Tuesday, April 8th, 2008...8:45 am
Photos of tourists taking photos of DC
There is a school of thought that scoffs at the notion that we can ever photograph a moment as it really was. We crop, frame, eliminate, and choose what we decide to photograph, in a way robbing the viewer of what we were truly experiencing.
I think about this whenever I see the Cherry Blossoms. Thousands of tourists jockey for position to get “the perfect shot”, one that usually means not showing the other tourists competing for the same shot. But the tourists were there. They were part of your experience. So why try to eliminate them? Why not just photograph them in the scene?
That’s what I did on Saturday afternoon. Instead of taking photos of the Cherry Blossoms and pretending that I was there alone with the seasonal flowers, I decided to capture them as they are this time of year: coveted and documented by hordes of visitors (and locals).
After all, anyone can take a decent photo of the Cherry Blossoms. But can anyone take a decent photo of the tourists taking photos of the Cherry Blossoms?
Whether this “meta” form of photography is intriguing or not is up to the beholder. To me, it was just a fun process. I saw tourists crouching, straining, pointing, climbing, sitting, lying, aiming, and bending over like human origami, each one eager to document just how much they love our Cherry Blossoms.
Some got yelled at for climbing the trees. Others acted frustrated they couldn’t get a clear shot. Most wandered around aimless, clicking away, oblivious to the moment. Here are some of my favorite shots.
41 Comments
April 8th, 2008 at 8:55 am
I definitely prefer to shoot the tourists shooting the thing, rather than simply “the thing” — I figure, “the thing” shots have all been done, and by much more talented people than me (with much more expensive gear than mine). The shots of shooters offer the chance for weird humor to sneak in. … And a touch of ironic weirdness never hurt anybody, yeh? Good stuff, boss.
IntangibleArts’s last blog post..Vamos United!
That was my thinking. Cherry Blossoms? Whatever. Tourists? Fun times.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:17 am
I love the one of the family sitting up in the tree. It is really pretty, yet such a fabrication. I used to hate it (still do, actually) when my mom would force hokey pictures. It is not an accurate representation of how we exist on a daily basis–why must we climb in to a flipping tree?
Lemmonex’s last blog post..Zzz?
I believe they got yelled at by some sanctimonious dude with too much anger in his heart.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:28 am
These are great! A clever idea. I like the 4th one the best.
jo’s last blog post..Perfection
I think my favorite is #7. I like the two photogs looking in different directions.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:29 am
I think you have too much time on your hands. You should take up a hobby like stamp collecting, binge drinking or chronic masturbation. A lot of people think photography is a hobby, but those people are assholes.
homeimprovementninja’s last blog post..Strange Days
Stamp collecting is about the most boring thing I can imagine anyone doing.
Aside from blogging.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:38 am
And what if someone took a picture of you taking a picture of them and someone took a picture of them taking a picture of you taking a picture of them.
Don’t think I didn’t think about that.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:46 am
This is actually a brilliant idea. Of course, since I prefer nature to people, I like the one where you can see the least of them, the one you labeled “cherry-blossoms9″. A similar thing happened in Texas in the spring, except we all took pictures with the Bluebonnets, which only blossom for two weeks every spring. Everything looks blue and beautiful!!
Not So Little Woman’s last blog post..Australian Vampires Welcome Here
I think I prefer people over nature, but the side of people that is hard to find.
April 8th, 2008 at 9:59 am
Interesting, but you missed a golden opportunity to hit an over-the-top level of meta by having someone follow you and take pictues of you taking pictures of people taking pictures.
Maybe it would have been stupid. Maybe it would have ripped a hole in the space-time continuum. But I guess we’ll never know now, will we?
Slacker.
Believe me, I thought of that opportunity, but when the time came I forgot to have anyone take a photo of me.
April 8th, 2008 at 10:09 am
HA, awesome idea!
Bruce’s last blog post..A Bitter Sweet Victory, and Nat’s Drop 5th in a Row
April 8th, 2008 at 10:27 am
I think these are just lovely. Also I’ve never seen cherry blossom trees, and theses pictures are making my spring fever sing!
The Maiden Metallurgist’s last blog post..A Few Things I Learned This Weekend:
It made my spring allergies dribble.
April 8th, 2008 at 10:30 am
ohhh these turned out bea-u-ti-ful. they are even sexy. in a resistable way.
This comment cracked me up. Thanks.
April 8th, 2008 at 10:34 am
brilliant. susan sontag inspired? i enjoyed the photos - thanks!
Uh, yeah, Susan Sontag, that’s the ticket.
April 8th, 2008 at 10:42 am
Isn;t this gonzo photojournalism? No? No? I just like saying gonzo.
This was a great idea. I’m going to go take picture of people that take pictures of their food.
rs27’s last blog post..We Been Dancin’ With Mr. Brownstone
No, gonzo photojournalism would have been to include myself in the shots. But is is fun saying gonzo.
Gonzo.
April 8th, 2008 at 10:48 am
i like the one of you shooting over the guy’s shoulder (#11), but mostly because 1) he has his little P&S hooked up to a tripod, and 2) he’s not actually using the tripod, but instead he’s picked it up and is holding it, thereby making it that much harder to point and shoot with his point and shoot.
I also like #3, because there’s no way that girl is looking at teh same thing she’s shooting.
WiB’s last blog post..Doing a little West Coast swing
Yeah, there was something about that one I liked, probably because I was able to get so close to him.
April 8th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Wow! Nice photos. Almost like you were at the zoo!
Marissa’s last blog post..gory crime scene photographs
Sometimes, DC in the spring/summer feels like the zoo. Only not as fun.
April 8th, 2008 at 10:55 am
wait — it’s spring? I still see snow.
although it’d be really cool if you could make the first picture be color for the cherry blossoms but the rest b/w.
No, the shadows in that one made me think B/W was the way to go.
April 8th, 2008 at 11:13 am
man, you have some creepy hobbies
Kato’s last blog post..I’m no one to talk, but…
You know me so well.
April 8th, 2008 at 11:14 am
You do realize that you’re a total tool, right? I mean, not to be a dick or anything, but I AM a dick. These people represent all that is sick and unholy about America.
Sisco’s last blog post..Come Again? You Want to Take Photos of Trees?
You have an odd thought process.
April 8th, 2008 at 11:16 am
And that picture happened.
Again, not as funny out of context.
April 8th, 2008 at 11:38 am
I love this! And I am all too often the sticking-the-camera-in-a-flower person.
Lisa’s last blog post..Clearly we come from very different directions
At least you didn’t yank the flowers right out of the ground like I saw one kid do.
April 8th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I agree with Lemmonex - the family in the tree is my favorite especially given my family history - when I was 8 my dad took us to Annapolis and crawled up into the lap of a naked woman statue and made my mom take a picture. It was an humiliating experience made even more so by the fact that he wasn’t even drunk.
Judy C’s last blog post..When you want to smell like death
I also took a picture of a naked woman statue.
April 8th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
I just don’t understand how thousands of people are visiting DC right now to watch trees bloom.
Isn’t there a Paint Drying Festival in Michigan they could go to?
Sisco’s last blog post..Come Again? You Want to Take Photos of Trees?
They’re pretty cool, actually, but the allure dies down after 9 years of seeing them.
April 8th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Sometimes I forget how old you are, mi hermano. Then you go and throw a sentence like that out there.
Happy hour soon?
Sisco’s last blog post..Come Again? You Want to Take Photos of Trees?
April 8th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Arj-
There is something very thought-provoking about people being people. The above photos are stills, however, they each portray/imply action and when your stills start to act…then you’ve got real conversation starters.
Nicely done.
the last spartan’s last blog post..The Dream, The Giant
April 8th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
Not nearly as cool as the picture I took of you taking a picture of me.
I-66’s last blog post..Smoke ?em if you’ve got ?em
April 8th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
I love all the expensive, fancy cameras…whatever happened to tourists who carry tacky cheap disposable cameras? It’s like the technology got better as the fashion got worse.
Shannon’s last blog post..My Opinion on Perfection
April 8th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
I LOVE this. It makes me wish the Cherry Blosoms didn’t make me sneeze unto the point of death, so I could go out and enjoy the people enjoying them.
jordanbaker’s last blog post..What the Well Dressed Fan is Wearing
April 8th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
I like #7 the best too. I think you should pixelate it a la Seurat’s “Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte”.
April 8th, 2008 at 5:29 pm
Lovely! I like the 2nd photo. The family looks like they are having a pleasant time.
I like having a good digital camera. I can just snap away at whatever, without half trying, or even putting the camera on my face and blocking out the REAL view. I do not worry about any of the shots until I get home. I get to enjoy my outing - no photographic obligations - and yet I somehow end up with nice photo momentos too. I love technology.
Connie’s last blog post..Spring has sprung!
April 8th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
Good photo essay on the annual Tourist Bloom.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Great concept and love the photos.
E :)’s last blog post..The Teenage Anthem…
April 8th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
omg! i was going to start a collection of photos of asian tourists taking photos in NYC. all jews think alike
April 8th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
These are gorgeous.
KassyK’s last blog post..end of an era. beginning of a better one.
April 9th, 2008 at 7:14 am
here’s my tourist shot of the blossoms: http://www.flickr.com/photos/overbysara/2377552449/
April 9th, 2008 at 7:32 am
Here’s my shot of people taking flower pictures — http://flickr.com/photos/jakesg123/
Jake’s last blog post..baby photos
April 9th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
I know a guy who tried to do this once, but he got his ass kicked for taking pictures of someone else’s kids. IT was awkward.
Lea’s last blog post..Vegas is a Funny Place
April 9th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
[...] Photos of tourists taking photos of DC Cherry Blossoms One of my coworkers got caught by someone taking the same sort of pictures. It’s a really cool idea. (tags: photography) [...]
April 9th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
Love the concept! Your pictures came out really cool!
Beach Bum’s last blog post..I popped my cherry!
April 10th, 2008 at 8:34 am
I love these pictures. I actually have never seen the cherry blossoms. I’ve only been to the Mall twice. I can’t believe I’ve lived here a year and have only been to the Mall twice.
startingtoday’s last blog post..Why was I surprised this time around?
April 11th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
[...] 11, 2008 by middlechild Check out Arjewtino’s (h/t DCist) photos of tourists taking photos of the cherry [...]
April 14th, 2008 at 10:22 am
This was a great idea for a post.
It was so great, in fact, that the Washington Post stole the idea. Here is a link to today’s Express video of a Post photographer snapping tourists who are snapping photos. This was put out six days after your original post.
http://www.readexpress.com/read_freeride/2008/04/video_cherry_blossoms_and_the_petal_papa.php
January 13th, 2009 at 6:29 pm
just found this old post via your new about and love love it. very nice photogratography.
beth’s last blog post..Gossip and Snooping… my specialties.
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