Craig Mattner, Complex Simon (PEOPLE 2022)

Seated on a park bench, his mobility scooter parked close by, he calls out to me: ‘I’ll put some bread on my head!’ He had noticed me taking photos of the pigeons and now he was welcoming me to take photos of pigeons, participating in what I would learn is a daily feeding ritual. The pigeons knew the drill, and were soon competing for the handout: flying, fluttering, pecking, and landing on his arm, shoulders and head. Click. Click. ‘My name is Craig. I am a teacher taking photos in the city.' Click. Click. ‘I am a poet’, he remarks, ‘so, I remember names using rhyme.’ ‘Vague Craig. Are you vague?’ he asks. Click. Click. ‘I am at times. I am sure of that!’ Click. Click. ‘My name is Simon. Some call me Simple Simon, but I am actually Complex Simon.’ Aren’t we all? Complex, that is! We all have our dreams, our struggles, our anxieties. And hopefully – we all have our moments of joy. And on this day, Vague Craig and Complex Simon shared some moments of joy, and the North Terrace pigeons joined in the celebrations.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.