Foto Friday: Signs

Foto Friday this week was all about "signs." 

My shot is on the bottom left (you can see a larger version here: I (still) get nervous. And it cost Heather $12, so I hope it was worth it. 

Confession: I get a serious case of the nerves if I get out the camera in a public place. I'm more of an introvert than an extrovert, and I'm terribly paranoid that someone will yell at me or ask me what the hell I'm doing. This has never happened, of course, but the mind is a crazy place. I'm trying to overcome this little fear, and in the last year, I've gotten a lot better about shooting because I want to, regardless of whether it's a "socially acceptable" photography location. Still though, I have some work to do. I think it comes with a) age (the older I get, the less I care what other people think), and b) confidence (if I know what I want to capture with my camera, I'm less apt to fumble around and look/feel like an idiot).

Thanks to Heather who helped immensely with this shot. I was all ready pretty embarrassed holding up my sign in the airport, and I would have gone into spasms if I'd have had to set up the tripod. The pose is casual, but the insides are squirming like crazy. You know what they say though, "Fake it 'til you make it."

Comments

[Rhonda]

i LOVE yours and i love that you did it in a really busy place like the airport :) The more you do it, the less embarrassed you get!

[Mary MacAskill]

I agree, though it is still something I am working at! :)

[laura vegas]

you sound just like me mary! i'm always scared to take my camera out. even at places where other's have them out ... like school functions and performances. lol! i'm such a dork, for worrying about what people think of me. love your shot :)

[Katherine Louise Harris]

I get nervous for another reason, theft. I know it's ridiculous, but I live in a pretty urban area and I sometimes wonder, am I safe? It's a dumb thought. Nothing close has ever happened!

However, I was once yelled at. And it WAS terrifying. I was at a Somali market and snapped an image of scarves and an older shop owner thought she was in the image. She ended up screaming at me, not in English and basically grabbed my camera and tried to get me to open up the back. She thought I was using film. Oy, very scary. I was very shook up.

Photography in Minneapolis... never a dull moment!

[elizabeth]

I can't read your sign! Funny you should have posted this, as I just finished a page for a BPC class that includes using a sign as the challenge ; )

[Melanie G]

Love the photo challenges you guys are doing!

[Heather M.]

love, love, love your take on this challenge and i love that i was with you that day. perhaps we should hang out every week and shoot these together. :)

[Mary MacAskill]

WHAT?! Now, I wonder why she was so worried about getting her photo taken anyway!

[Katherine Louise Harris]

Ya, I don't know- I think in the Somalian culture there are some issues around photography. Whatever the case it was very frightening for me. My mom always asks if I'd like to go back to the market- they have gorgeous scarves and cool spices there, my answer is always no. I'll stick to Trader Joe's :)

[Colleen]

What a great shot! Brilliant idea. I'm nervous about taking out my camera in certain places too. Especially where there are lots of people or in stores. My sister will take hers out anywhere and take a shot. I want to be as brave as she is one day. Soon.