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Guest
05-Sep-2005 13:38
Thanks for the comments, and yes you got the right one (gigaotto - means big Otto, I have a very large dog). Anyway, you may be right about the other image, someone mentioned showing more of the bear, which could add more impact. Unfortunately, my mom was just visiting so I am out of luck on a re-shoot for a while. As for this image, personally this image does mean something more to me. I realize that it can be a bit hard to view for some people, but theses are the hands of my mother, and my mom's hands are my mother, meaning, if you know my mom you probably relate her hands as a big part of her. All my life my mom's hands have been impared by arthiritis and to some degree mis-shapen. In the 'Nana' image I tried to display them in a friendlier manner, not really seeing them like you do here. This image I feel that the hands really do tell a story, because of the angle the you are seeing the in-focus hand you really just see it as a old hand, yet the blurred hand in the background shows more of the affect of arthritis and how it is managled, possibly making you re-think and examine the first again? Oh the bright side, my mother rarely complains about what the desease has done to her, and rarely lets it hold her back. Thanks for taking the time. Chris
Hi Chris, Traveller here...I hope that you are the fellow with an Italian sounding name requesting a comment. I didn't comment in part because the Teddy shot I felt had been covered.
However, taking this a step further...the problem with the teddy shot is that I thought that she was holding a piece of carpet or something similar. Because she is you mother, I would imagine that you could re-shoot this with the fact that she's holding a Teddy Bear much more obious....facing it even toward the lens with the entire head showing.
Because of that problem, I prefered this image and the way that it isolated her hand. This to my mind is the better image because it tells, imho, the story better. However, let us be honest here, you as well as myself...this is not an upbeat image. This is not something that intrinsically makes people smile...far from it.
This doesn't make it a bad photograph....but in today's society where age is hidden, frowned on and is almost a taboo subject...you are not going to get many comments on a picture like this.
We will all eventually be where your mother is. This is a fine subject for an entire photographic series....but I don't think that you should expect people to pat you on the back over it...even if the subject matter is important and the treatment tasteful.
This is just human nature.
Best Wishes,
Traveller
Guest
04-Sep-2005 13:13
I would have to agree. I do like this image, in a way I put it up as a test, to see how it would work against the other image. I think in this one I tell less of a story, and the hands are left to do it all on their own. Thanks so much for commenting. Chris
Whist this is still a good mono work, it is not as interesting as your previous shot. It's less dramatic and has less of a story with it. Plenty of character in the hands admittedly, but it's overall effect is diluted because of the bear shot.
