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12/10/12

No Loaded Guns

Crossroads of the West Gun Show...

2 comments:

  1. Just a few unnecessary thoughts offered up as a New Yorker, where gun shows ban cameras as well as chambered shells:

    Capturing the "No Loaded Guns" sign (with the guy walking away, long gun on shoulder) and the handicapped sign directing people to the ENTRANCE is absolutely awesome.

    The colors are perfect in this, too. There, but not remotely cheery or hopeful. Hard to believe the spectrum could serve to cast a visual pall over something, but it does here.

    The thing that gets me most about this is probably the silliest thing, but I'll say it anyway: the Chevy van (maybe it was a truck, but in my mind it was a van) guarding the right side of the ENTRANCE reminded me of the song, "Chevy Van", in which Sammy Johns ended the choruses with, "And that's alright with me." As weird a jump in thought as that might seem, it fits the entire settling-for-what's-here-now vibe that this picture has me thinking about.

    The man walking away in (in my mind) disgust at the idea of not being welcome to exercise his rights is the hero of this to me. I don't say that just because he casts the longest shadow, but it makes me happy to notice that. :)

    I suspect you may have intended few or none of these things as you made this, JR. So much the better for that, as far as I'm concerned. Great stuff finds its way, and this is great. One of your absolute best. Thank you for making it, and for posting it.

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    Replies
    1. There were a number of photos I took at this gun show Mike and quite a few were technically more perfect but few of them showed the elements I was looking for. You've pointed out a few more to me that I hadn't intended but they are there and I thank you for letting me see them.

      Cameras aren't disallowed at gun shows here for several reasons mostly because people feel they are "showing their rights" and rather proud of it. Also there is the sense of the right of the person taking the photo and freedom of speech. That said carrying a camera around too openly is not a wise thing since there is also well grounded suspicion of the media and liberal types who would use photos in the "People of Wal-Mart" sense. So the best thing to do is use a camera phone, be respectful and mostly blend in and not be obvious when shooting (oops a pun) a pic.

      Frankly (no offense intended here) I'm not surprised at any restrictions northeasterners put on a lot of things. I suspect these originate in cities like New York and Boston and the rest of the state has to live with them. Coastal California (the "Left Coast") has a bad habit of legislating and culturally restricting northeastern and inland desert (think Bakersfield) Californians from things they might be otherwise be prone to do.

      I'm kind of in a showing my rights and sowing my oats attitude lately as an Arizonan which is why I posted this photo and some other stuff I've been doing lately. Mostly I'm thankful I live in a state that in spite of some flaws in thinking we really don't like conforming to a national norm and being told what to do.

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