Look down. Look different.
London, ON, October 2009
I take pictures like this because I truly enjoy shaking complete strangers out of their collective reverie. To get this shot, I plunked myself right down on the ground and started shooting (if you're a Londoner, I took this in Victoria Park.) People stopped in their tracks as they watched me get closer to my inner squirrel. And I admit I had to try hard to pretend I didn't see them. I did, however, crack a tiny smile as I concentrated on the shot. And on keeping the squirrels away.
Beyond jerking the chains of complete strangers, I also take pictures like this because I've always believed the real story lies not in what everyone's staring at, but in what they're ignoring. When the crowds are ogling the fighter jets in the sky, I'll be shooting the lonely Cessna on the ground. As everyone snaps the handsome crowd posing for a family portrait, I'm hanging back and shooting the photographers. Or the little kid who refuses to take part.
I started this because I didn't much enjoy fighting scads of people only to get the same shot that they were. I wanted to tell my own stories, and in the process throw a little attention toward the subjects that, for whatever reason, never had a chance to shine in the spotlight.
Your turn: Whatever story you're telling, I hope you'll shift your focus a little toward the one who/that would otherwise not be seen or heard. And if you want to let us know who or what that might be in a comment, by all means...
One more thing: I'll post a new Thematic Photographic theme at precisely 7:00 p.m. EDT tomorrow. Next week's theme will be...red. Enjoy!
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