We all need empty hours in our lives or we will have no time to create or dream.
Robert Coles
A few months ago I published a post, Serene moments around the world. It was a response to that week’s Lens Artists challenge theme of Serenity. My focus then was on the places where I have enjoyed some serenity while travelling, slowing the pace to enjoy the peace and quiet of different environments.
Now ‘Stupidity Hole’ asks us to share ‘Quiet Hours’ for this week’s theme. Having so recently shared some quiet hours of my own I thought this week I would choose images from my archives of other people enjoying some downtime. Anyone who follows this blog will know how much I enjoy street photography, and I’ve found that it’s often when people are most relaxed that a surreptitious shot is easy to capture. Here is a selection of such shots from around the world. Some you may have seen before, while others I hope are new.
I apologise for the overload, I really did try to cut the selection down a bit. But OK, yes, I failed!
My feature photo was taken in Hoi An, Vietnam. Hover over any photo in the galleries below to see where it was taken, or click on one to open it along with a slideshow of them all.
Silence is golden, but my eyes still see Silence is golden, golden, but my eyes still see
Writers: Bob Crewe, Bob Gaudio
Recorded by: The Tremeloes
61 Comments
Annie Berger
I liked how you captured people in various poses of downtime – not all dozing, just resting and enjoying some peaceful moments tjat often seem to elude us. The women from Nepal was my favorite.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Annie 😊 I’m glad you had a favourite – those women in Bandipur had been carrying some very heavy loads up one of the steep hills there, so they had earned their rest!
leightontravels
I was drawn to this one because we are lovers of quiet moments and always seek them out whenever possible. But also out of curiosity, because we are finding them increasingly hard to capture (photographically or otherwise). I also enjoy photographing people in thoughtful moments, lazing and chilling, so this gallery made me smile from start to finish. Mr. Santa Fe oozes a Burt Reynolds type cool, while there is something disapproving on the face of Mr. Marrakech. I’d love to know what he had seen. Hmm, what is the Paris dude listening to? My intuition is telling me Frank Zappa. Old Man Lucca is a brilliant closer, he is looking right at you.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Leighton, I’m so pleased you enjoyed this selection of photos 🙂 And I love the way you’ve dubbed them – ‘Mr. Santa Fe’ etc. Yes, I can see the Burt Reynolds likeness there for sure! I suspect Mr. Marrakesh had just spotted my camera and was hoping I wasn’t photographing him!
equinoxio21
Excellent. As always. Greetings from Paris.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you 🙂 Hope you’re enjoying my favourite city – give her my love!
equinoxio21
Will do. It is nice right now. Not too hot.
Leya
Love your take on, Sarah! Portraits are never so good as yours! These quiet moments are really superb. Glad to see how you use along lens and try to hide…
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Ann-Christine 😊 I can be rather sneaky when it comes to photo opps!
SoyBend
Thanks for sharing photos in color and black and white. The monochrome pictures are somehow quieter. I like your picture of the statue behind the person sitting on a bench. It was sort of funny.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Siobhan 🙂 Yes, I saw the humour in that juxtaposition – it’s something I often look for in my candid photos!
grandmisadventures
These are beautiful moments you’ve caught. I love people watching- you can’t help but wonder what’s their story? what are they thinking about? who are they past this moment?
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Meg 😊 Yes, I often wonder about the stories behind the people I photograph. It’s strange to think that their lives moved on from this point but I only ‘know’ them like this!
Sofia Alves
People watching is one of my favourite activities and you have quite the collection here, Sarah 😀
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Sofia 🙂 As you can tell, I like people-watching too!
wetanddustyroads
I love this collage. It’s good to see how people relax outdoors – without actually doing any activities. Reading seems to be a good pastime for many people 😊.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Corna 🙂 Yes, reading, smoking and sleeping seem to be the most popular ways to unwind, judging by these photos!
Brad M
Thoroughly enjoyed the candid portraits. No posing or staging by the subjects, just capturing them in real life, so to speak. A very good reminder to look around a bit, the real photograph might be just out of frame.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Brad 😊 You’re right, none of these were posed in the slightest! And yes, we should always keep looking around for the best photo opps.
Leanne Cole
I love how you have done this challenge Sarah, it is so different to most, they are great.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Leanne 😊 I was keen to try something different as otherwise I felt I would more or less be repeating that ‘serenity’ challenge from just a few weeks ago!
norasphotos4u
I like how you captured all of the people napping!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Nora 🙂 I guess they’re the easiest people of all to capture unnoticed!
JohnRH
Great great photos, and a great take on the theme. Excellent.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much John 😊
Christie
Great shots Sarah! And the first one is priceless. Was the bouquet of flowers just sitting there by accident, or the guy fell asleep while waiting for his date? LOL
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Christie 🙂 I’m pretty sure the person in that first shot is an elderly woman, and I’m guessing she was a flower seller taking a break as there were quite a few around Hoi An.
Anabel @ The Glasgow Gallivanter
So many snoozy people! They are all great but I kept coming back to the header as my favourite. That person is REALLY relaxed.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Anabel 🙂 I find in Asian countries people are far more relaxed about sleeping in public places, although the guy in the car was about as far west as you can get!
Monkey's Tale
Wonderful choices Sarah, I especially love the Bhaktapur smote, partly because I always love their Dhaki Topi hats. 😊 Maggie
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Maggie 😊 I have a few similar images from there and from Patan, I had to be selective!
photobyjohnbo
I love your collection of thoughtful portraits. Beautiful work, Sarah!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much John 😊
Sue
Kudos for a great selection of images of people enjoying a quiet time. I love the fact that you haven’t converted them all into black-and-white, so they give us a sense of now.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Sue 🙂 You might be interested in the ‘conversation’ with Margaret below about the colour versus B&W decisions!
Image Earth Travel
Great shots, Sarah and my type of photography!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much, glad you liked them 😀
thehungrytravellers.blog
Time out. Why is it that we always smile to ourselves when we see someone snoozing in public?!
Sarah Wilkie
Maybe because it’s such a rare sight in the bustle of our ‘first world’ lifestyles?
margaret21
These are wonderful studies. Oddly, for this b/w fan, this time I seem to like the colour images best. Can’t decide why. Maybe because the ‘local colour’ made them more immediate, not quite so timeless?
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Margaret 😊 That’s an interesting comment because I toyed at one point with converting all the shots to B&W. The ones here that ARE B&W were in that format in my archive folders, I either shot them like that or didn’t keep the originals! I considered converting the others to match but in each case felt they would lose something in the conversion. So I’m glad the colour struck you as enhancing the shots! The two that I hesitated over the longest were the smoker in Santa Fe and the old guy in Paris, bottom left, both of which looked potentially as good in B&W as in colour.
margaret21
I see what you mean about your ‘dilemma’ shots. I think all would have worked well in either format. They just bring different qualities to the surface, and I’m clearly in the mood for colour on this grey day!
Sarah Wilkie
Grey? We still have sunshine here, albeit a bit hazy!
margaret21
Nope. It’s warm enough, but the heavens may open at any moment.
Graham Stephen
splendid! love the header image 💖
⬻𓂀✧ 🔺 ✬ღ☆ 🔺 ∞ ♡ ∞ 🔺 ☆ღ✬ 🔺 ✧𓂀⤖
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Graham 🙂
Graham Stephen
🙇♂️
Alison
Brilliant Sarah, you always capture strangers so well. You would make a good parrapazzi photographer
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Alison 😊 But no, I wouldn’t enjoy the world of paparazzi – I prefer to capture ordinary people rather than ‘celebrities’ and to wander around looking for shots rather than stand around for hours waiting for the shot to come to me!
bushboy
I agree with everyone else, queen of street photography. Not many women though 🤔
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Brian 🙂 And yes, fewer women than men (11 to 23 by my reckoning) but there were several I didn’t use because I’ve over-used them here!
Anne Sandler
Sarah, you are the queen of street photography. I loved all your people and their quiet moments! And, great twist on the challenge.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you very much Anne, I’m so glad you liked my approach 😊
Pamela Zmija ~ Artist
Beautiful collection of images!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Pamela 🙂
Tina Schell
Well Sarah, I wrote a comment and our internet died in the middle of it so trying again. I loved your post and your unique approach to the challenge. I also loved that you used a collage format to make it easier for us to enjoy all of the images. Wonderful as always!!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you for persisting and leaving this lovely comment Tina 😊 I’m glad you enjoyed the format as well as the photos themselves, as I tossed up several options as to how to present them!
Teresa
You’re the best! Wonderful collection!
Sarah Wilkie
Aw, thanks so much Teresa 😊
Egídio
Sarah, those are the best street photography candid shots I’ve seen. I take it you were using a long lens. You captured quiet hours and left your subjects undisturbed. Awesome!
Sarah Wilkie
Wow, thank you so much for that lovely comment Egidio 😊 Yes, I always use a zoom lens (well, I set my bridge camera or point and shoot to zoom as far as possible without losing image quality) and always try not to be noticed. If I am, and am allowed to take the shot, it is never as good!