Work in Progress

I’m slowly but surely working my way through the 101 in 1001 list, and managed to cross off a few items in the past few weeks. In fact, this weekend I tried a new international cuisine, one I never expected to ever try, so I counted that as one of the foods I thought I’d like to try.

Mr. Martini and I treated ourselves to a dinner at Havana Rumba, a Cuban restaurant not too far from our new apartment. It was fantastic. I had slow-roasted pork that was so succulent and tender it practically melted in my mouth. Along with that was a serving of congris, which was fantastic, and yucca, which was tasty, but not my favorite. It tasted like potato, but had a texture that just wasn’t my favorite (stringy, maybe? I can’t really describe it, since I’m not a food critic.

Now, if I had been braver, right now you’d be seeing a photo of the fantastic meals Mr. Martini and I ate that night. But I’m still really, really, REALLY shy about taking photos in public. It’s one thing to take photos on a downtown photo walk, where I can pass myself off as a student or a tourist. But in a confined public setting, like a restaurant, I freeze up. Or I take a quick snap and quickly put my camera away, not taking the time to frame the shot, adjust settings, or take a few shots at different angles. I just can’t do it.

Maybe it’s something I’ll just have to keep working on. But you’d think, after taking self-portraits for almost a year (I’m less than 2 weeks away from finishing!) that I’d be a little more comfortable with a camera. But considering how few of those shots are in public, it’s definitely something I need to get over.

How about you? Do you have any qualms about taking photos in public? Or do you just go for it and not worry about what other people are thinking? Any tips would be appreciated!

My latest in-public self-portrait. A quick snap from a bench along the waterfront.