Passing Fancy

Great title.  Gentle expression.  This feels optimistic.  Hometown feel.

I like this photo. The woman seems to reach out to the flag with gentle affection instead of the blind zealotry that passes for patriotism today. Gotta love small town parades. You can keep your Super Bowl half-time shows, I'll take this.

Wonderful capture both of spirit and charactor.  Very nice!  Katherine

Donna:  Thanks.  This seemed to jump out at me when I reviewed my shots of our 4th of July parade.  Gentle is a nice descriptor. 

Jack:  Somehow, I kept thinking of Robert Frank's Americans in this shot, although I don't think this has a dark or cynical undercurrent as his work does.

Katherine:  Thanks so much.  It's good to hear from you.

Very good work ..lovely.

There's no arguing with the ease of the expression and the gestures made by both the holding of the flag and the star above her head. A very strong element is the tight framing. That sets up a tension between portrait of an innocent American woman and the story of what she's part of.

Lovely take on the symbols of Americana. The Paul Revere hat and flag. Patriotism is nice, but one cannot help but wonder if, even in times of this celebration, there is reflection upon all the evils such emotion can arouse. I wish more Americans would consider the uniqueness of our social compact and the perfection thereof, rather than the patriotic hubris so often seen. Okay, so that's my speech for today.  The photo is wonderful, and, as Fred points out, it is nicely composed and tells the story without any visual verbosity.

Lovely! This is my kind of America. This is the America I seek out and love. Nothing elaborate, just a few decorations from the craft store...plain simple and genuine.

When I did my photojournalism shoot, one problem my instructor had with my work was that some of the subjects looked into the camera. People havbe a tendency to do that when some stranger is pointing a lens at them. I like how your subject is captured in the moment, into what she is doing and unposed.  I think you captured the spirit of the parade very well.

Catching of the right moment. Great street photograph. Bravo.

Happy fourth.

Great stuff, Jeff. She's the epitome of the quieter, simpler time that she grew up in.

Cheers ~

Alberta

Senol:  Thanks.  Appreciated.

Fred:  The framing came with the opportunity, as I was standing just a few feet from her.  I took a lot of pictures of the parade, but only a few seemed to work out.  The parade was such a blending.  Kids on bikes, retired soldiers, families in red wagons, and a shout-down between a Democrat candidate and a tea party challenger.  Odd.

David:  That patriotic hubris you speak of really gets in the way, doesn't it?  Arrogant and demanding trumps humble and responsible.  I wonder who the hell we think we are, anyways?  There's a deep part of me that still stirs when I see the flag and hear the pledge.  And I think of Kennedy's speech, ask not what your country can do for you....

Linda:  These homespun, makeshift decorations were wonderful.  I just loved her face.

Joseph:  The only problem was that every other car/truck/monstrosity coming by was full of teenagers with super-soakers.  I had to think fast, buddy, me or the camera.  I took one for the team with my camera safely flung behind my back.

Michael:  Thanks so much.

Bob:  And to you.

Alberta:  Well said.  She seemed so happy to be part of it all.

Sounds like a fun day. I had a much more simple 4th, complete with simple neighborhood fireworks on a much smaller scale . . . and a family bar-b-que in steamy Florida. By the way, I'm still old school and have retained the unrevised "Democratic" for my candidates of choice. As for the tea partiers, may they all drown in their own chamomile ;)))

I, too, use Democratic (without the bold ic), but I typed too fast and with our new kabash on editing after that magic ten minute mark (I agree with Gordon on this one), I couldn't change it after I refilled my coffee. 

As a Canadian, an outsider, but still a "North American" this reminds me of the time before Americanophobia; when everyone north your border wanted to be an American. The sweet, generous, good and warm hearted America of Norman Rockwell and Mark Twain. The innocent time before big Agro Corporations and the Monsanto Corporation destroyed family farm life and small town America. Well, maybe not completely, but I think they are doing their very best. This lady’s expression is so cheerfully optomistic it makes me feel reassured. I love it.

I really like what Jack McRitchie said; “The woman seems to reach out to the flag with gentle affection instead of the blind zealotry that passes for patriotism today. Gotta love small town parades.”

Great shot!

Best wishes,

Linda

...and in addition to the eye catching document I enjoyed to read the comments. Regards - El

good one Jeff ;-)...

Very nice work, Jeff!

Jeff,

   Beautiful image filled with what all of us still hope for in th USA pride & love for our country.  Well captured. Take care, Patsy

"God bless America".I admire your composition and tonal quality of the image.

Beautiful work, Jeff!

Looks like this was taken on Independence Day! I was also out on the parade with my camera... but I could not make any meaningful image.

A genuine moment handled with a subtlety and grace befitting both the occasion and her demeanor.

Really nice work Jeff.

Outstanding image, the USA flag deserve all of the best, thank you my friend for sharing such a wonderful moment and wishing you all of the best.

Beautiful

Alberto