Supermarket

I’ve been threatened with ejection from my local supermarket several times. You may guess which one by the red ‘s’.

They don’t like cameras. Not inside. Nor outside. Especially ones with big long white conspicuous lenses.

Shame really, because I just keep seeing things I want to record. Interesting things.

Like the crow, in their carpark, that can read and knows its place. (“Please stop photographing or leave sir.”)

C for crow. © John MacPherson

Or the deluge that bombarded the carpark one day.

sssssssssssssssssss for summer shower © John MacPherson

(“Why are you photographing that car sir?”  I’m not, I’m photographing the rain? “You can’t do that here sir.” What? Photograph the rain. “There’s customer’s property,  cars, in your picture. We’re responsible for customer’s cars so you can’t do that sir.”   Oh ok! Why does that sign over there on the wall say ‘We are not responsible for customer’s cars. You park here at your own risk.’ That seems odd, and dare I say it, even slightly contradictory?  “I’m not arguing with you sir, please stop or leave”)

Or the starling flock that roosts in their sign. Every winter.

Starlings © John MacPherson

(“You cant use big lenses like that here sir”  What way should I use them then? “You can’t use them at all near our store sir.”  Can I use a bigger one then, from further away maybe? “Please stop photographing or leave sir. Now.”)

Or the ice patterns in the shop doorway, on a subzero day.

Because the trolleys were left outside all night in the cold.
And then the morning sun melted the frost from them.
And it drip drip drip drip dripped off the trolleys….everywhere that people took them….
And where the sun was, and the warmth, and the man scattering salt, there was only water left to show their dripping passage.
But in the shop doorway, beneath the rolling wheels and marching feet of shoppers, the shade was bitterchill, and waiting, unsalted……

….for the drip drip drip drip drip dripping to rearrange itself into a frostflower confection of cool blue.

It was gone in a short time.

eff for eff off, no no no…… f for frost flowers © John MacPherson

So was I.

(“Please stop photographing or leave sir.”)

But I had stopped long enough in the doorway, amidst all the unobservant shoppers, to take my picture.

Some people go because it’s a ‘market’.
I go because it’s ‘super’.

And I have a loyalty card, so its always worth returning………………….