Trevor, fair question. I took the image at De La Concha, a smoking lounge in New York that has tables close to a floor-to-ceiling plate glass window that provides a clear view of the busy sidewalk adjoining Sixth Avenue. I always sit at with the Nikon handy because invariably something or someone interesting either walks or drives by.
This man stood not more than three feet from me and made gestures through the glass I could not interpret, but I raised my camera, pointed to it, and he nodded. I took that to mean he didn't mind my photographing him, in fact he seemed happy to pose.
As for the title, I meant it not as a judgment or condemnation, but rather as irony. Making images, to me, has always seemed in a sense intoxicating, so here was an instance where both photographer and his subject were, uh, under the influence.
On Wed, Sep 9, 2009 at 4:05 PM, Trevor Cunningham <trevor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
John Palcewski - Intoxicating - Is he holding a catheter sample? A tramp with a bottle, and blurred...I get it. Sorry, I feel forced to question the context under which the image was taken. Likely incorrect, I feel the subject is embarrassingly taken off guard. The title seems a reaction, and judgment, rather that a statement. Offended...perhaps, a successful image.
