I LOVE TAKING PICTURES
You know that I love taking pictures of Amish kids on bicycles, and seeing them drive their small wagons with their miniature horses. I work at Poole Mennonite Church, which is in the middle of the Ontario Old Order Amish community. Every time I see a buggy on the road, I want to slow down, and take a picture. With corn or wheat in the fields, it is a perfect picture. But, since taking that picture while driving is against the law, I do not take it.
I attend a Amish school sale . It happens in the early summer at an Amish farm. There is a little bit of everything sold there. It is a fundraiser for their private schools, and there are thousands of Amish who participate in the day. I take pictures of them. I try to stand off to the side, and take their pictures without them actually see me doing it. I take pictures of young women who have the same style of colour and dress, as they are walking at the sale. I take pictures of older men with great long beards, and straw hats. I take pictures of the auctioneers. I take pictures of younger boys wearing the same kind of suspenders.
Why do I feel the need to all these pictures of the Amish people ? I know that they do not like it. I am Mennonite, so I know that Amish do not like it. I have heard that they believe each picture might take something away from their soul. Why would want to offend them in that way ?
The look different, and they live out their faith differently than me. The live in small communities of twelve families. In their worship, they meet together for hours in their barns, and they sing so very slow.
Recently, I was in Benin West Africa. I could not stop taking pictures of women carrying things on their heads. They carried the economy of the country as they walked straight and upright. Why did I feel compelled to take pictures of these women ? Are the reasons the same as with the Amish ? The lives of the people of Benin are so different from me, that I need to take photos of it. It is weird and strange, is it not ?
Then in the last month, we visited Jordan, to attend the wedding of our daughter . I wanted to take pictures of women with their hijabs, niqabs or veils . But , it was too uncomfortable. It felt invasive to do so. But again, maybe it is because I realize that they are different from me in the way they live, and live out their faith. I took pictures of men from behind with red and while scarves or headdresses ? Can I take picture of anything other than flowers and the sky ?
Am I racist in my picture taking, or am I racist in my fundamental nature ? What do you think ?
Fred Redekop
Ponder Anew 