mystery diner
savoring thoughts and pasta
silent silhouette
Dining at my favorite Italian restaurant in London (Da Corradi), I used my phone to snap this picture of a man who came in, ate alone, and left. He didn’t seem lonely; he seemed thoughtful and deliberate. He didn’t read a book or squint at a tablet or smartphone. He simply ordered his pasta and wine, ate and drank them, and left. I like to eat alone on solo travels, and in looking at him, I decided that he does, too, and jotted down a quick haiku to post with the photo.
But when I looked at the photo later and cropped it, there was an Edward Hopper / Nighthawks feel to it, especially when I looked at it in black and white. Not the style, just the mood. The camera sometimes sees things differently than the eye. I like that. I changed the haiku a little to match the photo. I’m learning about this stuff from another blogger (not the photography – I have a long way to go there – but the wisdom of letting the material drive the finish product).
Stay tuned for a review of Da Corradi.
Copyright 2017, Glover Gardens Cookbook
This is the second of your posts that brought Tom Waits to mind. This one reminded me of “Nighthawks At The Diner” “Eggs & Sausage “ in particular. The other was your February 14 post which made me think of “Blue Valentine.”
My Dear Fellow Blogger Friend, you have made my YEAR by suggesting that anything I have written puts you in a Tom Waits state of mind.
Her majesty’s realm
Thoughts of peace and tranquil minds
Somber and sublime
LOVE. IT! You are my haiku soulmate.
Hmmmm. 🙂 The actual taking of the picture is the easy part. The hard part is the thought, theory and philosophy of making pictures. If you can come to terms with that, you can photograph anything.
I look forward to tackling the hard part…although probably not until I am either independently wealthy or I retire…’til then, I’ll watch you make it look easy. 🙂
I make it look easy because I’ve been at it for so long…. ask your son to start explaining music theory to you. Music and photography are very similar.
Yes, indeed, it is clear that “making it look easy” is actually a result of years of experience combined with natural talent. I think it is awesome how you can publish a new amazing image every day. I couldn’t begin to understand music theory or the way you know how to mess with the images to make them art rather than just the result of pointing and clicking.
That’s very kind. I think what happens with experience and practice is that you internalize all the steps and it comes out without thinking. That’s the most important thing.
Ahhhh – “muscle memory”. I have that with cooking, and what I do for my job, but probably never with photography.
Yep, that’s it. Sometimes you need a day or so to knock the rust off, but it comes back pretty quickly. BTW, we both liked your son’s song. We listened with headphones. We thought the brass was too bright at the expense of his piano playing. Easily toned down in the mix. 🙂
Love it!!
Thank you!