The Prestige

Anyone seen the film 'the prestige'? I just watched it, and had a revelation. My work, photography, lighting - its just like being a magician! Magicians create illusion, they know the secret and baffle everyone else who don't. But the audience don't really want to know, they enjoy being fooled. Once they know how it is done they lose interest.

I spend all my time slaving away, working out how to photograph something, how to light something, which angle will show/hide the important bits. I tell a story, I create an illusion. Everyone loves the illusion, but no-one wants to know how I did it. Once I've told them the illusion is shattered, their interest is lost.

When I talk to most people about how I set up a photograph, they are generally disinterested or show some interest out of politeness. The only people who want to know are the other magicians (and even some of them would rather not know), and only so they can perform the same trick!

So, my job. Illustration...or Illusion?

Do you like to know how things are done, or do you like to be fooled?

Your comments, please...