Pick Your Style
My final posting from May: a bunch of preppy vacationers at Polo Ralph Lauren and a summer-themed fever dream at Bloomingdale's, all shot at 4 a.m. You can find my 27 new photos at my Flickr account and my deviantArt.
A few weeks ago, during another insomnia-fueled 4 a.m. ride through Manhattan for photo ops, I was at Kleinfeld Bridal taking shots, the only person out on the street aside from two guys on the other side. I noticed them watching me but didn't go to leave until I was ready. I got into the car and saw one of them calling to me. Since I couldn't hear him, he came up to my closed door and I opened the window. I don't know if I was older or less pretty than he expected, if he saw I was obviously about to leave since I had my foot on the brake and an "I'm going home" air, or if he belatedly realized that a woman would have to be nuts to go off with two unknown men in Manhattan who picked her up on an empty street after 4 a.m., because after a moment standing there he said, "You're going home now, aren't you? Be safe." I said, "You too!" and drove off. It was about ten minutes later that I realized that it could've gone badly. It was the first time anyone came up to me like that in the years I've been doing this; the other time was someone passing by saying that the windows are amazing. That late the city is mostly mine; most of the few other people out are on the job. (Though I still wonder about that woman and 7-year-old boy I saw wandering the empty streets of Midtown at about 3:15 a.m. one night, what they'd been doing.)
My confidence comes from having my car, which can function as shelter, escape, and a weapon. (Having been in a fight or die situation, I know my usual empathy goes on hold and I will protect myself even if I have to hurt someone to do it.) I would never do a late night photo run on mass transit because my photo targets are blocks apart, I can't depend on trains and buses that late (especially buses, and in Queens they don't run at all after a certain hour), trains run on different lines after certain hours, and I can't rely on being able to know and make my way to the nearest open subway station if I get in trouble or have a weak spell.
Spring through summer, for my night photo drives I open Civic's moon roof, listen to and feel my music in my car, let the night inside, and be. (Colder parts of the year, I listen to and feel my music running through my car with everything closed.) I don't know how much longer Civic has left, so I'm enjoying her while I can.