I’m sorta on a street photography kick, as this is the third posting in the row about this genre. While people may have different definitions, I think most would agree that street photography doesn’t have to involve the street. It can be on a beach or your backyard or inside a restaurant.

Several weeks ago, after a photography meeting at Precision Camera, we headed to over to the ever crowded Hopdoddy’s for dinner. It’s one of my favorite places for burgers. Unfortunately, there’s always a line. As you probably guessed, I’m constantly shooting and documenting my surroundings. The following series show my progression through the ordering line.

Blue hour in the suburbs is not the most exciting but it’s the starting place for the wait, outside the door. I shot this at 8:55pm. Time appeared to go quickly though, with my photography friends nearby talking shop. I conveniently had my Olympus E-M5 Mark II with a 17mm f1.8 for a nice compact setup.

While I’m obviously not downtown, all my favorite urban elements are here. The warm glow of lights, the deep blue sky and the people. I’m especially a sucker for the warm glow around bars which resemble the festive string lights that I love so much.

I was one of several “mirrorless nerds”. I had my Olympus, Rudy had his Sony a6000 and Steven his Nikon 1 J3. I’ve noticed that the popularity of DSLRs have decreased somewhat, even at these enthusiast photographer events.

As I made steady progress through the line, I surgically focused at the front of the line. Though not extreme, I still get a nice sense of depth even with a less than full size, micro 4/3 sensor. Shooting at f1.8 helps while the 35mm equivalent is versatile for street photography.

As I neared the head of the line, I framed and a customer posed. A friendly interaction with an unknown stranger. I showed her the photograph and she like it. The timestamp indicates 9:25pm. Waiting 30 minutes or so is par for the course. Actually, it’s probably shorter than normal. It’s worth it though. Hopdoddy does a great job.

If you don’t want to wait, try sitting at the bar. Or perhaps enjoy a drink while waiting on line. Me, I just liked the color of the citrus.

We sat outside and until closing. The temperature wasn’t oppressively hot. All quiet inside as I shot this scene through the exterior window. I live for the glow. It’s one of the reasons I love shooting so much at night.