Man Waiting (1980)

When I decided to start blogging about photography and my images, I wasn’t sure where to start. And then I remembered the old cliché “Start at the beginning”. So here goes.

This photo represents a number of “firsts” for me. It was first photo that I thought had the potential to be something worthwhile when I took made it. And, it was the first of my photos that I really like. I took this image in 1980, over 40 years ago and it still resonates with me.

My wife and I were on a driving vacation through eastern Canada in July, 1980 and decided to stop in the very picturesque town of St. Andrews, New Brunswick. I saw this gentleman standing outside the restaurant as we parked the car. The way he was standing there with the newspaper carefully folded in his jacket pocket, his cap and posture just grabbed my attention.

I’ve always enjoyed street photography but up to that point I had never tried it. Looking back on this I’m sure part of my hesitancy was lacking the nerve to photograph people candidly. It being 1980 it was long before digital cameras and very much automation. I was using film SLR camera with manual focus and you had to cock the shutter after each shot. The only exposure automation was 2 arrows in the viewfinder indicating over or under exposure although it never indicated how much over or under.

The manual focus was done using a split image mechanism; you had to align the image in both halves using the lens focus ring to achieve proper focus. Focusing in this manner and then manually adjusting shutter speed, ISO and aperture could take what seemed liked an eternity all the while pointing your camera at an unsuspecting stranger.

Nervous that he couldn’t help but notice I was taking his picture I decided to instead get my focus and exposure by aiming at something near him that wouldn’t make him think I was taking his picture. Once I was set, I swung the camera back to him and took the shot. He didn’t seem to notice or react.

After taking the shot I’d have to cock the shutter and advance the film. The voices in my head kept screaming that he’d notice that for sure – RUN!!! I was simply too nervous to take a second shot or to check my settings.

For days afterward I kept second-guessing myself. What if the focus was off? What if the exposure was wrong? Doubt can be a powerful emotion. Fortunately, when I developed it I could breathe a sigh of relief. I had something I could work with.

Despite all of this it still almost came to a tragic end. I was never able to get a print that matched my vision. So, the negative sat in a box in the attic for 33 years until I was able to scan and digitize it. It would take another 4 years for my Photoshop skills to progress to the point where I finally could get the image I was thinking about. Thirty-seven years is a long time to “work” on a photo but it makes the end result all that much sweeter. I guess it turns out I was a “man waiting” too.

What was your experience like the first time you took a candid street photo?  Nervous? Excited?

Have you ever had to wait for your technology and/or skill to progress to the point you could finally achieve the image you originally envisioned? Comment below.