Do photographs adapt , evolve or shape shift with time ?
We all accept that the pictures we make are slices of time that are fixed & frozen forever but many of us also acknowledge that a unusual metamorphosis can occur within many works as the years pass …
This is from The State Of Britain series , in fact I shot this candid pic in 2015 before I started the project properly . This picture really does demonstrate how the narrative of photographs can be adapted subconsciously to our own fears , beliefs and prejudices …
When I made this capture I saw this image as a picture that depicted a narrative of safety, security and protection provided by the young woman , the UK flag and the US eagle , remember this was 2015 , this was a time before Brexit arrived in UK politics , a time when Obama led the US and the union flag had not been poisoned by nationalism , it seems like a long time ago …
Strangely this candid image appears to shape-shift with the political landscape on both sides of the Atlantic , I saw the Eagle as a crazed threat during the Trump years , proof if proof were needed that some photographs really do metamorphosise and take on a life of their own in our heads …
How do you read this image today , the symbolism goes way beyond my original intentions and will probably change again in the future …
The State Of Britain , No 6 , 2015 . Does the baby need rescuing from the US eagle or the UK flag ?
This series of blogs is based around pictures from my archive , I hope the words that accompany the featured pictures offer a level of context , insight and inspiration to readers .
“The Foto What I Took” blog title , is a comedy reference “borrowed" / inspired” by the Morcambe and Wise “The Play What I Wrote“ sketch …
MORE…
If your blessed with a bit more time, feel free to visit highlights from my Another Day Off project , The State Of Britain series , The Testing Times pictures or the “In Progress” , “Living” In Limbo… pics , they represent the most turbulent years in modern British history and ten years of my life…
Many more The Foto What I Took Blogs are available too …