I am forever the outsider.
Watching as people go about their lives. Capturing them as they go through their daily routines. A part of the ebb and flow of society. Their paths a mystery to me, all I get to see is just a moment. My goal is to capture that slice of time and show it to you.
The streets of LA are like a bag of Skittles. A flavor for everyone. Look one direction, see one world. Look another, see another. From highest to lowest, it's all there, mixed together. From lemon to cherry.
Age does not discriminate. Rich. Poor. It comes to us all. Standing on this corner waiting for the light...I wonder how many similar lights she's stood for. How many corners she's crossed, roads she's walked down. I'm sure her eyes have seen many things upon this world.
We are all on different trajectories in our own little worlds. Forwards, backwards, off at right angles. Who is to say one is right, one is wrong. Which is truly better? To be caught up in the world, or rejected by the world?
Have you ever eaten lunch while sitting on a bike? I haven't. But now I've seen someone do it. I stood there and watched for a while. To him the world was his Netflix. People that passed by a parade of endless entertainment. Or was it...? His face was a neutral mask. Lot's of the people I see have that face. Especially in LA. Waiting to express...what?
In a city there is no start to the day, or end to the day. People are always beginning and ending. An infinite cycle of life grinding the city forward, and, hopefully upwards. When one person finishes their day, you know for sure someone else is punching in. Cities never, never really sleep.
Empty lots and full packs. Cars and people mingle side by side in a concrete jungle. Predator, prey. The roles are mixed. Never fully defined. Above all, the buildings tower. Kings and queens look down upon it all. Peasants scurry below. Nameless, faceless, endless.
Lots of people are waiting. They sit, pensive, searching. For what? A person? An Uber? In their own little world the movie that is their life plays. What character are they? The hero, a villain? Wizard, warrior, thief? Eventually what they're waiting for will come, or they'll get up. One of the two...
'You don't really know, until you know.' Her eyes say that to me. The fall. A feeling that too many know in this supposedly modern world. Can I judge? Do I judge? Never. Can I help? No. I wish I could. We look through them, checking to see if it's the bus coming. Hopefully someday the bus called compassion will arrive.
When you see this image, what do you think? For me, a chain of 'why?' questions down into infinity arises. It starts with, why is he dressed that way. Or is she dressed that way? Or, someone in between? Our world is such a rainbow of 'me.' How we define ourselves. How we want to be defined. How others define us despite what we want. Why did I take this picture? Did I want to take advantage of a subject that would draw eyes and possible contention? Why did I decide to write this instead of something else? Why are they here in LA? Why are they on this street? Mysteries abound in this world.
Look! They are all headed in the same direction! That means we can do it! It? What the heck is it? It is working together, walking together, all on the same path to get to the same place. Because, inside, we all want the same things...more or less, hehe. Peace, love, happiness...stupid little things like that.
Today was an interesting day for me on my third walk out for People in Pictures (PIP).
I've been trusting my gut more and more. What I've tried for the last 7 years hasn't worked, in terms of advancing. I kept following this path that I thought was the right one. But, if it was the right one, wouldn't something have happened by now...?
So, instead I try something new, which is endless cycles of creation.
When I get frustrated with the ridiculousness of the world around me, I move forth to document what I see and call out the things that come to mind. I create what I'm feeling. What I'm seeing. Whether those thoughts were in my head when I snapped it, or they grew from a later viewing...it doesn't matter. I trusted my gut to capture the moment. And that's where everything grows from.
I hope you enjoyed this third installment. :)
Michael
Previous PIP
People in Pictures (PIP) - Downtown LA
People in Pictures (PIP) - Chinatown, Los Angeles
