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I'm not sure whether this will go anywhere as I'm undecided as to which way to take it and if it's even worthwhile, but it's what I've been trying to get to grips with lately. On my wanderings around towns I've been photographing mobility scooters for a few years without any real plan. This seems to be the way most of my projects develop. I was initially struck by their ubiquity but came to realise their importance to their owners and their symbolism of an ageing population.
So far the only thing I have decided on is to use square format shot from a lowish angle. Which means my existing shots are no use to me save as notes. To make shooting square simpler I've chosen to use micro four thirds because it can show a square crop on the screen or viewfinder and the body I'm using has a flippy screen which lets me use it easily at low level. Making a series of photos of mobility scooters would be a bit like what a photographic friend of mine terms 'stamp collecting'. Typologies shot to a consistent framing are OK (although they can be tedious) but I'm to indisciplined for that anyway. That's my excuse for being inconsistent!
As well as the scooters themselves I want to find a way to make photos of the people who use the scooters. I suppose an underlying theme of this idea is how the less mobile can retain their independence. So far I've been taking candid shots. I'm not out to make fun of people, although there are ironies and humour to be seen. I like the way that you can see the determination on people's faces and catch incongruous moments. But, as with photographing the homeless or buskers as 'street photography', it can feel a bit like shooting fish in a barrel and mildly exploitative. My rationalisation is that my pictures are taken to a plan to form a larger body of pictures that makes a sort of social comment. Stopping people and asking to take their portraits would remove those doubts, but also take away the liveliness. A series of posed pictures could easily be as dull as a set of pictures of empty scooters. Overall I'm tending towards the idea of using all three approaches.
I'd welcome thoughts on this.
Here are a few pics to give a flavour of what I've taken so far.
Pubs and betting shops are prime locations to spot parked scooters!
The candid approach can get some unexpected pictures.
The semi-candid approach can be okay.
So far the only thing I have decided on is to use square format shot from a lowish angle. Which means my existing shots are no use to me save as notes. To make shooting square simpler I've chosen to use micro four thirds because it can show a square crop on the screen or viewfinder and the body I'm using has a flippy screen which lets me use it easily at low level. Making a series of photos of mobility scooters would be a bit like what a photographic friend of mine terms 'stamp collecting'. Typologies shot to a consistent framing are OK (although they can be tedious) but I'm to indisciplined for that anyway. That's my excuse for being inconsistent!
As well as the scooters themselves I want to find a way to make photos of the people who use the scooters. I suppose an underlying theme of this idea is how the less mobile can retain their independence. So far I've been taking candid shots. I'm not out to make fun of people, although there are ironies and humour to be seen. I like the way that you can see the determination on people's faces and catch incongruous moments. But, as with photographing the homeless or buskers as 'street photography', it can feel a bit like shooting fish in a barrel and mildly exploitative. My rationalisation is that my pictures are taken to a plan to form a larger body of pictures that makes a sort of social comment. Stopping people and asking to take their portraits would remove those doubts, but also take away the liveliness. A series of posed pictures could easily be as dull as a set of pictures of empty scooters. Overall I'm tending towards the idea of using all three approaches.
I'd welcome thoughts on this.
Here are a few pics to give a flavour of what I've taken so far.
Pubs and betting shops are prime locations to spot parked scooters!
The candid approach can get some unexpected pictures.
The semi-candid approach can be okay.