It seems obvious to say that one of the most important things about photography is knowing where to point your camera. But implicit in this is that, in doing so, you are therefore always excluding a lot of other things. I’m just as guilty of this as any other photographer. I don’t see how you could do otherwise, given that the camera viewfinder gives you a rectangle that only allows so much of the world to be present in any particular shot. But doing this inevitably creates a certain view of the world out of which narratives breed. It always make me laugh hearing the old phrase ‘the camera never lies’ as, even without the panoply of digital correction and retouching techniques now available, omission itself is another kind of falsehood. Photographers never tell the whole truth.

So anyway, today I was delighted to find a photographic crew engaged in just such an act of exclusion down at the spot I’ve started taking my panoramas from. They were there for quite a while; so was I.

Judging by the length of the lens I’d say the shots they were looking for would be close, probably only a head and shoulders with a bit of the sea in the background, no horizon, compressed, narrow depth of field. Also, judging by the cost of the lens (Canon L series lenses have all the self-effacing diffidence of a Maserati) and all the other paraphernalia: circular reflector, several expensive bags full of other mysterious goodies, plus the fact there was three of them to take a picture of one girl, heavily made up to look natural, I’d say this was a professional outfit taking pictures destined for a teen fashion magazine or perhaps a catalogue.

I was also struck by the difference between the girl in front of the lens, and those behind it constructing the shot: their attitude of control, concentration and intent; her passivity. They could have just as well have been taking a picture of a vase of flowers, or a car.

I wanted to ask: Which magazine? What for? Is it a lifestyle shot, makeup suggestions, or for advertising swimwear? I wanted to ask the girl what she thought of all this? But by the time I’d finished taking my photographs the woman with the reflector (I think she was the one managing the shoot) had started to look pretty grumpy so I decided I’d better not push my luck.

If anyone reading this comes across the final picture, do let me know. I’d love to find out how the world looked from their point of view.