Candles

Thanks for your visit and kind words in your comments, your series of works really takes me back to my childhood....;-))

Nice shot, Pnina!...Ciaomau!

At first I just contemplated this beautiful capture digesting all the details and kept coming back to it. To me what makes this composition so appealing is that it exemplifies the religious nature of Jerusalem eloquently.

 

The candles on the woman's back and her slightly bowed head are perfectly synchronized and sends a clear message of faith and devotion to the viewer. I want to add that the colors also play an important role in its appeal. The yellow candles in the foreground really pairs up well with the sign of the same color on the wall in the background. The subject's face is nicely "framed" in a way by the diagonal line that is created between these two elements in the composition. I can hardly wait to get there next month to experience these sights by myself. Thanks for the inspiration my friend.

A powerful image of rare beauty.

So beautiful!!!

 

Alberto

Lovely capture, dear Pnina. I like her pose, the candles, the light and DOF. Excellent shot! Warm regards!

Thanks to you Maurizio, Umashankar, Alberto Adan and David

 

 

Adan, a bit late but thanks for your nice wide impression. Jerusalem is really open to all religions and pilgrimage. ( as I talked with that group they were from Europe ) I thought like you about the candle's color and the BG sign,it added to better accentuate her face and the street in the BG..

 

Thanks for taking the time, you will soon see and photograph it with your own eyes ;-))

I don't see this as an expression of faith, rather a glimpse of someone dressed traditionally -- like your veil series, really -- suggestive of your klippot series -- the outer shell, but the bit of her face -- eyes seemingly closed perhaps in thought or feeling perhaps contemplation, inner conflict, we don't know -- but that is what engages. We see the outer garb -- where we can make snap judgments, fill in with our knowledge whether scant or in-depth of a type of woman who dresses like this and carries these types of candles for seemingly religious purpose -- but the reason for expression could be wholly separate from her outer garb. It would be interesting to see yet a third element -- personalizing this even more for another layer. I see this very much in line with much of your work. I think you had fun in those allies in the Old City like a hunter.

Interesting commentary of yours. I like the wider interpretation but this woman is a part of the pilgrimage group photo. If you look at the group she is the one of the group of four on the R .she is with the candles.

 

So you are right that we don't know what she thinks, but I assume that as she is part of a group of pilgrims, she was in a state of deep prayers. As I wrote before, entering those alleys and looking around I wanted to show the pluralism and mundane life freedom ( without the extreme groups from both sides disturbing it....)

sometimes expression can be conveyed as much through composition as it can through facial means. Sometimes light, DoF and crop levels can express more than body language can. You have created an wonderful expressive image that falls within this category Pnina. A rare and unique expression of humanism and daily life. Those that fall are remembered through the faith of the living. my compliments