Yet Another Freak Show

Why, oh why, do most photographers feel compelled to portray members of a subculture as freaks? (Let's give Diane Arbus a good spanking if she's the cause of all this.) Matt Hoyle's exhibit of photos at Point of View Gallery focuses on those crazy and kooky people who like to swim in frigid water. So guess what? All the swimmers look like either homeless people or Bellevue patients. I dig the high contrast of these images, and I also liked the non-portraits. Still, I OD'ed on photography's Freak M.O. a long time ago. (Images via Point of View Gallery)