West Boylston, Massachusetts High School Car Wash 5-12-2007Funny story about this picture -- I had on loan a new Canon Rebel XTi and was shooting just about everything that came before me. I had fitted it with my favorite lens -- the Canon EF-s 10-22mm. On my way to spend the afternoon at the Judy Ann Goldman Fine Art gallery in Boston (where I have work hanging in the show "(in)Habitations") I noted there was a car wash fund raiser happening at the West Boylston High School. My truck was really dirty, and since I know a few of the kids, I turned in for a wash. As soon as the water hit the truck, I grabbed the camera and started blindly shooting holding the camera at arm's length up against the glass. I didn't pay much attention to the images until this past week when my next door neighbor, whose daughter was one of the washers, told the story about how several of the girls reported to the supervising parents that some "ol' man" was taking pictures of them. I had noted the commotion and people moving away from the truck, but then the neighbor's daughter stepped forward and told everyone: "Oh, that's just Frank, he's a photographer." All is well, the truck got washed, here's one of the images.
5 comments:
"one of the girls reported to the supervising parents that some ol' man was taking pictures of them..."
a good piece of writing that brightened my day!
Ross
Frank, it is funny but sad. It wasn't that long ago that the kids wouldn't have suspected that you were doing anything but taking pictures.
bille, I was going to say the same thing :( Years ago they didn't have to suspect anything, now one has to be careful of whatever they do so as it's not misconstrued, like what happened with Frank. A sad thing has happened to our world, long gone are those days of innocence. Kids can't even enjoy growing up any more!
I'm surprised to hear that one of the girls complained to a supervisor (well, now that I think about it, maybe I'm not). When I go to these cheerleader car washes, I always get out and start shooting like crazy. Haven't had a problem, yet.
Andy Frazer
We live in less innocent times. Probably good for the kids to be more aware and less trusting of strangers, and probably not so good for an ol' street photographer. I wonder what the reaction would have been had I been a woman, or a much younger man? One thing I can tell you, I'm staying inside my truck. FWIW I have never gotten a good washing at one of these events. It is not money well spent.
Pitchertaker
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