Gaze

(photo by Dennis Hopper)

Dennis Hopper wanted to be remembered as a photographer (link).  What is it with men and cameras?  If they don't have the nerve to take pictures of this, they'll take pictures of that.  My neighbor buys expensive cameras and glass to go down the street to take pictures of birds.  He and his wife set off on foot Saturday and Sunday mornings decked out in photographers' vests and draped with wicked Nikons and huge lenses.  She is just helping him carry things.  He is the photographer.  He likes to show me his equipment but is nervous about showing me his work.  There is a lot of that in the world.  I think there is a genetic component to it. 

Girls take much more beautiful pictures and it seems at some point every young girl has a fascination with photography, but they never seem to develop the equipment fetish.  I love the work of mature women photographers I know.  Their work is much less provocative than mine even if they make pictures of people with no clothes on.  Male Gaze/Female Gaze.  Different circumstances, different desires. 

I don't know what I will do.  I'm not sure what I want to do any more.  I may just need rest.