ON THE GROUND THE WAR WAS NOT GOING WELL

David, a symbolic image of present times. It is happening in many countries,all over the world.The rich are becoming richer, the poor are coming poorer. I like the blurred background. It adds a surrealistic touch to US economy and reality. Your images make us ponder and wonder.

Indeed, and I think it may result in the collapse of civilization. Let's hope not.

Great work David! I tried out a b&w version of your larger view and it too came out very nice.

Thanks. I don't know if I can even imagine this in black and white, but it's obvious I should give it some thought.

Ah, Dave, you haven't lost your touch, while I was gone. Very symbolic in so many ways. Visiting your site is always worth the while. Some have a good eye for composition and beauty, you for symbolism. Great image! B ;)

Thanks. I had no doubt that you would appreciate when and if you ever got back to Pnet. It was an inspired moment when I saw this on the streets of Boone, Iowa.

Magnificent photo, full of meaning. The title helps and it's a great title, but the photo stands for itself. The focus on the flag and the blured background were we can see another flag make it a winner. Perferctly framed and composed. Great work. Congratulations and regards.

Thank you so much for such wonderful praise. Very kind of you.

Oh man David... I really like this one. It is deep and has powerful impact. Kudos may man.

Great tension in this picture. Obviously you've struck a chord among your viewers. I won't add my opinion to the clamor but rest assured I've got then. Plenty.

and a very good title, thank you, G.

Sorry I haven't been in touch much lately. Lot going on. I'm in Iowa right now. Thanks for taking a look. I've got to get over to your place to see what deviltry you've been up to.

It's not Japan is it? Go ahead, and throw your opinion into the ring. :) Thanks for stopping by.

Thanks. I don't know why, but sometimes titles just pop into my head and they seem right. This is one of those. Of course, I hope the image stands on its own.

A good capture and nice composition.

Regards.

Thank you so much.

A well captured and powerful image with the ripped flag in the foreground representing the present and the intact one in the background the past.

Powerful statement. I agree with one of the comments about how we are headed the direction of the Roman Empire. Sad but true. Very clever work.

Don't know if you read through the comments, so at the risk of being repetitious, I'll tell you that the building and sign in the background is a bank by the name of, "US Bank." That added a lot to the image for me, but because I did not pay enough attention to detail, I took some with the bank in focus but the foreground too blurred to even know it was a tattered flag, and then this one with the tattered flag in focus but not quite enough depth of field to carry off what I had intended. I still like it though and it still carries a message as most folks have seen.

Thanks. We are in agreement about the state of our state.

I think Michael was absolutely right. I got the same feeling straight away. Yes it's blatantly symbolic but it's also a very cynical statement (and true nevertheless). But I think you're wrong concerning the DOF. I really wonder if it would have worked as well as it does now. Your real message I feel is conveyed by those two flags and for me nothing more is needed. It's a very powerful, if not overwhelming, image.

Thanks for the thoughts. I truly respect your opinion, because you do not mince your words, and you have a classical sense of art (my view anyway), which I really appreciate. Perhaps you are right, although if I had a magic tweaker, I'd try it both ways. The way it is and the way I perceived it. Take care.

The reality that we are looking at, a bank and two flags, gets lost in the DOF . The fact that we are looking at a tattered flag and a far flung flag is very much to the point.

 

As a Canadian I have never been a party to aspiring world domination ,so it is difficult to sympathize with your eroding ability as a nation to bully the planet. I however cannot help but look upon this turn of events as an opportunity for the rest of us to demonstrate a better approach. Not likely really but what the hell, a bit of optimism never killed anyone---- or did it ?

 

I simply adore this one David, It is one of the best I have seen from you in the limited timer I have followed your work.

picked it up again after Gordon's comment. Obvious that you wanted it related to the current banking crisis but the reason it works so much better without the DOF you wanted is just because the real problem you have over there is a lot bigger. The banking crisis is merely a symptom. When BC left office you had a record breaking surplus on your budget and while part of that may have come from the fact that in the end he couldn't get anything done anymore because of you know what it had also a lot to do with a sound an rigoursly executed economic policy. For that he deseves a lot more credit than he ever got. Since then GWB cum suis have brought you in a position where you have to borrow more than 3 billion dollars each and everyday. Calculated per capitem you owe tens of thousands of dollars each. Anybody can see that that's not a sustainable course. It's not about a banking crisis. It's about the demise of a whole country. That's what makes your photo so poignant. Jeff hit it on the nail. It's as cynical as it is saddening.

 

You've made one helluva photo my friend.

Let me first state that is painful (but appropriate, I suppose) to hear you refer to me as part of the United States. As a person, I certainly have never wished for the dominance over the world that you suppose is the philosophy of our country. But you are fully justified in making the accusation, and I know that as a citizen of this country, I share some of that quilt, no matter what my personal philosophy might be. As a young man I despised my country's involvement in war in Viet Nam, went into the Peace Corps and was a Conscientious Objector. I've oppose our country's current military folly, and I've opposed much of what has happened politically and religiously in this country for years.

 

I seem not to have been able to communicate well in regard to this image. It is a very simple and uncomplicated photo. No complexity to it at all in my mind. The point with the depth of field was only that by knowing that the flag in the background was mounted upon a bank building I thought it gave the image more gravitas. The bank can represent much more than a bank. Yes, there is a banking crisis (apparently, anyway), but the bank can stand for U.S. industry, U.S. home values, U.S. dollar values, U.S. failures in Iraq and elsewhere, etc. etc. In other words, all the problems that have gripped this country. And, yes, the mere fact that we have the tattered and beaten flag on the one hand and the other seemingly pristine one in the background can work fairly well to convey the message. The background is easily seen as representative of past glory (good intentions, good acts, mere power, or whatever you wish). I only felt that a very small increase in better focusing the background would have been worthwhile. Not for a moment would I want them focused equally. That would have ruined the image IMO.

 

I did not intend to imply that I thought it was a failure. I liked the image from the moment I conceived it. And I'm grateful that you guys liked it enough to provide the comments you have.