this photo was taken in venice the summer after i graduated from syracuse university. i had splurged on a minolta 35mm camera as a reward for graduating with honors, and had purchased 10 rolls of polaroid film for my six-week backpacking sojourn across europe. yes, polaroid once made 35mm film and the quality was oftentimes better than kodak and fuji.
i came across my subject after wandering away from my friend carrie, who was busy inspecting venetian masks at an artisan’s shop. the picture has faded with time but the colors were very rich that day. the blond of his hair contrasted beautifully with the brown of his jacket and the blue of his shirt. i didn’t try to focus, i just ran up to him, took the pic quickly and looked back to see if my clumsy fumbling had awakened him. sleeping beauty slept on…
This picture starts my imagination wandering about this fellow. Is he a local or tourist? What kind of guy has the nerve to just kip right on the pavement? Where is he now?
i’ve always wondered if he knew his pic was taken.
i definitely think he was a local. look at his clothing: the sartorial signature says northern italian…