Oh, The Humanity!
No, I didn’t just witness a blimp exploding and crashing into an airfield. Yes, I did just date myself with a reference to a world disaster from 90 years ago.
But also: There are so many humans in Provincetown this time of year!
Many people, when first learning that I live here year-round, often say, “Wow. What’s it like in the Winter?”
My response: “It’s quiet, peaceful, and it’s possible on a morning run to see more coyotes than humans.”
That generally elicits a reaction somewhere between incredulity and pity.
Regardless, it is not Winter, and there are so many humans here!
For the most part, I like having a lot of people here for a few months. Plus, the weather has been mostly delightful–almost ideal, many days–so there are plenty of reasons to be outside among fellow humans.
I love photography this time of year for that very reason. Most of the year, I can shoot and easily avoid having people in my photos, really letting Town and its surroundings speak for themselves. But this time of year is all about the people. Provincetown’s beauty and quirkiness are still very much present, but there are now people intersecting with those qualities, often enhancing or juxtaposing them.
It’s a fun challenge to tell my story of Provincetown with these new actors, as they walk on a stage that for them is temporary and usually all about pleasure (in one form or another; or sometimes multiple forms all at once–I’m looking at you, Purgatory).
And, as delightful and ideal as this time of year can be, a week or so ago I found myself thinking about one of those January days, when this town has returned to hibernation and I am one of the few people who sees the snow on the dunes, the two coyotes running down Pleasant Street, those purple-bottomed clouds floating through the red, dusky Winter sky…
