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Twice

hug (Leica X1)

Twice – thinking twice before shooting rather than asking twice afterwards. Sometimes we can grow from mistakes. This one is the case in point.

Look at this photo. Wouldn't it be a much better shot if the lovers posed with a kiss on one another's lips? Same as what I have been doing to practise the tactics in street shooting, I went up to them and explained myself to ask for permission to shoot them in this pose. At first they turned their heads and looked into the camera. But I cued them to pretend that they didn't see me. I snapped, thanked them and walked away.

I should have thought twice before taking the shots because at some tens of steps away, I realised that it would make a better shot with them kissing one another in this very same pose. What did I do? I walked back to the spot and had the chutzpah to ask them to do just that. If you were me and had seen the frowning on the lady's face, you might have backed away. Asking for permission twice almost scared her away. She became suspicious of my intention at least. But the man came to my rescue and agreed to pretend a kiss. At this juncture, the waiter in the restaurant came out for them. Their table was ready, worse luck for me.

Regretted that I hadn't thought twice before doing the shot.

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