I can still remember how tickled I was to learn that coffee houses were flourishing in London during Samuel Johnson's days. At the time I was studying Sam Johnson, I was also a young folksinger, playing a few gigs in coffee houses around the Arizona State University campus (especially the Inner Ear), as well as the odd pizza parlour and lawn party, and I felt a centuries-old bond between Sam's era and mine. It was a fun time to know half a dozen chords and have a popular repertoire culled from Woody Guthrie, Tom Paxton, Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Buffy Saint-Marie -- a long list of early- to mid-60's performers.
Gene, the Folksinger, 1960's
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)But the coffee house scene faded when the Merry Pranksters drove through town, spreading the electric kool-aid message near and far. Then even the 60's faded, and the 70's, and along came the 80's yuppieism that has persisted and intensified to this day. In the current corporate culture that has replaced individualism, coffee houses have given way to trendy coffee shops.
Starbucks on Pearl Street
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)Well, you can't turn back the clock, so if you can't lick 'em, join 'em. At least with the advent of specialty coffee chains, you can taste some nice brews, not to mention the upscale lattés and cappuccino's.
Second Cup on University Ave
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)Besides, I enjoy observing the clientele in the upscale coffee shops and sneaking in a few shots when nobody's looking.
Dig the Leather Jacket, Starbucks
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)Some of the customers look so entirely yuppieish, while others seem just to have accepted the new order as a way of life and a place to stop, drink, and think.
Lost in Thought at Starbucks
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)I'm a coffee hound from way back. I started drinking the stuff in high school and have a controlled addiction to it. And on my harbour walks and photo shoots, there is a lovely little Starbucks right at the halfway point where I come in to get out of the cold and/or come in to rest. A Tall Mild and a window seat, and I can review what I've shot and think about what I want to do on the second half of the shoot.
Photography Break
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)And I think, as much as anything, that these are my true self portraits.
Photographer's Rest
(click on image for a larger, sharper view)(24-Mar-2004, Revised 17-June-2004)
www.NorthernJourney.com -- gene@wilburn.ca