The art of seeing

Benedict Brain captures a chance encounter with a flying hat in the Namibian desert

- By Benedict Brain

As previously mentioned (many times), I have an ongoing fascination with and research into the tourist gaze, a term coined by sociologist John Urry. I am often drawn to making images where tourism itself becomes the subject. The act of looking, consuming and photographing is enduringly interesting to me. I made this photograph during a frustratingly brief stop in the desert. The meagre duration of the sightseeing stop was set by the highly organised coach tour I'd blagged my way onto as an 'escort'. While the jaw-dropping moon-like landscape is undeniably worthy of photograp