Taking images again!
I was asked yesturday if l was still taking images out on the street? I have just started this project up again and intend to start to put it on the web! that's a challenge in it's self. How to make my own web site?! Any advice out there? My tutors at art college think the project is finished...l don't agree.
The images into days blog, are from the first series and show just how red stands out in your images. These images were not cropped or altered in Photoshop.
I know a lot of people l talk to think that what l am doing is scarry and are worried l might be attacked. I know there is a chance of that but the two occasions that it has started to happen, l have calmed them down. (In fact had them discussing my project). I know there may be a time when talking isn't enough..but you can't live and work in fear all the time! Deal with it when it happens. And as l lived in places such as Papua New Guinea, l think (!) l am pretty street wise and aware of putting my self in deliberate danger.
Work is calling. Have a good day and talk to you later.
Oh! Happy Pancake Day.

There is no particular reason for this next selection of images except...l like them.They were all taken on Putney High Street. The lady with the head scarf was one of the first images l took on 31st January 2005. The guy with the glasses l often see and he appears quite a few times in my images. His image was taken on 22nd March 2005. Lastly, the lady with the wonderful hat was caught on camera on 2nd Febuary 2005.Actually just after l took that image l was approached by a man in his 60's,well dressed and English. Very seriously he asked me " Was l taking pictures for the Arabs, was l a terrorist... if not l must be spy as l was always hanging around with a camera and did the police know about me?" I tried to explain what l was doing but he just laughted and said, "As if you'd tell me the truth anyway!". And went on his merry way. The joys of being a photographer on the streets! I love it.

As l was saying, before l had to stop for the phone! People's reactions to the camera are weird. You can see from some of the images that the person has realised they are being caught on camera and smile at me. I wonder what is going on their heads? Actually the people in the above images all spoke to me and seemed quite happy with the idea of my project. They didn't like the idea of CCTV cameras. Funny really when you think all the difference between us is they can see and speak to me! Would that make a big diffence to you? That is if anyone is reading this??????
I suppose that brings me to the question..Why am l writing this if l don't know if anyone is reading it? I started this Blog to try and sort my mind out about this project. An electronic work book or journal l suppose. Most artists use a sketch book or /and write their ideas down. Being dyslexic l find writing by hand difficult and very tiring. The computor fits the bill! Also l think l would like some feed back from people other than my tutors!!! being a mature student can be quite tiring, especially if you are strong minded like me!!!!!
Well it is after midnight and am busy tomorrow..Goodnight world.

The guy in the blue shirt thought it was fun to stand in front of my camera and annoy me. He kept smiling and laughing with his companion. What he didn't realise was l wasn't annoyed. This just added to my project. I wonder if he does this in front of CCTV cameras? I doubht, as he can't see the face behind the camera, he properbly doesn't think about them!

It is also amazed me how many people stand right in front of the tripod and then start a conversation on their mobiles. Inevitably as soon as they have finished we say, "Oh! sorry didn't see you there" and smile! Weird.

Don't you just love Gaudi and Barcelona? Wow! what colours.

Happy Saturday!
As you can see from these three images, some people just can't wait to get into the frame! I can honestly say l don't know any of these people. I wonder how they would feel knowing that their faces were on the internet? They weren' bothered by my camera or the thought of CCTV cameras...so maybe the thought of being on the net doesn't worry them either?!
And on that note, l will wish you all a goodnight. I have spent the day visiting Galleries in Bethnal Green and central london and l am shattered. Talk more tomorrow!

Hi again,
Been busy for the last couple of days. I'm an Outreach Art and Crafts Tutor, and we have college inspection coming up...SO much paper work! What with that and college...no peace for the wicked...or so they say!
I love images were you only see a section of the face. Makes me wonder if they were just checking me out, accidently showing me their face or just playing with me? What do you as the viewer (if anyone is actually reading this Blog!!!) think. Would love some feed back on these images.
The entry for my daily Log on Febuary 15th 2005 deals with Trafalgar Square and The London Eye area. Thought l test out tourist areas today to see if people act any differently from Putney.
The first thing that happened was l was approached by a man who couldn't understand why l was taking pictures of people. "When you come to the Square you are meant to take pictures of pigeons!!!" I explain what l was doing and his reply was..." You are very weird, people come to Trafalgar Square to take pictures of pigeons, you really are very weird" and went off muttering to himself. Takes all sorts.
The Square is quite difficult to take pictures in because people move out of your way. The reason being they think l am there to take images of tourist things like the lions or the fountains. Boring!.
From the Square l ventured towards The London Eye. As soon as l started taking photographs with my camera on a tripod, two burley security guards approached me and "No photographs" was shouted at me. There was no reasoning with them, so l moved!The area that the wheel is built on is called The Queen's walk and there is a Private Land Rule covering the use of tripods in this area. Weird or what. I suppose they don't want people selling images of the wheel, so they loose money.
Back soon. Paper work is calling.

As you can see from these pictures, there are many ways to avoid having your picture taken other than moving away!
I was very surprised to find how many people just stood their ground and stared right back at me or just turned away. Very few people moved or totally ignored me. There l am, stand in the street, camera on a tripod and you would never guess the number of times people stood right in front of it and then sayed "Sorrry. Didn't see you"!
At one point l decided perhaps l blended into the background too much and so people were not noticing me or the tripod. SOO...dressed in bright yellow coat, bright orange and red scarf, pink boots...the lot! Did it make any difference...NO!
Over the first few weeks l went out almost every day for at least 3 hours. Wind, rain and cold...why did l begin this project in January? Dumb!!!
People did start to approach me and ask what l was doing. Most people thought it was an interesting idea. I had the usual drunks or weirdos that wanted to know if l was a spy, was l planning to launch weapons of mass destrution, was l planning to lauch a rocket into space and so on. Several people, normally elderly, asked if l was doing a "Bus survey" as the traffic in the high street was so bad? Fun times were had by all.

Changing the subject for a second. It has been pointed out to me that l have spelt "Whitewhitch" wrongly. Well... yes l have but it is a family joke about my spelling and l am also dyslexic. It was only after the name had been excepted that my husband pointed out the spelling mistake. I lke it because like me..its a little different and very quirky!

These are a few of the pictures l took on the first day...January 31st 2005. People tended to ignore me. As you can see one of the ladies laughingly stuck her tonuge out at me. I had lots of comments from school children about what l was doing but tended to shout questions at each but not at me. typical kids. I stayed around for about 3 hours, was not warm.

You may be wondering why it has taken me over a year to write about this..WELL!... This was or still is,an on going project.I am in the 5th year of a part-time BA(Hons)Art and Design degree at Wimbledon School of Art and this is one of my projects. The degree show is a few months away and it's rather scary. I have presented the work as images on a wall,(actually several walls!), turned some of the images into a book and now l am trying to design a website! Must admit l am not having much luck with the website, machines and l do not understand each other! Perhaps it's an age thing!
Stopping for a while to prepare supper. Thats another story..am on a Slimming World Club diet to raise money for our degree show. So have to really make sure l follow the rules...so supper takes a little longer to prepare these days! Bye.

Hi!
How do you feel about CCTV cameras?
Did you know the average Londoner is caught on camera at least 300 times a day?















There are CCTv camera's on public transport, shops, supermarkets, high streets, hospitals, private and public offices, cathedrals, restaurants, garages, bus, train and airport terminals, schools and colleges, hospitals and many other private and public places.
This got me thinking about privacy in public places and how the public deal with this. Who are the people watching the cameras watching us? Have programmes like Big Brother and other reality shows on television made watchers of all of us? Perhaps you don't like being watched but can't be bothered to do anything about it? Anyway..who do you complain to and would it do you any good ? These are just a few of the excuses l have heard.
These sort of questions and lots more interested me, on a social level but also they got my artist juices flowing. How would people react if they could see the person taking the pictures of them? Would they be terribly British and not say anytrhing or may be they would just refuse to look at the camera? Would they get angry and /or violent or may be call the police?
And my project began to take form.
Armed with my digital camera on a tripod, l set up position 3ft or so from a busy bus stop on Putney High Street and waited for someone to look at me and my camera! I decided to only take photographs of people who looked straight at me and l stayed in the same place for upto 3hours at a time. The reason for this was to give people time to talk to me, if they wanted to.
Then l waited........................................................................!