Some words of explanation: I made my snapshots 2 seconds after the deadline, so I simply forgot to write captions. It was a lovely misty morning at 6 AM and I showed my backyard, the closest wind energy station and my sauna building, which is OK when wooden!! It would have been too intrinsic exercise to show my mental world, mixed up with the mess of things, things and things. So be that 'outrinsic' world to demonstrate, what a nice place is it! Tongue and some coffee in my cheek, Peeter > ------------Original Message------------ > From: Chris <christopher@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > To: "List for Photo/Imaging Educators - Professionals - Students" <photoforum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > Date: Sun, Aug-24-2008 11:44 PM > Subject: RE: PhotoForum "Where we Live" collection available > > Hello Gang! > > A lovely collection of snapshots: Not all of us live in beautiful > mansions > but some of us do. Many of the homes portrayed were made of wood which > seems > to me an unsuitable material as I live in a country where nearly all > homes > are brick or stone. > > Many of the photographs are taken in what we call "the country" meaning > not > built up. I grew up in and have always lived in an urban landscape > moving > from the slums of South Wimbledon and Balham to the suburban paradise > of > Merton Park. The area is altogether 8 miles square to encompass the > lot. > > Looking at #10028 it made me think that there are 10029 homes as > beautiful > as that and how rich Americans are in general. Do all Americans live > like > that? The images in Bob Sull's work tell me no there are humble abodes > for > Americans too. That most American homes are of wood tells me something > about > relative wealth. Wood is cheaper in the US than brick so more homes are > built of wood but here wood is a scarce commodity or would be if homes > were > made of it but legislation dating from the Great Fire of London in 1666 > is > the reason for our use of bricks, wood burns too easily. > > I saw in one snap the tell tale sign of fire in the woods that > surrounded > one home and it must be constant vigilance that prevents homes going up > in > smoke. > > I saw that I was not the only person visited by tragedy or personal > disasters and that at least one person's consolation was her cats. By > the > way she was cruel to them by having them spayed. I have got through > several > friends some "borrowed" from another person with the misery that causes > and > so I do have a family one or two I still know and can talk too but all > brought up by others. I thought this was in their best interests. And > families grow up and flee the nest, never to be seen again. My adopted > daughter did that and I do not know what happened to her. I understand > she > is in trouble with a terrorist charge against her as a Moslem who > wanted > revenge for her father's death at the hands of a Christian Serb > policeman. > > I did notice that many of the snaps were of people living out in the > sticks; > there must be inner city snappers around too. > > I think I know the problem, if I took pictures in some city streets I > would > be mugged and beaten. You need passports to go into some part of > London. > Soho is out of bounds after 5:30 pm and Brixton is always out of > bounds, if > you venture there you get charged by the street gang "duke" to be in > their > street and it is strictly "no photography" or your camera and film get > smashed. > > I suppose the rich people in the forest dwellings might enquire of the > motive of the photographer if he was not from "these parts" and the > village > "duke" could get violent if the wrong snapshots were taken. > > In Britain now photography is getting very difficult because of the > privacy > and copyright laws. No Telephoto lenses and images with recognisable > people > are allowed. So Street photography has become almost impossible now > even if > there are no people in the frame and images that have peoples home > imaged > could be a breach of the peace so images of peoples homes are outlawed, > similarly for images of businesses and works. It is OK to take you own > property and family but not your own children as a porn merchant might > get > hold of them. > > > I think the concept was good and there are tonnes of images I could get > round my area, of shopping centres and churches and works, bus stations > and > railway stations and things. > > All are different from yours and they make suitable photographic > material > for "where I live". > > I think we could do this again sometime and my contributions to the > gallery > will reflect this new revelation (that we don't all live in an urban > hell). > > I think America will go the same as Europe soon and we shall loose > another > Paradise. I wonder what Pittsburgh and Boston are like? > > > > >
