Dutch Boy

Critiques [Translate]

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• aadilj (10696)
• [2008-05-11 23:49]

Thats so typically American an so well captured. I like the absence of colour in this one because it anyways paints an image in my mind! Great work

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• ohe (2330)
• [2008-05-12 0:30]

Dear Henk,
Very nice composition. B&W works well.
Sharpness is excellent.
Thanks for sharing,
- Olivier -

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• ktanska (12463)
• [2008-05-12 0:34]
• [+]

Hi Henk,
Beautiful place full of history. Original setting compared to abandoned cars that are a more obvious target. But somehow I felt there's something wrong. After a while I got it. Wind would blow that can away quite soon, so this scene is (too) obviously arranged. And whether it was you or someone else who put it there, makes no difference.
Kari

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• dareco (11183)
• [2008-05-12 0:53]

This is really fantastic!! I love the old can in the foreground. The scene behind is lovely. Fantastic detail and contrast! TFS

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• imrek (6831)
• [2008-05-12 1:01]
• [+]

HI Henk,
Bodie town it sems very photogenic place, and your B/W conversion is very well done together with good use of circ.polarizer. very goo work as usual!
Congratulations, I see you bought new 1Ds mk III, the difference between the mk2 image quality, and the 1Ds mk III image quality is incremental. But how big is the difference in a real?
regards,

imre

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• Wanda1 (8337)
• [2008-05-12 1:25]
• [+]

Hallo Henk,
Een 'Dutch boy' voor een 'Dutch boy'!
Dit is heel grappig Henk, en goed gezien. De zwart en wit wat ongewoon vir jouw is past heel goed bij de character van deze foto. Goeie gebruik van jouw wide angle, en ik hou van de verschilende texture soos of de houd en gras. Prachtige diepte, en de witte wolken is een mooi eindiging tot deze beeld.
Prettige dag verder
Groetjes
Wanda
P.S. Just a silly question, evrybody says it is better to take pictures in RAW format and I know you agree. Do you need special software to convert RAW images or can you do it on photoshop?

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• molla (5164)
• [2008-05-12 1:28]

great Henk.
-Yippieahoo
One could just wait to se some old redneck coming out of the house with a corn pipe in the teeth lees jaw an giving the empty can a round up with the rifle.... or one could allso expect to find some of Steinbecks characters from the" Knights around Dannys table" sleeping there worst hanover in this shack. very good californian desolated mood in this fantastic BW image.
I suppose that the Dutch linseed oil hasn't been used on this house in a very long time.
anders

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• dkeus31 (25366)
• [2008-05-12 1:29]

Hi Henk
a very good bw conversion, as the contrast is good and the sky almost black-
hice feature, the "arranged" can!
regards,didier

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• MarcT (14774)
• [2008-05-12 1:57]

Hi Dutch Boy,
Your note is excellent and the picture works well in B&W too.
Have a nice monday...
Cheers
Marc

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• fabio_ts (12613)
• [2008-05-12 2:16]

A magical B&W pictures from an evocative place Henk, very nice work with great appeal, I'm waiting for the next ones!!

have a nice week,
Fabio.

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• delkoo (24998)
• [2008-05-12 2:16]

hi henk
quite funny to see that old can with the "dutch boy " painted on it,

your perfect framing is , yet a lesson of photo.

best regards
didier

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• Davids (1005)
• [2008-05-12 3:07]

Hoi Henk,
Mijn eerste reactie was "f***" . . . wat een foto . . . waarom heb ik je nooit eerder gezien . . . maar het is TE en die dingen gebeuren :)
Ik werd aangetrokken door de titel . . . ik ben een dutch boy in een vreemd land . . . en ik was benieuwd wat de bedoeling van de titel was . . . maar na het openen . . . wauw!!!!!
Ik ga niet zeuren over wat er anders had gekund . . . alsof ik het hier beter had gedaan. . . gewoon schitternde compositie . . . prachtig onderwerp en mooie sybolistie van de historie in het B&W!

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• Photo65Net (32728)
• [2008-05-12 3:51]

Henk,
Is this your "Dutch titled" series ? :o)
Anyway, great BW here, I remember your first posts from this place, and thay all are so beautiful... great job !
Regards,
JB.

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• belido (9661)
• [2008-05-12 5:19]
• [2]

Hi Henk,

this is an unusual work from you. First for the b&w which is not common to see in your gallery, second the composition by itself. Regarding the first feature, it was well done. I like the strong tone contrast overall and this includes that darkned sky against the lightned foregorund. About the composition, you managed the elements in a way that pleases very much. The dutch boy works as the invitation for the composition since it's the first element we look at. The fact it's at the right, it makes us turn our attention to the house at the left, completing the image reading. I hope my broken english can tell you what I think about this one :) Great work!
Regards,
Carlos

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• barrufeto_77 (20439)
• [2008-05-12 5:21]

Hi Henk.

Excellent picture unusual from you with excellent contrasts!

My compliments!

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• xavshot (48376)
• [2008-05-12 5:57]

bonjour Henk
excellent n&b. j'aime beaucoup le contraste entre le ciel et les nuages. Belle ambiance dans cette photo. Bravo.
Xavier

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• fulvio52 (4612)
• [2008-05-12 6:46]

Hoi Henk,
dit is Ansel Adams op en top... beter dan dit krijg je het vandaag de dag niet, punt. Zelfs Ansel's absoluut eigen overall definition heb je voor mekaar gekregen... Het lijkt alsof Dutch Boy in de jaren '40 is genomen. Kolere, wat een shot, he!
Ik wens je een hele fijne dag, Master!
Tot gauw,
Fulvio.

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• zmey (5180)
• [2008-05-12 6:51]

lol, henk

dutch boy taking dutch boy poster picture? :)) and i see you're living up to your promise made at daniel's picture. bodie it is... wonderful light and black and white clarity. interesting scale game with that tin dutch boy sign equaling the hut in the background. i like it.

warm regards,
kristaps

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• andante (6624)
• [2008-05-12 7:05]

What isn't great about this one. I was thinking to critique the fact that the second house on the background is not that prominent, then I realized that "discovering" it was part of the excitement. The composition leads the eye very nicely from the can of paint to the house to the little house and then ti the rest of the image. And then the B&W execution is so clean. Great capture, my friend. One for the books!
Cheers,
Enrique

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• Paolo (40001)
• [2008-05-12 7:16]

An image of 60-70 years ago...that is!
great shot, and excellent work on light, tones and contrast. Brilliant POV too.
thanks, ciao

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• Dyerco (5366)
• [2008-05-12 7:20]

Hi Henk
Well you are right there is a plethora of images to be had in Bodie. Nicely composed with the old can of Linseed oil posed on the wood. I like the B&W presentation here.
Phil

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• corniste (2941)
• [2008-05-12 7:33]

Hello Henk,

When I see this, I'm just looking for the guy shooting with a gun on the can! lovely atmosphere!

Have a great day!

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• johnfreeman (1803)
• [2008-05-12 7:55]

Hi Henk,
I bet you couldn’t resist taking that when you saw it! Even without the oil can this would have been a fine composition with the piece of wood leading towards the old house, but its inclusion balances the house and enhances the feeling of a ghost town. I can almost hear it rattling in the wind!
Good choice of B&W.
John

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• Wandering_Dan (3233)
• [2008-05-12 8:32]

Hi, Henk -

Overall a great photo, and well done in B&W; I just think the sky was a bit too polarized. Great juxtaposition of the can (and in a picture by a Dutch boy, no less!), the wood, and the buildings. And I almost get splinters just from looking at the wood!

Your posting this, as a European, reminds me of a favorite story I have to tell: There was this group of exchange students being taken on a tour of the US, and they came to this ghost town in Nevada. The guide was waxing enthusiastic: "Some of these buildings are 150 years old! Think of it, ladies and gentlemen. Can you imagine anything that old?" A voice pipes up in the back of the group: "My! I can't wait to get back to Damascus and tell the folks about this!"

Best,
Dan

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• bombilla (3357)
• [2008-05-12 8:58]

If a Bodie meet a Body, coming through the rye . . . That's two Dutch boys a long way from home. Great work here. This one should be published in a book for sure. Best, -Hugh

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• faubry (28140)
• [2008-05-12 9:23]

bonjour Henk, a BW photo isnt usual from you..i like this iron box pub... very interesting cadrage, have a good evening
francine

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• melmcree (2235)
• [2008-05-12 9:56]

Hi Henk,

Sorry I've been gone a lot for the last 3 weeks and haven't been able to keep up with your gallery. If my memory serves me correct you only do a couple of B&W a year and I really like this one. The sky looks so smooth but the composition is just top notch! I even like how the fence post points to the house. You are one clever guy!

Take it easy,

Mel

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• carper (54380)
• [2008-05-12 10:16]

zeker een orginele foto Henk,
uitstekende compositie, mooie details, ja I like the way you took your Dutch Boy, good photojob here, Prettige dag verder.
groet Jaap

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• leo61 (31920)
• [2008-05-12 13:45]

Hi Dutch boy!
A great shot Henk,nicely composed with this old sign in the foreground.I`m again astonished by the result in B&W and the polarizer.Looking at the shadow of the sign it must have been about noon.Amazing contrast and nice B&W tones.
Regards,Leo

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• gilou530 (26487)
• [2008-05-12 13:49]

salut henk
un traitement de cette photo en N&B bien réalisé d'un endroit qui en couleur devait avoir beaucoup de contraste et de relief avec les nuages, beau travail
amitiés
gilbert

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• feather (40653)
• [2008-05-12 14:23]

How could you resist the Dutch Boy!? ;D Excellent quality B&W with great light and contrast. We can see every grain in the wood of the bench. Well composed as usual; in fact the old house grabs the attention just as much as the can. I was expecting something from the mk III
Kath

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• azleader (793)
• [2008-05-12 17:39]

The polarizer does exceptionally well with B/W and this is no exception. Well balanced and framed composition. Beautiful picture!

Bodie is California's top ghost town photographer paradise. It is exceptionally well preserved and one of the best examples of a ghost town in all of western USA.

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• gneufeld (10355)
• [2008-05-12 18:15]

Hi Henk,
This shot in Black and White is stunning. The details are incredible and the contrasts stunning. Great point of view with that heavy timber reaching across the foreground. Very well done and TFS. Gerald

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• pboehringer (19430)
• [2008-05-12 19:15]

LOL!
It requires a dutch guy to come all the way to the lost town of Bodie to see this little can and get the full potential of the composition. I didn't see this can there anymore when I got there. Did you take it with you back to Netherland?
The B&W suits perfectly and your conversion makes the best out of it. The PP reminds me of the old master Ansel Adams and laso your previous post from this town with the car.
Yes, let the old pictures coming in ....
Peter

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• patdeph (8830)
• [2008-05-12 22:57]

hello Henk
I am surprised to see someB&W from you!But this is really well done!I like the strong contrast,that it's what is catching my eyes :the black sky with its very white clouds and the lightened foreground!I like the way it's composed with a good place for each elements,and the sharpness is amazing.
Have a nice day.
Pascale

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• InasiaJones (15825)
• [2008-05-12 23:24]

Hi Bodie!... :-P)

Dutch people always know how to put good things in a can... That's what you are doing all the time with your camera. Yep!... I've been there, was fascinated by the place, but was too dumb to have a camera. When I see your work, I can only regret it a little deeper...

This is an brilliant composition, an example that one would use in a photography textbook, or "How to create a strong feeling of depth in a 2D image"... Distance and proportion are amazingly efficient in this scene, where every objects and elements are being carefully placed in your image. The more I look at it, the more I realized how strong is this photo.

Jolted contrasts, tack sharp details and a deep Floydian sky. This scene is interesting to look at through and through.

Exceptionally well designed shot, enough to forgive you not showing it in colour.

André

P.S.: Were you wearing these kind of clothing when you were going to school?... :-P)

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• IgorDeleze (15768)
• [2008-05-13 0:37]

Hello Henk,
Great BW shot!
I realy like the very dark sky with the flashing withe clouds.
Greetings.
Igor

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• pasternak (11922)
• [2008-05-13 1:44]

Excellent image in fantastic BW, this black polarized sky is great, and very good sharpness on all the wooden parts. Also classic composition with two balanced focal points. Nice one!

Cheers
A

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• Charo (19030)
• [2008-05-13 2:39]

Hola Henk,
Estupenda composición muy americana. Estupendos tonos y detalles. Buen trabajo.
Cordialmente
Charo

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• hispic (4458)
• [2008-05-13 2:56]

Hello Henk,
Perfect composition and tone as your always, you have changed the harsh light to the beautiful light. Floating white clouds are pleasant indeed. Dark rich tone of the sky is especially exquisite.
Have a nice day, Hisashi

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• jhm (67962)
• [2008-05-13 3:22]

Dag Henk,

Ik kan mij zo een beetje inbeelden wanneer we dit beeld tegenkomen en dit in Californië, dat men dan geneigd is om een foto te maken.
En een zwart-wit foto dat had ik nu van u niet echt verwacht, maar alles heeft zo zijn redenen.
Daarom alleen wil ik dit niet veroordelen, want de kwaliteit is op zijn minst onberispelijk, en dat is primair als foto.
Bedankt.

Groeten uit Vlaanderen,
John.

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• brandstaetter (8754)
• [2008-05-13 3:24]

Hi Dutch boy,
also in B&W you got a perfect quality. the sky is so dark and clean, amazing.. and the depth of field is enormous.
Regards, Christian

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• UnTrained (13514)
• [2008-05-13 3:57]

Hallo Henk,
so you found yourself presented in this old abandoned village. ;-)
The good sky in b&w tells about the good blue it was before but the b&w makes this one older, I would like to see it also in colour. Fine balanced view with the house, a clear and sharp impression. I like it very much.
Lieben Gruss, Ulf

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• broglia (2723)
• [2008-05-13 7:15]

Beautifully balanced composition Henk. Absolutely fabulous. Love the almost black sky. Simply brilliant.

Best regards, Roberto

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• Emile (16101)
• [2008-05-13 7:35]

Hola Henk.
Your idea to post this photo in B&W is very good, it looks like the old ghost town of Hollywood movies, if you waited a little bit more you would see Clint Eastwood passing by on his horse. The feeling you get from your excellent shot is that you were present during the old times of this forgotten town. Maybe Peter Boehringer will tell you that it looks like the old Ansel Adams pictures but I think this one has the Henk Meijer seal on it. Superb shot, TFS.
Best regards.

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• Cricri (29737)
• [2008-05-13 9:04]

Hi Henk,
un beau contraste du N/B, une qualité d'image et une présentation toujours au top
belle note d'accompagnement
Friendship
cricri

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• Philippe (9519)
• [2008-05-13 9:25]

Dag, Henk. De Nedelanders vind je overal, zelfs in Bodie ;o). Een zeer goede compositie hier met een goede diagonaal tussen het blik vooraan en het huis op de achtergrond. Een goede velddiepte en een zeer aangename lucht. Een goed gekozen gezichtspunt dat ons toont dat Bodie in the middle of nowhere ligt.

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• avene (6190)
• [2008-05-13 11:13]

hello Henk,
so, what happened to colour photography? :))) or this is to make a point that for a true master colours are not exactly necessary to create a striking photo? in any case - I love what I see, hard to believe this is 21st century, I can easily imagine horse-drawn wagons coming over those hills in the background. fantastic textures, and I keep admiring how you have created an optical illusion that the oil can is almost bigger than the house. the Dutch Boy rules the American landscape! :))) superb work, as always.

with best regards,
Kristine

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• JPlumb (3121)
• [2008-05-14 1:59]

Hi Henk, only you could take this shot, with the Dutch Boy can, and that makes for a very large watermark. Seriously though, if I ignore the can, it's a great composition. Black and white works very well for this period kind of shot, and the contrasts seen here are very good. The textures seen on the bench, the grass and house are great and those clouds "pop" out of the sky. Very excellent control of your light.

Thanks, John

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• macondo (9397)
• [2008-05-14 6:44]

Hi Henk.
I really like this type of b/w shot, with the dark sky and high contrast. This one just looks right out of a western movie, almost. I love the composition, that can looks like it would be a good target for shooting practice. Thanks for the great note too. This is a real slice of Americana.
Regards,
Andrew

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• robertosalguero (17268)
• [2008-05-14 23:44]

Hello Henk,

Nice black and white composition. The old can is a nice and interesting subject. Surprised that it lasted this long without being taken as a souvenir. Nice angle to capture the little house on the back left. The feeling of desolation is very evident in this image. Thanks Henk.

Roberto

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• tehanu_f (6444)
• [2008-05-15 4:48]

You captured the spirit of the wild West. The bw treatment is superb. I guess it's because the colour version is just as good and sharp. Very well done.
regards,
Fusun

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• Greg1949 (5634)
• [2008-05-15 5:09]

Henk, I am never sure why B&W is used these days but that quandry aside the shot is sharp and cleverly composed. It has been many years since I wandered around Bodie and I imagine little has changed, but seeing the details that others find photogenic is always a treat.

Greg

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• Merline (5262)
• [2008-05-17 6:51]

Hi Henk,
you truly captured the essence here, I just love that b/w ! And the whole set, it's like going back years, like in a movie and excellent composition. Splendid work of Americana. Will be less on TE for a couple of weeks, see you around soon.

Warm regards
Michèle

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• angela926 (1377)
• [2008-05-17 20:59]

Hello Henk,
Great shot, beautiful black and white tones and lovely
light, superb sharpness and very good depth of field,
good composition and pov, i like the little house in
the background, well done.
Angela

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• capthaddock (28303)
• [2008-05-18 18:39]

He he, funny shot, the dilapitated ghost town atmosphere is strong, I see the oil is "boiled", I wonder how they achieved that.

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• euryan (7770)
• [2008-05-18 20:48]

You must have been smiling from ear to ear when you found this! This is a real treat coming from you. Love everything about this one.
Regards,
Ryan

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• marietom (20953)
• [2008-05-22 9:27]

Hello Henk,

ca fait un peu image de film. Superbe atmosphère, et magnifique noir et blanc. Belle trouvaille, une fois de plus !
Bonne soirée
Marie

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• zeca (18158)
• [2008-05-26 17:44]

Very good framing. You've found a nice subject to the foreground, creating a nice composition to the house. The nature is also nice and your work is very well presented in b&w. Well done, Henk.
Regards,
Zeca

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• mark_mk (2178)
• [2008-06-11 6:10]

Hi "Dutch Boy" Henk,
well I could spend hours with looking through you gallery! This is such a nice shot, I saw the color version on your website and I have to say, I even like the B&W version better, it transmits an even better atmosphere. The POV is simply wonderful! You did a great job, thanks so much for sharing all of your wonderful photos.

Oh, by the way, I downloaded your free screensaver, very cool, thanks for putting it onto your website.

Take care
Mark

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• edytungkal (3557)
• [2008-06-15 19:02]

This shot really got my attentions after opened your galeries and i agree this place has a fantastic landscape, a dream place for photograpers...
A nice b&w picture but i still curious to see it on colours. Thanks alot Henk for showing that :-)

daniel

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• crhieatt (4415)
• [2008-08-05 13:08]

Henk,
One of the best Bodie shots I've seen - not only an original point of view, but one with a humourous connection to yourself.
We just can't ask for more!!
Regards
Colin