Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/07/01
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The irony of this occuring at, or outside of, a Michelle Shocked concert, is indeed rich. Why couldn't the disgruntled father have approached you? When did we stop communicating with each other, and start looking to a higher authority to take care of things? Keep On, Patrick - --- George Lottermoser <imagist@concentric.net> wrote: > Yesterday I took the afternoon off to see and hear > Michelle Shocked perform at 5:30pm at Summerfest in > Milwaukee, free admission between 1 and 3. While > waiting for the concert to start, my Leicas tried to > find photographs in the fountain where children > played - the sun beginning to set behind them - > backlit water - children laughing - lovely to a > fault - how to avoid the clichés? > > ³ except, in the case of dystopias, in the relative > and ordinarily tragic sense of life in some > extremely unfortunate place. In the mirrors of our > darkest fears, much will be revealed. But don't > mistake those mirrors for road maps to the future, > or even to the present. We've missed the train to > Oceania, and live today with stranger problems.² _ > William Gibson > > Joe Olla, supervisor, thatıs what the I.D. hanging > from his neck read, and on his red polo shirt the > white letters read Summerfest Security. He said to > me, "Could you step over here?" I did. And I asked > him, "Whatıs the problem?" He said, "Thereıs been > complaints about you." I feel stunned. Complaints > about what? Iım photographing children playing in > the fountain near the front entrance gate of the > Milwaukee Summerfest grounds. Joe and at various > times 1 to 4 other security personnel, all young, > big and brawny "detain" me for over an hour because > some dad said that I photographed his son. > The security personnel would not allow me to speak > with my loving partner, Ann, nor her with me. Their > attitude and demeanor brought her to tears. > Ultimately these security men said that I could not > remain on the grounds with my cameras, even though > no such rule is posted publicly nor printed in their > brochure. Eventually the security personnel brought > a Milwaukee County Police officer into the > situation; and she informed the complaining dad as > well as the security folks that I broke no law; that > I have the right to photograph in this public place. > However the security people continued to impress > their authority upon me, stating that, "you cannot > be on the grounds with your cameras." > These same security folks again would not allow me > to find or communicate with Ann before escorting me > outside the gate, where I waited for her to pass by, > as she waited in the first row, saving my seat, at > the Michelle Shocked concert. > After about an hour waiting for Ann outside the > gate a pair of security fellows told me that I would > have to leave the sidewalk or be arrested for > loitering. They said that anyone whoıs in a place > for over an hour is either planning on robbing the > place or hurting someone. I asked one of them if > they could escort me into the Michelle Shocked > concert where I could communicate with Ann and put > an end to this entire fiasco. He said, "No, I canıt > do that." > I continued my waiting and contemplated my > potential loitering arrest and watched my fellow > human beings being patted down, having their day > packs searched, and being told that they canıt take > water onto the grounds thatıs right no water. They > want you inside with nothing but your money > preferably hungry and dehydrated. I experienced very > clear visions and feelings of all those whoıve > experienced discrimination, false accusations and > humiliation at the hands of authority figures. I > watched the hundreds and thousands of Jews climbing > onto the cattle cars "for their own protection." I > saw the Japanese Americans walking through the gates > of their internment camps. I thought about the young > Iraqi students currently being arrested for yelling > things to their American occupiers and about the > Iraqi elections which are not being recognized > because the occupiers donıt like the results. > I wondered where on this earth I could run to, > where I may find some children playing in water in > the heat of summer time, back lit by afternoonıs > setting sun a place where I might create a joyful > photograph of that simple pleasure which would bring > a smile to every viewer and allow them to remember > those times in their own lives when water and sun > and time were free to enjoy. > No longer will we see images of these spontaneous > activities in their reality where a group of > children composed of all skin shades and ethnicity, > rich and poor, play together in reality. Weıll have > to rely on the stock subject photographers, who will > rent the fountain, pay the kids parents and give you > that bland crap that appears in every stock shop > catalog; plastic overworked smiles, too perfect > lighting, costumes courtesy of the gap in over > saturated color. > At some point in this 3-hour ordeal I thought, > "Itıs time to sell all the gear. Documentary > Photography has died when you have to rent the > cypress tree, and get detained by rent-a-cops for > photographing children playing in water in the > summer sun set. > > Fond regards, > > G e o r g e L o t t e r m o s e r, imagist > > <>Peace<> <>Harmony<> <>Stewardship<> > > Presenting effective messages in beautiful ways > since 1975 > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > web <www.imagist.com> > eMail george@imagist.com > voice 262 241 9375 > fax 262 241 9398 > Lotter Moser & Associates > 10050 N Port Washington Rd - Mequon, WI 53092 > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? SBC Yahoo! DSL - Now only $29.95 per month! http://sbc.yahoo.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html