Largo When Everyone Else Is Asleep

I grabbed my camera at around 4:00 am and walked up a couple blocks to Missouri Avenue, a main North-South drag around here. I don't know who Cornelia is, but I could have written those words.

In order to take these night shots I had to mount the camera on a tripod and time it for about 15 or 20 seconds. This shot kind of shook me a bit because when I took it I thought I was alone. I had no idea that guy on the sidewalk was there. I never saw him or heard him, but there he was.

I'm still trying to figure out what should be black and white or color. I had my mind that this series of shots were all going to be B & W. I changed my mind a bit after looking at them, but I still don't know.

This is a bus stop and a free newspaper dispenser in the foreground. Respect for privacy and safety (mine) prevented me from taking a head-on shot of the guy sleeping on the bench. You can see him here anyway all wrapped up in blankets.

Color isn't too bad for this shot because it is still surrounded by the mystery of night.

Another shot of the homeless guy sleeping in the bus kiosk. In this shot you can see his profile through the glass.

I recently read an article that listed about 15 things we do to ruin shots. One of them was putting color in a black and white shot. They said it was gimmicky. Yeah, I can see that. But I like this anyway.

There is something kind of risky, kind of taunting dragging camera equipment around during the darkest hours of the night. There is an underground here much like any other large metro city in the country. If you go night shooting in downtown St. Pete be prepared to handle the flack you'll get from the homeless or at the least take plenty of ones to hand out to those who will allow you to take their picture. Largo is pretty safe where I was wandering but I'm sure there are areas that would require thick-skin or fast talking.

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