The Lost Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

Taken in a massive Walmart superstore in Florida. The little girl is my cousin, I figured the shot needed something more so I got her to stand there and told her to look lost.

Nobody has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

brazilwood (66) 2005-10-10 17:30 [Comment]

Show Comment

maciekda (19587) 2005-10-10 17:39

nice photo Alex, I like the compo here - two persons in opposite corners, dont mind the tilt much, lovely colors. your cousin is a quite good actress, a scene like from a cheap scary movie. good stuff

don_narayan (2014) 2005-10-10 17:41

it is a good shot, your cousin is a good actress. I love hor Ronald has this strange look, it is even more strange with the context of "lost." rather malicious, like "hey, are you lost? need a place to go? come with me."

kensimage (8539) 2005-10-10 22:06

This is very well framed, Alex, with the alerts visible and the contrasting, yet somehow slightly ominous, Ronald clown. The tilt adds a feeling of unsteadiness or confusion. The only problem is that your cousin is not (yet) a good actress--she looks too much like she's having fun! I guess it's good when a kid doesn't know enough about real misery to fake it. Regards, Ken.

Galeota (10334) 2005-10-11 0:56

Hi Alex, I think it works even though I hate that clown. It's just son incongruous, IMO, to associate these two subjects. YOur cousin did well in posing for you; guess she deserved her happy meal... cheers.

Furachan (0) 2005-10-11 3:23

There you go - a TILT that has its own perfect logic - including more, increasing dynamism, emphasizing that "lost" feeling.
I've always found Mac the clown a spooky figures like so many mindless products of America. Here a REAL child seems just plain lost under that incredibly ironic 800 sign.
Quite brilliant, Alex. It's great to see you posting stuff...
Cheers,
Francis

Homerhomer (4005) 2005-10-11 9:19

I love this image Alex, it has it all.
Starting from the MacDonlads which has became such a world wide icon, which can be interpreted in number of ways, and makes a great subject for photography. The image has plenty of irony with the smiling clown and the 1800/"lost cousin" issue, great striking colours, cheeziness, serious situation of lost children and compo. I don't see any weak points in this image.
A real winner in my eyes.
So what have you been up to these days?
Peter

jcandeli (40) 2005-10-11 9:42

Very nice! The happy clown and the scared looking little girl. The lost posters adds more tension too. The mood makes Ronald look a little sinister. Nice job. JP

AnimeshRay (8886) 2005-10-11 15:56

Suberb acting by your cousin...she should be in Hollywood, but it was a good decision to get her in the act.

ElSato (824) 2005-10-11 18:15

Alex,

Amazing shot. You have beautifully brought out the dark side of the clown (something I didn't have a chance to do with my recent carny series since I saw no clowns).

The contrast of cartoon-like, brightly coloured props (Ronald and the "Welcome to McDonald's" sign that's cut off at right) with the dark side of life (the photographs of missing children, the literal darkness outside the door, and your Oscar-nominated cousin) works perfectly. (It's even scarier than usual to me since I just finished reading "Fast Food Nation"... I won't get into a polemic here since this isn't the place, but if you ever read it you'll see what I mean.)

Francis is right about the tilt adding dynamism, but it also calls to mind the camera angles used in the B horror movies that Maciej refers to, which really underscores the dark aspect of this image.

And all the while the signs in the background warn the poor girl to get the heck out: Caution! Exit here! I feel like yelling to her, the way you want to call out to the characters in a movie because you can see what's coming and they can't, "get out before it's too late."

Personally I have to go with the majority on your cousin: to me it doesn't look like she's having fun. She has that very genuine squirming-your-hands-around-and-twisting-your-clothes look that so often goes with anxiety in young kids.

Really effective image!

Lee

gringofil (0) 2005-10-18 6:30

Alex, mate, this shot is just amazing. OK, she's your little cousin so it wasn't a decisive moment, but the idea behind the image is just great. I really like how you also included the creepy face of Mr. McD as well and the posters really make the shot. Anyway, excellent work here, Alex.

mrbialy (2568) 2005-10-18 11:32

Helloooooo Alex.
This shot is for me like your "Big Comeback". Just great and amaizing composition. Point of view and cought moment here is incredible. Idea about the captured to. Colours: another good point. But the most important for me here is subscription and title. What we have here: "Welcome to...", "The lost", "Alert", " The Missing", "Exit here", "Caution", litle girl (I know she just looks like really scared because she lost her way or parents) is really, really go with this image. Red-yelow clown playing here bed character with his smiling. All moment or situaction here create very strong message and of course this is picture with your old, good style. congratulations!!! good luck

joseelias (367) 2005-10-20 9:13

If I were an administrator of McDonalds I would have put you in court by now… Such a cruel image in a very friendly place for children! Health food, no profits involved and there you go faking a lost and miserable child in such a paradise… And the worst part is that Ronald (creepy clown BTW) doesn’t seem to care!!! You’re a mean person… ;-)

Very strong and suggestive image. The tilt and perspective add a lot of drama to the scene and the fact that the little girl is standing in a corner really emphasizes the feeling of stress, helplessness and seek for refuge. Very well done.

jinju (14265) 2005-12-11 23:48

The psycho clown. This is really cool as an anti-McDonalds photo. You have managed to create an atmosphere of foreboading, eeriness..like something from the twilight zone. Here Ronald McDonald looks really weird and all those Alert, Lost, caution signs also lend themselves to this effect.

CLODO (4104) 2009-08-04 23:21

Hi Alex
Thanks your cousin because she has the right face for a lost child waiting for her parents. I like the tilt which adds some more dynamism
Regards
CLODO