Even though i've been amusing myself with what has become known as 'street photography' for a quarter century now, it doesn't get any easier.

it takes guts, chutzpah, discretion, charm and nerve. why does it seem so intrusive? perhaps because it IS intrusive? even in public places we all feel intitled to our personal space, and that includes having our picture taken without permission. but asking permission means we: 1- will loose the moment that caught our eye in the first place, and 2- would actually have to talk to the person and explain ourselves.

when i'm shooting for my newspaper, that's not a problem and people, usually, are happy to oblige, but then they are aware of my presence and almost can't help but perform in some small way. i also have these big swashbuckling cameras that identifies me as an actual news photographer.

but for my personal work, lately in mexico and honduras, i don't have the justification of newsgathering. i carry a small leica and that's about it.

then there is the latin sense of social protocol to consider. for the most part, they are a very polite people, and when offended will rarely show it, so it's hard to read when i'm crossing the line.

"puedo tomar unas fotos," i might ask? "haz de cuenta que no estoy aqui," usually helps.("may i take some photos? just pretend i'm not here.") that last one is very important: once they're aware of me, every latino i have encountered wants to stand there with a big cheshire grin.

i suspect gringos with cameras in latin america carry the same stereotype as orientals at disneyworld, only we're fatter and and have a shabbier sense of fashion. only a latino won't say as much.

so why should i feel self conscious? i have a camera, i'm fat and shabby. i should fit right in with the tourists, but doggone it, i'm not a tourist, i'm an artiste!

street photography is easier when using a long lens but always seems weird with a 28 or 35. the longer lenses to me feel more like sniping and don't give the sense of intimacy that anything under a 50mm provides.

it takes guts to shoot people. i have a friend who is a locally well-known art photographer, and she said to me at one of my shows -- as a compliment, i think-- "i can't take pictures like that." well, i guess that's true because she likes taking pics of abandoned buildings, peeling paint, roots and rocks. there's no interaction with those things, just reaction. and i can't take pictures like that, either.

anyway, it doesn't get easier, but it's still how i like to work.
-that's all for now.