Man in Fedora
The Grande Marche in Bamako, Mali 1998
By the time we had walked from our hotel to the Grand Marche in the center of Bamako, I was woozy with the heat, the smells and the effects of Larium, a preventative for malaria. We looked into the shops in the main building where I hoped for some respite from the glaring sun. Here you see what I found photographically speaking.
The man in the fedora grabbed my attention. His relaxed posture, his intense gaze emphasized by his glasses, his lean frame and fresh clothing seemed like a page from a fashion magazine. I asked his permission for a photo, he nodded…barely…otherwise he didn’t move. Perfect.
The Watch Repair Shop
Bits and pieces of old clocks and watches cluttered the desks and hung on the walls. The men bent to their work, all the while carrying on a lively, laughter filled conversation. It seemed like a good place to work, but I wondered who needed all those time pieces.
Both of these photos were slides of muted colors and deep shadow. Changing them to black and white increased the drama and brought out detail.