as seen on the white table top of a diner in the New York borough of Queens. The red of the Heinz ketchup bottle contrasts with the blue of the Gitanes cigarette packet. Salt cellar and other objects give the flavour of a New York diner. The impromptu still life is illuminated by bright sunlight from the west.

Read the article Anecdotes about cigarettes on the day they banned smoking in England.

This is an important photo for me, though it came about by accident. I had just bought my first SLR camera, a Fuji STX 1. The point of the photo was to try out the depth of field. I happened to be in a diner having a coffee with my friend Brett, and I just used the objects in front of me. People remarked that the photo seems to captures something special - American and French but also typically New York.

About the photos

This image is from the portfolio of Aidan O'Rourke photographer writer website publisher. Most images are copyright Aidan O'Rourke and may be available as prints or high resolution files. Some images are by other artists, and are published with their approval, or are included in reviews of their work.

The portfolio contains a wide range of themes and image formats. The images are used to illustrate articles on this site, and to provide information about the subjects depicted.

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Keywords: New York, Queens, United States, cigarettes, French cigarettes