Two gifts in one

While in an art gallery the other day, I spotted an old box with weathered bocce balls in it. I asked the owner/manager if it was okay to take a photo of the box. "Sure thing! You can photograph anything in here!" Oh. My. God. Since most of you reading this are photographers, you KNOW how suspicious people get when they spot a camera. Especially in an art gallery. So to have someone say it's okay to shoot is like a huge gift. I mean HUGE.

He then gave me a little photo lesson. "If I can make a suggestion . . . most photographers stand way too far back to take their photos. Try doing this: Try moving in really close and FORCE the photo. Get in tight." Chris was standing off to one side with a rather bemused expression thinking, "You're telling THIS woman to move in close? This woman who has to try REALLY hard to take an overview?" I thanked the store person for the suggestion and dutifully moved in closer to the subject.

Here are my two favorite shots from the store — one of the bocce balls in the box and the other a close-up of some glass detail. It was a double bonus: permission to shoot in the store AND a good photo lesson. "Move in tight." I must make a note of that . . . ©Carol Leigh