It might be an odd theory -

But hear me out. It seems to be borne out by photographic evidence.

It'll be no surprise to even the least perceptive among us that most folks are walking around in a narcissistic daze, gazing into handheld social-media machines as they navigate the streets.

This makes the life of a candid street photographer very easy. First, because everyone is carrying a phone that doubles as a camera, there's nothing suspicious about someone walking around with a camera they only occasionally use as a phone. Second, because everyone is so involved with their phones, they're not likely to notice what anyone else is doing, anyhow. (Pokemon Go day was especially rich in photograph opportunity.)

Getting close-up candid shots with a wide-angle lens involves standing very close to someone who never notices you're there. And the more I've done it, the more amazed I've been at how easy it is to do.

Still, sometimes people do look back, if only for a second.

I don't usually notice it at the time. These encounters are over in a flash. It might just be a chance saccade that brings the pupils in line with the lens, or maybe they do notice that I'm holding the phone at a slightly odd angle.

It's always a bit of a shock to go through the pictures at the end of the day and find someone looking straight back at me. Like there was a connection there for a moment, and I missed it. And if I hadn't taken the picture, it would have been lost forever.

But for some strange reason I can't explain, it seems that all the people looking back at me are women. And they're all wearing some shade of blue.

I'm not sure if there's a scientific explanation for this. Could the colors we wear impact the amount of attention we pay to the environment? Are people who choose certain colors more perceptive or outwardly focused? Are women more perceptive then men?

What do you think?

Maybe it's just that blue is an especially common color for clothing, what with denim jeans and jackets being a popular thing. After all, there are a wide variety of blues to choose from, from cornflower to sky to navy.

I'm not sure what to make of this phenomenon.

Do you think it deserves further study? Or are you unimpressed?

And how much blue is there in your wardrobe?

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