Lately, Joel and I have grown a little lazy with our photography outings, spending less time chasing scenery and more time simply enjoying the day together. After a Korean barbecue at Westfield Doncaster, I happened to glance out across the car park and caught sight of the Melbourne skyline stretching into the distance. A quick shot, almost an afterthought, yet somehow it became the treasure of the day. Sometimes, the photographs worth keeping are not the ones we set out to capture, but the unexpected gifts that find us along the way.
There is, however, a certain irony to photographing from shopping centre car parks. Security guards are quick to approach us when we point our cameras towards the distant skyline, as though a harmless photograph of Melbourne's cityscape poses some great security threat. Yet, when it comes to the reported incidents of youngsters wielding machetes inside shopping centres, one cannot help but wonder where that same vigilance goes. It seems that a camera aimed at the horizon can attract more immediate attention than the troubling things happening much closer to home.
Still, the skyline remains beautiful, and the photograph is mine to keep. After all, we went out for a meal, not a photography expedition, and came home with a little unexpected treasure. Perhaps that is the charm of photography: even on a lazy day, when inspiration seems to have wandered off somewhere, the world occasionally offers us a reason to lift the camera again.
Sony a7RV
FE 70-200mm f4 G
Linking Treasure Tuesday
