I once was chastised, and punished, for including people in some of the photos I shot during a year long project at InnisWood Metro Gardens park. The self-assigned project [ rockatinniswood.com ] was to document the activity within line-of-sight of the rock in toad pond. Toad pond is one corner of a triangle of spaces just off the main walkway leading into the park. It is near the center of the shortest boardwalk and at the edge of the grassy meadow leading to the small prairie that flanks its waters.
Near the conclusion of the project I had become friendly with the rangers who now welcomed me inquiring about what I had recently photographed and wondering how the project was going. Many of the park’s repeat visitors discovered me near the pond waiting for the light to change or a subject to move into the best compositional arrangement. They too asked about the project’s progress often wanting to know where to see the completed work.
Although the gallery space in the park’s offices would be too small for the more than 600 photos that make up the completed project, I scheduled an exhibit of the completed work for the next open date, almost a year away.
As the date approached I realized I had not received the exhibition packet with details for displaying my photos. The person in charge of scheduling the gallery space only to be told me that my showing had been canceled by the park manager because I had been photographing people in the park. Including people in photos was considered out of bounds for Inniswood photography. My show was canceled.
My first reaction was anger that I had not been informed of the cancellation. Although I hadn’t yet completed matting and framing the photos, I had spent a great deal of time editing and preparing prints. I also had prepared a mailing, postcards and a press release describing the project and the exhibit. I quickly got past the loss time and effort and was more disturbed by the park manager’s lack of manners for not contacting me directly about the cancellation.
I would have been more than happy to discuss photography in public places, especially unique parks like Inniswood. I would have been happy to explain that my photos helped document how people react to the multiple layers of nature preserved in a public space not much larger than a football field. I would have been eager to have talked to anyone at the park about the project, its intent, the process, my reception, their needs, or about the images selected for the show. None of that happened. The show was rudely canceled.
The photos were later shown at the Westerville Public Library. Some of the images have been included in other shows.
