I know the title and image don’t match up, but I associate this McDonalds in Catford, South London with Lewisham Hospital. Karen recently had shoulder surgery at the hospital and so with the pre surgery, surgery and post surgery visits we’ve been going there quite a bit. I drive passed this eatery on every one of those occasions and if I can get away with it, buy a burger and chips. But even if I can’t buy one (because, for example, Karen is in the car) I still think about buying and eating one.
So today I dropped off Karen for physiotherapy and on the drive back planned divert through the drive through and get some food. But then it dawned on me to make this subject photo of the day. So here I am at home writing this rather than eating.
I think the image is very different in approach to say Martin Parr than say Tony Ray Jones because I have given the landscape more prominence than the people. I think they would have shot the image like this below.
This approach means that the image becomes one of setting and narrative as the father and child at the centre of the frame and old man to the left become central features – thus the image becomes about them and the rain.
Normally I would compose this type of photo like that above but I didn’t want to today. I think I wanted to keep the puddles, rotten weather and road painted and furniture in the frame as the form shows the busyness of the business of South London and so expresses my feelings rather than documents others’ experiences.
anomiepete 