Un/Taken ep. 10 Neil Milton

Want to read what you don't get to see?

This topic is about the photo you did not take. If you haven’t seen the previous episodes, read those stories here.

In this episode we get to know the story of the Scottish street photographer and fellow Substacker

Neil Milton

. He tells the story of his photos, taken and untaken.

Here we go.

Untaken

Which photo was untaken and why did you not take it?

Like most street photographers, many of my pictures go untaken. Early on, I may have been too obvious in my approach. Experience brings invisibility - photographing in plain sight yet inconspicuous. Then, of course, there are times when reticence or naked cowardice rears its head and the camera remains by my side when it should be at my eye. It's tempting to think of the legends of street photography as devil-may-care artists, though I know masters of the craft who will admit great opportunities have passed in fear of bodily harm.

Recently, I wrote of the French adjective, disponible, which Richard Kalvar defines as a necessary state to make great photographs. It is when I am not in this state of mind that photographs go untaken. Those moments when it takes half a second to recognise an opportunity and by then it's gone. Those are the most frustrating as they validate my eye while hushing my imposter syndrome, yet there is no end result. No frame to be developed.

An example? After a long day photographing, I decided to return home. Though my camera rested still on my shoulder, my mind wandered. As I descended into the depths of Świętokrzyska metro station, rising on the escalator was a foppish dandy, dressed somewhat flamboyantly with an incredible, flaxen beard, and about to pass through a thin shaft of light from above. No time. I missed it. From that day to this, I don't switch off until I'm sitting on my couch!

Taken

Which photo that you did not expect to take surprised you the most?

I don't often like to talk about my photographs, choosing instead to let the photo speak for itself and for the viewer to have their own reading of it. Still, a photograph that surprised me? Well, I find photographs of city pigeons to be stale. Vapid. They are 10-a-penny and don't offer much other than another picture of scattered bread, or a pigeon sitting on someone's hat. I turned on my heel to see this wee boy running through George Square in Glasgow, dressed as a character from Alice in Wonderland, and I instinctively made a photograph.

As I walked away, I thought little of it. I didn't expect much but another pigeon photograph. After development and some time, I looked again and the fanciful absurdity, not to mention the literal, reflexive surreality of the photograph surprised me. I decided to give myself a pigeon-pass.

Who is Neil Milton?

I'm Neil, a Scottish street photographer, and photography writer, teacher, and critic. I live in Warsaw, Poland. I write the Photos, mostly newsletter on the philosophy and practice of street photography. I invite readers to come and subscribe.

You can find me here...
https://lionelsmint.substack.com
https://www.neilmilton.scot

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Darkrooms Magazine

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That’s it for this week,

Till next time

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