There was a monster in the wardrobe...

The little guy (on the left) became convinced that a monster was lurking in the cupboard. We couldn't persuade him otherwise. Finally his big brother, unafraid of monsters, said that he'd let him sleep in the same bed, and would make sure the monster didn't get them.

 

Just in case, as insurance, the older brother requested his Super Teddy, known to be a fearless monster killer. With that, a bottle and the night-light left on, they went to sleep after about ten minutes.

Ha! Love it Tony - thank goodness for older brothers and Super Teddy. Luckily my little one hasn't discovered the Cupboard Monster yet.

A snapshot about a moment in your life...it will get more value to you while the years will flow, and the monster will have no more his job..

 

Thank you for sharing.

Tim, Tom and Tony and a monster with no arms and no legs that slides on its fur

Hi Toni

 

Your pictures have always that certain something - something perfect, if I may call it perfect. There is always so much loveliness, so much humanity in your pictures. That really makes you stand out of the photographing masses! This picture, again, is a very nice one to look at and feel comfortable and at home and tell others about your photography. I hope you understand what I actually mean :)

 

Well, having said that I have to look on some of your photographs again. For inspirational purposes! :)

 

Cheers

M;los

I'd like to say this was hand-held, but it wasn't. I had to lumber in the tripod to get the sharpness I wanted at 10 seconds' exposure.

 

My wife and I are playing step mum and dad at the moment because their parents have separated (possibly permanently). After living a life of determined misanthropy (especially as regards children) I'm finally - perhaps inevitably - coming to grips with a mini dose of child rearing.

 

These little boys (and I presume all little boys and girls) are an amazing combination of naif and savant. They know things and see things that I was never exposed to as a child. In that way they are quite sophisticated and well-informed. It is only when - as here - they reveal the other side of their existence - monsters in cupboards, the magical properties of certain Teddies, the salving effect of a bottle - that you are jolted back into remembering they are just little boys, who often have trouble distinguishing reality from fantasy. Perhaps a better way of putting it is that reality and fantasy are mixed together seamlessly. Both can appear to be equally real.

 

On a recent walk through the forest at the back of my house in Sydney, I told them they'd better behave because witches lived there. There was one at the scout hall in the middle of the forest. They didn't believe me, of course, but when a crow flew by along the path I said that it might be the witch's crow and that they'd better shape up. When a branch fell a little way away, out of sight, I shushed them and said "It might be the witch". Well, talk about sticking to me after that: like shit to a blanket! Their eyes were out on stalks. Every rustle of breeze was a witch or a hidden observer. They were the two best-behaved little boys in history until we got out of that forest.

 

Later on, the next day, the older one asked me whether my story about the witch in the scout hall was really true. I gave a non-committal answer, hoping to save the concept for later walks, to leave a hint of uncertainty in their minds.

 

Next day, when we were about to set out for another walk, they had prepared themselves with sticks, a plastic light sabre, and Super Teddy just in case. They asked if we were going near the scout hall, because they wanted to go in and scare out that witch once and for all. The dogs could help in proceedings if the witch had a wolf.

 

We had come full circle: from skepticism, to terrified acceptance, and onto a determination to root out the witch, by force if necessary. After that, we'd go after the one who (apparently) lives under the house. Did I know there was a witch under the house?

 

Sometimes I think I'm the one who's naive.

 

 

Lovely story Tony. I can see you being a wonderful stepfather/grandad type figure. Have you told them the one about the bogeyman yet?

 

Sweet picture by the way.

 

Best regards to you and Kris

 

Darrell

You might notice there's now a bed in that spare room, Darrel. And a wardrobe. Will luxuries never cease?

 

Hi to Sue.

Very nicely captured, Tony. Glad to see you posting again.

I like 4 things about this picture. Their position, of course. Then the camera angle: we get to them only after "visiting" their messy and colorful bed. Then the bottle milk - a cute detail... Finally, another cute detail: the slippers at the bottom of the bed. All in all, it feels very alive, very real. The color was at first a bit of a surprise, but the warmth was finally very enjoyable too. We hear them dream...:-)