what kind of freak gets up at 7:30am on a sunday morning and starts doing major housework just to stop dreaming the stressful, narrative dreams they were dreaming? yup, that’d be the me kind of freak. seriously, though, my dreams saturday night were just way too anxious. on the surface it was just a bunch of people i knew living in a house together, but the undercurrents between the collection of people tied my stomach into a big ol’ knot. that would probably explain why i didn’t eat anything until well after noon and spent a lot of the morning convinced i had cancer because i felt so out of sorts and wobbly.
just remember, boys and girls, low blood sugar is bad.
last night’s dream was just as narrative and vibrant, but much less anxiety-driven. in it, i went for an overnight visit with Julie which is kind of weird because i’ve never met her before. i finally saw her house and met Leeloo. then , and this is where it gets strange and dream-like, she was showing me photos of a Ray Charles concert she’d photographed; but, instead of just looking at the photos, it’s as if we were suddenly backstage at the concert and i got to watch her take all of the photos (and meet one of Ray’s backup singers who was being very sweet to me).
later, while i was concerned that i hadn’t packed any clean underwear, i told Julie that i’d noticed that her hair serves as a signal. when it was all flippy, she was inviting interaction and was very outgoing. when it was smoother and rounder, she was feeling calmer and more introspective. that’s pretty much when the scary, loud, ufo-like noise (which was probably just a street-cleaner, now that i think about it) woke me up.
the dream wasn’t hugely symbolic, but it did explore something i’ve been thinking about lately. i’ve been looking at Heather, Derek, Matt, Julie, Davin and Jim’s photos lately and wishing i could watch them work. i want to follow them through their day and see how they react when they find a photo to make. do they carry their cameras everywhere? do they keep them around their necks, just waiting for something to happen or do they note something and then go back to capture it? do they have a proper camera bag? what about angles? do they get right down on their bellies on the street during rush hour to get that perfect perspective? do their tires squeal as they slam on the brakes to stop the car and get the shot? (and, more technically, do they ask every person they photograph for their permission and/or to sign a release?)
i guess i’m not quite ready for photograhy prime-time yet. i’m still quite self-conscious when i take my camera out in public. i can see people thinking “uh, why is she taking a picture of that [insert normally non-photographed item here]?” and i either rush through or abandon the process. i recognize that’s just my glitch and if i’m going to be serious about it, i need to get over that PDQ.
I used to think it would be cool to have wild whacked out dreams every night, till one night I had this constant barrage of bizarro dreams. I woke up thinking it might not be such a bad thing to sleep soundly through the night.
I hear those big horse pill herbal supplement pills are bad for causing crazy dreams.
Funny, though, I always get the cops called on me when I’m out taking photos in public.
“So what are you doing, we had a report of a suspicious acting person around here?”
“Just taking some pictures officer.”
“Of what?”
“Well, this broken up toilet by the dumpster… I um.. thought it was an insteresting image in this light….”
Cop blinks. “Well, you’re on private property. Do you have ID?”
.. and so on.. the cop eventually deciding that I am NOT some deranged terrorist that has designs to blow up America’s discarded toilets.
Yeah I was wondering if any of you fotogrofnix ever got stopped and interrogated for your trouble. It’s bad enough we’re entering a sinister Orwellian “future” at the moment without being harrassed for enjoying what few liberties we have left doin something harmless, recreational, and fun. Think about this Bruce. You’re likely now on some flagged watchlist. Even though they let ya go, you were checked up on and that’s all it takes.. so now… go buy some film, check out a book about nuclear weapons from the library, order a copy of the Koran off Amazon, and subscribe to guns and ammo over your home phone all in the same day. Then set your stopwatch and let us know (if you can) just how many minutes go by before your door blows in.
I’m pretty sure I have a file. I’m at least as dangerous as Cat Stevens.
i think you’re just paranoid…lol, usually it’s not such an issue of people walking around with cameras snapping shots.
second thought, you can always say it’s for a school project!
haha! that’s one hilarious dream you had! and hopefully one day we will meet. :)
to answer your questions:
-i take my camera almost everywhere, esp now that i have a digital. (i won’t take it with me if i know i can’t leave it in a safe place if needed, like at a party or a nightclub.)
-if the setting is right, i have my camera out the whole time. when sandra and i went to galey farm, we took a whack of pictures. sometimes i have it with me and never take it out of my camera bag.
-sometimes i see something and vow to go back when i have more time. sometimes i am too late and i hate that.
-oh yes, i definetely have a proper camera bag. actually, i have three. i have a lowepro one that is like a backpack (with one strap, over one shoulder and then under the other arm) – it’s PERFECT and i would highly recommend it.
-i’m always trying new angles for shots, you never know what’s going to look interesting/cool/neat/etc.
-yes, i get down on the street in rush hour sometimes, so to speak.
-yes, there have been many squealing tires.
-depending on what i am doing, i will ask for permission first to take a photo of a person. or sometimes i will take the photo and then ask them if it’s okay for me to use it. legally, you need a model release if you want to make any money off it or show/use it professionally.
you are SOOO ready for photography prime time baby! if you feel self-conscious taking your camera out in public, then just promise yourself to do it once next time you are out. and then next time, twice. work up your confidence. i’m still pretty shy about taking photos of strangers – i need to work on that. i don’t know how some people do it. also, don’t worry about what other people are thinking. they are just curious, and usually not the type who notice the beauty in the mundane, like you do.
for the record, i totally dig your photos.
Galey farm on the island??? Oi.. I know those guys well. Fought a tractor-trailer into that outfit I dunno how many times. Rob is a character :p
oh, and for the record, I get tourists taking my picture alot in the ferry lineups. yes yes, they dont have big shiny conventional 379 pete’s on their side of the ocean, but it still annoys the crap outta me. take a pic of my truck. I’ll even let u hop in while ur gf takes pics of u sittin behind the wheel tryin to look trucky. but leave me outta ur family/vacation photo album. grr…..
You didn’t ask me, but yes, I take my camera everywhere. Or at least, I take a camera (sometimes it’s just my cell phone camera, but often I do cary my digital SLR anywhere and everywhere). Yep, I keep it around my neck a lot of the time (or over a shoulder), but I tuck it into a backpack if I’m in a sketchy neighborhood or the weather is crappy. Yes, I have a camera backpack, but that’s not what I carry around most of the time. Yes, I get on my belly, or my knees, or stand on things to get the shot. Yes, I sometimes slam on the breaks (or shoot out the car window while driving), and yes, sometimes other people have had to slam on the breaks not to hit me. No, I do not (often) ask permission to photograph people; it’s perfectly legal to photograph people in public places where there is no expectation of privacy without asking. Anyhow, the best thing I ever did as a photographer was to start carrying a camera everywhere and shooting photos every day.