Shelf Esteem

We'll Drink To That

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

I often get asked "What makes an interesting photograph?" My reply is always the same. Always unwavering. Always consistent. Anything makes an interesting photograph. Yup, anything. To me, the most interesting shots are those that most people would simply walk past.

But it's true. There is art everywhere. Ah, but to photograph it, you have to recognise it first. I guess there is no such thing as a mundane sight. Why? Because you can interpret anything the way you want to. That, more than any other factor, is the true power of photography.

I was walking down a street in Singapore when I noticed these shelves of cold drinks, stacked three deep. I simply waited for the crowd to thin out and as soon as I had the perfect opportunity, with no one walking through my field of vision, I shot this frame.

It attracted my attention not just because of the colours, not just because of the military-like order in which the drinks were stacked. But if you look carefully at the orientation of the colour on the labels, it looks as if there is a wave motion through the entire frame.

It's almost as graceful as a hula demonstration, isn't it?