A Day Off, a Camera and a Chance Encounter in the City

 A day off from driving today, although apparently that doesn't mean I can completely escape the city.

I went looking for the perfect photograph. The pigeons had other ideas, but the coffee and conversation weren't a bad substitute. Photograph © John Gilchrist

I was heading into town to catch up with family, with the added bonus of a lovely lunch at one of the city's better viewing points. It's always interesting seeing the place from above rather than from behind a steering wheel, where the view tends to involve considerably more traffic, bus stops and people stepping out in front of you.

After lunch, I thought I'd take the camera out for a wander and see what turned up.

The Knife Angel has been a feature of the city for a while now. I believe the plan was for it to stay for around a month, and having driven past it more times than I care to remember, I had a feeling its stay must be coming towards an end.

So, with a bit of time to spare, I decided it was probably time I actually stopped and looked at it properly.

I found a nearby café, grabbed a coffee and settled myself outside with the camera. Then came the waiting.

Traffic.

Pedestrians.

More pedestrians.

People stopping precisely where I didn't want them to stop.

Cars appearing at exactly the wrong moment.

And, naturally, the occasional pigeon wandering into the frame as if it had been specifically instructed to ruin the composition.

What I really wanted was a flock of pigeons flying through the scene at just the right moment. It was one of those ideas that looks fantastic in your head and considerably less achievable when you're actually standing there with a camera.

I waited.

And waited.

And waited some more.

The pigeons, having apparently received advance notice of my photographic intentions, declined to cooperate.

I didn't get the shot I had imagined.

But, as often happens when you're out with a camera, something else came along instead.

While I was sitting there patiently waiting for the street to behave itself, I got chatting to a local. One of those completely unplanned conversations that starts with a passing comment and somehow turns into a proper chat.

It turned out they're a regular passenger on one of the routes I drive.

Small city.

Smaller world.

It was genuinely nice to meet someone away from the bus and have a conversation without the usual timetable, traffic or destination board getting involved. Just a coffee, a bit of conversation and two people enjoying a few minutes of the day.

Sometimes that's worth more than getting the photograph you originally went out looking for.

Eventually, the rain arrived, which seemed like a fairly clear indication that the photography session had reached its natural conclusion.

Camera packed away.

Coffee finished.

Time to make tracks.

No flock of pigeons. No perfectly timed photograph.

But a decent afternoon, a few frames in the bag, a coffee in the company of a new acquaintance, and the pleasant realisation that even on a day off, the city still has a way of putting familiar faces in unfamiliar places.

I'll take that.

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Meta description: A day off from bus driving, a camera, the Knife Angel, coffee and an unexpected conversation with a familiar passenger.

Keyword set: city photography, knife angel, city photography, street photography, city bus driver, bus driver, photography day out, urban photography, pigeons, coffee and conversation, city life, scottish photography, everyday moments, chance encounter, camera walk