"Not for Camera View" -- Strong Towns

"Not for Camera View" -- Strong Towns

Photographer Johnny Sanphillippo's habit of photographing ordinary places has attracted a fair amount of negative attention and suspicion over the years.

"Why not capture what the landscape really looks like? America is mostly parking lots, squat concrete strip malls, storm water retention ponds, refineries, chain link fences, and tract homes made of plastic siding. Photographing the authentic American landscape is both more challenging and ultimately more rewarding if you can do it well....

"I was walking around a nondescript neighborhood in Chicago a few years ago when five squad cars surrounded me at an intersection. I was asked for my identification, they were keen to see what was on my camera, and there were all sorts of questions about who I was and what I was up to. The police wouldn't say exactly why they descended on me in such an overwhelming fashion, but it was pretty clear there had been a report of unsavory activity of the terrorist variety."

I can only think of one occasion where I was challenged in a frightening way for taking pictures. I had spotted an interesting neon sign on a hotel located along what was once a major highway on the edge of Orlando. I made the mistake of getting out of the car to take the picture, and a burly guy who looked like he stepped out of The Sopranos came out to ask me what the **** I was doing. (Maybe he thought I was photographing license plates.) He calmed down after I explained that the sign had caught my attention, and he encouraged me to come back some time for dinner at the restaurant. (No thanks.)