Coffee Shop People

Gordon drinks coffee. Lots of coffee. Probably way too much coffee. He is also an avid people-watcher. “I visit various coffee shops on a daily basis and enjoy observing the other customers. A few years ago I was out and about in my home town in Essex with my cameras and decided to pop into a well-known coffee shop for a swift livener. I happened to notice that when customers came in and sat at a table there was a moment of ‘stillness’. A moment when they seemed to relax into themselves and stare into space. Can’t really describe it any better. I was fascinated and managed to photograph a customer having that moment of ‘stillness’. When I edited the image I was quite captivated and thought it could develop into an ongoing project.”

Coffee-Shop People has now blossomed into an ongoing project that is still developing.

I have set some rules for myself. I won’t photograph anyone eating and I won’t keep any images that show people in a bad light.  It is a form of self-censorship. However, the images must be candid. If people were aware of me I would lose that ‘magical moment’ and the project would be pointless.

Instead of noisy Nikons I now use a Fuji XT3 in silent mode. Subterfuge? Absolutely! I have always been a great admirer of the work produced by the American photographer, Walker Evans and his sublime ‘Subway Portraits’.

I wouldn’t go as far as he did – painting his 35mm Contax camera black and hiding it under my overcoat – but I have been known to occasionally pretend to use a small screwdriver to ‘repair’ my camera as I take the photograph. If it’s good enough for Walker Evans then it is good enough for me – but I’ll always struggle with the moral maze of doing this project.

Is there an end to this project? “No idea. At the moment I am way too fascinated to turn my back on people and their visits to coffee shops.”