A Flock of Flaneurs

[Shadowman]

Shot many moons ago, I thought about this group when I read a quote from Susan Sontag, "The photographer is an armed version of the solitary walker reconnoitering, stalking, cruising the urban inferno, the voyeuristic stroller who discovers the city as a landscape of voluptuous extremes. Adept of the joys of watching, connoisseur of empathy, the flaneur finds the world 'picturesque."

The flaneur is described as a man of leisure who spends his waking day strolling through the city, one of the first window shoppers, never having a care in the world except seeing what is there to be seen.

A Flock of Flaneur's by JOHN, on Flickr

[lovelife65]

Interesting! I’ve never heard of this especially with the male species. Thanks for a great photo and story.

[RBSinTo]

Shot many moons ago, I thought about this group when I read a quote from Susan Sontag, "The photographer is an armed version of the solitary walker reconnoitering, stalking, cruising the urban inferno, the voyeuristic stroller who discovers the city as a landscape of voluptuous extremes. Adept of the joys of watching, connoisseur of empathy, the flaneur finds the world 'picturesque."

The flaneur is described as a man of leisure who spends his waking day strolling through the city, one of the first window shoppers, never having a care in the world except seeing what is there to be seen.

John,
There is an exotic connotation to "flaneur' that somehow doesn't seem to fit this group.
More likely they are either from a camera club or perhaps members of a photography class. I see them all the time in the downtown here in Toronto. The tip-off is the piece of paper that one member carries, describing the list of subjects they've been tasked with photographing on that particular outing.
Robert

[Shadowman]

John,
There is an exotic connotation to "flaneur' that somehow doesn't seem to fit this group.
More likely they are either from a camera club or perhaps members of a photography class. I see them all the time in the downtown here in Toronto. The tip-off is the piece of paper that one member carries, describing the list of subjects they've been tasked with photographing on that particular outing.
Robert

Hi Robert,

I agree they are not a definition of the traditional worldly voyeur however they do follow the flaneur's sense of wonderment and adventure; as a group definitely a flock and not likely to blend in with the environment.

[Shadowman]

Interesting! I’ve never heard of this especially with the male species. Thanks for a great photo and story.

Hi Sharon,

Thanks for comments, I found so many links to the flaneur and most stated that the traditional wanderer disappeared with the age of the industrial revolution, I'd like to think the flaneur is still in existence only now armed with a camera.