The Weaver
A young man from a Turkish village has come to Istanbul to mend carpets. He works for a carpet shop and sits on the sidewalk to work. He is an advertisment for the shop and does not take up any space in the shop. The salesman of this shop told me that they take new carpets and make them look antique by immersing them in a solution…maybe bleach. He didn’t think it harmed the fibers. Buyer beware!
This is a portrait taken without permission. You can see that the man has just become aware that I am standing over him. I wanted to send him a portrait, but the men who spoke English said he didn’t want one. I said, “Well, his mother will want one.” But, no. They would not give me his address. They did not ask him whether he wanted a photo or not. I’m thinking he did.
All Dressed Up
A well-dressed handsome man waits near the Kyrie Mosque. How could I not notice him? His ice-blue eyes, height, good looks and his clothing made him stand out. How often do you see someone so well dressed who is not an investment banker or a physician? Being a product of the 50’s I imagined he was waiting for his sweetheart. I asked him if I could take his photo and he agreed. I sent him several copies, so he could give one to his Istanbul sweetheart. I found out from his address that he was from Van and is Kurdish.
The Knitters
I asked these woman for their portrait by holding up my camera. Of course, I took a shot before getting their answer, but they did say yes. Most times when I see a scene like this, I am anxious to get it recorded because when the subject moves often the ambiance changes and what I first noticed no longer exists. Here, I stepped back using the wide angle to get a more flattering viewpoint of the woman in front. the wide angled lens used vertically elongates her legs, lengthens her body and gives the woman a slimmer profile. I always like a photo where the subject is doing something that expresses personality or occupation.
But as you can see, a handsome man dressed in a suit is good, too.