NO MORE LEFT (DARE TO CARE?)

NO MORE LEFT (DARE TO CARE?), originally uploaded by joewig.

As I was about to cross the street, I noticed a figure to my left. He was motionless. I wondered whether I should take a quick grab shot now that my lunchtime street shooting session was over and it was time to get back to my desk.

The traffic light changed and he hadn't moved. The light changed again and he remained in the same position.

On this day, I felt like he looked. I was dragging and tired. Why? I was having a bad week of shooting. The images I was getting didn’t have the depth I thought they should. Everything seemed so typically ordinary.

My woes were pathetic compared to his.

I decided to take a few shots. He suddenly sank further down to the ground, but he didn’t touch it. He popped back into this position. Twice. I crossed the street and looked back, trying to remember where I’d seen that behavior. Heroin addicts behave like this. What was his story?

I ultimately decided to show this image because his head’s facing down. He couldn’t possibly get any lower than he was. The only viable way out of this is up. I pray he finds it. I hope someone cares enough to help him get there.

YOUNG LION

YOUNG LION, originally uploaded by joewig.

Just wanted to be able to capture a photo of this young man. At the time I was in a hurry and not too concerned with getting a perfect shot (when I'm too conscious about "getting the shot" in this kind of environment, I end up missing the moment). This was at a protest rally. In retrospect, I should have spoken to him, but lunchtime was over and I had to get back to work.

I hadn't seen this "look" in over three decades. To watch history repeat itself was disconcerting. But I was in awe. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. No, it wasn't myself I was seeing, but the attitude of the 60's and 70's: let it all hang out.

So has he.

SEE YOU, NOT SEE YOU

SEE YOU, NOT SEE YOU, originally uploaded by joewig.

She had the deepest look in her eyes-- as though she wanted to see what I was doing, but not wanting me to know that she was looking.

I was discovered, but what I discovered was far more haunting than I would understand at the time. Looking at this image afresh I am pulled into it like a drowing man is pulled to inhale fresh air into his lungs. Did I actually take this picture? It looks so touchingly beautiful that I w0uld want to admire it as a work someone did so I can ooh and ahh, (but I took the shot and so I cannot.)

Amazing.

I come back to this image again to gaze and wonder what is it that I saw, but didn't see until I started seeing what I should have seen when I shot it.

Amazing.