*Menacing* Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

Annother Photograph from Annapolis Maryland.

I have become quite the stalker here in Annapolis.

This photo was taken on the verge of descending into a darker side of Annapolis. The downtown area is very well known for its colonial architecture, good food and stumbling tourists wearing these latest fashions from the Pink Crab. There is a different side. As with any cities you'll find the area that nobody talks about...except for the evening news. These are homes that have not benefitted from the Historical Preservation Society...they are forgotten except by those people who wake looking out of these windows.
The evening news will tell you. They'll let you know where the shooting happened, when it happened...They will show you the police captain commenting on the search for the suspected hoodlum (Hi Rick). They will reassure those folks holding tightly to their couches that this is an isolated event and there is no reason to fear going to the Pink Crab...Yet, the homes are still forgotten.
We turn to our neighbors and comment on how this town has gone to S%#t. We tell them the reasons and who is really responsible. We speak about our new homes far away...one day.
We do not deal with the forgotten homes.
There are no jobs for those from the forgotten homes...amongst the fur wearing, wine swilling masses...around the houses held up by poor money and slim yachts belching water. We do not notice Those eyes, unless they force us to cross the street switching our bags from left to right...where we can relax; forgetting.

Chris.

Who needs a drink?

Valentine's Claret Punch

2 quarts tea, 1 pound sugar, juice of 6 lemons, juice of 6 oranges, 1/2 pint (or more ;?} ) of Jamica Rum, 2 quarts Claret 1 gill Marachino.

Strain all through chesse cloth and serve with block of ice. Liquors can be increased (as I've noted).

Helen Cassin Kinkaid's Book
Hanover Street Annapolis

bakes888, riclopes, Gerrit, syd1946, thaprem, atus, axiotea, singuanti, sabyasachi1212, AiresSantos, robertosalguero, dougie has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

ribeiroantonio (21839) 2007-03-01 20:16

Definitely, the guy on the right looks very menacing! And the little girl quite scared and small in the middle of the big boys. Your B&W is perfect with all the tonal range. Well done.
Antonio

PS. I am feeling thirsty now!!!

bakes888 (18055) 2007-03-01 23:47

Hi Chris. Cute kid, but menacing?? You are correct in your note about the apathy towards the “lower socioeconomic sector” I think I happens the world over. Well captured and well shown. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

hay_kes (28562) 2007-03-02 15:44

Hi Chris,
Superb B&W composition.Very nice and so cute kid.Very well composed.TFS.
Cheers!

hAyAti

riclopes (32951) 2007-03-03 5:05

Olá Chris, what a contrast here, bettween the 'big gorila' in black that indeed seems menacing, with the cute little girl holding the finger of her father. What I think it's smart here, is the way you cropped the heads of the adults. We are in the world of the little girl, a scary world. It's best they hold hands tight and firm...They don't want to loose each other...they don't want to show on the evening TV news. "I just want to play with my toys and my friends", she seems to be thinking...
Ricardo

Gerrit (35593) 2007-03-03 11:12

Aai, Chris,
It's a threatning world for a little girl.
Regards, Gerrit

syd1946 (17851) 2007-03-03 11:45

Hello Chris,
The two men's looks like giants and the girl seems to be frightened!:).One more excellent daily life scene you present to us in black and white.I like the "crop" of the heads,gives another dimension to the whole.Interesting note as well,

Cheers,
Thomas

atus (15452) 2007-03-03 17:59

Hi Chris,
well captured shot and presented in an effective vertical format. Very well framed with the adults' head cropped and seem to be giants comparing the frightened little girl. Also their dressing is well contrasting, with the dark of the "bad" giants and the white of the innocent.
Good work! Tfs and have a great Sunday!
Attila

tabora (13638) 2007-03-03 18:23

Bonsoir christopher,
Le regard et le poing serrer ainsi que les vêtemenst noirs pesent beaucoup sur la petite fille au regard candide.
Bonne composition.
A+ Joseph

thaprem (2472) 2007-03-03 18:56

I see a kind of Longigng to be that child, oblivious to the greays all around you...Thinking only of happiness...
That is a critical note Chris... That is true to cities all over the world... Rich & Poor..
The Monochrome strangely seems the natural reaction.

jinju (14265) 2007-03-03 20:45

Thats a damn good crop! The anonymity of the people, their bodies doo all the talking. The man on the right looks rather unfriendly. Even the baby looks like a menace:) How bad is Annapolis in terms of crime anyway?

parbo (10966) 2007-03-04 2:26

Hi Chris,

Menacing her is standing so little, so weak between two big bodyguards but her looks are telling different story and you captured their movement in excellent contrast. I’m not sure changing my tea taste with additional intergradient but ready to drink famous Suriname rum’s together. Cheers. Congratulations.

Friendly Regards,

Ertugrul

wolf38 (12642) 2007-03-04 12:45

Hello Christopher. The beautiful B&W Picture lives on the strong contrasts. The small girl in white between the men in black. The man right in the picture clenches the fist. A beautiful motive, well seen and realizes. Best regards, Wolfgang.

Angshu (33533) 2007-03-05 3:55

Well Chris, The kid is really cute & once again in B&W this is very apt. The kid in white & the cropped headless adults in black...is it symbolic to you here? The apathy of the haves towards the have nots is an universal story. But to fit this picture into that moral...I guess only you can do it & done so quite remarkably
Friendly Regards
Angshu

axiotea (16027) 2007-03-05 5:25

Hello Christopher,
A strong photo and a pertinent note, concerning the social differences and its consequences. I understand better why you didn't include the adult heads (after reading your note)... to give more impact on the little girl who lives in a cruel world.
Cheers,
Marilyn
Your drink recipe looks good but where I stay, I won t find Jamaica rum :)

singuanti (15240) 2007-03-05 22:36

Hi Chris. I think this was a good candidate for b/w and you did a good job converting it. My only thing is that I would like to see the head's of the people. tfs Chris.

sabyasachi1212 (19542) 2007-03-06 0:20

Hi Chris,
Quite a stalker, no doubt about that. And you don't hesitate to chop off heads as well :)) Nice capture of the little angel guarded by those black jackets - quite a contrast. I like the way you manage to get close to your subjects without intimidating them, you are a silent stalker alright:)
With Greetings from India
Sabyasachi

faubry (32265) 2007-03-06 10:45

hello Chtistopher, the little girl is very cute, lovely image, well captured
thanks
francine

t0mmm1 (5434) 2007-03-08 15:55

Hi Chris,
at first sight I thought what a lovely little girl and what bodyguards she have ;))) This little and it turns the world upside down of this two big boys... was the second thought ;)) Nice shot. I like the anonymous body-guards.
Have a nice day,
Tomi

AiresSantos (41820) 2007-03-09 3:46

Hi Chris,
Lovely expression of this nice Kid. I like the black and white format and how you framed the picture. Very good composition, interesting note.
TFS and have a nice weekend
Aires

robertosalguero (2763) 2007-03-12 1:15

Hello Chris,

Quite a contrast, the little girl in pink and the taller people in black. I like this black and white picture. The note is interesting and explains a situation prevalent in many societies and segments of the population that are afflicted by socio-economies malaises. Good work Chris :-)

Roberto

ahmetgedikli (21783) 2007-03-14 15:45

Hi Chris,
A sweet child... Beautiful black-white composition and good light management. Nice work,
Best wishes.
Ahmet

sayan (2609) 2007-03-18 9:33

Hi Chris,

That is a bold step to crop the heads off and I personally very much like the idea. The anonimity of those two people and only the presence of thier body is just sufficient. Sometimes too much facial expressions takes away the main attraction of the subject and here the little angel is the main attraction. Very nice work indeed.
regards

sayan

dougie (2920) 2007-03-19 16:47

Hi.
Interesting. Yes, the lack of heads brings the girl into focus more. Maybe that's how she sees the world, from that small height. She seems detached and very innocent. Thanks.
Dougie.

Scharan (13951) 2007-03-20 20:50

Olá Christopher

Linda foto em B&P.
Boa composição na vertical; a gatotinha é linda e ficou muito bem na foto...:)
Parabéns, ótimo trabalho.

Grande abraço,
Vera.

Manamo (3472) 2007-03-26 22:42

Hello Chris,
the crop is interesting, indeed. However, I'm not sure the physionomy of the characters help me buy the story. It seems more of a casual atmosphere to me. It's funny because I think the 3 preceding post would fit the story better. Well for my perception at least. I mean, I have nothing to add about the quality of the image, which is quite good actually(could use more contrasts though...).
Did you think about just having the shadow of the man reaching the lil-girl? Might have been powerful.
Is Annapolis that bad of a place? Looks like a quiet 50000 inhabitants town from here.
I wish you a beautiful week,
Marc