carelessness Photo

Photographer’s Note

Just a very simple, purely "daily life" shot of Moscow's hectic life...
I apologize for its quality because it was spontaneous and taken with my cell phone 1.3mpx camera .... :-/

I took this photo near the entrance to a Metro station (Aeroport) in Moscow, not far from where one of my students lives.

I was about to enter the Metro when I suddenly thought why not to take a photo of this statue - a monument to Ernst Thälmann - in these surroundings: the lighting conditions were favourable despite the fact that it was about 7.30 PM.

At the next moment I saw this couple quickly passing by. I thought: why not to include them in the photo? They looked so happy and careless... :)

I wonder if they really know who Ernst Thälmann was..!

--------------------------------------------------
Ernst Thälmann was the leader of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) during much of the Weimar Republic.

He was arrested by the Gestapo in 1933 and held in solitary confinement for eleven years, before being shot in Buchenwald on Adolf Hitler's orders in 1944.

edouard_lauer, serp2000, ang25, trekks, Longroute, saxo042, mikeyeats, bukitgolfb301, ellelloo, holmertz, xuaxo, maloutim has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

edouard_lauer (1063) 2009-05-08 1:06

Hi Elena,

if I should guess than I would say: No, they didn't know him like I also do. This is why TE is an interesting place to get more facts than a simple picture.

Thanks for sharing,
Edi

serp2000 (9733) 2009-05-08 1:24

Привет, Елена,

Ну про Э. Т. мы помним с детства.Он даже на гэдээровских купюрах был. Это вы постепенно подбираетесь к завтрашней дате. А мимо течет равнодушная к политке публика :))
Успехов!
Сергей

ang25 (143) 2009-05-08 5:13

Hi Elena,
As usual very well done, and an informative note. That's what I like about you.
Maria

Greg1949 (8519) 2009-05-08 6:01

Elena, I like this one, despite the capture mode it is a good shot and does not seem to suffer from small file size. I think this is an almost overwhelming amount of subtlety. The sky is muted but there is detail and the sign is visible but it does not jump out at you, overall it is very good shot.

Greg

trekks (14334) 2009-05-08 6:40

hi Elena

The photo shows fine weather as the couple dressed casually in summer style. Very interesting corner of Moscow and honestly speaking I have no idea of this statue's hero, and sometimes I wonder how many local residents would take notice of statues like this one. And who are the people who decide to erect the kind or place of statue?

It looks like the building behind is a shopping center/metro station. And city living is basically everyday getting from Point A to Point B and return, without seeing much of nature and green space.

I like the casual manner of the couple shot here, obviously the girl is aware of being photographed and smiled?

Very informative work.

tfs, bill

jplebrun (17330) 2009-05-08 6:52

Bonjour Elena
belle photo de cette statue de Ernst Thälmann à aéroport de Moscou, sur le monument le monsieur semble être fier et fort, j'aime bien voir ce jeune couple d'amoureux qui pase devant.
Amitiés
Jean-Pierre

Longroute (9875) 2009-05-08 7:52

Hello Elena,

I prefer the couple than the statue! (:-
Just because living people look better!
Jokes apart I think the compo is well achieved: the contrast between the rethoric of the statue (a typical comunist sculpture) and the spontaneousness of the couple is self evident. I didn't know who he was, pity for his destiny, but I don't think that the statue will ever give him back what they had took from him.
Ciao,
Donato

AKITA (5589) 2009-05-08 8:24

dear Elena,
an impressive contrast between the fighting statue of Ernst Thälmann and the passing joyful young couple. it is a very suggestive and metaphoric shot of present Russia and the world, in my feeling.
actually the political movement made the history, and also the carelessness of people made the history too. in my thinking, those different elements are same superficial phenomena, like both in this shot.
really both hero and common people have been directed all through the history, then who is or what is the true impelling force behind the flow of history?

thank you for your excellent capturing,
Akihisa

saxo042 (16316) 2009-05-08 9:07

Hi Elena,
Certainly a very good idea t include the young couple in this picture. You do not only improve the composition, but you also add an interesting aspect here. I see the man wears a T-shirt with an English text. I can also see some advertisement in the background, maybe Moscow becomes more and more like Sweden, the English language takes over everywhere. It has been said before, this is the kind of photo I like on TE!
Kind regards
Gunnar

mikeyeats (440) 2009-05-08 10:14

Elena, good evening from a sunny Plymouth.
Nice picture, I must say I do like your pictures when you include people. These two look so relaxed. She is smiling, I think that he is taking her to buy a ring. (Always interesting to speculate).
All the best
Mike

amirey10 (565) 2009-05-08 12:48

salut Elena,
très belle photo avec ce jeune couple qui a l'air très content de la vie...
très bonne composition and POV
j'aime bien savoir qu'est ce qui est écrit sur le t-shirt du jeune homme?
bravo Elena
;)
amine

bukitgolfb301 (5021) 2009-05-08 13:42

Hello my dear Elena

Simple and just daily life you cut off.
I liked and studied well the world history in high school, but I did not know Ernst Thälmann. From your photo in TE I learned a lots about history, geography and so on.
Thanks for sharing and best regards, Takero.

PS. Judging from clothes by them, it already warm in Moscow ?

ellelloo (4961) 2009-05-09 0:00

Hi Elena,
You have showed in some of your uploads that a mobile phone camera can be just the right tool for shooting daily life events, which appear suddenly, when one does not have one's ordinary camera in hand. This is a good example and the quality is not so bad at all. A good idea to include the young happy couple to the photo to contrast the symbolism of the statue of a man, which I did not know about either. Thanks for the informative note.
Greetings,
Lasse

holmertz (10003) 2009-05-09 11:54

Hej Elena,
I knew who Ernst Thälmann was! But on the first glimpse of this picture I thought it was Lenin, as usual. Same kind of dress, same posture. Maybe this way of dressing was very much in fashion in certain circles, or the statues were more or less mass-produced from the same moulds. Lenin, Thälmann – who cares?
I like the contrast between the statue and the young couple; contrasts between different ideals and different times.
Regards,
Gert

sunamoon (5061) 2009-05-09 17:09

Hi Elena,

Buena escena, la esculta es muy transmitiva,
el movimiento de la mano, muy buena definición y vida cotidiana!

Un saludo,
Elena

xuaxo (5843) 2009-05-31 10:16

Hello Elena,
How many people see this statue and thought it was Lenin? For sure, I'm not alone.
Very interesting daily life scene. I like this kind of scenes and I don't care much about the camera quality.
Greetings,
Francisco