Cafe Day!

Not sure what the deal is with my Internet, but haven't been able to get access for a week. We recently had some road construction in my neighborhood... again, so maybe they shook something loose in the cable box outside. I've been trying, in vain really, to reach my cable company for a solution or discussion on the issue. It's not that big of a deal right now, I only have work during the day that keeps me quite busy, and trying to reach anyone after six at their office is a minimum two hour wait... yeah ... not happening. Instead of waiting on the problem to fix itself, which it seldom ever does, I did the next best thing. Dragged out my old wrecked PC laptop and headed to the local Cafe to work for the afternoon. Now, I always use a Mac for my photography, my PC just doesn't have the power to keep up and it only works when it feels like it. (I think it's a little jealous of the sweet little Mac I bought.)

Today however, it seems to be doing okay, as long as I keep one leg propped on the chair, my phone on the table beside me, and my beverage must be at a perfect 45 degree angle to the screen. Any slight variation and the battery shuts the whole operation down... ( considered asking the guy beside me to hold his empty coffee cup up over his head just as a backup but he didn't seem to be the type to think that was funny.)

As I build my contracts and my new tender for bid on a job, people come and go. If I had been thinking, I'd have brought my camera today. I am seldom without it, but today I needed to focus on the paperwork. At my little table in the front of the cafe, eyes on the screen, every so often I see someone come in and take a seat at the table beside me, or the one across. They sit alone and sip a beverage, or a couple have quiet conversation, a family of well dressed Italians came in and occupied the nest of tables to my left. They were laughing and loud. I enjoyed their witty conversation, although I only understood half of it. (note to self... must drag out old Italian school books to brush up a bit) The woman alone came in after they departed for their dinner reservation and read the paper, fully engrossed in it, she only looked up once. A smaller stocky man asked to share the chairs next to her and she briefly indicated it was free without saying a word and only nodding the briefest of inclination.

Observation is the greatest gift to a photographer. We may notice things that other's would overlook. Expression is the first thing I see. We are usually well adept at defining the mood of another with a glance.

Natural lighting is the next thing I see. I spend a few moments assessing whether I would leave it as is or add a fill light in a spot or two, or maybe just a reflector to add a little warmth if the lighting is a little cold and moody looking. Never underestimate the skill it takes to make you look amazing. Good lighting can really make a photograph say many things. Poorly done lighting can make you look 10 years older, heavier, morose, or cold. My favorite piece of advice came from a very famous actress who has since passed. She advised us all that she could care less about her directors, her make-up, her sound, but her lighting must be just perfect. She stated she always made friends with her lighting techs first as they could make her look as she wished to appear, not as she really was. (I actually had a very well respected concert sound tech say much the same thing about some of the famous singers we had both had the privilege to work with. Make friends with your sound guys or the mix that comes out of the board will sound a lot different than what you were hoping for!)

I have been very privileged to work with some amazing clients. They know exactly what they want and I have made their requests materialize with what looks to be a complicated process but is actually something I can do with my eyes closed. If you know what your equipment is capable of, this is not unusual.

Back here at the cafe, I watch the coffee crowd ebb and flow and think of my amazing camera, all alone on my editing desk. Still full of life from my last experimental outing, and I wish I had brought it along. The crowd is definitely a mixed bag of types and stop time images from my table with a wide angle to grab the whole scene would have been an amazing photo study. The early evening light is streaming in through the floor to ceiling windows, warming the already chocolate brown wood shelving units, stocked and stacked with coffee products. The staff is tidying the tables and restocking their bank of mini coolers for the next wave of caffination.

Time to get back to work on the Race Team stuff. Deadlines are looming and I have limited power with this questionable old PC...

Until next time... don't forget to check your Compass!

Cole