Scenes From A Diner Window

Street Photography

“A bottle of white, a bottle of red,
Perhaps a bottle of rose instead,
We'll get a table near the street,
In our old familiar place,
You and I, face to face”

Actually it was a glass of Sprite and breakfast for dinner at an upper west side diner. Not exactly the stuff of a Billy Joel song. The last time I was here I stumbled across Wallace Shawn (Vizzini from The Princess Bride) in a crosswalk and was so stunned I lost the power of speech. All I remember was doing a double take and screaming “I know you! You’re awesome!”

At first I was so embarrassed at such a public spectacle but then he gave me such a big smile. Even his eyes grinned with happiness.

This time around I had just left the dentist office and once again started practicing the subtle art of street photography in the Lincoln Center area.

“Subtle” meaning take a photo quickly of someone before they kick your ass or get in your face. This is why I stink at it. I can’t be one of those people who are constantly invading people’s privacy. I didn’t even take a photo of Vizzini who was literally standing next to me because I’m too shy.

After two hours of crappy shots we were bored and hungry. I needed food! We took a chance at a local diner and ordered a late night breakfast. I also plopped my camera on the table facing out the window and started taking random shots. Ironically, these were my best photos of the night.

It just proves one thing: pancakes make everything better.

Let me know what you think.