Man Sitting on Tattoo Parlor Steps. San Francisco, California. July 12, 2010. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
A man sitting on tattoo parlor steps in a row of small shops in downtown San Francisco.
If I recall correctly, this was shot along a somewhat seedy section of Broadway in San Francisco. Several things caught my attention as I walked past these shops: the interesting collection of shops (tattoo parlor, smokeshop, and “naughty laundry”); the juxtaposition of these brightly painted yet seedy shop fronts with the very bland upper story; and the man sitting in front of the tattoo “studio” as if he is praying. (For the record, he is playing with his cell phone – perhaps sending a text message about the weird photographer across the street?)
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Technical Data:
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
ISO 200, f/8, 1/320 second
keywords: san francisco california usa north america city urban man sitting legs crossed cell phone steps brick sidewalk street curb parking meter strip shops cloud 9 smoke shop golden eagle hotel goldfields original broadway tattoo studio naughty laundry hydrant newspaper rack stand window blinds curtains wall round conduit downtown decay dilapidated stock
This is a fascinating shot — what I call a natural diptych. The storefronts and man are fascinating and colorful, but the upper stories are worth a second look, too. Those windows are wonderful — each one of them is different. And those two round “portholes” are an added treat.