This Woman is a Walking Camera Detector! by Chipka
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Description
She and I spoke at length on the day that I took this picture. Trams made the serene, squeaking curve from Lazarska to Vodičkova street. I’d grown accustomed to seeing her: one of the U Sudu regulars…a diminutive lady who lived in the neighborhood—or at least had access to a quick and handy tram. I never learned her name. When we spoke to one another, it was in a strange amalgam of Czech, English, German, and Russian.
I know the man in glasses standing behind the woman whose name I never learned. He and I never actually spoke much. He knows two whole words in English, and I know how to butcher Czech and to...um...well..."postwork" it to within an inch of its original sound. In short, my Czech sucks. Big time! The handsome man in glasses owns U Sudu. His name is Olda. His birthday is in June, and each celebration is marked by free drinks, free entertainment, free food, and free music provided by various DJs, trading their services for alcohol. Each of Olda’s birthday celebrations is commemorated with a massive group photo in front of the bar. On a particular day in June, Vodičkova Street suffers a minor block in traffic. Olda’s birthday celebrations—by invitation only—are rather large. I’ve been to two such celebrations; I’ve been in two such street-blocking group photos: in one of them pretending not to flirt with one of U Sudu’s endlessly entertaining and dangerously gorgeous bartenders. I like that particular photo: I’m standing next to a guy exuding inhuman levels of cuteness in Czech.
It was not Olda’s birthday when I took this photo. It wasn’t anyone’s birthday that I knew. I’d just returned to Prague from Dortmund. I’d spent time marveling at my friend Štepán’s garish socks, and Kača’s inhuman ability to remain upright after numerous glasses of wine and beer, washed down by a prodigious number of shots. I’d spent time with this woman—and a few other random bar-friends—talking about Dortmund and savoring the sound of spoken Czech: it’s a musical language, it bounces and jiggles, and nearly every sentence ends with a vaguely interrogative rise of the voice. It was not Olda’s birthday when I took this photo of a woman whose name I never learned. It wasn’t anyone’s birthday that I knew, but it was a good day. I drank beer. I smoked the last of my German cigarettes, and broke open a fresh pack of Czech smokes: diminutive, mild cigarettes with the name “Star” emblazoned on their white and blue package. I cringed, and laughed at the sight of Štepán’s, socks—the same ones I saw him wearing when I went to Dortmund, and I listened as this woman told me about purchasing the leather jacket you see here. It was a new acquisition, one she was quite proud of, because of her small size.
I understood what she meant. She was pleased to find a nice leather jacket that fit. I like her version better.
I found this photo among the dwindling number of emailed photos I’d saved. I sent it to Victor in Moscow, showing him snapshots of people in my life. Victor deemed Olda to be sufficiently handsome in a dignified and regal way, and the “Mystery woman” to be “enough nice.” She’s a sweetheart, a bit eccentric and quite bubbly, but only in Czech. She has an odd mutant ability: if you point a camera in her direction, she poses for her close-up. Even if she doesn’t see you aiming a camera in her direction: she poses…sneak factor shots simply don’t work with her. She simply knows when cameras are pointed in her direction. It’s spooky.
There is a slight blur to this photograph, but I rather like it. I think it’s a kind of photographic distortion caused by the wild energy of that day. It was a good day, with good company, even though it wasn’t Olda’s birthday.
As always, thank you for viewing, reading, and commenting, and I hope you’re all having a great weekend.
Comments (26)
blinkings
I'm guessing that beer would give everything a slight blur! My daughter is a walking camera detector too. Growing up with me as her dad, she is acutely aware of when a camera is pointed her way, and instinctively starts making silly monkey faces at every opportunity!
NefariousDrO
I love the way you describe this scene, you wander about the scene in that way a person with that comfortable "fuzzy" feeling has when with good people, good drinks, but not too many to be outright drunk. I can tell you enjoyed the place, and miss the people and the talks. I also really like the rich warm glow to the light. Very nice.
MrsRatbag
Ooh, more life with Chip... :)
jocko500
you put real people here as you tell what going on which is wonderfulas we see a world thought your eyes and camera
mgtcs
Excellent shot here, perfect timing as well. Thank you for your visit to my gallery!
SoulEatar
Reality photography - Interestingly common is the phenomenon here - Very strong imgae !
beachzz
Olda may not have had a birthday, but she sure brought people together. This is such a great shot for so many reasons. I love places like this (I wonder if the Redhead is as laid back as this, probably not, given the line we saw!!). Anyway, conversations with nameless people are often so interesting. I remember Stepans socks, too.
ragouc
Good POV and shot.
durleybeachbum
Great read..I feel I was there. I know so many folk like that..so hard to get a sneak shot.
makron
Very good POV...fantastic capture. Very well done
GARAGELAND
This caught my eye straight away. Bravo!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bullsnook
well done, and well said, thanks for sharing a part of real life. I like it
flavia49
fabulous shot!
helanker
HA! She has spotted your camera. How funny. And Olda in the background. LOL! I want his name to be a girls name :-) Cosy narrative as usual.
jayfar
Lovely candid shot, you can see she has suspicions!
minos_6
A hint of your subject's character can be glimpsed here, always the sign of a good portrait. The slight blur gives your capture a spontaneous feel which is also reflected in her attentive expression. This is a really nice, warm capture. Thank you for your recent comments. I've been keeping myself to myself for a while, but of course that means I'll now have to spend some substantial time online catching up on my commenting, both in your gallery and elsewhere!
auntietk
What a great portrait! I'm glad you found this and pulled it from the archives. Good times with good people ... something to be experienced, remembered, and appreciated as often as possible. The warm fuzzies (emotionally, if not photographically) one gets from times like these are what life is all about. Yummy!
jac204
Great portrait and mood capture.
kgb224
Outstanding capture my friend.
sandra46
VERY NEAT! FANTASTIC IMAGE!
evielouise
For the most,I find people in California do not like a photo taken of them every now and then I get lucky wonderful story on people you just neet I talk to everyone lol hubby gets upset he say's you never know people are up to I don't look at it the same way: howver I am on guard It's a great photo of just everyday people tks!
lick.a.witch
A truly friendly and inviting image. I like her look and wouldn't call it suspicious as much as 'I know what you're up to and really don't mind'... ^=^
Orinoor
Most of my memories of bars are from my childhood, this photo has that same feel I have from those memories. I rarely knew names, only sat drinking the Shirley Temple my mother always bought for me while she spent time with her friends, listening to the conversation around me. Many of the folks looked "hard", but they were all really wonderful people to me.
icerian
Direct from Prague usual life. Excellent!
myrrhluz
She has a very interesting face, with a quizzical expression. Is it always the same expression when she senses the camera pointed her way? Olda is looking your direction too. I like the composition with the lines of the bar, table, doorway and ceiling, and the glasses in the foreground. I like how Olda's face is a secondary point of interest, tying the room, the "Mystery Woman" and you together in the moment. I like the presence of the others, which is a very peripheral presence. Important because they set the scene, but it revolves around the woman, Olda, and you. Excellent shot!
5391151
This very cool....for many layered reasons !! Inspirational too .