june - just warming up A Chance Encounter with a Friendly Guy

Good capture and title! thanks for this smile. Thanks always for your words too. Regards.

The converging lines, the motion blurred characters, all indicate a fast busy world. Among all the hurries, one man has time to turn back and say hi. It is a great signature of humanness amidst the rat race. The mobile phone in his hand indicates that he is probably also part of that busy life, but has not lost his human touch. Lastly, I love the crisscrossing lines in the wall on the right edge. It breaks the monotonous urban scene.

Hey, he seems to be of Indian origin. It is always nice to see a familiar face.

Thanks you very much for your comments on this picture. Marta, I'm glad to share his smile with you. Supriyo, once again I find your comments insightful. This shot was taken more than a year and a half ago so the details are a little hazy. I remember I had taken another picture just previous to this of him riding by on his bike and with friendly curiosity he pulled over to see what I was doing. I explained to him I was a photographer and just shooting life on the street. and he seemed very interested. This is a country of non-engagement between strangers, a social condition which seems to have become even more pronounced in recent years (as it has seemingly everywhere) so this encounter was like a welcoming breeze on a hot and humid day. He may very well be of Indian extraction since there is a particularly large colony of Indians living and working in Kobe.

I always look forward to your comments. For me the main value of this site is the chance to exchange not just photos but views and opinions with fellow photographers. There's not as much of that nowadays as there was in the past and I often feel a sense of frustration if not disappointment. I appreciate that you take the time to write your reactions to my pictures and those of other photographers. I always enjoy your comments. It's because of people like you that I stick around.

I thought you might be interested in another picture I took just before this one, as he was riding by (a very quick snap as you can see). You don't usually come across such open and engaging people on the streets of Japan. Most of the time I feel like I'm like an icon in a video game, rather distant and unconnected.

Engagement of a friendly nature...so rare, so lovely to see.

A nice moment.  It makes me wonder how you extract such friendliness and willing participation from your victims.

Well, he does look friendly.