I first saw this woman at St. Peters square in Rome during the day.There were people who would come up to her and kneel with her to pray and then they would give her some money. I did not think this w

congratulations!!excellent!

Hi Michael,

Everytime I visit your site I am reminded of what a amazing photographer you are. I absolutely love the way you capture the very essence of your subjects. Thank you for the gift you have shared with us.

Michael, this is an outstanding shot, a true life scene, a bit sad when I see the difficulty that this woman has to move... And more with such a superb light, it's a great work !

Regards, Fernand

Very perfect!!!

EXCELLENT!!!Best regards.

..........

This is a stunning composition!

 

You said in your description that God wanted you to take this photo.

I think that your virtues of patience, photographic excellence and the eye aligned with the heart, were the God in this photo.

 

My sincere congratulations for a photo which has become a classic for me!

 

Yannis (http://www.larios.gr)

This photo reminds me of those in "The Family of Man," the 1950s book by Life Magazine. It is very moving and well composed.

Just... perfect. nothing bad to say about it.

Outstanding photo! Simple but effective~ sure tells a story. Thanks for sharing, Highest regards, Iren

..the photos speaks it self..PERFECT from each way...

 

Fantastic light and shadows. It seems that everything fell into place perfectly for this shot. Congrats!

a masterpiece-everything about this image is perfect! congratulations. cb :-)

This image is amazing, it says so much about the woman, the world she lives in and the hardships she has faced.

watch her footwear and even the position of her feet when struggling to walk.

+++

Outstanding moment, very well captured!

Absolutely FANTASTIC picture!

I have written a poem about your photograph and would like your permission to post it

deborah

Deborah , I would be honored to have you post your poem , this site is all about creativity, wherever you find it. Thanks for posting it.

 

Thank you for the inspiration

 

Each and Every Step by deborah elaine barrie 2009©

 

 

She walked the street

 

Slowly

 

Even more slowly

 

Than she needed to

 

Her head was bent

 

Under the weight

 

Of her memories

 

Her backpack

 

Held the bread, cheese

 

And a little wine

 

Purchased

 

For her dinner

 

She knew

 

All about pain

 

But she knew about joy

 

Even more

 

As she walked

 

She remembered

 

She rode her first bike

 

Down this street

 

Her feet had danced

 

So many times

 

On these very bricks

 

And just a few steps

 

Ahead

 

She had tasted

 

Her first kiss

 

She had chased

 

Her children home

 

To dinner

 

From playing

 

On this street

 

And

 

She had walked

 

Behind pallbearers

 

Too many times

 

Her children tried

 

To persuade her

 

To stop these walks

 

But she laughed

 

And showed them

 

Her cane

 

She might be old

 

But in her heart

 

And on this street

 

She was young again

 

And so she walked

 

One memory

 

At a time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deborah, that is a beautifull Poem that tells her story, as well or better than my photo. Thank you for taking the time to write and share it.

It is an amazing photograph that honors this woman's life.

Deborah , for some reason it cut off most of the caption. It was much longer ,and more detailed than the single sentence now. I mentioned that I had seen the woman earlier in the day in St Peters Square, where people would come up to her and pray the rosary with her and then give her a few coins. I thought at the time it would be in bad taste to photograph her there . I was walking down this street just before dark and saw here walking up the street as I walked down, I turned and shot 4 photos and then another person walked into the frame. I felt that because I had not shot the photo earlier , that I was give a second chance with better light. I have heard from people who know her ( I never saw her face, she was only about 4 ft high) that people think she is blessed and that's why they pray with her. She was not a beggar like someone who left a comment said. She had clubbed feet and walked very slowly. I was moved to take the photo , as I am with your poem.

thanks

difficult to believe it's a slice of real life, the light and the composition are like in a painting or an illustration to a fairy tale book and the woman, her posture, cane, backpack and particularly surprising shoes add a lot to this sad but wonderful story. Thank you for sharing, my best regards -wm

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