Life in Northern Europe Photo

Photographer’s Note

First, my apologies to anyone who finds this photo too banal, but I post this for a reason. It seems that there are lots of pictures on TE of exotic African rituals, or colorful practices from South Asia. I'm posting this one specifically (tell me if I'm wrong) because this activity strikes me as being just as exotic. Here we have 6 men and two women, spending their busy Tuesday evening teaching their toddlers to swim.

This specific activity is the kid toss, where the parents toss their youngsters up in the air and let them land, with a splash, in the pool. There were actually 20 sets of parents with their children in the pool on this night and a majority of them were men, even one grandfather. These classes are so popular that they actually vie for positions to get in. This is not the youngest age level either. There is actual baby swimming where infants as young as two months old get to splash with their parents. Even the Danish crown prince and princess partook of such classes with their two children. Why so much interest in such an activity? Well, these are the descendants of the vikings, in a country almost completely surrounded by water. The sooner children learn to swim, the better.

BennyV, edge, Kielia, JLG, yuo has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

BennyV (4614) 2008-11-30 7:09

Technically not that a good shot, composition is a bit sloppy - but you were SO right to post this one. Sometimes we stare ourselves blind at the technical mastery of some of the photo wizzards here and forget what the site is really supposed to be about: learning about the world...and that's when this shot comes in. Masterful!

Benny

edge (452) 2008-11-30 7:27

Hi Kate, Good job. I like the thought of your photograph and the human interest it plays on. Perhaps there could be a different angle for this shot, or an adjustment to the White Balance, but I agree with Benny, that your shot serves a purpose and woth viewing. Splash, Roger

Kielia (8387) 2008-12-01 0:39

Hi Kate,
you are absolutely right, this is an impression of the Danish society that is very worth being posted! Your note is great! It is not only the fact that the Danes are descendants of the vikings it is also the society's task of giving the toddlers an optimum of education. TFS!

JLG (2086) 2008-12-01 3:17

hello Kate
cette photo est peut etre " banal "
mais elle donne une belle image de la société
nord européene,je me suis rendu compte lors de mes sejours au Danemark que les enfants on une grande place
et c'est tres bien comme ca
well done
jean louis

yuo (798) 2009-01-13 23:36

Hello Kate,
nice shot of life in Europe. i can see and enjoy it at Far East. thank you for the lovery pic :)
by the way, composition is good.
Regards, Yuo

pboehringer (770) 2009-03-05 8:19

Kate,
a shot full of social elements that are so typical for Europe. Your note really opens the horizon for what is going on here on what is going on in the westernized world. The dominant patriarchic system is not vanishing. Women are getting more and more the same roles as men and men getting more and more the roles that were believed to be the female role.
Two technical details: A faster shutter speed to freeze the action would make this image crisp and the other detail that I would like to see is a tighter crop on the happening to exclude the static background that is somewhat distractive from the main message.
Peter