I saw something new that I really wish I had invented. Well, not actually, because the self centered ridicoulousness of it, made me cringe. I had a really intense week in London this week and was only able to get out for a brief walk on my last afternoon. Since I was staying one block from the Westminster bridge, I went in that direction.
Westminster is certainly one of the most photographic sites that I know. First, you have a low stately bridge that crosses the Thames in the heart of London. On the North side, there is the house of Parliament, itself impressive, anchored by the Big Ben clock tower. Westminster Abbey is in the background. There are views up and down the Thames, including the London Eye monster ferris wheel just downstream.
It is a great walk, but becoming almost impossible to enjoy. Every time I cross the bridge, it has become even more clogged by tourists. There are tourists like me, trying to walk casually and enjoy the scene. There are tourists taking pictures of the scene. There are tourists who feel that any work of architecture, history, art, or scenery is made better by having friends and family in the foreground. I may agree that the, "we were here," pictures are meaningful and I/we have posed for our fair share. The problem is that you cannot walk 10 feet without someone with a camera trying to focus on a person(s) standing on the other side of the sidewalk, thyus blocking the entire path. The walker must either veer around, stop repeatedly, or just ignore the photographers and step through the pictures, with a Not my problem attitude.
Perhaps not as intrusive, but even more impressive were the selfie takers. Whether individually, or in groups, on any transit of the bridge, or surrounding area, you are forced to step around people who stop on a dime hold up cell phones and cameras at arm's length to get their face in front of the scene. I was amazed that there were far more selfie takers than straight up scene takers. Hey, the fact that you took a picture of Big Ben establishes that you were there without needing to have your face obscuring it and forcing it to be out of focus.
As I walked, though, I gradually became aware of something new that I was seeing. There were lone walkers who were carrying aluminum poles. Some were extendible, others were not. On the end there were attachments into which cell phones could be clipped. I saw people casuallty holding their devices out from hip level getting pictures that do not have the signature arm's length limitation.
The possibilities for poses and action shots are greatly increased. It is the equivalent of having your own personal photographer following you around and taking pictures of you. There will just be one hand that is not showing.
Okay. It is a cool idea and a great tool for the lonely and friendless. But to actually purchase, pack, and carry around such a tool to get your mug in every shot, seems to be the height of self involvement.
Still, I wish I had invented it.