Boys With Their Toys Photo

Photographer’s Note

These are two of San Anselmo's finest, officers of the law. I was standing in front of Town Hall when they exited the Police Department and walked toward the street. I swung my camera around and took this photo. What struck me when I processed the image this evening were the handguns strapped to their waists. I'd mused about titles for the photo beginning with "The Long Arm of the Law," a play on a line that suggests criminals eventually will be found and punished. Then I thought of the motto I've seen painted on the side of some police cars "To Protect and Serve." But the reality of those handguns returned to my mind and the image "triggered" a recollection of studies examining Americans love affair with guns.

There are third world and developing countries that have higher homicide rates from guns but the United States stands far ahead of industialized nations in this grizzly statistic. We're often proud of our "rugged individualism" and every kid grows up smitten by heroes toting guns, whether they are cowboys from the Old West, adventurous soldiers like Rambo, or assorted characters in the many violent computer games so popular today. I guess, if we're going to be the policeman of the world we need our six shooters...

San Anselmo is a sleepy town with expensive homes, upscale shops and very little crime. I like that. I also know that the Police Department is both professional and responsive. I don't mean to denigrate these men, but the fact of their weapons strapped to their waists as they ambled down the sidewalk as children scampered about reminded me that we seem to be a very violent culture. I can't help but shake my head.

Rinie_Hoff, torben has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Rinie_Hoff (9332) 2005-11-03 3:23

Well, he looks as if he's (got) the long arm of the law. Luckily , beside that handgun he's got a toy cell phone, so that he can call the help of his friends with bigger guns. I see that his partner has got a bigger gun.
I'm glad for you that San Anselmo is such a quiet town, as the officer looks more fit to do desk work than chasing tough criminals. I like his open hand though, and the light on it.
Would have like a little bit less open space behind their bums ;-)

torben (3084) 2005-11-04 14:09

Yes, the guns certainly play a part in this image although not a very obvious one on first glance.
The first thing I notice is of course the striking line and colour of the arm, it is the purely pictorial elements that captures the imagination here.
The arm is contrasting everything else in the image, mainly because of the colour, reddish tones against blue and green.
Then arm is also the only (nearly) horizontal element, and the horizontal panorama format crop play along with this to give it even more prominence.
So the reading of the photo starts with the arm and in my case continues to the gesture of the hand that changes the direction towards the upper right corner where my first line of scrutinising ends.
So next I return to the vertical shapes of their bodies, the second most important pictorial element, the dark blue makes them blend in more but they are still distinct from the background, filling the frame from edge to edge.
The vertical shapes leads me to the guns which suddenly introduces a whole new aspect of political questions into my previously purely pictorial reading of the photo. So this leads me to read the note that develops this theme in thoughtful and interesting ways.
As a last impression the pot-bellied police bodies adds something that goes well with the last paragraph of your note.

Still I'm not completely happy with the photo. I have come to the conclusion that it is the tele-perspective that robs the photo of some of the dynamics that is promised by the line of the arm, a wide angle view of roughly the same framing from a shorter distance would probably have more striking overall. And probably a bit more exciting for you at the moment of exposure ;-)