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More like bewildered

Tom dinning

Registrant*
Its not an amazing story but it did leave me wondering why I bother some days.
Christine decides she needs new sheets on the bed. The old ones seem OK but who am I to know?
We head for the closest outlet, which is the only one and I shove my V2 in the purse just in case sheet shopping becomes boring.
Which it does. Very quickly.
Theres a building being constructed next door. Looks like a blokey place to be. Lots of cranes, concrete and sweaty men. On my way to a reasonable vantage point I* notice this from the street.


_DSC0555 by tom.dinning, on Flickr

"Oy! What are you doing?
Im taking a picture, [dumb arse, whats it look like?]
"what for?"
"It looks interesting." [ actually I'm going to send the picture to the North Koreans so they can use it for target practise]
"You can't just take pictures of peoples buildings"
I walk on. He's still following me. He shouts something abusive. I am tempted to return the favour but he looks like a member of a terrorist group [you know, dark and swarthy, middle eastern accent, large knife tucked into his belt] himself so I let it go.

I find a great spot through the fence to get a glimpse of the cranes and shoot off a few.



_DSC0550 by tom.dinning, on Flickr

"Oy! What the **** are you doing?"
Same attitude, different dick head.

Nice day. Must be nice to work on such a big crane.

He eyes me suspiciously. I wait for him to draw his ignorance and tell me i cant do this.
He obliges.
I dont want to get involved in a fruitless conversation so I move to a point where I believe I am not being observed


_DSC0539 by tom.dinning, on Flickr
Christine returns.

"That lady in the shop was going to call the police. She thought you were a pedo"

And you defended me, right

"I told her you did look a bit weird"

Good one.

"Its OK. I told her you were my husband and you do this all the time"

Was she reassured?

"Not in the least. She said you cant be too careful with strange old men lurking in the car park with cameras."


_DSC0588 by tom.dinning, on Flickr


I can't figure out if I'm pissed at being called strange, Christine not defending me effectively, or that the world is full of conspiracy theorists and the rest of us are out to get them.

I just want to be able to take pictures like I used to.
 

Cem_Usakligil

Well-known member
....I can't figure out if I'm pissed at being called strange, Christine not defending me effectively, or that the world is full of conspiracy theorists and the rest of us are out to get them.

I just want to be able to take pictures like I used to.
The world has changed for good my friend. The pandora's box has been opened and there is no way closing it again. I wonder, what will those imbeciles do in a few years when everybody wears a google glass and can take pictures just by looking around inconspicously? Come to think of it, what will our reaction be when we are talking to somebody who wears them? Will we feel unconfortable knowing that they could well be filming us while we speak?
 

Tom dinning

Registrant*
The world has changed for good my friend. The pandora's box has been opened and there is no way closing it again. I wonder, what will those imbeciles do in a few years when everybody wears a google glass and can take pictures just by looking around inconspicously? Come to think of it, what will our reaction be when we are talking to somebody who wears them? Will we feel unconfortable knowing that they could well be filming us while we speak?

These are the moments when I want to go back 50 years, have my Rollie in my hot little hand and people interested and encouraging in my pursuit of the perfect photo. In the process of me losing my innocence so did the rest of the world. I am no longer in search of the perfect shot and even if I was someone would be out there thinking I was planning an air attack or considering kidnapping their brat child.
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Tom,

These are the moments when I want to go back 50 years, have my Rollie in my hot little hand and people interested and encouraging in my pursuit of the perfect photo. In the process of me losing my innocence so did the rest of the world. I am no longer in search of the perfect shot and even if I was someone would be out there thinking I was planning an air attack or considering kidnapping their brat child.

An interesting, disturbing, and I'm afraid not really surprising story.

And some really wonderful shots.

Best regards,

Doug
 

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
You have competition: ‘Creepy Cameraman’ pushes limits of public surveillance — a glimpse of the future?

People have come to accept surveillance cameras as a part of everyday life. But what happens when someone is carrying the surveillance camera instead?
That’s the question raised by a series of online videos in which an unidentified man takes a camera around Seattle and other parts of Washington state, walking up to people and recording them for no apparent reason other than to make a point: How is what he’s doing different than those stationary surveillance cameras tucked away in buildings and public places?
 

nicolas claris

OPF Co-founder/Administrator
You have competition: ‘Creepy Cameraman’ pushes limits of public surveillance — a glimpse of the future?

That’s the question raised by a series of online videos in which an unidentified man takes a camera around Seattle and other parts of Washington state, walking up to people and recording them for no apparent reason other than to make a point: How is what he’s doing different than those stationary surveillance cameras tucked away in buildings and public places?

Ah!
Good and valid point… well known for long time since "L'arroseur arrosé" !
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Actually, the more pictures the better. Protects democracy. Dilutes mediocrity by challenging artists to look beyond what's obvious.

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
A "Blokey" Place!

......
Theres a building being constructed next door. Looks like a blokey place to be. Lots of cranes, concrete and sweaty men. On my way to a reasonable vantage point I* notice this from the street.



_DSC0555 by tom.dinning, on Flickr​


Excellent story. The narrative helps. This is an example of great color! Absolutely wonderful.

Asher
 

Michael Nagel

Well-known member
I like this series!

I also observed the change in attitude.

I think that the change started with the widespread use of digital photography and the rise of the WWW.
A not so nice snapshot of you in the times of film did not have the same consequences like now.

In the old film times this snapshot ended up in a private collection - a publication out of reach for anyone except press.

Nowadays everybody can publish any of his photos on the WWW and reach a larger public.
So the risk of being seen is there now.

The surveillance is something that became more and more important during the last decade.

Best regards,
Michael
 

Martin Stephens

New member
The crane through the barbed wire is really nice. The choice to open up on the wire is perfect. Nothing says "get outta here" like barbed wire!
 
Its not an amazing story but it did leave me wondering why I bother some days.
Christine decides she needs new sheets on the bed. The old ones seem OK but who am I to know?
We head for the closest outlet, which is the only one and I shove my V2 in the purse just in case sheet shopping becomes boring.
Which it does. Very quickly.
Theres a building being constructed next door. Looks like a blokey place to be. Lots of cranes, concrete and sweaty men. On my way to a reasonable vantage point I* notice this from the street.


_DSC0555 by tom.dinning, on Flickr

"Oy! What are you doing?
Im taking a picture, [dumb arse, whats it look like?]
"what for?"
"It looks interesting." [ actually I'm going to send the picture to the North Koreans so they can use it for target practise]
"You can't just take pictures of peoples buildings"
I walk on. He's still following me. He shouts something abusive. I am tempted to return the favour but he looks like a member of a terrorist group [you know, dark and swarthy, middle eastern accent, large knife tucked into his belt] himself so I let it go.

I find a great spot through the fence to get a glimpse of the cranes and shoot off a few.



_DSC0550 by tom.dinning, on Flickr

"Oy! What the **** are you doing?"
Same attitude, different dick head.

Nice day. Must be nice to work on such a big crane.

He eyes me suspiciously. I wait for him to draw his ignorance and tell me i cant do this.
He obliges.
I dont want to get involved in a fruitless conversation so I move to a point where I believe I am not being observed


_DSC0539 by tom.dinning, on Flickr
Christine returns.

"That lady in the shop was going to call the police. She thought you were a pedo"

And you defended me, right

"I told her you did look a bit weird"

Good one.

"Its OK. I told her you were my husband and you do this all the time"

Was she reassured?

"Not in the least. She said you cant be too careful with strange old men lurking in the car park with cameras."


_DSC0588 by tom.dinning, on Flickr


I can't figure out if I'm pissed at being called strange, Christine not defending me effectively, or that the world is full of conspiracy theorists and the rest of us are out to get them.

I just want to be able to take pictures like I used to.

Keep playing "among them" with them and "alone" when environment has to be sealed… that's my advice! …but I guess you already know this, thanks for the post Tom!
 
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