Bob Miller recently came out with Cigarette Lepers, a book featuring smokers stealing their smoke on the sly. The images feature stark lines and furtive looks, and illustrate the increasing isolation smokers face. Many of the pictures show only a hint of the hiding smoker, tucked behind a column or in a doorway so as not to disturb the non-smoking populace. Bob took the time to answer a couple questions for us, on his birthday no less. (Happy Birthday Bob!)
How long have you been working on the Lepers project?
The project has been going about 2 years.
What prompted it?
I’m a former smoker. I had a mild stroke and stopped completely, but having people around me smoke doesn’t bother me (although I’m more aware of it now) and I feel that society is going a little overboard in how it treats smokers. In most of the Western world you cannot smoke at work, in people’s homes, in restaurants, bars and so forth. We seem to be creating a group of people who sneak off to have a cigarette; they pop out of the office to hide somewhere away from the cold and have a smoke. Generally they are on their own, but there could be other people around smoking as well and it’s interesting the relationship they have with one another. I think it’s really crazy that people are being pushed into these situations to have a cigarette.
Here’s an example of something I found inane – I was walking up these steps just by the Thames embankment and there was a man tucked into a corner smoking. The graphics of the shot looked great, and I felt I needed to ask him if it was alright for me to photograph him. He said no, and when I asked why he replied that his wife might find out.
I’m not trying to make a big statement, but I found the idea and the subject interesting and graphic.
What has most surprised you in the course of taking this series of photographs?
Mostly, I continue to be surprised at just how controlling governments and local council are becoming.
