Photography is a very serious way to have fun.  Books such as The Stray Shopping Carts of Eastern North America: A Guide to Field Identification is proof that at least some artists don’t take it all too seriously.  But what a fun concept?  I can imagine the author of this book starting with a few photographs of these derelict carts – because lets face it, almost any junk can be beautiful – and he ended up with a fetish.  I only use the term fetish because photography of this level can really be considered perverse to some.  At least people will tease and make fun of the concept.  But it shouldn’t be that way.

My first thought was that this book, based on its title alone, would be incredibly humorous.  And, with the driest of humor, it really is.  But then I went back and really looked at the photographic work between the covers and realized that this is really quite impressive.  Here’s a photographer that has literally taken photographs of junk and made the beautiful.  Add some humor, and you sell books.  In my opinion, this man is a genius!

So in summary, my random thought of the day can be turned around into a lesson.  As this author clearly demonstrates, you cannot overlook any subject matter.  And don’t be afraid of humorous infatuations with bizarre topics – such as shopping carts, traffic lights, road kills, or so on.   Feel free to post your own ideas.

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