I call this image Caught in the Act

I was struck by her outfit. It was all black with these bright red tights.  And she was coming through this alley.  It caught my eye. And I quickly got my camera set up to to take the photo, and she just mugged right at me. She caught me taking her picture.

But it kind of fits into the cultural contrast theme because It really reminds me of growing up as a kid in the 90s. The way the headphones are so prevalent now, the way of the fashion, and people wearing just unique, bold colors.  I think that’s what drew my eye to this woman as she walked up. It just felt like everyone’s making an individual statement.  And so I wanted to get a picture of that.

It also was important because I was relatively new to street photography. And still kind of working on that boundary of taking pictures of strangers.  Of when to talk to them, when you don’t, and kind of trying to be sneaky at the time, I didn’t want them to catch me taking their photos.

And here I was just completely busted. She looks right at the camera. But in this situation, I thought it was okay because she’s a photographer, too. She’s got her camera. She probably has pictures just like this of others taking pictures of her.

And so in the context of cultural contrast, it actually is cultural similarities. I feel like this could be anywhere.  And it it made this new place feel like the old place. It still felt like home to me.