A keyword in the technical jargon of street photography is the French word flânerie which attempts to get at the state of mind of someone who idles in crowds. As it was first conceived in 19th century Paris, it described an aimless wandering coupled with the mentality of a connoisseur. In today’s world, a street photographer who engages in flânerie might be described as a sommelier of the streets.
Unfortunately, thanks to the global pandemic, flânerie has fallen out of fashion as it violates social distancing rules. Although, technically, many jurisdictions have chosen to relax protocols, the fact of the matter is, we are in the midst of a 6th wave and it would be foolish for us flâneurs to resume our old habits.
For now, we satisfy our compulsion by diving into our archives and dredging up images from happier times. Today’s images come from the 2019 Toronto Raptors NBA Championship celebration when more than 2 million people crowded into the downtown core. Things got so densely packed that it took me half an hour to walk across University Avenue. During my crossing, I held my camera at shoulder height or over my head and took shots of people as we jostled shoulders. Despite the discomfort, everyone was in a good mood and nobody minded that I (and thousands like me) were taking photos of them.
One of the appeals of flânerie is that it is accompanied by a feeling of invisibility. I suspect some people who practice the subtle art think of themselves as undercover agents who takes photos surreptitiously. But that isn’t my approach. I don’t take steps to hide the fact that I have a camera and am actively using it. For me, the feeling of invisibility has more to do with a dissolution of the ego. I lose my self in the crowd in the same way that someone might lose their self with psychoactive drugs or meditation or gazing at the stars. It gives me a short relief from the pressures of my own internal monologue, that yammering inside my head that rarely does me the favour of shutting up.
