Locked Out + Garden Pest

I'm a little bit self-conscious at this point of posting a bunch of outdoor shoots in a row (because I have other kinds, too). But here's the thing: I've hit a peak in activity over the past couple months, and I have over a month's worth of blog posts backed up, and I'd really like to get the "summery" ones out of the way before it gets too late in the year. (It's almost the first day of fall!). So you're just gonna have to bear with me, otherwise I'll be posting summer shoots through the end of the year (although the weather has been very erratic this year, with temperatures reaching eighty degrees even in February), and not get a chance to cover any fall or lingering winter themes before this project is over!

Here's another elaborate video project like Laundry Day. I wish these weren't such a chore to put together - I'm a photographer, not a video editor - because it's really a lot of fun to tell a more involved story than you can in a photograph, and it's always exciting to see the finished project. This one's a bit non-linear - I couldn't trace a straight path through my property and get all the shots I wanted to get, so I had to stitch certain sections together - but at this point, it's the concept that counts. And I have to say, the neighborhood did an excellent job of providing some ambient background noise!

And while I was out in the yard, I also took these pictures:

Nearly Exposed

It's like the exhibitionist's version of limbo - how close can you get without hitting the bar?

Garden Pest

As far as voyeurism goes, I know most people these days have a strict "consent only" policy. Call me a villain if you must, but I believe "least harm" is a better rule. Certainly, as long as these things are considered taboo, a pervert's going to have to reach a little bit in pursuit of his happiness. If you want to improve shady behaviors, you have to stop demonizing the desires that lead to them in the first place. Empathetic redirection is superior to an "exterminate the pests" approach.

Anyway, if you manage to get a peek at something, what you do with that view is what matters. If you call the cops and complain (about something harmless like getting dressed in front of a window), then you're being a pest. If you use that information to harm the person in any way - e.g., spreading rumors, damaging their reputation - then you're also being a pest. Certainly, if you're trespassing in any form, then you're not just being a pest, but a criminal, too.

But if you just enjoy the view and then go on your way, there's no harm done. Erotic appreciation is far from the worst thing anyone can do to another person - that belief is symptomatic of a sex-negative perspective, in which sexuality at its base is this violative, corruptive influence, instead of a positive background energy that imbues most of our interactions in life.