The Night Photographer

I have been walking around at night taking photos for this blog I am doing with my long distance relationship “friend”. It feels a little bit creepy to say the least. There are not many people in who live in the suburbia in which I live who walk around and take photos at night. In fact, as far as I can tell I am the only one. It is a big enough town though, maybe they are just better at hiding then I am. Perhaps, nobody else is doing it though just because it is a boring non-rewarding thing to do. I certainly don’t know what my concept is.

Regardless, part of me thinks it should be a crime to walk around with a camera and tripod at 9 o’clock in the evening. I am not sure why though. I think it is the telephoto lens that I have. Given, more massive and useful telephoto lens exist in the world, but the thing about photography is that (unless you are looking through the view finder yourself) you don’t really know what one is taking a picture of. Nor do you know how powerful the lens is.

Once, I did see a house with a large lit window close its blinds after I had walked past and probably taken a few pictures in the general direction of the house.  Now I know correlation is not causation, but I can still think the word revolves around me. Why else would they close the blinds though? I doubt that they wanted to walk around their living room naked. If memory serves me right, they were just watching T.V. Of course, the very fact that I know all this just proves that they should’ve closed their blinds. If I am completely honest with myself, part of my mind was thinking about taking a picture through that window and I was slightly disappointed when they closed their blinds. I am not saying it would have made a great shot I just like to leave my options and windows open.

I often think about what I would say if a police officer approached me. “I am just working on a school project.” seems like the most cliché, a project about how to create interesting photos or something. I could easily show him the photos. I do not really take creepy photos even though I might feel like I do. I could easily show him the photo of trees and rocks that take. He would probably think more of me if I were a peeping tom, instead of a guy who says the words “abstract composition”. The worst “laws” that I do break have to do with the parks closing after sunset, surely one does not have to go to court for such matters. I bet I would just get asked to leave.

One thing that I have found though is that people are rather nice when you walk past them at night. They seem much more likely to say “Hello”. It is not just “Hello”, it is more like “Hello, see I am not a rapist please say ‘Hello’ back so I can determine that you are not a rapist as well”. It makes it much easier to say “Hello” back in a happy, friendly tone of voice. I smile too though I doubt they can see it in the dark. Still, they all seem to have better excuses for be out at night. They are with their dog, children, husband, or wife. I just have my camera. Sure, I might have just said “Hello” thus proving I am not a rapist, but my camera hasn’t. No telling what kind of nefarious things it might be up to, dragging me along. See, I am not the creep,  my camera is.