Manhattan Man in Baseball Cap Black and White Portrait Photography
An Hour Of Conversation Behind A Direct Gaze
I met this man on a Manhattan side street and spent close to an hour walking and talking with him before making the portrait. We talked about life, music, the Yankees and whatever else came up. By the time I raised the camera, I could simply wait for his expression rather than direct it.
His wide-eyed gaze gives this black and white photograph its immediacy. Deep forehead lines, a white moustache and wiry hair beneath a worn baseball cap fill the close vertical frame. The dark, blurred background allows his face and lighter shirt to stand out, while the jacket adds another layer of texture.
Afterward, I took him to a Chinese restaurant because he had not eaten that day. I told him to order whatever he wanted. He ordered a lot, ate it all, and we kept talking. That part of the day remains tied to the photograph for me; the image grew out of time spent together, not just the moment when I pressed the shutter.
I wanted the portrait to retain the directness of that meeting. Black and white brings the eyes, hair, skin and fabric into a shared tonal range, with the face carrying the strongest detail. From a distance, the gaze is immediate; looking closer reveals the smaller textures. What stays with me is the particular person and the conversation behind the frame.
© Dan Kosmayer, 2019
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About My Fine Art Photography
Every photograph in my collection comes from my own travels, explorations, and years behind the camera.
I create my work as photographic art rather than mass-produced decoration. From street portraits and abandoned places to landscapes, architecture, and the unusual subjects I discover along the way, each image begins with something that made me stop and look.
My photographs are available in multiple sizes so the same image can work in anything from an intimate wall space to a large statement installation.
