Thematic Photographic 134 - Strangers

Teatime in...Boca?
Boca Raton, FL, December 2010

It's time to break a long-held photographic rule, the one that says you may not shoot strangers without their permission. Because to do so opens up a whole new layer of interpersonal complexity, with release forms and potentially irate mothers-in-law defining the two edges of the spectrum.

Since I began shooting, I've stayed away from pointing my lens at people I don't know. I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of obtaining permission, of explaining why, of being accused, in this litigious age, of being a stalker.

But something, perhaps a none-too-little dose of mischief, came over me while we were down south. Perhaps it was the total lack of structure, or the fact that I was out with the boys and we were in a grand adventure mood. But as we sat on a bench in the middle of the mall, this scene played out in the store before us. Before I knew it, my shutter finger was twitching.

Whether I should or shouldn't have taken the shot is almost immaterial now...I'm rolling the dice and posting it here because I like the result. My non-guilt notwithstanding, I was pleased to see that service still lives in the world of retail.

Your turn: You know the drill (if you don't, click here.) Shoot a stranger - with a lens, please - and post it to your blog. Drop a comment here, and share the joy with other participants by visiting their entries, too. Repeat. Drag your mother-in-law into the fray, because you know she secretly wants to take pictures of total strangers, too. Have fun with it, as we'll be getting ourselves into trouble with this one for the next week.