Focus
The smartphone is the ultimate equalizer.
Age, gender, origin, or profession no longer matter; we are all identical when we focus on our mobile devices.
On the 49, riding down Westbahnstraße in the direction of Volkstheater.
Or on the U3 platform at Neubaugasse, waiting for the next train to Stefansplatz.
On the D, riding around the Ring between Oper and Volkstheater.
The intense concentration allows me to take close-up portraits without attracting attention, while the masks protect the subject privacy and make me comfortable publishing those photos.
One could almost imagine they are chatting or playing a game together.
After several years of shooting exclusively in black & white, I started experimenting with colors again.
If you want to see how this one looks in color, grab that handle on the left side of the photo and drag it to the right.
I try only when I feel that colors add to the atmosphere instead of distracting from the subject.
Here I was pulled toward the contrast between the warmth of the artificial light inside and the cold dusk light outside.
Are they maybe preparing the shopping list in the Neubaugasse, in front of the supermarket?
Or after shopping, on the tram, double-checking they didn’t forget anything?
At work, during a haircut, or waiting for a tram or a friend, there’s no time left to kill; it’s all used up by our handheld computers. So where are all the ideas that used to sprout out of boredom and loneliness unexpectedly?
Eye contact. That’s what I miss the most.