Paranoia

I was accosted today. Ever so politely, but accosted none the less. "Why are you taking photos in my supermarket?" There followed the explanation about this project; and I was granted permission. It's hard to be unobtrusive with a hulking great black camera/lens and I was not trying to be.

The concept I struggle with is that if I was planning to do something dodgy by photographing why would I be so obvious? Even were I not, one would have to be pretty out of touch with reality to assume that Big Brother was not watching somewhere. Almost any phone now can make pictures that, on the net anyway, appear perfectly ok, and a lot quicker and less likely to be noticed, even by a TV camera.

Our public lives are recorded by many means and to most of them we are totally oblivious. Yet to bring out a camera attracts instant response and suspicion about the intent of the photographer. Why? Is there a deep seated and unrecognised primeval response to the potential for the photograph to steal ones soul; or is it that the media have blown out of all proportion the propensity for personal harm that could come from being photographed (in a public place). I could be a lot more stealthy about it and no-one would be any the wiser. In lugging my big fat camera around my intent is open and honest... "this is what I am doing".

Wouldn't it be nice if we could genuinely trust each other to be acting with integrity and good intent? Imagine the relief to know that you could trust people that much.

Anyway, that bottle of bubbly on Christmas morning is getting that much closer. Hallelujah!