Image Focus

After a year and a half of social isolation, 99 days of total lockdown and mandatory face masks, the act of kissing rises as an icon. It is a symbol that shows the triumph of love and inexorability of life itself, despite the ongoing gloomy period caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

I love to document history-shaping events, celebrating people and their cultures. This particular image is part of a photographic series featuring couples kissing in public places, a project I started in lockdown. I wanted to focus on something that I hadn’t seen already in other pandemic photographic projects, something that would be universal and something that everyone could relate to it.

Photographing stolen kisses at night isn’t easy, nor can it ever be planned. In this case, I was helping a friend carry a gigantic painting to her house when I saw this couple kissing off at the subway entrance. I just knew I had to capture this moment, so I let go of the painting as carefully as possible and got closer to them with my Sony Alpha 7R IV, along with a 35mm f/1.8 in hand and began shooting.

I always carry the Alpha 7R IV with me. It’s times like this when I am so pleased I do, particularly as I have to be alert at all times so I can act as quickly as possible when the right moment presents itself. To accomplish this, I need a lightweight, fast, accurate camera and one that produces pictures of the highest quality. The Sony Alpha 7R IV allows me to do just that, while the silent shooting feature allows me to work discreetly.

People will often look at me and won’t even realise that I’m a professional photographer; they just think I’m some amateur guy with a camera. But secretly, I have 61 million pixels at my disposal with a great dynamic range, 10fps shooting rate, precise autofocus, and an ISO value that can be increased without trouble.

The two women in this image didn’t even realise that they were being photographed until a group of passers-by told them. Only then did they inquire into what I was doing and why I hadn’t asked them permission. I told them the truth…it was a beautiful, emotional moment and I didn’t want to interrupt it. When I showed them the picture I’d just taken, their suspicion disappeared, followed by squeals of “Oh my gosh! It is so nice!” They even politely asked if I could send them the image. That to me is what photography is all about – bringing a smile to people’s faces!

I do believe that seeing the act of kissing in public can lift the spirits of many, particularly during a time where we’ve been separated from our loved ones. We are so used to everyday life that somehow, we forget how extraordinary life can be – love is a monumental force.