Two Cups Bring 'Satisfaction' of Different Sorts**+

Two 'Cups' -- one of Nescafe and another of small change -- mostly

of coins totalling a few cents for a beggar woman (who counts a few

here), provide 'satisfactioin' for each of these figures. You can

guess which is more satisfied -- the 'virtual' figure of the

advertising photograph with his 'cuppa' Nescafe or the babushka --

grandmother -- with her few coins for which she has staked out a

prominent sidewalk on a major street in a large city in Ukraine.

Your rating and critiques are invited and most welcome. If you rate

harshly or very critically, please submit a helpful and constructive

comment; please share your superior photographic knowledge to help

improve my photography. Thanks! Enjoy! John

You really captured the juxtaposition.....Great!

Babushka (who later saw me photographing -- about 20 frames, almost all equally good), and I had an argument of sorts, as much as my fractured Russian would allow. She was apparently angry that I took her photograph and I her the word dva dotchka (two daughters) and understood that she'd be embarrassed if her 'daughters' knew she were begging for a living.

 

How wrong she should be, at least if her daughters were decent people who had any sort of income at all!!!!

 

What sort of daughter (and I think I heard mention of a son too) would let their aging mother beg on a major city street for coins which sometimes -- often -- are worth less than a US penney, rather than provide for her.

 

She did not seem mentally denranged or socially compelled just to sit there to beg -- she seemed to genuinely need the money to live (as many poorer older folks whose pensions have been eaten -- literally and/or figuretively -- by inflation in Ukraine -- particularly the pensions of very old which were fixed long ago), and my personal opinion is this is a very proud woman who has misplaced her pride, but my Russian (and my personal stake in being a photographer only -- not a social worker) prevented me from telling her so. And who am I to do so, anyway.

 

I left her a generous tip, and later that day left her another, and will again and again, and never take her photo again.

 

Some photos just need to be taken.

 

I'd passed her many times and never photographed her, but when she parked herself in front of a Nescafe vending machine, it just was almost impossible NOT to photograph her.

 

(On wrestling with the 'street photographer's' conscience)

 

The U.S. Marines have a semi-official motto. 'We shoot 'em and let God sort 'em out.'

 

I don't share that motto, but some photos just beg to be taken.

 

Maybe even this photo will be seen by her neglectful (maybe) daughters (and son?), and they will start to take care of her. There's always hope. (Old folks in Ukraine are NOT put into 'institutions', as they don't have the resources to 'warehouse' old people -- they're 'mainstreamed' unlike America which puts old people out of sight, which is why they're never photographed in America.

 

Old folks homes in the USA almost universally bar photography except by family members or by special assignment and only then for 'cheery events' guaranteed to make the 'home' look good, such as 'entertainment' events, or to illustrate plights brought about by cuts in government funding -- plus HIPPA (the government privacy program that requires all that privacy paperwork practically ties their hands, regarding allowing photography by 'strangers'.

 

Tant Pis. So much the worse (in French) which leads to the US elderly's being even more isolated, even if better care is administered to them than this lady mght be getting (she probably gets none at all and fends for herself, but probably pretty capably, as such women can be pretty foxy about their survival.

 

Nevertheless, in most cases for an American woman, removal to a US 'retirement' convalescent hospital is nearly akin to a 'death sentence' for a greater part of the very aged in America -- few are expected to come out alive, whereas this woman with her vigor will trudge her streets looking for her few spare hrivna (pronounced grivna) every day, perhaps for years and years, despite her apparent infirmity.

 

She actually may be more lucky than if she were sent to a US convalescent hospital for her infirmity and 'three squares a day', and thus live a longer life. (Hardy sorts, Ukrainian women --- not so the men, however, sadly, with a huge sexual population imbalance caused by early male deaths. Read about that elsewhere in these photo comments.)

 

John (Crosley)

It's one of those stupid things I do easily and naturally -- kind of like 'Dustin Hoffman' --movie star -- played an idiot mathematical genius in the movie 'Rainman' -- literally Hoffman played 'Raymond', an 'idiot-savant'.

 

Maybe with regard to such photos I am an 'idiot savant'!!!!

 

"Cameras and lenses are kinda 'sparkly'"

 

John (Rain Man Crosley)

Almost anybody, presented with the 'right eye' and the correct circumstances (and some chutzpah) can take a juxtaposition photograph, such as this.

 

The real test comes with the ability to take what I regard as one of my near 'perfect' photographs, earlier in this particular photo (for now at least, this folder) of the young girl in front of the 'football/soccer' player photo in the window -- now that I challenge anyone to better -- to do as well as or different than, I'll accept, but it's among my lifetime best, and I knew it even before I pressed the shutter, but only when I analyzed did I recognize what one viewer/critic called the 'perfect conjugation of events' captured by a camera, never to be seen again by mankind. (sounds kind of pompous, doesn't it, but I seem only to take one such photo a year, if that, and only several such in a lifetime, and that one didn't get nearly such high rates as this -- go figure.)

 

And I'm NOT overstating what I view as the ultimate 'perfection' of that photo, even though it, too, has a visible wart on it -- a figure cut in half. Can you find it? Or recognize it?

 

John (Crosley)

This image has a brownish-orange color cast on the skin tones that I know "Shadow/Highlight" control introduces. Its intensity can be reduced by using the "Color Correction" slider in the same control set. Respectfully.

I'll be playing with this image. I have about 20 of them to work with, and this is just one of them (two of them in which she fiddles with 'change' given to her).

 

It was a hard choice to decide which one of various ones to post. With my very long lens, I went beside a light post and just leaned, but she had spied me, and tried to avoid the exposures, but she wasn't moving, though she tried to look downward (see discussion above).

 

I actually think I just outlined her face with a selection took, then used shadow/highlight tool selectively, (which is the way I choose to use it generally) to bring out what was a face hidden in shadow, but I'll try to redo the photo in due time and see what improvement I can make.

 

Your suggestion is really good and an important observation which will guide me as I work my photos through future times.

 

Are you aware of any Bay Area photo clubs of high caliber that welcome new members -- same for the Santa Cruz area? I need some acquaintanceship in the local area. I see you are local, and so is Mr. Ting, one of PN's most prolific posters, and there must be a bunch of us.

 

Thanks so much.

 

John (Crosley)

Do you think she had any inkling that she was (perhaps unconciously) mirroring the advertisement? I often wonder about this when viewing your work.

No, I don't think she did.

 

She just moves around, and I think she is oblivious to her background, though now she may be more 'aware' if she has any thoughts as to why she was picked out that day only for being photographed. She and I have not had a tete-a-tete about it, and I don't plan one, but she has moved down the street, and previously was varying distances down the street. The vending machine marks the end of the street's buildings and the start of a public square.

 

Good question. And I honestly can say, 'I don't really know and probably never will' so it's mainly rhetorical and problematic.

 

Hmmmmhhhh, something more to ponder. At least it's not too weighty. I felt crappy enough when she scolded me for taking her photo, until I heard the words dotchka(s) (daughters) and realized that instead of her being 'ashamed' of begging, she should be ashamed of them for neglecting her (if that is the case).

 

John (Crosley)

We don't even plan to sit down and have a Tetley's over the subject, either. We've both 'moved on' so to speak, with our 'places' in our lives after our 'separation' that morning.

 

;-))

 

John (Crosley)

My local serves a cracking pint of Tetley's - next time you're in the UK, be sure to get in touch.

All kidding aside, I'd love to take you up on the invitation, though I'm hardly a tea drinker. Soft drinks with lots of ice for me; though Coke and other companies charge a fortune for their products in Europe/U.K. which are practically free in the U.S., and in a hotel, a cube of ice goes for about a pound, I recall, while in the US it comes out of giant hoppers. Hotels bring a cube of ice on a Tiarra surrounded with ermine, with gold tines to pick up each cube with, while I want a whole plastic bag full of the stuff, available in the U.S. for $1.00.

 

Here in Ukraine, the local McDonald's which gives an inch of ice with any cold drink and none with a bottled Diet Coke, has made a special rule for me -- full of ice to the top or over with their largest cup.

 

It's by edict.

 

Everything the Americanski wants for 'lod' -- ice. And it's sweaty hot here, so I keep going back, as all the rest of the soft drinks (even beer) elsewhere often are warm, unless it's early enough they haven't re-stocked the coolers from the previous night.

 

Now Tetley's sounds pretty hot, and perfect if the weather's all drizzley (and you like tea), and your electric fire won't even keep you warm (how's that for an oxymoron -- electric fire?) Maybe dine on some 'giant shrimp' in a room heated by your 'electric fire?'

 

Well, I've teased you enough.

 

I may very well be in touch, though I tend to avoid high-priced climes, such as the U.K., preferring to stretch my dollar (there just aren't enough of the latter . . . regrettably . . . . and what there are goes to things that capture pixels, as you probably have figured out.)

 

By the way, did you check the N.Y. Times Sunday Magazine piece on the 'gamble' Britain is taking that it's 'stiff upper lip' or something like that will see it 'muddle through' its current and future 'ethnic/racial/religious' segretation problems. It suggested the strategy was somewhat 'chancy' to paraphrase (good reading and seemingly authoritative, but perhaps 'old hat' to you.)

 

Best wishes from the banks of the Dnipro River.

 

John (Crosley)

Wrong Tetley's John -> http://www.carlsberguk.co.uk/great_brands/tetley/tasting/tasting.htm

 

'Local' refers to the pub I frequent.

 

Love the ice gaff though - thankfully things are changing.