Making the most of winter

While I was in town this afternoon I got caught in a mini blizzard. It was neither good luck nor bad luck really, because there was a pattern of such snow storms today and I set off as soon as this one started. I wanted to be caught, purely for the fun of standing around in a blizzard and, of course, taking some photographs. I was rather spoiled for choice in the end as to which to blip, but this possibly best captures the wild wooliness of the weather today.

I want to refer you back to the blip I posted on Sunday. It is one of my own favourite street photographs, even before taking into account how beautifully it linked to the video I wanted to share. Many of you picked up on its timeless quality. It seemed to catch 'the decisive moment' in a way which we could all relate to in a universal way. The shot suggested some kind of story and each of you were free to make up your own version of events. These weren't two specific people but two archetypal people, not really bound to any time or any place ... except they have turned out to be very real! They have come to life - and that is not supposed to happen!!

It turns out that the handsome guy with the beard is the son of one of my best mates, who follows my blips. It was the day of his grandfather's funeral. The woman turns out to be the girlfriend of a good mate of his. I only found out about this when a comment was left on Facebook. I actually saw them talking to each other and approached to take a shot, but just as I got close enough and pressed the shutter, they both just turned to leave. I missed the shot I was after but got a very much better one instead.

The fascinating thing is just how very different the reality is from what I think most people would have assumed. Another friend commented to say, "You are like a sniper stealing a fragment, a tiny morsel, of people's lives with a single shot. This facilitates your followers to imagine a story, or to paint a picture about the subjects, to deduce what might or might not be their situation, which I now realise is more often than not , completely inaccurate." And he went on to suggest that perhaps that's the beauty of it, the fascination of street photography. I think he's right.

I was intrigued to know what the reaction was of my friend's son to the knowledge that this private moment had been caught and shared on the internet. He basically found it cool, and I was happy to hear that he didn't find it intrusive in any way. It really was a weekend of extraordinary coincidences.