Street Portrait

The day had been hot and humid. I'd spent the day wandering around Palma, exploring back streets, squares and historic buildings, taking in the sights, sounds, culture and beer.

Occasionally I'd pluck up the courage to talk to someone in my very limited Spanish, "¿Puedo tomar un fotographia, por favor?"

Most obliged. Humour the pathetic English tourist, they probably thought to themselves. Some even seemed flattered, a policeman was most pleased to be asked. Rarely did anyone object or refuse.

Later in the evening I meet my parents in the square on the corner of Catedral-Basílica de Santa María de Mallorca. We watch intently as a very talented street musician performs magical songs with his guitar and a looper pedal. Layer after layer of rhythm, texture and sound is built using electronic wizardry in a box barely bigger than a pack of smokes, until he is accompanied by an invisible band, drums, bass, backing vocals and percussion - all made with sounds from either his guitar or his voice.

Impressive. Mighty impressive!

The sun is slowly giving way to dusk as darkness begins to envelop the balmy evening. Locals and tourists alike hit the streets in search of food, drink and the island party atmosphere.

We do too, and we make our way to the square adjacent to Sa Llotja and manage to find an outdoor seat at Café la Lonja. Beer is ordered and we settle into polite conversation while observing the scenes unfolding around us.

The bars fill up quickly and the entire square is filled with a gleeful and carefree atmosphere. Roaming hawkers infiltrate the square, selling colourful airborne toys to the parents of young children. They thrown them in the air (the toy, not the children) and as they give way to gravity once more and descend, they spin and flash bright colours.

I notice a young lady who I assume is local. She is out for the evening with what I assume are her two small children, and she occupies the table in front of ours. She looks happy and alive, and engages in animated conversation with a few people who pass by before sitting to eat with the children.

A while later, drinks finished, it is time for us to leave and as we stand and thank our server, the young lady calls me over. She has seen my camera and assumes I know how to take a photograph. She hands me her iPhone and asks me to take a picture of her and her children, she is out celebrating a birthday of one of them.

I feel honoured to be asked and gladly capture the memory for her. Before we leave I ask permission if I may take her portrait - fortunately she speaks better English than I do Spanish. She allows me my request and I quickly take a couple of photos with my camera.

But, urgh! The lighting is all wrong. It is now completely dark and there is barely a streetlight anywhere nearby. All the bars are spilling light out behind her, turning her shape into a dark silhouette.

I thank her, wish her a pleasant evening and we make our way back to the hotel. If the picture is rubbish I feel at least a small connection was made. I wasn't seeking romance but there was still a brief sense of intimacy in the momentary exchange.

When I finally retuned home and uploaded my images I immediately sought this one out to see if there was anything I could do to rescue her from the dense shadow of the backlit scene.

Lightroom did not disappoint and I'm pleased I was able to glean a usable image from the file. It will never be an amazing photograph and it probably won't even be looked on by most people even as a good example of a portrait. But there is something in her pose and her smile that means something to me, and as a reminder of the moment I once again feel warmed by our brief exchange.