OurManInTangier
An Undesirable
Hi Ruben,
Firstly apologies for only quoting a small section of your post, this is done simply for space.
You suggest that I sound like I was complaining. You're exactly right. In my intitial post I mentioned that I wanted to "vent spleen" which is an idiom for expressing or releasing anger, most often about a situation. Or, if we cut the crap, to complain or moan about something. My post was a complaint about the way that a legitimate situation was handled poorly. As I stated I have no issue with being asked for ID*, quizzed on what it is I am doing, for whom I am doing it and so on. I simply wish for it to be done by a relevant authority i.e. The Police, The Armed Forces or a member of one of the shadier national security services and perhaps done without the immediate assumption of guilt.
* You asked why I didn't show my Press Card. I did, but only to the Police. I refused to give my details to the Street Warden because he has no authority to take down and store my details. This I believe is the crux of my argument.
Again, I realise that different areas and situations call for a different handling. However, this did not occur in Whitehall, outside 10 Downing St or along the high security perimeter to GCHQ's listening post. It happened in a very sleepy market town with no high security buildings, other than perhaps a GAP store (poor joke) so I would have thought that the handling of such could be a little more civil.
Before, and indeed after, I was stopped I had chatted to, shared jokes with and swapped smiles with lots of people who were curious or simply thought "excellent, I can be in the Paper!" before striking a pose infront of the camera. Though these were not the kind of images that were required it shows that the level of 'fear' is not always quite what it is made out to be. I very much doubt that this is just the British "Blitz/Dunkerque" spirit and simply human nature to get on with our daily lifes. Here in the UK we are often bombarded with lurid headlines which do not fully analyse or give a balanced view of a story or situation. This does not helps matters but also shows that despite these headlines, despite the varying potential threats we face, we do push on with our lives. For this I not only have a great respect for 'People' but a love for the ability of humankind to carry on under almost any circumstances, and often in the harshest of circumstances can be found a dignity that is humbling.
I'm terribly 'English' in that I'm appalling at emoting, expressing myself openly to people in public and am extremely private. However photography does ( or rather aims to) do all of these for me and the reasons/statements above are the reason I go out and take photographs of people. My problems lie with those that seek to beat us down and control us with the bleakness that life can hold. Rather than marvel at our natural ability to overcome it with the simple and innate strategy of 'getting on with it.'
I'm beginning, or have been, rambling so I should attempt to get back on track.
You ask "What is the source of my frustration?"
In essence I believe the source of my frustration is the idea that we have allowed ourselves to be corralled into feeling that everything is bad and that it used to be so much better before, when bad things didn't happen. This is fine if you don't lose anything, or fine if the threats are so imminent and dangerous that it is worth losing some freedom to gain the safety. However, freedom was fought for and it should not be given up permanently nor without very good reason.
Do I stop photographing or do what is possible? I do what is possible, as I do now and always have done. I will 'get on with it' just like everybody else and I will continue to photograph people doing just that.
Hopefully this has helped to clear up my initial post.
- I was complaining. Not about being challenged but by the manner and authority of the person doing it.
- That I hope we don't allow ourselves to be confined by fear when history has shown mankind has always overcome its fears by the simple act of living our lifes.
- Finally, that I cannot be stopped from taking photographs because as I have mentioned a) I like photographing people too much and b) as its my way of expressing myself, if I stop I may well swell up into some hideous Hugh Grant like bubble of bumbling extreme Englishness that should be popped immediately for the sanity and, yes, SAFETY of the world
Ruben, thank you for yor thoughts and questions. I often read your posts and threads with great interest and I genuinely hope that I have answered you without meandering too much...something for which I am renowned!
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