What has cocooning got to do with Slow Street? The idea of Slow Street is that by slowing down you become more conscious of the world around you. One of the things I have noticed when out on Slow Street is that people create personal “cocoons.” Faith Popcorn in her seminal book “The Popcorn Report” describes cocooning as putting a shell of safety around you. Back in 1977, Desmond Morris wrote the seminal book called “Manwatching” which focused on human gestures and behaviors.
Chicago is a great city for people watching. There are plenty of places for people to practice cocooning, and plenty of places for you to see them. These include the lake front, the river, and many parks.
“Slow, Man, Slow”
That happens to be one of my favourite pieces of music by the Emmet Berry Sextet. It features the great tenor sax player Paul Gonsalves. It was recorded in 1959. Its rhythm and title are good reminders of what you need to do to observe patterns on Slow Street.
Exhaustion from the modern world
Ever feel like this? A full-on life in a city can be wearing. It can be especially tough if you are not used to it. City folk seem to have built up a tolerance or immunity to the noise of sirens and people crowding sidewalks. They also have an antidote.
Identifying cocooning
Cocooning seems to stem from the need to shut out the noisy and intrusive world. People want to protect themselves from interruption. COVID has amplified this, but it’s not gone away as people return to “normal” life. I find the cocooning of others fascinating and try to imagine why they are there and what they are thinking.
I’ve noticed various types of cocooning on “Slow Street.” They are easily to spot, simply by moving more slowly, pausing, and standing still to observe them. You don’t need 15 frames/second, or continuous focus, or a superfast lens. Actually, anything from 28mm to 70mm works well.
“Slow Street” is a perfect way to capture these patterns. I’ve broken down them down into nine easily recognized forms I’ve noticed. You will probably know of more.
Shutting out the noise
If we are fortunate, we can mentally drift off into our own thoughts and shut out the world around us.
Building a nest
This is just one way to cocoon. When we arrange things around us to create barriers, we are protecting our privacy, helping us feel safe.
Creating a space within a public place
Building a “cocoon” does not have to take place in a secluded far away spot. Some people can manage it in very public places. The act of stillness and not moving can make you invisible to others and safer from intrusion. The goal of “Slow Street” is to observe and capture those moments of stillness.
Man’s best friend adds a protective layer
Companionship can help us calm our emotions. A dog accompanying you acts as a deterrent to others who are tempted to intrude.
Finding peace with a friend
Finding tranquillity with someone you know well enlarges the cocoon. It is better protected by two people who choose to share the experience.
An activity that gives you space
Occasionally, it’s the simple act of doing something that lets you lose yourself.
Call it meditation if you wish
Sometimes, simply mindlessly watching the world ahead of us allows us to calm our anxieties
Walking to get lost is a form of cocooning
The great British travel writer Bruce Chatwin wrote about “The Song Lines“. These are also known as dreaming tracks. They helped Aboriginal people in Australia store stories and navigate as they walked. In the western world we do a “light” version of this where we create or remember stories as we walk.
Other transport helps too
Focusing on something ahead helps avoid contact with other people
Try the Slow Street test
What more can you see when you slow down? Do you notice what people are doing? What are they wearing? What kind of cocooning signs can you identify?
How many different kinds of cocooning can you spot in a 15 minute walk?
What did I use to capture these images?
I typically only take out one camera with either one lens attached, or a camera with a built-in lens. “Cocooning” really doesn’t need more.
For this series of images, I used: Leica DL-109, Leica CL, Leica Q2, Leica Q3 28
Read more about street photography on Macfilos.
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Many thanks for all your comments. I spent most of my career trying to identify human behavior and understand what drove it. Photography is a nice way to preserve some of those latent skills and reapply them for pleasure.
Very interesting article, based on thorough – anthropological – observation.
Great pictures too.
Thanks!
Very interesting article Jon; I share some of your thoughts I often crave for silence and it seems to get harder (Age?) Although there is a thought of repercussions I get solace and relief in street photography and immersing my self in landscapes and how they came about
A nice article and thought provoking read. Thank you for sharing Jon.
Quite thoughtful Jon.
Much appreciated!
Very important in this world of electronic bombardment
Very nice article, I like your thoughts and pictures.