Masks are a paradox as they are the only things I know that make people look both scary and scared. I have recently started photographing people in masks (after having mostly avoided) as the more normal they become in society the weirder it gets for me. Masks are worn at Halloween to freak people out so there is no way this constant sight is not having an effect on us all. It makes people feel unapproachable, almost hostile, and that can’t be a good thing. And once more for the record, I am not an an anti-masker, I understand their necessity but now, when I look at people wearing them, including myself, it is starting to disturb me.
I know we’re all just trying to get on with it as best we can, but I would really like for a return to a world when masks were only seen on October 31st or when being operated on (which you wouldn’t even actually see if you were under general anaesthetic..heckling my own reference there for some reason).
Funny story..I was recently asked by a potential client if I had any shots of people in masks so I had a root around in the vault and found some great shots from fancy dress parties, Comic Con and so forth and sent them off to them and they came back to me and said..no, that’s not the sort of mask we mean, we want the Covid kind. Oh! Right..of course. Soz. Gotcha. I was a lil bit embarrassed as I should have worked it out, being in the middle of a pandemic surrounded by people with face masks on everywhere I went. And yet, in spite of all we have witnessed this last year, in my head, masks are still for cosplay not for virus protection. Umm, was that a funny story? Ish I guess. Best I got right now.
I don’t really know why I all of a sudden feel I am freaked out by people in masks, I should have got used to it by now, but I can’t quite shake it. I think it’s seeing all these startled eyes peering out from underneath going..is it over yet? Is it safe to come out? Truth is the reality of the threat is way less relevant than people’s perception. For example they now know that it is microscopically unlikely that you can become infected whilst walking around in the open air and yet, from what I can see, mask wearing outdoors is actually on the up which shows how terrified people still are, regardless of the actual threat. Personally I just wanna see faces again and I’m sure, once that happens it will make everyone chill the fuck out as they won’t have to deal with the sight of hoards of Jason’s from Friday 13th staggering towards them everyday…won’t that be pleasant?
P.s I will not be posting anything next week as have to do maintenance on my website..normal service will resume the week after 🤞