The Gawkers
Yesterday I was photographing a demonstration by Parisian sex workers against a proposed law that, if passed, would target the clients of prostitutes and escorts. As with most demonstrations that feature a bit of a sensational topic, i.e. one that sells well in the media, the event was widely covered by the press. The professional photogs as well as the tag-along amateurs, we all end up with exactly the same type of photographs. After half an hour I got bored, and started walking along the pavement, where by-passers stopped in their tracks, given the clamour that was filling the street. So I started shooting the gawkers. I mostly shot from the hip, so the framing isn’t quite up to scratch. However, I do like the spectators’ expressions; virtually all of them look clearly uncomfortable with the crowd of – what they might consider as – freaks. The demo was one of the most peaceful I have ever attended and yet, some of the gawkers look as if their lives were about to be threatened by the passing crowd. Prostitution – when it is to be debated in public as a profession – remains a taboo that none of us want to be associated with or even opine on.
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