The Story Behind the Picture
Panda's Got Your Back
We can all learn something from ourselves and from each other. Never let this be forgotten. I was reminded of this most basis of human lessons in of all things the daily Starbuckian rite.
I noticed a young man waiting for his coffee. I noticed him putting something in a (purse?) then he put on his backpack. It was shaped like a panda! It stood out, especially when paired with the black leather dress shoes, the black sport pants, the two tone AMC uniform. It was clearly a fashion statement, but of…..what? I was intrigued.
I grabbed my camera, grabbing the right memory card (with room on it for more snaps) alerting my inner self that never slept regarding the battery life and charge status of my Kodak camera, and stepped up. In that setting I would have to brave the earphoned young person and ask to take the picture.
Pandas are surely the most chic of God’s creations. Clothed for life in a basic black and white stylized fashion statement, they are the most recognised animals in the world as unique, from China, and rare. Pandas are animals people care about. But when I crossed the Starbucks, this thought was absent. I was more interested in capturing the disharmony in the young man’s bold filicoutrial suite of fashion risks.
 I think there is a mental subroutine in all of us who have grown up in the new technology age clocking the battery status of every device we own.
I spoke to the young man, who surprised me by saying he bought the backpack at the San Diego Zoo. We spoke of the videos of the baby pandas. Does everyone have a secret vice of panda watching? The bamboo consumption at midnight? The panda was now an enviable status symbol. He supported rare animals, while I only Youtubed them.Â
The picture itself is a riddle. The connection between video (AMC Movies), animals, (the panda), and my endless search for a the right size and color backpack had coalesced into a explosive admixture of photo opportunity, shopping tickler, and social interchange. Of course, when I mentioned this blog, he said he was a photojournalism major, and asked what kind of camera I was using.
One little moment, braiding together so much personal history, hobby interest, and technical capability. My netbook was now a publishing portal to the world. And I was promoting the panda preservation cause with one photo. Ain’t life grand?
