Platon smoker

Platon is one of my favorite portrait photographers. He started with Rolling Stones magazine and his wide angle style quickly became his signature. Most recently, his full faced image of Edward Kennedy graced the cover of Newsweek right after the senator died. He simply moves in close, uses one light and a very wide angle lens to overemphasize one characteristic of his subject.

I've used that style for a number of studio portraits and it is really cool, but I also like to use it for some of my street portraits. People think it's a little strange to take their picture looking up from the ground, but it tells a whole different story about a person. It's a whole new perspective that in some way identifies them.

It was a slow day at the flea market and this vendor decided to take a smoke break. He was relaxed and totally preoccupied with his habit. It's a habit he likes and it helps identify him. It's a habit that helped him relax as I just kept shooting. Once the cigarette was done, so was I.