Snap Or Else

So my friend Danny and I were hanging out on Sunday afternoon, nothing to do, I had a few hours away from the responsibilities at home. And we were trying to figure out if there was anything to shoot, and we got in the car, aimlessly driving down empty streets, the same streets we'd been over one hundred other times. In last minute desparation, I turned down a major avenue to look for my homeless friend Leon, who gets the locals to stand in front of the camera. Leon hangs out on a street of the typical immigrant suburban mix - family, young men (undocumented) looking for day work, drug dealers, and a few people just passing through.

But on this Sunday, a big chunk of road was closed off for a festival, with mariachi bands, a stage with Veracruz dancers, booths of fresh Mexican food, and huge crowds. We parked, pulled out the cameras, and wandered around. Danny hip-shot with his Hasselblad, I had my Hexar (the old autofocus one) with a flash on top.

Well this really drunk guy spotted me with the camera and wanted me to take his picture. Odd in this neighborhood, usually people react strongly at the site of the camera, but today, everyone wants their picture taken. It might have been because, sheer coincidence, I have a Mexican shirt (a guayabera) I bought on one of my trips there. Anyway, I know he's totally drunk but there's nowhere to go, so I shoot. The flash, with exhausted batteries and just used, doesn't go off. He says, in a slurred voice speaking Spanish, "Take the picture." I indicate that I did but he shakes his head. The flash didn't go off, therefore I didn't shoot the picture. I shoot again. Still no flash. He gets angry and threatening. I put the camera up a third time, see the flash indicator light, and snap. All the anger fades after this, he smiles and walks off. I kiss my ass hello and walk off in the opposite direction.

40 and the Hat, Copyright 2001 Jeff Spirer

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