Sunday, October 22, 2006

cold comfort


i was accosted by two unpleasantly suspicious strangers - demanding explanations -
after taking this picture (i can never resist coloured lights) in the slightly-dismal cambridgeshire town of march.
my companion, sensing my dismay, consoled me.
"never mind", he said. "people here are notoriously paranoid. they see a pedophile in every photographer."
i felt, needless to say, greatly reassured.

Posted by at
Labels:

8 comments:

  1. J.October 22, 2006 at 9:20 PM

    "slightly dismal"? Ever the optimist! A poignant image of the soul of a town.

    ReplyDelete
  2. EdwinekOctober 23, 2006 at 10:43 AM

    Oh, very atmospheric, i like this. Often, the ugly bits of a town are the most photogenic.
    And of course this is obviously a strategic object, so people will ask questions...

    ReplyDelete
  3. ReneeOctober 23, 2006 at 7:32 PM

    I seem more inclined to photograph dismal towns than the well-manicured ones.
    Of course, even the prettiest towns have dirty secrets, and I generally strive to find them and photograph them. Perhaps that's why people are suspicious of photogs like us;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. greyhoundmanOctober 23, 2006 at 11:24 PM

    Barbed wire along the roof?
    That is even worse than where I live. :)
    I've heard some stories about March.

    ReplyDelete
  5. pieterbieOctober 24, 2006 at 1:59 AM

    Great shot.
    Please, don't remind me of people who see harm in photo taking. I've been accused a couple of times of disturbing by taking photos. The joke is that I wasn't even taking picture of those complaining. When on holiday a few years ago this man got really agressive, accusing me of taking photos of his two young daughters, when I was in fact aiming over them to get my kids who where jumping off the diving board. I hadn't even noticed the two small girls playing in the kiddy pool. Shortly after that my twelve year old son got a hide full, some old woman shouted at him because he was taking photos on a playground. Would you believe it: he was 12 years old and taking photos of flowers.
    The world is crazy.

    ReplyDelete
  6. RonOctober 24, 2006 at 7:39 PM

    I'm also drawn to the less manicured places to photograph. Perhaps it is the unpredictability that I crave. And with that there are undoubtedly going to be encounters with people that don't get our motivation. I've had a few unpleasant situations arise out of such places.

    ReplyDelete
  7. MeredithOctober 25, 2006 at 4:43 AM

    Such a wonderful mood you've captured here...sullen merriment all at once. Lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  8. tafferOctober 26, 2006 at 11:05 PM

    Lynn, your images sometimes remind me those of Gene Wilburn. You both are, certainly, true poets of the small reality around us.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)