I have taken more pictures of women than of men in
the streets of almost fifty cities around the world. Somehow women seem to tell
more about a city or culture then men. Or perhaps I just find women more
photogenic.
I thought a collage of my favorite pictures would be
a nice challenge. But how many? The number 7 has some magic to it and I went
through my catalogues to find seven pictures that would represent a lifestyle,
an attitude, or just the environment. Some of these street shots are already on
my blog, but organizing them together seemed a fun little project.
Let’s start with Paris.
This rainy day shot with a 1969 Nikon F and 50mm
Nikkor 1.4 has a warm spot in my heart. I know Paris very well and the kiosks
on the Champs Elyseés remain typically a Parisian character. Over the past 40 years
I have seen Paris become somehow less distinct from other cities—fast food
chains, foreign car dealerships, non-French food restaurants and multinational
clothing outfits somehow have changed Paris.
This picture shows none of these. To me, this is the
Paris I once knew.
The sad eyes at the Mosque in Paris tell me a story I
do not know. But it did not need to be a mosque nor in Paris—the feeling is
deeply human, and this picture touches me.
…. Barcelona is a colorful city that I have visited
numerous times. It is a very modern city, mostly vibrant at night. Barcelona is Gaudi, tapas, salsa dance, wine,
late night dinner, and endless recipes of bacalao, which is the generic name of dishes made
with dried and salted cod fish. Of course dried cod is a commonly found in many
cuisines of the region, under slightly different names. For example, it is
called bacalhau in Portugal, bakaiļao in Basque
Perhaps for all these reasons, I
like the picture of the two costumed women most as a representation of
Barcelona. It is unmistakably European, has an attitude, shows the balconies I
love, and is pretentious!
… In contrast, my visits to Vienna
over a period of more than a decade have always given me a feeling of people in
orderly behavior, Germanic obsession with timeliness, predictable food, and great
wines. In fact, over the past couple of years Vienna was voted as the most
desirable city in the world to live in. Its architecture is reflected in its
people; and the people’s attitude has shaped its architecture.
The cobble stone streets of Old Vienna and the
evening sun give the perfect texture to this picture. Somehow it gives me that
sense of order and discipline…
… Maryland and its major city Baltimore offer
philosophies and attitudes where Northern and Southern characteristics mix with
much harmony. Blues and classical music co-exist, Northern and Southern “Yankee”
food have welcomed Middle Eastern, Chinese and Indian food without heartburn,
and fishermen of the Chesapeake Bay remain proud of world leader universities.
I have already posted a number of pictures from the Inner
Harbor of Baltimore, Fells Point and Canton. Today, I will add a picture I took atop a
famous hill overlooking the Harbor, called Federal Hill. There is a popular
park on that hill, and a lovely story behind it:
The English Colonial Settler Captain John Smith (1580-1631) was among
the first settlers of Jamestown, Virginia (the first English Settlement in
North America) in 1606. In June of 1608
he sailed from Jamestown up the Chesapeake Bay for a 19-day journey that ended
with a voyage up the Patapsco River and he is credited reporting “a great red
bank of clay flanking a natural harbor basin.”
It became known as “John Smith’s Hill”.
In May of 1788, 4,000 Baltimoreans after
marching through the City’s streets to celebrate the State of Maryland’s
ratification of the United States Constitution, put a sailing ship model on
wheels and placed it on top of John
Smith’s Hill. The name
of the ship was the “Federalist”, and since the hill is
known as Federal Hill.
I chose this picture as the elegant
lady and her hat do give a feel of the colonial years. The lines of the blurred
background (thanks to my 1970s Nikkor 105mm 2.5 lens) and the posture of the
woman looking down to the harbor remind me of the history behind the Hill. I
wonder if she were on top of the “great red bank of clay” when John Smith saw
the hill, what would he have called that hill? Pocahontas…?
… Like for many visitors, Cape Town
is my favorite city/town of South Africa. It is difficult not to fall in love
with Cape Town. But of all the pictures I developed from the 20 rolls of medium
format film I returned with, this one from Johannesburg remains my favorite.
She was on top of Signal Hill where folks in Johannesburg go to have a picnic
and watch the magnificent sunsets in the ocean below. This woman was all grace,
the sunset light just enough for a soft and romantic shot. And her eyes being glued to her iPad rather
than looking out into the ocean is the context to describe our times and
attitudes.
… My seventh picture is from Asia, Taiwan
to be precise. It is an island-country where, again over more than a decade, I
was introduced to Asian cultures, and learned about Taiwan’s history and
people. One of my memorable trips was to the East Cost of the island to
participate in a Tuberculosis study among the Aboriginal populations. (Most of my trips are for professional
reasons, but always find time to exercise the springs of my classic, mechanical
cameras…).
On this trip we were in Hualien
County with an Aboriginal tribe. The region is close to the Taroko National Park which is famous for
its marble gorges. The walk through Taroko National Park which covers
approximately 227,336 acres of breathtaking gorges, waterfalls and flora is an
experience to remember. But for me, it was the stay in a cabin in the mountains
with an Aboriginal tribe that made the trip most memorable. And there, I took
one picture (!) of a young woman to represent the trip….
Seven pictures of women. It was not easy to chose from the
large number of prints I have, but I think they represent a bit of history, a
lot of attitude, and all the fun I had taking the pictures!
As always, you decide.
June 3, 2014
© Vahé Kazandjian, 2014
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