On Cable Cars & Boredom

Once upon a time, before the advent of cell phone, I used to play with me camera when I was bored. Even if I was just standing around, for forever, waiting for the cable car to move, I took pictures.

They’re just sketches and most of them don’t see the light of day, but once in a while they tell a story and all of the time, they refine my vision, composition, use of light, storytelling…

Every one of these pictures above was taken with my feet in the exact same spot. And with the exception of the last one, every one of these was taken with the cable car in the exact same spot. Boredom.

I have taught and raised kid’s long enough to be well versed in the benefits of boredom. It’s true for photographers as well.

Waste film. How many people reading this even remember the day when every shutter click cost you a dollar.

Is there irony to the fact that the digital world that made each shutter click essentially free, stole our attention before we took advantage of it? I’m speaking to myself.

Bring a camera. Be bored. Take pictures. Ride Cable Cars for no reason other than to see where they go.