discussing aesthetic myopia and being blinded by values

Life is Wonderful 0039
Originally uploaded by lorenzodom

discussing aesthetic myopia and being blinded by values

i was asked by a viewer of this set of fotos and i have been asked many times before as to whether or not people react adversely to me taking their picture. may answer was "no, not really," for the following reasons:

firstly, i am very casual about taking the fotos, both in terms of how i hold the camera, so i am quite inconspicuous; and in terms of my attitude as well. and so, since i take fotos for aesthetic purposes primarily, i don't pay too much attention to other's jibes and jeers and accusations.

also, as i have commented before people in this city are too in a hurry or preoccupied to pay much attention to "another tourist taking fotos."

as to the debate on the ludicrous notion that this is "stalking," i would like to say that there is seemingly quite a hurdle to leap over when it comes to taking fotos of female strangers, especially if you are a man.

unfortunately, many people see it first and foremost as "stalking" when it is nothing of the sort. those same people never ever make such comments on similar photos of males. moreover, stalking has malicious or amorous intentions, taking fotos for art's sake is "purely" aesthetic.

moreover, i leave the person after the fotos are taken, most likely never to see them again. i really don’t care who they are, and i am not interested in the lewd and rather crude practice of using hidden cameras to take lascivious fotos of women’s anatomy.

granted, there is a bias. admittedly, i do take many more fotos of women, but there is good, if not great reason.

putting the whole heterosexual male driven crazy by testosterone argument aside for a moment...women in this great metropolis have better form (i.e. shapelier), are usually is better shape (more fit) than men and thus look better (are more pleasant to look at), dress much-much better (the reasons here blossom because there is more variety, colors, texture and form), they move differently (sway as opposed to swagger) and, if only to emphasize, tend to have more color, both in terms of dress, make-up, hair, shoes, accessories, etc.

and as to the aesthetics and context that many people miss because the only see the girl...most others often just see "the girl" (or imagine the guy behind the girl "stalking" her). they rarely appreciate the context of the foto as well. for example, i was particularly happy to have captured the ogling from the guy in the white tee.

moreover, people rarely comment on the ensembles of these women. in the photo above, it was the combination of blonde, red and blue, that caught my eye mostly. and quite frankly, this is the primary reason i follow these colorful people around in the first place. they provide such a wodnerful contrast to their stark and grimy surroundings, and yet they often go unnoticed...or, as per leering man above, do they?

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for a running commentary on this set of fotos and taking fotos of strangers in general click here