Friday, August 21, 2009

Summer Walk with My Daughter

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I was out walking with Ellie tonight. Still haven't taken my 50mm off the camera yet. This is one of the shots that both Brooke and I loved.

3 comments:

Steven Thompson said...

There are several interesting elements to consider in this picture. At first, one's attention naturally goes to the little girl, and the cuteness trigger in one's mind goes off. But just when one is about to dismiss it as another great, cute picture, another thought imposes itself in the form of a question. Just who is this little girl? There is no face from which to draw an identity. One is both disappointed and intrigued by this. The moment passes quickly quickly and one's heart is suddenly arrested with the reality that there is a precious little girl standing in front of a car! One's brain runs through all the implications of the scene in a flash as parental instincts kick in. Dive, push her out of the way, save her, oh, wait, there's no driver behind the wheel, the little girl's body language isn't indicating alarm, everything is okay, there is nothing to be alarmed about! All these thoughts pass in a second and relief washes over, and one is free to enjoy the scene once more. "Hey, that's an old car," one thinks. As one is about to move on to the next photo, one final element pops out slightly: it's a handicap license plate.

One is pleased by this experience, stolen from a real moment in time.

Clayton Pearlstein said...

Thanks! That is one of the greatest comments I have received on this blog. I love the way you analyzed it and there are things you pointed out that informed me about my own image. When Brooke read it she said that she had felt a lot of what you said when she had first seen it. She specifically mentioned the parental instinct and then the realization that there is no one behind the wheel. One of the things you pointed out that I now love about my image is the youth contrasted with the elderly. The little girl and the "handicapped" pickup. Anyhow, thanks for the comment I absolutely love it.
One favor I'd like to ask... I was wondering if you have ever done flick'r because I would like this comment to be on the image there. I thought about copy and pasting it but that seemed like it would be cheesy for me to post your comment on my pic. So, if you could or would please post this on my Flick'r image.
Thanks again.

Anonymous said...

My sentiments exactly! Those are almost exactly my thoughts when I first saw the photo. Well written.

Great pictures, Clayton!
~Katie Bechard