NZ Visual Diary - entry 179

patrons - The Proper Pizza Company

O’Connell Street in Auckland’s city centre is more lane than formal street. Perhaps 5 metres wide, with low profile buildings, wide sidewalks, and car traffic restricted to a single lane, the street is charming. (I assert that it would be even more charming were car traffic limited to early morning deliveries, giving way to a pedestrian-only thoroughfare across the remainder of the day.)

The commerce is eclectic - new and used book shops, clothing and gift boutiques, an upscale wine store and numerous cafes, including the Proper Pizza Company.

I was especially deliberate about the angle at which I composed this image. I wanted to accentuate the figure/ground separation - the proximity of the patrons in the window seats, perhaps mother & daughter, and the receding background of the cafe’s interior as seen through the entrance.

I also wanted to have the corner crease of the plate glass window to isolate mother from daughter. I did not turn to see what caught their attention, but the women appeared to be drawn to some scene on the street. I was fascinated by the difference in their facial expressions and body postures - the engaged facial expression and relaxed posture of the younger woman in marked contrast to the opaque face and upright, seemingly taut, posture of the older woman.