that I chose also emphasized the salt-and-pepper of the man’s beard.

Debbie | Friendly Friday | Lens Artists