It's quite obvious that Washington Square Park's evolution to a people watching and a hugely popular gathering place has increased exponentially over the past months. It was always so -and a magnet for all sorts of demonstrations - but with the influx of vendors, it has also become a marketplace for art, cheap clothes and cannabis products...and the foot traffic across it is impressive.
I saw him entering the Park from its south entrance/gate and followed him with my gaze until he settled down on the fountain's ledge...an ideal location for its water plume and the occasional rainbow. He agreed to pose...sadly, I neglected to ask for his name but named him "Mandrake" as in the newspaper comic strip superhero of the 1930s. There's no physical or costume resemblance, but that's the name that popped in my head...so Mandrake it is.
I thought he cut an impressive figure with his bejeweled turban and earrings, but I did not have it in me at that time to ask the reason for him dressing up like that. I should have.
As for Monica, I noticed her sitting on the fountain's ledge chatting with a friend or two. I could not see her face as her back was turned, but it was the style of her shaved hair...it was the design/purple color that initially caught my attention.
Monica was very willing to be photographed...it wasn't the ideal location as the bright afternoon sun created a lot of shadows, but I persevered and I was rewarded with nice frames. Later on, when the sun got less intense we moved to the western side of the fountain (my favorite location for the ambient light, and the aforesaid rainbow which she supplemented with brilliant smiles).
We exchanged Instagram contacts and while I knew she spoke Spanish, I learned from her biography that she's of Bolivian heritage...a country I traveled to for photography some 15 years ago. Hopefully, I'll have the opportunity of having a street photo session with Monica.
