'Let's Walk on the Wild Side Honey - It's Gotta Be More Interesting'

The title (caption) is imaginary, and oh so suggestive, as this

mild-looking couple appear in front of a very 'hot-looking' woman and

a leopard (or jaguar), which in my mind represents 'the wild side' as

I envision this photo. Others may see it differently. How do you

see it? Your ratings, critiques and observations are invited and most

welcome. If you rate or critique harshly or very critically, please

submit a helpful and constructive comment; please share your

photographic knowledge to help improve my photography. Thanks!

Enjoy! john

Is the spectator in the bottom right corner somewhat distracting - or is she engancing the overall effect ?

that's my two cents for this impressive shot taken at the right moment.

cheers

Sam

I spent some time staring at this photo. I was unsure what to make of it. Of course, you have provided a ready explanation (and I'm happy to agree) but going by what I see in/understand from your photos, this felt very superficial indeed.

Then I noticed the man's pullover. And the expression in his eyes. Call me what you may, John, but I felt that the picture on the board has come to life in front of it. There is the beast and the woman. And the girl on the right (why did you include her?) represents the viewer staring at the drama occuring in front of her. Surreal.

And then your caption seemed to make more sense. A stage is being set for something quite gory. More interesting indeed!!

Talk of flights of fantasy...!! LOL...I suppose I have gone a bit too far this time.

Regards.

In answer to your question, the person at the right is a girl, almost certainlytheir daughter.

I view her as a transitional figure, tying the couple, left with the woman and leopard/jaguar figure in the background.  To my mind, she's looking at what the potential 'future' might bring if there were a transition . . . as as Samrat Bose, below, calls it a 'flight of fancy'.

Notice the eyes of the man, more about that in a later comment; it's a tribute.

I think you'll recognize the tribute if you are a US citizen who reads the funnies (comic pages) with regularity or has for a number of years.

Any guesses for the name of the cartoonist who draws (or drew before he had someone else 'ink' his cartoons) that way)?

Thanks for a helpful and interesting comment.

john

John (Crosley)

I chose this photo in part for the 'story' which I think it tells, and the humor in it, as much as for the eyes, which I make as  tribute to a famous American cartoonist.

You are not wrong to look into the eyes, they match pretty much how a famous American cartoonist of the highest order once draw (and now has 'inked for him') the eyes in his famous cartoons.  Also the insouciant, crossed-arm look of the man as he seemingly queries the woman to his left with my imaginary dialog.

And yes, the figure, lower right, a girl (daughter I presume from observation) does pull the figures together, as she observes and in my imagination she also is wondering how it would be to 'walk on the wild side' -- wondering, wondering, wondering and trying it against her mundane life and that of her parents and family unit.

This is of course a flight of fancy and therefore my own cartoon, made from a photo I've taken and made so by suggesting a diaglog.

That directs the 'story' but there are other possible stories.  One viewer, suggested the man would identify with the tiger, the woman with the seductress, left.  So, in different eyes (and the man was a Pakistani), or different cultures, this man have different meaning.

I don't know if you get American cartoons in Great Britain, but do you know the cartoonist to whom this is a tribute?

;~))

Answer soon.

john

John (Crosley)

A prominent feature of the Doonesbury cartoon strip which has had a run of enormous length in American media has been the use of one cartooning device -- drawing figures -- especially male figures with droopy eye lids and very dark eyes for a heavy-lidded, seemingly blase look.

This man, to me, has that look, a look that says 'it's just life' and through such a figure any idea may be suggested baldy, even a 'walk on the wild (and more interesting) side'.

To Garry Trudeau, Pulitzer prize-winning cartoonist (who formerly drew and now farms out the drawing of his famous Doonesbury cartoon), this one's for you.

john

John (Crosley)

A really beautiful shot with a nice title, John!

Ruud Albers,

This is a more run-of-the-mill 'Crosley' but with some 'touches' that are unique, especially the man's crossed arms and his insouciant look -- which I find regularly in the political/social cartoons of famous American cartoonist Garry Trudeau who uses four panels to tell his stories.

I have not given him tribute before, though for one panel of four he often uses silhouette, a practice I have adopted sometimes, and his work was part of my influence.

His droopy-lidded figures with insouciant looks (the man here) considering interesting and oft-times outrageous ideas are trademark Trudeau . . . . it's how his entire career has mostly been built . . . . and he doesn't ink the cartoons any more, he farms it out (has another do the inking at his direction). Trudeau is/was very famous in America and has won the Pulitzer Prize, a very famous journalism prize. (also in other disciplines, but in Journalism it means the most, to me).

I have regularly paid some homage to Gary Larson, creator of 'The Far Side' cartoon series, which I have always found outrageous (see school of salmon on blue building chasing man and child . . . with father telling child 'don't look back, I think we're being followed'. 

Larson regularly ascribes human characteristics to non-humans and even inanimates or non-mamamalians such as amoebas, draws them and in the past has been wildly successful.  So, his style was apt for japing a little and a little imitation . . . more imitation than japing moreover.

I always am pleased to see you pleased by one of my works; you're a tougher critique (measured by your absence) than many may realize.

;~))

I know that for sure.

High rates you gave (when we knew your rates) didn't disguise a highly critical and analytical mind, so when you step forward to analyze a photo of mine (any photo) and praise it, I sit up and take notice.

john

John (Crosley)

I suspect you may think I saw the 'story' then photographed it.

Just the opposite.

I saw the background, lined up any likely suspects, took photos with the lens stopped down, way down at a VERY slow shutter speed at long tele settings (they were far from the background so very stopped down), then on review, thought up the caption/tititle.

This a case where my inventive mind saw something in this particular capture, then custom invented a caption to match the story I invented to go along with it, not the reverse as some may suppose.

Did you figure that out, or does that surprise you? I can do both ways.  It changes from photo subject to photo subject or even while photographing a single series like this, as I progress form one viewpoint (or facial expression(s) or groupings of individual(s) to another.

Thanks for your complimentary comment.

john

John (Crosley)

Majestic !

Perfect !

Congrats John !

Wonderful comment to find in my comment section!

Thanks!

john

John (Crosley)