The Story Behind That Picture: "Walking Man with Hat"

By: Thorsten Overgaard. July 18, 2020

 

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A Photo of a Walking Man with Hat in New York

On a very cold day, I persuaded one of the folks from JJ Hat Center in New York to pose for a photograph.

 

 

It’s a simple story, in a way. They all look elegant in hats, and this morning he arrived in the cold wearing a swanky jacket and scarf. So obviously, “Can we take a photo?”

Slightly hesitant, he agreed, and we went on with it. I asked him to walk from one side of the street to the other, then back again. We did that once or twice, and I followed him from a set distance (my focus distance) across the street and snapped photos as he walked.

I particularly like this one where the standing foot has motion blur while the swinging food is sharp. I would wonder about that, if I saw the photo. And the answer is that I am moving with him, so I move with the moving foot while the standing foot stands still. Unusual effect, yes.

 

Walking Man with Hat in New York. Leica M9 with Leica 50mm Noctilux-M ASPH f/0.95. © Thorsten Overgaard.

 

This is part of my Street Photography Video Masterclass where one can see the entire shoot from start to end.

I like pictures of mine that are timeless and elegant. Any person in a photo of mine who looks elegant, I like that. If the photograph also looks timeless, so the viewer feels it might be a piece of history from long ago, it’s perfect.

Often a great photo of mine also has the viewer engaged in the photo in a way that they start wondering what happened before, and what happens after. It’s not mystery I seek, it is engagement. Curiosity about a person, a story, a photo.

 

To be continued

I hope you enjoyed today's Story Behind That Picture. As always, feel free to email me with questions, ideas, sugegstions and comment.

 

 

 

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