Jérôme Aoustin Photography

November 19, 2009

“Blinds”

Let me reassure you, I didn’t take this shot for the aesthetics of the cheap, plastic blinds that adorn our kitchen. I took it to illustrate my thoughts and show to my fellow countrymen how shutters look like in North America. By that, I don’t mean cheap; some of them are very fancy, solid wood and what-not. But, instead of being outdoor shutters, they are indoor blinds. In Europe, we have shutters to protect us from burglary: an added layer prior to the window, so potential thieves can’t even peak inside. I remember being surprised on my first trip to Canada. I was eleven, and the locals told us something I will never forget: “How can you have shutters? It’s not safe. You can’t see if anybody’s outside!” It was a radically different way of seeing things, one which actually makes perfect sense… in a way. I’d still rather stick to shutters.

I now live in North America, and I have blinds. Cheap, flimsy blinds. You can rotate them at an angle to let more or less light in. Sometimes, one or several of the slats decide not to rotate with the others. Annoying, isn’t it? Well, I do think so. Seeing it made me think of taking this shot.

November 18, 2009

“The File Cabinet Car”

So what? This is just a car. No. Not just A car. Look closer. That’s right! It’s full of trash. As I was taking photos of this conversation piece, a passersby told us that people in the neighborhood appropriately named it the “file cabinet”. One would think this junk filled automobile couldn’t be driven. Well, apparently its owner does move it regularly from one side of the street to the other in order to comply with trash collection rules. How ironic! If you are in Manhattan and happen to walk around the West Village, you might spot this great example of compulsive hoarding. I wonder what the owner’s apartment looks like…