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The Village Crazy


The Village Crazy
Photo Information
Copyright: Dennis Bours (Dpbours) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1891 W: 538 N: 1760] (7027)
Genre: People
Medium: Black & White
Date Taken: 2004-01
Categories: Daily Life
Camera: Canon Epoca AF, Ilford Delta 400
Photo Version: Original Version
Travelogue: Angola - Zaire province
Theme(s): Portraits by Dennis (abroad) [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-07-25 1:02
Viewed: 1194
Points: 16
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
My last black and white I'm now posting on Angola is a sweet but crazy lady who was always hanging around the healthpost.

The story told was that she lost all her children and husband in the war and gradually, with every loss, she went more and more crazy. In the end she was all alone and totally mad.
When we set up the healthpost, she was always hanging around. She could be quite direct and in your face, but never really dangerous. She believed that she would get better at the healthpost and always asked for pills. To make sure she wouldn't annoy the doctors every day, we'd give her Children's Paracetamol of 100 mg. One a day. It off course had no effect at all, but it was the lightest medication that we could give her and the psychosomatic effect seemed to be there...

In the end we found out she never took them, but she kept them in her pocket for good luck. Hundreds... Well, perhaps it helped...

Technical note:
Little sharpening. I first wanted to make her lighter, but she was really pitch black.
The shot was taken with my old Canon Epoca. No exif data for this one. I used Ilford 400 film. Negative scanned with Minolta Dimage Scan Elite II.


This photograph is part of my theme "Portraits by Dennis".
happypoppeye, Photo65Net, bertolucci, Vasylis, touristdidi has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To Photo65Net: EnjoyableDpbours 1 07-27 19:15
To Brian: We all have our lossesDpbours 1 07-27 19:10
To bertolucci: MenselijkDpbours 1 07-27 19:05
To Mangoman: Helemaal gelijk!Dpbours 1 07-25 07:13
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Critiques [Translate]

Dennis,

Ge-wel-di-ge foto.
en ik zie nou dat jij met hezelfde zit als ik. Iedereen loopt altijd maar aan mijn hoofd te zeuren dat de gezichten van de mensen lichter moeten, dat ze niets zien. Ik denk dat dat de Europese manier van kijken is. Zoals je zegt: Ze is donkerzwart ! Je foto laat dat juist heel goed zien.
Ik weiger vanaf nu dus ook nog om gezichten te bewerken zodat ze voor een blanke beter te zien zijn. !
Bedankt voor je voorbeeldige daadkracht !

Jan

  • Great 
  • jhm Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 12338 W: 246 N: 16219] (64846)
  • [2007-07-25 5:15]

Hallo Dennis,

Dat ze zwart zijn daar zal geen mens aan twijfelen.
Of het gezicht nu klaarder of zo moet blijven dat zal u zelf wel beoordelen, want het is de fotograaf die zijn werk bepaald.
Wat wel zeer goed uitkomt zijn de witte tanden tussen de zwartelippen, zelfs het wit van haar ogen is net tezien.
Voormij mag het gezien ietje klaarder, maar men weet dat foto's o zo subjectief zijn.
Het contrast is zeker heel mooi.
Bedankt voor uw bezoek.

Groeten uit Vlaanderen,
John.

  • Great 
  • wolf38 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1981 W: 75 N: 959] (6572)
  • [2007-07-25 11:02]

Hello Dennis. Black, that is the first impression of this photo. And then one sees this smile of the woman. Only your text describes background. An ill woman. She has a trauma. Their laughter is the attempt to survive nevertheless. An impressive journalistic photo. Best regards, Wolfgang.

Good photo Dennis. Truly, a crazy look, especially with those eyes looking at you under her brow and that smile. Although her face is really dark I actually like that you really can't see too many details. It really brings the focal point right to her eyes and smile. She really pops out against the bright background also.

Great note explaining the title and photo very well. It really brings some life into the photo with that story. You can only try, and maybe you helped more than you know.

Great work.
John

Dennis,
You caught a beautiful smile in this one.
The deep contrasts enmphasize this smile, beautiful.
Beautiful to finish your Angola series with such an enjoyable picture.
Regards,
JB.

  • Great 
  • Brian Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 243 W: 12 N: 148] (1155)
  • [2007-07-26 12:44]
  • [+]

Hey Dennis,
This crazy smile is a good way to end your Angola series. It's ashame what happend to her during her life. I believe enough loss could drive someone insane.
The dark face and shirt adds a lot of emotion to the story.

Great job,
Brian

Hallo Dennis, een prachtige foto, zeer expressief en perfect gecomponeerd. Wat een geweldige lach en wat een mooi en menselijk verhaal heb je erbij geleverd. In haar gezicht is gelukkig nog voldoende doortekeninng te zien. Heel mooi, gefeliciteerd!
Fijn weekend alvast,
Bert

Salve Dennis!
Incredible story and your photo express her mad smile very well.
The fact that you went for b&w is making the photo perfect.
Amazing work!
Cheers !

Well, she is too dark. I am sure you use photoshop and cure most anything, (but I don't know how). However, the story is wonderful, she looks lovable, and you deserve a happiest of green faces. Some crazy people steal my heart, and to make her happy, and "solve" her problem is wonderful!

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