Images and Worlds
Things are not always what they seem. The same is true of people. Some are reliable, trustworthy. Others are less than the sum of their parts, two-dimensional.
Flirting is an art. A glance, a gesture, a smile. The arrow to your libido that makes you sit up and take notice. Some people flirt as if born to it.
Some are just not there at all.
Not everything is always as it appears. Take faces. Sometimes they can be harder to read than masks. In such circumstances a mask becomes superfluous. Except as decoration. The great thing about a plain mask is that you can reflect on to them exactly what you want.
A bit like some people.
Life’s a journey, or so they say. Thing is, unless you know the way it can be a journey fraught with pitfalls. Signs are useful things. They tell you where to go and where you have come from. Some people need that more than others.
Nice tattoo.
On reflection, I like reflections. I am intrigued by the inversion of people, scenes, thoughts and ideas that result from being glimpsed in a shiny surface. There is an inevitability to it. Once caught by a mirror, you are in the frame. Reflective surfaces are all around us - and above.
I can see you…
Words can be a two-edged sword. They can enlighten, illuminate, caress and cajole. They can build worlds and express devotion. They can also wound, eviscerate, demolish and destroy, bringing the mighty to their knees. It is a gift to be articulate and a crime to mumble.
Sometimes words fail me.
Some people go through life making everything look easy. Take this chap. A slippery step, a moving boat, leather shoes, an overcoat and briefcase… A leap con brio if ever there was one.
He made it. Didn’t even look back. That’s the Italian Navy for you; they may be small, but they are always stylish…
Cricket. Sport, pastime and national backbone. Where else in the world can you stroll out of your front door with a nice cuppa and plant yourself on a municipal bench to watch flannelled fools? None of that 20/20 nonsense here.
English Summer - you can’t beat it.
Is she taking a photo of a photo? Does she make it her photo by doing so, or is she just a photocopier? If I take her photo taking a photo of a photo, is she part of my photo or just performance art?
Answers on a postcard, please.
The English do Summer quite well. Its probably because it is such a fleeting and capricious visitor to our shores. Pastimes that have been forgotten elsewhere are dusted off and given their moment in the Sun once more. It’s a time to be in the countryside; city dwellers just don’t get it.
You can tell a lot about people by their feet. Both by the shoes they care to wear and how they stand, sit and generally arrange themselves. There are happy feet, sad feet, sexy feet, flat feet…
…and regimented feet. There is something innately claustrophobic about Summer in the City - you can see it in the feet.
Months ago, I had the idea for a book for charity, showcasing the work of Leica photographers Worldwide. The Leica User Forum Charity Book 2010 is the result, with over 140 exceptional images from all around the World. This book has already raised over £7500 for charity - each copy sold adds to that total. The beneficiary is the Association for International Cancer Research (AICR).
Please buy a copy by following the link above.
Some things are so big that the mind struggles to comprehend them. Superlatives become inadequate and hyperlatives just haven’t been invented yet. Big boats fall into this category. They move the way mountains don’t; slowly, imperceptibly, yet if you take your eye off them they have definitely made progress.
Nice sunset too.
There is something reassuring about a bicycle with a basket on the front. Solid, trustworthy, dependable. People who ride bikes with baskets do not wear lycra in public. They go to church on Sunday - probably to read the sermon. They bake things. They don’t work in modern buildings.
Do they?
The world used to be a much simpler place. Before kiosks, before cafes, before Starbucks. If you wanted refreshment you could get a drink for free without being asked to choose between more options than a parliamentary candidate in a marginal seat and paying the Earth for the privilege.
Water, a tin cup - what more do you want?
