Ellen

Jayme, I'm very sorry if you took my words to hard. First of all, I come from Sweden and maybe my English isn't the best, but hopefully I don't step on any toes just becuase of my choice of words. If I do so, I appoligize very much.

 

I am also a father of two. I will try to explain why I posted this image and hopefully you then understand what I come from. You may not have to agree with me, but at least you will understand me :)

 

The girl you are looking at is my daugter. You were almost right about the age. She is 8 years old. You may ask yourself why I haven't told you or anybody else that Ellen is my daughter and the reason is that I don't want that to affect the way you see the image, but maybe this is the way and ok, I want to be fare and let you know.

 

She loves being photographed, but right now William, her younger brother loves it more and you can see some photos of him aswell.

 

Ok, back to the photo.

When I took this photo she was very dirty and was acutally on her way to the bath and that's the reason she didn't have any shirt on, but I can assure you she wasn't naked. Ok, maybe you are thinking that I didn't had to take the photo right then, but it was just that I wanted. I didn't set up my whole studio, but merely took one photo of her. I love when people don't smile when taking photos of them. Not because it's a bad world, but more that I feel that happy and smiley faces belongs to the family album. Maybe none else agrees with me, but that's my opinion and my explanition that she doesn't smile.

The way Ellen look with her eyes and her expression makes this image more than just a "normal" image (to me).

 

One more thing. You have probably already looked into my folders and seen that many of my models are young people and that they are naked. I can assure you that I am NOT a bad guy. I just happends to love photos where poeple (it doesn't have to be children) don't ware clothes on the picture. They may were them so it doesn't shows on the photo. Why, you and the rest may ask. Well, I love they lines and the shaddows a body creates.

 

Ok, I have tried (in my poor English) to tell you why I posted an image like this and what kind of guy I am. I'm very sorry if I offended you, because that was not my intention. Maybe I just attacked you, because this old discussion where brought up again (childpornography). I had it very much with my thoughtful-image and I felt that it was very sceary that people felt this way of an image, and for a while I thought that maybe I AM a stupid guy.

 

Anyway, I can assure you that just like you I have acted like any father of two would have. I have tought them right and wrong, I have too helped them when they were sick. I sit almost every day besides them when they are going to fell a sleep and talking of them. Maybe I scared you, but you scared me extremely much as well. Just because I don't have a womb, I can too be a nice guy and a loving father.

 

Now, that said, I must although end that I'm not angry with you, and hopefully you are not at me aswell.

 

/ Marcus

Marcus- It does help very much knowing the story behind the photo. It makes much more sense now. Maybe in the future, you might want to explain the situation first when posting this type of image and avoid all the ruckus. I adore images where the subject is giving me personality, more then smiles. But you must admit, with all the creepy people out there praying on our little cuties, one must be skeptical. Thank you for taking the time to explain. I much appreciate and understand much better why you took this image. She is certainly a beautiful and innocent looking child. You might also want to change your self portrait, it looks a little sinister adding to the creepy guy mystique, LOL, sorry, but it does. I am happy! I will change my rating to reflect the change!

empty :)

It is sad that posting the photo of children is almost automatically taken as 'childpornography'...

I like children a lot, I like the fact that they are genuine, direct, innocent, cruel if needed.

For some years I worked as a teacher and I noticed that children between 8 and 12 are the most natural. As if their personality would be at its top. Then society/school changes them. Makes the most of them dull, they are levelled more and more aggresively.

Therefore I like to photograph children. I also have the luck to live in a country or in a culture where 'childpornography' does not exist.

We also have to keep in mind that here, at photo.net, we are trying to be photographers, i.e. seeking the Beauty in things and beings.

And this photo happens to be very Beautiful. As simple as that!

WONDERFUL WORK, don't worry about this kind of critics. BTW, sorry for you to live in a preversive political correctness country ;)

"Daddy's Dirty Little Girl On Her Way To Bathe"..?? Oh, boy... would that cause a ruckus? There's nothing sexual about this pose. In fact, it's anti-sexual. It's almost a sterile attempt to neuter what is so natural in the little one. And that cold analytical gaze of hers might just be your guarrantee that the image won't be seen as sexual? You've choked off her sexuality... her humanity... and given us the model image instead. Choke, choke... gasp, gasp... the noose around the neck's nape squeezes... until it pleases us. But, me?... what do I know... I'm just a lawn mower... zoom-zoom, clip-clip... off I go! Great job! 7/7 :-)

Well done!

> Maybe in the future, you might want to explain the situation first when posting this type of image and avoid all the ruckus.

 

But, Jayme, don't you see that this is exactly what made him (and makes me) feel sorry for you? He *shouldn't* need to defend himself first. When you saw this picture (which you now accept as innocent looking) you first assumed that some stranger took the picture, that there was a sinister cause for her messy hair and so on, while the obvious explanation was the one Marcus gave you, a loving father taking a picture off his daugther *because* of her cute messy state. What made you think he was a jerk "until proved otherwise"? I learned that rule as "innocent, until proven otherwise". It's really sad to see someone like you use it the other way round ...

 

Regards, Andreas

this eyes , this view ...amazing ! and a wonderful tone and a great sharpness on the rigth point! very good 7/7 .

Great lighting, excellent technique!

I know I have already put a comment here, but after your comment on David Shelby portrait, I have to say that your photograph of your daughter is also very controversial!

And you are lucky that she is your daughter, as if you were photographying some other little girl of 8 years, it would be very discusting and very pedophile from your side, but as this is your daughter, you think that you can avoid any discussion regarding the Purity and Innocence that Children are carrying deep in them, as you said yourself - Children are the most lovely we have on this planet - so tell me please Marcus, why has SHE to be without any shirt and you are doing a PORTRAIT!?!?!

 

Thank you,

Biliana

Biliana, get a life! Why do you need to troll this portfolio with your poisonous comments each time you see the uncovered shoulders of a child? Can't you see that this girl's personality only comes out stronger because shee feels entirely at ease, despite the fact that she is not clothed? Does Marcus really have to give you any explanation for his choice, while the picture itself explains his reasons very obviously? It is about time that you offer your apologies to him for smearing your nasty slander over his fantastic images, thus possibly hindering him in his further development as a great portrait photographer. Or does it turn you on to feel the power to break a thing of beauty down to discussions about your own perverted mind?

Who are you to talk with me in that manners? Why are you so concerned about my comment to Marcus, as this is between him and me, and I have all the rights to say my Opinion, as many before me! Can you read!?

 

I have my opinion, you have yours!

Peace,

Biliana

 

Biliana, I am a frequent visitor of Photo.net. This is a public place. Your choice has been to write to Marcus in this public place where I am reading too. If you wanted to keep it between you and him you could have emailed him directly, but you didn't. I was enjoying Marcus' photos, but the comments from several people about his "controversial" choices disturbed my enjoyment a lot. I very much disagreed with them. Despite that fact I kept silent because people have the right to have their own opinion and I don't think it's always needed to fight every opinion that differs from mine. Until I saw your comments in about every place where the naked shoulders of a child were shown. That really, really upset me a lot. This was no longer discussing Marcus' pictures, but simply harrassing him. When people are being harrassed in public, most of the time bystanders don't act. Well, I was raised differently by my loving parents. They taught me to come to people's aid, especially if they aren't given a fair chance to defend themselves. In this world it is impossible for people to defend themselves against accusations of pedophilia, even if they are completely innocent. There is always a certain group of people that gets beyond any reason if this word is being used. In covered words you are accusing Marcus with that horrible label. Doing so is very foul play. Whatever he says to that, his reasoning will be dismissed as the words from a predator or something like that. Marcus deserves to be able to continue to work the way he was doing. I feel it to be my duty to defend him. So here I am, stepping between you - the harrasser - and Marcus, your (presumably innocent) victim. Back off!

 

(Why is it that these self-proclaimed child-protection activists always think they hold the patent to the one and only just morality, even if it results in a totally distorted view at the world around them? Signing with the word "peace" while you started a fight is not only completely inapropriate, but it also shows a striking specimen of self-righteousness.)

You wrote > I was enjoying Marcus' photos, but the comments from several people about his "controversial" choices disturbed my enjoyment a lot." -

 

- So several people, I am not the only one! And if you read others comments under all those "naked children shoulders" - you will see again that I am not the only one!

 

I didnot know that I was harrassing Marcus!?!? Thank you for leting me know!

Did he ask you for HELP? In my country, when somebody is asking you for help you go and help him/her! Here, you are just advocating to Marcus!!? and he doesnot need it!

 

For your information, I was not accusing Marcus of pedophilia, as she is his daughter, but that other MEN Pedophilias can use it to "enjoy" as you said it, or it would be as it was another little girl!

 

Dont You play an Innocent Erik, you know how frequent is that sickenss!!!?

Anyway, If you can say your Opinion, why cant I say mine?

 

So now I am the harrasser and Marcus the victim! wow. what a reflection!? I thought in the first place that Chldren are victims of abuse, harrasment and pedophilia!

 

But Please tell me, how do you ENJOY Marcus Daughter? as a Man?

 

 

Biliana

Thank you,

Biliana

 

Biliana,

 

Thank you for illustrating my point about your obsession so clearly.

 

Do I need to answer any of your further questions? A fool can ask more questions than a thousand wise men can answer, as an old Chinese saying goes. Ah, what the heck, I'll give you some. I'm not in a bad mood.

 

- I don't know Marcus in any other way than from the information that can be found here on Photo.net. He has not asked me anything. As said: I felt that I should come to his aid, even if he wouldn't think he would need it. I explained my reasons. I don't care what country you are from and what protocol for asking one's help you have there. I solely act upon what I consider plain humanism.

 

- It seems you can't read. You did *covertly* accuse Marcus of pedophilia. What if you hadn't known Ellen is his daughter? Where's the exact distinction from someone else's daughter if it comes to exploitation? Marcus did not want to reveal how he was related to the girl, nor how the image was conceived. He wanted us to look for the photographic qualities of the picture. Unbiased. I did and I just saw a very beautiful portrait. Nothing less, nothing more. Especially nothing more. I really wonder what those warped fantasies about "exploitation" come from.

 

- So now I am the sick man who enjoys looking at naked little girls? Biliana, you are so predictable in you craze. Are you really that stupid? If this picture would have shown a boy, a man or a grandma, could it not have been just as beautiful? I'm enjoying the photograph. Maybe I would enjoy the girl herself as well if I knew her. But I don't.

 

 

I think I'm going to shoot some stark naked girls soon. Well under age and definately not my own. And then I will print them large and hang them on the wall to enjoy them. No, I won't post them here. Sorry Biliana, for taking such a golden opportunity to pick on someone away from you.

Biliana,

 

> For your information, I was not accusing Marcus of pedophilia, as she is his daughter, but that other MEN Pedophilias can use it to "enjoy" as you said it, or it would be as it was another little girl!

 

You *are* accusing him of being a pedocriminal. This "You can do this to your daugther, with any other girl it would be horribly wrong."-crap doesn't make it any better.

And if you think this picture could be enjoyed by pedocriminals, try to get hold of some real child pornography. That might straigthen even your twisted mind.

 

> Dont You play an Innocent Erik, you know how frequent is that sickenss!!!

 

He doesn't, and so don't you. No one does.

 

> I thought in the first place that Chldren are victims of abuse, harrasment and pedophilia!

 

And what good is it going to do to attack a father who obviously cares for his children? Here we have at least a few children who don't suffer from abuse or simple neglect. You're barking up the wrong tree!

And what good is it going to do to force all female children to cover themselves completely, so no man can seduced by their looks? Those societies which impose such rules usually aren't considered a paradise for women...

 

> But Please tell me, how do you ENJOY Marcus Daughter? as a Man?

 

So now your covertly accusing all men who spoke up in favour of this picture as pedocriminals? Nice try, but witchhunts are a little out of fashion.

 

You can keep your "Peace"!

 

"Judge not, that ye be not judged!"

 

Andreas

Great portrait. Tones, quality, look, hair - everything works here very well.

My first thought when I saw this was "the kid is dirty from playing outside and needs a bath", which, it turns out, is exactly what was going on. I think it's a great photo with fine detail. The lack of expression doesn't bother me a bit, nor does the fact that she doesn't have a top on. I like it. I do think that, with photography especially, having to explain your work means that the work doesn't stand on its own or by itself, so, to call out the photographer to explain their work, kinda defeats the purpose of the medium.