Permission, Forgiveness and Being Quick With the Camera

Purpose Unfulfilled
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I shot this image last Wednesday evening at one of the local bookstores. Jenne and ate out at a local mom-n-pop Italian/Greek place and on the way home we stopped in to put a dent into a bunch of gift cards. While looking through issue #51 of LensWork I was inspired by the B&W imagery contained within. Looking around for an image to take my attention was drawn to the many magazine subscription cards lying on the floor. An image formed in my mind and it needed to be taken in B&W. I felt that the rainbow of colors created by the thousands of magazines would have drawn the eye's attention from the main subject of the cards and the floor up to the racks. Knowing that it's easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission, I set my camera to B&W, sat on the floor and started shooting photos of the cards. I shot about eight images all by natural light. Some of the images had peoples feet in them (no faces) and some with no feet and no one. I finished up in about thirty seconds, put my camera back in my bag, my ass back on the bench and my head back in the magazine. A minute later I saw a red dress in my peripheral vision and it was a little to close just to be casually standing next to me.

"Excuse me sire," I heard a woman's voice with a haughty English accent. "Sir?"
I looked up over the rim of my glasses. My face still directed into the magazine.
"Sir, I was told by someone that you were taking photographs. Were you taking photographs sir?"
"Yes, I took a few photographs and I'm all done now," I replied, trying not to put on my own English accent. I do that sometimes. It seems hard not to.
"Oh, I see. Were you taking photographs of the customers?" She inquired.
"No... no. Subscription cards. Those, there, one the floor." I pointed out the dozen or so cards scattered about.
"Why? Of what interest could they be?" She seemed shocked that someone would take pictures of pieces of paper on the floor. Having the mess brought to her attention also seemed to make her all the more unhappy. I could see in her face that she did not understand why someone would take a photo of what she considered a mess and think it artsy.
"It just caught my eye. The lines, the composition, the contrast between dark floor and bright cards…" I decided to give her the artsy-fartsy explanation. Managers and store drones get all discombobulated when I do that and usually pull a hasty retreat, "... the feeling of loneliness that these cards must have by being dropped from their loving magazines. The sadness they must feel that their purpose has not been fulfilled. It's like a metaphor on the human condition, life and stuff." My response had the desired effect and even unbalanced even her high and mighty "Englishness".
"Sir, please do not take any more photographs in the store for the security and privacy of our customers," she said quickly, as she moved to walk away.
"Sure, no problem. No more photos," I called as she walked away. I put my head back in the magazine. See it is easier to get forgiveness than permission.
Oh, and all of this reminds me that I should really subscribe to LensWorks. Maybe when I go back I’ll find a subscription card on the floor.