The Heart-Shaped Sunglasses Club

A McDonald’s in London was the restaurant of choice for 3 ladies wearing identical heart-shaped sunglasses on this July day earlier this year. They were sitting in the window, above the McDonald’s arches. I couldn’t resist photographing them.

McDonald’s restaurants in Europe, including the UK, use dark green exteriors rather than the bright red and yellow associated with the brand in the United States. This shift began around 2009 as part of a rebranding effort to appear more environmentally conscious and to blend better with European streetscapes, where planning regulations often require more muted commercial signage. The green is meant to evoke a commitment to sustainability though critics have called it “greenwashing.” Either way, it makes for a more photogenic backdrop than the garish American colour scheme, and those white arches pop beautifully against the forest green paint.

TBH, I hadn’t noticed until this picture.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length24mm
ISO1250
Shutter speed1/500s

How are you?

I would like to say I knew the sign in the background said, “How are you?” but it’s more likely I did not. I’m glad it worked out, and it just proves that you have to be ready to take the photograph when you’re doing street photography or you’ll miss the moment.

In 2004, Ireland was in the midst of a mobile phone boom. The average Irish person was sending lots of text messages per month. The phones of the era were mostly Nokia models and early flip phones. The iPhone wouldn’t arrive for another three years. Making an actual voice call, as this woman is doing, was still the primary use of a mobile phone, rather than the app-launching, social-media-scrolling pocket computers we carry today.


Apertureƒ/2.4
CameraCYBERSHOT
Focal length28.5mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/1000s

Bicycles and Banter on Castle Street

I interrupted a conversation in process when I took this photo, as the man on the bike noticed me. I don’t think I’ve seen his since I took this photo in March, 2021.


Apertureƒ/3.5
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length24mm
ISO250
Shutter speed1/500s

A Splash of Yellow and Red

A couple sitting at an outdoor table in a little café in Athens, Greece about a year ago. Their body language couldn’t be more different, and every time I look at this image, I wonder what they were talking about.

Their roles in this conversation are opposed. He appears relaxed and confident, while she is reserved, nervous, maybe defensive?


Apertureƒ/2.8
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length24mm
ISO1250
Shutter speed1/500s

Three for Ten: A Pub Special

Outside the Vicarstown Bar, a man in a suit pauses at the threshold, engrossed in his newspaper before stepping fully inside. The chalkboard out front boasts a tempting “3 for 10 Handsum IPA” offer, hinting at the lively sessions that await within.


Apertureƒ/4
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length16mm
ISO160
Shutter speed1/500s

Tools, Trades, and a Cold Beer in Athens

While wandering around a market in Athens, I saw this man sitting on the ground outside his tool-filled shop. He seemed very relaxed and was chatting to a nearby man. I hope that beer was nice and cold as it was quite a warm day!

The Areti beer seen in the photo is a Greek pale lager produced by Zotos Ltd., known for its light body and low alcohol content (3.5% ABV), making it a popular choice for casual daytime drinking in Greece


Apertureƒ/1.7
CameraGalaxy S23 Ultra
Focal length6.3mm
ISO1250
Shutter speed1/500s

Curiosity in the Old Town

We were wandering up the Royal Mile in Edinburgh when I spotted these two women looking up. At what, I’m not sure, there wasn’t anything special in the building they were looking at. Is there such a thing as “Edinburgh Neck”?


Apertureƒ/4
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length24mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/640s

The Duck Who Loved Cash

Twenty years ago today, I was walking up State Street in Chicago when I spotted a duck robbing an unsuspecting woman on the street. I was horrified and, of course, immediately took a photo of such a strange incident.

Turns out, it was some sort of advertising photoshoot for Western Union, but the original photo went viral, even appearing in newspapers.


Apertureƒ/6.3
CameraCanon EOS 20D
Focal length55mm
ISO100
Shutter speed1/100s

Cork City Walks Past Fashion Giants

Advertising goes unnoticed as people hurry past on Opera Lane, Cork.

Did you know the rugby shirt, with its bold stripes, was first popularised in the 19th century?


Apertureƒ/2.8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length24mm
ISO640
Shutter speed1/500s

The Sandal Seller of Athens

Off Monastiraki Square, Athens, along a narrow street filled with small shops, I found a man leaning on the door of his shoe shop.


Apertureƒ/2.8
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length24mm
ISO800
Shutter speed1/500s