As I was getting an espresso at Vega on Folsom Street, I noticed that the winter sun hit was hitting the barrista right in the eyes, leaving the rest of the small cafe in shadows. I asked if I could take her portrait and she agreed. Unlike studio portraits, environmental portraits leave a lot out of your control – lighting, background, even the subject. In an ideal situation, I would have positioned her eyes to reflect in the shiny counter top and removed the rag in the foreground. For this shot, though, I was happy to just wait until her eyes entered the light. Her gaze to the left was not directed, but it made for an even better image than the others where she looked directly into the lens.

According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), 77% of American households now own at least one digital camera. Add to that the digital cameras found on most phones and there’s a good chance that just about anyone around you could snap a photo of you at anytime. These days everyone can be a street photographer.  On more than one occasion, I’ve had strangers point their camera in my direction and snap away without asking.  This has made me very sensitive to how I take photos of others in public. Most often I’ll ask a stranger if I can take their portrait before snapping. However, sometimes the image would be ruined by interacting with the subjects. Such is the case of the untitled above image of two kids sharing a private moment at a public event. I still haven’t figured out where the line is. Depending on the situation, I’ll often share a photo taken unnoticed and ask permission to add it to my portfolio.  Sometimes, though, I’d rather not disturb folks.