The Sleeping Clown Photo

Photographer’s Note

New In the theme “Sleeping Beauties”: “The Sleeping Clown”

I captured this specimen on the ferry from Calais to Dover, still in the French territorial
waters.

More about Clowns

Cole Porter: All the world loves a clown.

Alfred Tennyson: As the husband is, the wife is: thou art mated with a clown,

Ralph Waldo Emerson: Little thinks, in the field, yon red-cloaked clown,

Stanley Kubrick: Come on, clown, sing us a chorus of Pagliacci.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton: They tell us sometimes that if we had only kept quiet, all these desirable things would have come about of themselves. I am reminded of the Greek clown who, having seen an archer bring down a flying bird, remarked, sagely: "You might have saved your arrow, for the bird would anyway have been killed by the fall."

Ernest Hemingway: You know lots of criticism is written by characters who are very academic and think it is a sign you are worthless if you make jokes or kid or even clown. I wouldn't kid Our Lord if he was on the cross. But I would attempt a joke with him if I ran into him chasing the money changers out of the temple.

Vladimir Nabokov: Whatever qualities [Tsar Nicholas I] may have shown in his own kingly profession, it must be admitted that in his dealings with the Russian Muse he was at the worst a vicious bully, at the best a clown.

Anne Sexton: My ideas are a curse. They spring from a radical discontent with the awful order of things. I play clown. I play carpenter. I play nurse. I play witch.

Fanny Brice: Being a funny person does an awful lot of things to you. You feel that you mustn't get serious with people. They don't expect it from you, and they don't want to see it. You're not entitled to be serious, you're a clown, and they only want you to make them laugh.

John Keats: The voice I hear this passing night was heard in ancient days by emperor and clown: Perhaps the self-same song that found a path through the sad heart of Ruth, when sick for home, she stood in tears amid the alien corn; the same that oft-times hath charmed magic casements, opening on the foam of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn.

Wallace Stevens: Cloud-clown, blue painter, sun as horn, hill-scholar, man that never is, the bad-bespoken lacker, ancestor of Narcissus, prince of the secondary men. There are no rocks and stones, only this imager.

Charlie Chaplin: I remain just one thing, and one thing only—and that is a clown. It places me on a far higher plane than any politician.

leonorkuhn, Gerrit, papagolf21, John_F_Kennedy, belido, Graal, danos, jhm, sacimar, AiresSantos, swiatopelk777, jlbrthnn, Kielia, siolaw, paura has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

feather (50154) 2009-09-02 11:10

I thought she must be celebrating Red Nose Day, but that was on 13th March. You have captured very rich colours in red, white and blue; very patriotic for your country and mine. Very unusual portrait of the sleeping traveller.
KAth

baba_flies (8099) 2009-09-02 11:18

Hello Rob! He must have had a stiff neck once he got up again :))) Great shot, wonder what he was up too but he gave you a great picture which makes us all SMILE. My father-in-law wanted to be a clown all his life but his family was more for a "decent job" (what ever this means) which luckily made him happy too. Great moment, Rob, very nice. Best regards, Barbara.

dip (12850) 2009-09-02 11:19

Hi Rob,
good clear,well exposed,colorful and well captured,
I like it!
well done,
Dimitris.

leonorkuhn (14047) 2009-09-02 12:10

Hi Rob,

Nice capture! The clown was tired but he did not want to spoil their characterization. Excellent colors and textures. Perfect light here. Very good job.

Greetings from Brasília
Leonor

Fis2 (46429) 2009-09-02 13:47

Witaj Rob!
Next interesting photo.
Good frame and super colors.
I like the colors and sharpness.
Good idea, good work.
Regards
Krzysztof

Gerrit (36287) 2009-09-02 15:23

Dag Rob,
Ik denk dat hij zo dronken was dat ze vrienden hem zo hebben uitgedost terwijl hij zijn roes uitsliep.
Die lendedoek is ook wel erg raar en dat horloge past er ook niet bij.
Intrigerende foto, dus.
groeten Gerrit

aadilj (17950) 2009-09-02 21:57

hey this is a very poignant and well composed moment Rob. I like the quietness here and the loneliness

papagolf21 (56749) 2009-09-03 1:09

Bonjour, mon ami Rob,
Le clown est fatigué ! encore une photo pleine d'humour et de réactivité !
Félicitations, tu as vraiment un don pour réaliser des photos sortant de l'ordinaire.
Amitiés.
Philippe

John_F_Kennedy (31994) 2009-09-03 3:32

Hello Rob,
Interesting character study. this is truly an amazing shot.
Best wishes,
Achim

CLODO (4643) 2009-09-03 4:25

Hi Rob
very unusual portrait of a clown!! I think that he witnesses some fair, drinks a lot of beers and so sleeps during the idle time.
Well spotted
CLODO

belido (16877) 2009-09-03 4:33

Olá Rob,

it's kind of funny. Unusual composition but a lot interesting. I like the naturality of the scene. Very well collected!
Abraço,
Carlos

pablominto (41372) 2009-09-03 7:56

Hello Rob,

Awesome situation, well framed!
Maybe an everyday scene but not often seen photographed, besides the striped t-shirt is a real eye-catcher...
Well done on composition, the result has a relaxed feeling to it, hehehe!

Greetings,
Pablo -

UlfE (9180) 2009-09-03 10:00

Hi Rob,

I really enjoy your sleeping series. All of them very different but still with similarities and related to each other. This picture of what guess is an artistic soul that obviously would like to be seen has some things in common in with the carefully studied painted beauty. This person is has the to the sleeping sleeping beauty No 2. A really fine collection. TFS and have a nice evening!

Cheers,

Ulf

batalay (21205) 2009-09-03 18:58

Hello Rob,

As as always, creative, entertaining well-composed, well exposed. With your mini essay you give us all food for thought, as well as a smile.

Warm regards,

Bulent

Graal (58732) 2009-09-03 23:48

Hi Rob,
amazing and a bit funny theme, new serie by You. Good shot and caught moment. Fine colours. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

danos (33300) 2009-09-04 1:44

Good morning Rob,
nice the snapshot of the sleeping clown to wear her clothes of her job and especially the mask with the red nose as her hat..I like the vivid colours that you captured as the good management of the light.Well done.

Have a nice day,danos

jafadabret (40325) 2009-09-04 1:51

Bonjour Rob.
Le clown a toujours fasciné. C'est un être qui porte la fantaisie et la poésie de l'enfance. Ici ta photo nous montre son côté humain, il a besoin de dormir.
Beau portrait !
Amical salut !
Jacques

jhm (83352) 2009-09-04 3:07

Dag Rob,

Bedankt voor uw uitgebreide nota over de clowns.
Deze clown heeft precies al wat buikje gekregen door het vele werk, of is het van lekker te eten.
Toch vind ik uw portret geslaagd en goed van kwaliteit.
Goed foto werk, bedankt.

Prettig weekend,
John.

rodgerg (25027) 2009-09-04 5:06

Dag Rob,

A very good portrait, very funny too with a POV and especially a framing very well selected. The superb color (red, blue) arise very well in the image.
Good and orginal photowork.
Best regards,
Roger

sacimar (7694) 2009-09-04 7:18

Hi Rob,

interesting picture, I like the composition with this clown, excellent colours and details, it's an artistic image, well done,

Best regards

Sergio

AiresSantos (42924) 2009-09-04 8:15

Hi Rob
The clown looks tired
Fine picture with excellent colours
Very well framed and done. Good informative note
Have a nice weekend
Aires

swiatopelk777 (9308) 2009-09-04 14:34

Hi Rob!
Wonderful scene, nice colors, good contrast, very good sharpness. Funny effect.
Greetings from Warszawa!

jlbrthnn (38971) 2009-09-10 6:38

Hello Rob,
Clothing, and the relaxed position of the clown, are completely strange, but very funny. I like this image simply carried out, with humor, and of very good quality. Cheer.
Have a nice day.
Cordially.
Joël

Kielia (8735) 2009-09-14 9:00

Hi Rob,
this is a complete artwork! Your note - deeply fascinating - and the funny image are working excellently together. My compliments!
Warm regards
Harriet

alainh (35387) 2009-09-14 22:10

hello Rob
a good idea than this close-up in the sleeping clown. i like the detail of the wach !!!
a nice day for you Rob
alain

siolaw (25832) 2009-10-02 21:32

Hi Rob
A funny capture here! You framed it well and the empty wall makes the subject! He looks real tired!
Gretings
Laurent

devimeuxbe (56370) 2009-10-06 8:00

Hi Rob
excellent capture. good idea. The clown is tired. The ceremony already finish.
Nice work
Bertrand

paura (39306) 2009-10-09 17:09

Rob,
Technical settings are excellent here to show the interesting scene. Colours and lighting are top rated.

well done.

Paulo