This girl works at the counter of Uptown Health, a vegetarian restaurant and juice bar on 125th Street in New York City. We asked if I could photograph her. No, she said, she was too busy, but her mother, who is the manager, came to the rescue and stood in for her while I did the picture.
The photograph is lit by a skylight above her and a window behind me which filled the shadows.
There's something intriguing about the combination of hairnet and hoop earrings.
ReplyDeleteI must admit that when I read "Uptown Health" and saw her white blouse, I at first thought she was a clinic nurse or other healthcare worker. I guess a juice bar qualifies.
Yes, I feel it is essentially the hairnet that adds the jolt to the picture, and undoubtedly you are right the juice bar qualifies as a health care activity. By the way, wouldn't doctors be more loved here if they wore everyday clothes as they do in France?
ReplyDeleteNow, a secret: my subject is studying at Brooklyn College and wants to be a doctor.
Also, she was an art major at high school and photography was her particular interest.
Hmm- interesting- I love the details about what happened that moment. A verbal photograph to go with the visual.
ReplyDeleteShe wears the hairnet with such style, it reminds of the famous photo of Gloria Swanson by Edward Steichen. I was impressed that when she agreed to have her photo taken she didn't try to remove it.
ReplyDeleteStunning...when I embrace my inner bimbo and watch TV medical dramas and they feature model-perfect doctors, I always think..."hmmm...have the creators ever BEEN in Beth Israel's ER at 2 in the morning? Nobody like this working there..." But your subject defies that...quite difficult to stop looking at her...
ReplyDelete