I really enjoyed looking at Charles A. Traub Lunch Time photographs. It incorporates many portrays of a diverse group of people who are all out on the streets, at the very same time for the same purpose. No matter who you are, where you are coming from, or what you are doing after their break, everybody’s on the same mission; the mission to get lunch. Most traditions and costumes that are practiced by one culture, are not universally practiced by others. The basic need to eat food however, is an universal one practiced by every single individual out there.
Even though we are out on the streets in a public space, the photographs authentically capture an intimate moment in time. What adds to this authenticity is that Traub took the photographs while being in dialogue with the individuals. They might be telling him a story of how they ended up there or what they were getting for lunch. Seeing those pictures makes me want to meet those people and get to hear their stories. They are not anonymous faces out on the street anymore. They have dreams, aspirations, and fears just like anybody else. For me the photographs are an invitation to be more aware of our surroundings and to acknowledge the presence of people that we might not know yet.