the "inside" story..

It's not often that I get told not to make a photo of a place, but this place was one of those places.
It's a tattoo shop in Las Vegas, New Mexico on Bridge Street.
And as the saying goes, "every picture tells a story" this one has its own "inside" story....

I was doing a caffenol workshop two doors down from this place and had just turned loose 25 students with cameras to go shoot around the plaza and around Bridge Street so they would have something to develop in caffenol for the workshop.

I had my coffee can pinhole camera loaded with Harman Direct Positive paper and had just set the camera on the sidewalk facing the tattoo shop.

The students were off wandering around the downtown plaza in Las Vegas so it's not like there was a herd of people standing out front oogling the shop.

Next thing I  know a young woman sits on the bench and ask what's going on.  I tell her I'm making a photo of the shop and she immediately tells me the owner doesn't allow it.

Really?! I think to myself.  It's in a public area, I'm on the sidewalk and not trespassing.

I ask her if she's going to sit there a while and she says, yes of course, she works there and that's her bench.  Cool!  Now I have a sitter!

The woman glances briefly at the coffee can, but I'm sure it didn't register that "that" was my camera.  I kept talking to her, and she was talking to the owner inside in between talking to me.  I could  barely hear his comments, but the conversation went back and forth and she told him the photos were for students and for a workshop, but he didn't seem to care who it was for.
I can't see him but I have a vision of Walter Matthau in "Grumpy Old Men".

Finally she told him if he wanted to tell anyone no, that he had to come out and tell them himself.
He never came out, so I guess he didn't truly mind....?

Long story short, after having this convoluted conversation for about 3 minutes, I put the tape on the coffee can and left.

The result is below, and as you can see, the nice lady fidgeted her way across the bench perfectly!

I need more fidgeting subjects to pose for me.

Illy coffee can pinhole, Harman Direct positive paper exposed for 3 interesting minutes and then marinated in caffenol for 4 minutes. Voila!

Thanks for your visits and patience.  I know I don't post in any sort of regular way, but I do appreciate your coming here.

Thanks Becky