(Up to: Photingraphs )

I have nothing against photos, I just have a love-hate relationship with them.

Pros:

• Re-living old experiences can be fun
• Artistic merit
• Social aid - talking point

Cons:

• Can sacrifice "real" experience with "through the lens" experience. Concentrating on taking the photo detracts from the experience itself.
• Hanging onto old memories can prevent forward-looking progress.

But then, perhaps I have this slightly wrong. I've been playing recently with Lomography, and finding there's a lot more to photography than just pictures. Taking pictures in "ordinary" settings turns out to actually be quite a thrill - in the public-yet-private, surveilled-yet-individualised culture that we have, most people seem happy to have their every move caught on CCTV, but often aren't used to people taking photos of them. Trying to sneak a subtle shot in - on the bus, say - without anyone noticing, is really rather fun... Plus the shots that come out are at least different to many of the posed, smiling, almost-fake pictures that we're used to. I enjoy this "challenge" - it seems to fly subtly in the face of both how photos are expected to "behave" and how ourselves are expected to behave too.

(See also: Photography In Brighton )