2024 09 01

Little Egg Boy in Atlanta, Georgia. May, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

I took an afternoon off to wander Atlanta and make some photos. Really, I wanted to explore a bit and see some new sights. Take in the scenery. I hopped on a Lime-brand scooter and ended up in a cute neighborhood off the Belt Line, filled with charming streets and proud houses with character. Being a photographer out hunting for details, my senses were alerted to a strange man who seemed to be following me. Clearly this man wanted to steal my backpack full of expensive electronics. I zigged and I zagged and I detoured away from the man so I didn’t have to continually look over my shoulder and be on guard.

The scooter took me up and down Atlanta’s hills at a rapid rate. One thing I dislike about driving in a car is all of the photos you catch a glimpse of but are forced to miss. One thing I dislike about driving in car is all the fine details that can’t be observed like they can while walking. Utilizing a scooter is sort of a compromised approach to both maximizing your exploration time when you’re on a tight schedule and want to fit it all in, while also having the ability to hop off at a moment’s notice to grab some photos.

Rounding a corner of this charming neighborhood, the strange man from earlier suddenly came into view up ahead. Now I was stalking him. As I gained a better perspective, it became clear that this strange man was being so strange because he was just like me! He was out wandering and exploring the neighborhood. He held a film camera in his hand and was making photos. An immediate sense of shame washed over my body which could only be alleviated by stopping the scooter to say hello.

“I’m Little Egg Boy,” he informed me. He was out making photos. We swapped instagram handles and became digital friends, forever bonded by beautiful images we both made of a dusty old red car parked across the street. Those images have twice made appearances on this here blog (2024 08 17, 2024 06 23) and today, the third time is the charm. Little Egg Boy is an interesting man, not a strange man, and that day he was a nice reminder to me that it’s usually best to keep an open mind and allow yourself to have the mysterious encounters that all too often tend to shut us down and make us afraid.

-Clayton