Thursday, June 28, 2007
Dublin 5 - the country's ills
I hesitated slightly about posting this. It is definitely in the D-day camp , ie documentary. Bear in mind that this is about the second hour into walking around Dublin for the first time; here turning out of Moore St into Henry St and, two doors down, this girl, who I shot as she saw me. We subsequently talked but this remained my favourite. The film director John Borman (Point Blank, Deliverance and Emerald Forest) has lived in Ireland for the last 30 years and has been sufficently troubled by the developments of the past decade or so to make a film called The Tiger's Tail (reviews say that it is ambitious but flawed) within which the huge disparities in income that have arisen are explored as the basis for a society with a dystopian future. I heard him talking after we got back from Dublin, which put this picture more in focus. This I haven't seen in UK, and bear in mind that it was raining!
Permalink / posted by and copyright of John Ellis : 10:56 AM
Comments:
Is your comment about disparity of income because this young lady was earning money as an advertiser?
The candid nature of the image shows through. Camera awareness often produces a false smile.
It is indeed a very open seeming portrait. I can see this working in a set of photos on a theme, but on its own, I'm not sure how much impact it has. She certainly has a nice smile though.
I'm not sure that 'candid' is the right word here. I think she was fully aware of the camera. But the smile seems genuine nonetheless. Whatever you said worked :-)
Smile aside, I don't think that this works by itself. Even with your short text it seems incomplete.
I'm also puzzled by how the image relates to the comments about disparity of income, though this might be because I'm not very familiar with the area.
She does have a sweet smile, and is certainly a nice subject, but I seem to be missing the point despite your explanation.
Well, it has been shown that disparity of income does not necessarily mean spread of misery and unhappiness :-)
I'll leave at at that, though.
Oh dear. What I wrote was context for this little narrative, which is about the fact the Irish have been working so hard to achieve their economic miracle that they need to go and seek remedies for their aches and pains; as indicated by the words in the window.
The smile is certainly natural enough.
A close up is here:
http://www.johnelliseone.co.uk/gallery/photo.php?photo=903&u=7814|1|...
and another Chinese herbalist/acupuncturist outlet South of the river here:
http://www.johnelliseone.co.uk/gallery/photo.php?photo=902&u=7814|2|...
Both in an exclusively Chinese Irish folder, newly created today!
I expect I missed the meaning at least in part because I don't think of such shops as being unusual -- although I can't recall seeing people standing outside them urging people in. Chinese acupunture and other "natural health" stores seem a normal fixture in most cities around here. Plus we have so much hawking of cures of all sorts for the ills shown on this sign, that it didn't strike me!
Christina - thanks for the cultural cross-reference. It's certainly dangerous to extrapolate too widely. I think that the UK is still a little bit buttoned-up about these sorts of things and, moreover, still relies on taking their hypochondriacal aches and pains to the NHS GP (National Helath Service General Practitioner - doctor). Again, I might be out of touch with some of our larger cities as the countryside in Wales has just about learned about Chinese restaurants!!
John, perhpas an issue with my monitor as I did not pick up the background words on the window very well, perhaps too subtle?
I too think this shot on it's own is not strong enough. But having said that, there are some amusing little sections: the tautology on the left hand side of the sheet she is holding made me chuckle; the list of modern day ailments most of which a slower pace of life, decent diet and plenty of sleep could cure; the cleanliness of the situation and the small blot of graffiti. I'd concur that a little more smiling in the world would help on some of these ailments too. Her smile is inviting and her clothing is very soothing.
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The candid nature of the image shows through. Camera awareness often produces a false smile.
Smile aside, I don't think that this works by itself. Even with your short text it seems incomplete.
She does have a sweet smile, and is certainly a nice subject, but I seem to be missing the point despite your explanation.
I'll leave at at that, though.
The smile is certainly natural enough.
A close up is here:
http://www.johnelliseone.co.uk/gallery/photo.php?photo=903&u=7814|1|...
and another Chinese herbalist/acupuncturist outlet South of the river here:
http://www.johnelliseone.co.uk/gallery/photo.php?photo=902&u=7814|2|...
Both in an exclusively Chinese Irish folder, newly created today!