Intended to be discreet when taking this photo on Kilburn High Road, but evidently not as discreet as the woman was compelled to be. She seems to be there most days and not for the coffee, though she may have the odd cup. Presuming no street trader’s licence and no real overhead. On the other hand probably not much revenue. She has a few neck chains beside a paper napkin and, if you look like a possible buyer, murmurs - barely audibly - «only five pounds» as you pass.
It raises a question of ethical photography. Not legal, particularly, but ethical. The street for me is far more its people than its shops - though those have charm and character as well. But the people have inherent dignity I don’t want to betray, even in a medium where very few people will see them. Thus the amputee who sits on the pavement outside one of the supermarkets soliciting donations doesn’t seem to me fair game for the photographer’s lens while the man further down the road playing a small accordion does. He too is hoping for donations but could reasonably define himself as an entrepreneur if not an artist. It is a question of the dignity of the subject and the respect of the photographer.