duckshots – Page 50 – Lorin Duckman Today

TILT in South Burlington – Out on a Date

So, my girl is the best date anyone could ever have. Looks. Sense of humor. Stories. Cool. And, honest. She dresses. She talks. Pays for dinner. And I carry my camera. Sometimes, she gives me one or two shots. I usually miss. I beg for another. Sometimes, I get real portraits. She’s looking at me and I don’t what what she’s thinking. Always hoping she feels the same way I do.

What could be bad? Tequila. Pinball. Hamburger. And a beautiful date. Then she drives home.

And then there are the people working at the bar. I shoot working people. They stay in their environment, happy I order drinks and dinner. Many have asked them to pose. They make faces. Not real, but close enough. Got a shot. Preston, the bartender, he’s not giving much. Server has a toothy grin, pretty. But, it’s a problematic pose. Don’t know what he’s saying or what she’s doing, but he knows he’s being shot and so does she. Every photographer takes what he’s given and hopes to come back for more realism, if that’s possible.

35 Cherry St – From the Balcony

Photographers have something to say, sometimes. I have to ask myself sometimes, especially when I am looking at something I see all the time, like people walking up the Battery, across the street from my condo, what do I have to say about this. It’s a scene only I see from this height and perspective, a rather selfish view since my neighbors can see the same set, albeit from a different angle. They’d see it, too, the scene, two people walking. Me. I’d see the light. I’d shoot it. And, then I’d wonder, whether the image which I captured on my rectangular sensor would look the same when it went up on a screen or on a piece of ink jet paper. It’s like seeing a beautiful woman and asking her out. Then you take her somewhere and when you look at her in a different light, does she still shine as brightly.

Burlington Bikes Snowed IN

So, how did these bikes get here? Why didn’t the owners retrieve them. Did they forget about them? How do they get around now?

Popcorn Jockeys at Merrill’s Theatres In Burlington

So, did you ever want to make popcorn and sell tickets at a movie theatre? How exciting! You get to see the human condition and watch movies on a big screen. Oh, the indecision at the door when no decision has been made which flick to see. The problems deciding on the size of the popcorn or whether to add salt or that liquid they call butter. And what about Googers or M&M’s? After the movies, you pick up the empty cups and who knows what from the floor and sweep out the bathrooms? You can see the movies for free. And people assume you are a critic, asking for opinions on the story and acting. The down side is that you go home at night smelling like popcorn.

Ice Fishing in Vermont

I don’t do winter, well. Don’t ski. Don’t snowshoe. Don’t skate or play hockey. And I sure as hell don’t ice fish. I tried it once or twice when I lived in Salsibury, VT. My friends took me to their well appointed shack on Lake Dunmore. We drank beer, ate deer bourguignon, cooked to perfection on the site and laughed and told stories. Good friendship. But, every once in a while, we had to go check the lines. I held the flash light. Across the Lake, drivers did wheelies on the ice. We caught a few fish, little ones. The guys cleaned, cooked and ate them. Couldn’t wait to leave, though I admit I did have a good time hanging out.

Race Matters

BURLINGTON VT WELCOMES FALL

Sharon Duckman Plays Pinball at Tilt

Approaching 66, Nov 3, Sharon Duckman has taken up pinball at a bar called Tilt in South Burlington. She will not be beaten or berated. Starting from scratch when your reflexes ain’t what they used to be is a difficult task, but with a glass of wine in her hand and a few tokens, she’s got game.

Burlington’s Firewood Operator, Eric

So, some people need wood to stay warm. Hard to get logs in Burlington. Only business in town. Seasonal work! Could call it an incubator?

Homeless Sleep Where They Can

Last great day, maybe; maybe not.

Jim O’Donnell, hobo with a car. Traveling through Burlington. Knows the street and its people. On his way to Maine. Has bags in his car where he sleeps.