Phone Box

Just for fun, a few months ago, I wondered what might happen if I dialled the number!

Would anyone answer?
Would they notice the guy with the camera?
Would they connect the two things together?
Would they sock me in the face?!?!


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"That phone's ringing!"




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"Should I answer it?"




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"Yeah - do it!"




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An answer




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"Is there anybody in there?"

Brilliant!
 
Just for fun, a few months ago, I wondered what might happen if I dialled the number!

Would anyone answer?
Would they notice the guy with the camera?
Would they connect the two things together?
Would they sock me in the face?!?!


54290916850_cedb362730_c.jpg


"That phone's ringing!"




54578470027_8a5ba34c99_c.jpg


"Should I answer it?"




54266007226_82cd243162_c.jpg


"Yeah - do it!"




54592869773_1d914efe4d_c.jpg


An answer




54491261328_0376901285_c.jpg


"Is there anybody in there?"
And it keeps getting better!
 
I guess that's not much of a surprise. But good to experiment and find out. What conversations, if any, did you have Mr. Chris?
 
Surprisingly few over the whole 5 years, actually Gary.
One or two people have asked if I would tell them what I was doing. They were usually men who were waiting for their wives who had gone into the department store beside the kiosk. Us males know that waiting outside is only marginally better than going in, don't we?! So obviously their gaze wanders around looking for something interesting to watch and all they find is me. Around about the time their wives get halfway round the food hall, it dawns on them that I am not behaving as humans are expected to, so questions enter their heads. If the line at the food hall checkout is long, they start to wonder what it actually is that I am doing. It's the ones whose wives meet someone they know and stop for a chat in the coats and jackets department who come over and ask. With some, I can see they are itching to ask, but turn their heads when I look over! If their wife then takes a second look at those sandals in the shoe department, I might wander over and say something like, "Everything they say about me is true, you know". Then, they chuckle and try to pretend they don't know what I am talking about. But I put them out of their misery and spill the beans anyway!

Oh, not a conversation, but one elderly couple, I am sure were convinced I was casing the bank across the street. They must have had their savings in another one though, because the police never turned up!
 
Thank You, Mr. Chris, for supplying the missing pieces surrounding the Phone Box. But, (the big but), I was wondering about the conversation(s) that transpired with someone who actually answered the phone.

("Us males know that waiting outside is only marginally better than going in, don't we?!" ... Amen.)
 
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Surprisingly few over the whole 5 years, actually Gary.
One or two people have asked if I would tell them what I was doing. They were usually men who were waiting for their wives who had gone into the department store beside the kiosk. Us males know that waiting outside is only marginally better than going in, don't we?! So obviously their gaze wanders around looking for something interesting to watch and all they find is me. Around about the time their wives get halfway round the food hall, it dawns on them that I am not behaving as humans are expected to, so questions enter their heads. If the line at the food hall checkout is long, they start to wonder what it actually is that I am doing. It's the ones whose wives meet someone they know and stop for a chat in the coats and jackets department who come over and ask. With some, I can see they are itching to ask, but turn their heads when I look over! If their wife then takes a second look at those sandals in the shoe department, I might wander over and say something like, "Everything they say about me is true, you know". Then, they chuckle and try to pretend they don't know what I am talking about. But I put them out of their misery and spill the beans anyway!

Oh, not a conversation, but one elderly couple, I am sure were convinced I was casing the bank across the street. They must have had their savings in another one though, because the police never turned up!

You’re incredibly brave, @Chris Bennett. If I were someone dwelling in the undergrowth, clinging to an old PC like you, even going into town would make me terribly anxious, let alone dialling the number of a phone box with the risk that someone might actually answer. Absolute horror movie!
 
Chris, How did passers-by know what was happening with these prints? This is the ultimate pop-up show I would say. I hope something more substantial, exhibit wise, comes out of this. You have created a great body of work. This is a perfect example of how we as photographers need to document our worlds, even photo booths. Things/people that we take for granted as always being there.

My hat is off to you for making this happen. Things don't just land in our laps. This goes along with a statement I heard many years ago, Preparation brings opportunity. Keep up the good work!
 
Mr. Chis,

I get this feel/vibe you had a great time. I think this was a great event. (I think all of us here should think about our photography and how we can share, in a fashion similarly as what you have demonstrated/shared, with the general or a select public. (Yeah, posting stuff on the internet is sharing ... but a lazy form of sharing.) Did anybody from the Phone Box company show up? I didn't see any signage letting the general public know an event was happening in and about the phone box. Please share some of the comments. (I suspect many viewed your exhibit hoping to see a photo of themself.)

I appreciate your entire experience and the outstanding images. I wish I could have attended.
 
Chris, How did passers-by know what was happening with these prints? This is the ultimate pop-up show I would say. I hope something more substantial, exhibit wise, comes out of this. You have created a great body of work. This is a perfect example of how we as photographers need to document our worlds, even photo booths. Things/people that we take for granted as always being there.

My hat is off to you for making this happen. Things don't just land in our laps. This goes along with a statement I heard many years ago, Preparation brings opportunity. Keep up the good work!
Hi Bill.
Thanks very much.
It had to happen at r-e-a-l-l-y short notice. With the help of my wonderful wife, we managed to pull it all together in one week. This meant that promoting it has been tricky! I had some posters and flyers printed and put some on the outside of the kiosk but didn't have time to distribute flyers before the photos went in. The box has no door, so people approaching from that direction can see into it. The view of the windows was mainly the white rear sides of the photos, which, I guess may have made people wonder what was going on. Word is getting around via social media now and all sorts of people are threatening to go and have a look!
 
Mr. Chis,

I get this feel/vibe you had a great time. I think this was a great event. (I think all of us here should think about our photography and how we can share, in a fashion similarly as what you have demonstrated/shared, with the general or a select public. (Yeah, posting stuff on the internet is sharing ... but a lazy form of sharing.) Did anybody from the Phone Box company show up? I didn't see any signage letting the general public know an event was happening in and about the phone box. Please share some of the comments. (I suspect many viewed your exhibit hoping to see a photo of themself.)

I appreciate your entire experience and the outstanding images. I wish I could have attended.
Hi Gary - the exhibition will stay until they take it away (whenever that may be). I am enjoying the way word is getting around slowly and organically. There was no grand opening and I suspect BT, the phone company don't really want to bring the fact that they are removing kiosks to people's attention, so they weren't coming! I agree with your sentiments about sharing work with the general public - present company excepted, it feels a little insular when we as photographers only share our work with other photographers. I love the idea that people who are seeing my work don't know or care about things like digital noise, composition or aspect ratios - they just know when they see something they like.

The nicest comment I received was from a woman who was a retired journalist. She simply said "Thank you so much for doing this".
 
The phone box keeps giving!
In between conversations with people stopping by, I was able to prowl around a bit with my camera and see if there might be any opportunities for shots with the prints in place on the windows. The light was magnificent, perfectly suiting my predilection for high contrast shots and I managed to find a wedge of it in the gaps between the display photos.

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I love the idea that people who are seeing my work don't know or care about things like digital noise, composition or aspect ratios - they just know when they see something they like.
This is a great comment. As a print finisher I find myself usually a little tentative about my personal work. After producing work from so many "Real" photographers I'm not sure my own is quite good enough. This definitely keeps me from showing my work.

Just a thought. If you have another opportunity to place work in a booth maybe some of the papers that can be printed on both sides would be a choice to consider. MOAB has a nice photo black two-sided paper. There are matte black choices as well but I think the PK paper would hold up better to the outdoor environment. Maybe print a photo book that looks like a phone book on the cover?

All the best in your endeavors.
 
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