playing with tourists of old

I occasionally think of the people (tourists) who asked me to take their photo in days gone by when we had to wait until the film got developed before we saw how the photo turned out. These days with a digital camera it takes me at least 5-6 tries before I get it right.

Speaking of taking photos with film loaded cameras - let me tell you a story.

Years ago when film loaded cameras still reigned, Rod and I were at Darling Harbour. We were queued up for entry into something when a bus load of tourists cut into the queue ahead of us. This caused the rest of us to utter a protest that their guides felt the need to answer on behalf of their clients. Their argument was that they, the group, were expected at a time 20 mins earlier, and the little old lady standing by herself in the queue was 'holding their place'. Ummmm, NO. That might work in China but here in Australia it will get you lynched - which it nearly did with the volume of verbal protest rising considerably at this point and many 'locals' resorting to physically obstructing the tourists from entering the queue which in turn led to much louder verbal exchange in many tongues from both sides - most of it sounding very abusive. We locals were told by the guides, that these people were spending many dollars at the casino and they should get preference. That's when the riot started. The Star City bouncer, oops, I should say security, hiding nearby call in his mates elsewhere the building to defuse the situation. Which they didn't, but the tourists did calm down/give up when the police arrived. 

Eventually, with the full support of the police, the locals 'won' and the tourists went to the end of the line which by now was twice as long. (Yaay Ha ha)

Now, having given you all the background, I'll get back to the camera part of the story.

Later that afternoon, we were sitting watching a boat/sking show of some kind in the little harbour there when this same bulk package of tourists arrived in the area and proceeded to stand/mill about in front of everyone taking photos of one another. This prompted a memory of a conversation I once had with my little sister when she had found herself in a similar situation, and following her lead, I jumped up and began taking group shots for them. Many many group shots. "Bunch up - smile - wave - another one? - why not." 

Rod thought I was nuts and was quite annoyed with me for a little while. But I had an ulterior motive which I explained to him later. The intrusive tourist gaggle would have discovered their Darling Harbour excursion group photos, which that nice Aussie lady took for them, were of that day's brilliant blue sky with a few tops of buildings or of them from the knees down once they got their film developed. 

It felt good on the day. 

Still does.