Iowa Photo: Three views in one

“There wasn’t much visual activity when I got to City Square Park. Luckily, I saw Russell Barbary, with Galaxy Cleaning Services, cleaning the windows to the now enclosed depot as last minute touches were still being done for the opening of the Central Plaza project,” says Jim Slosiarek, visuals editor at The Gazette.

“I tried to make some photos of Russell on the same side of the window just to the side of his lift. He was doing a great job but the photos weren’t visually exciting. I decided to walk to the other side of the building. I peeked into one of the windows. I saw the pattern of rectangular windows framing Russell and the buildings along Seventh Avenue, as well as some of the plaza’s features in the background.

“I quickly popped off the lens hood so I could put the front element against the window glass, eliminating any reflections. I had to angle the lens up and away from the window to get the composition I wanted. That’s when I noticed the reflection of the clock tower and the Marion Public Library on the lower right of the frame. The problem was that Russell had disappeared,” Slosiarek says.

“I cupped my left hand over the lens to make Russell reappear in the frame. I just waited for him to work his way to where he was framed in the window. I knew I had my photo when he raised his hand to wipe the glass.”