Mates ( not raters...)

They belong to the Ethiopian community, found them near the synagogue enjoying learning together a page from the bible.

Thanks for your time.

Pnina, the verticals of the window go well with the horizntal of the bench with the two sitting where the lines join. I like the feeling that they are concentrated on the bible in front of them. Nice tonal quality too with the browns and whites.

Beautiful symmetry, Pnina. The vertical crop enhances the vertical and horizontal lines.

Then.., my beloved Jewish people (myself three percent!) must be mates too.. haha , for at least thirty.. ages..!

Very nice, my dear Pnina, aa elegantly composed photo. The animation of the men is a perfect counterpoint to the stately geometrics of the building.

Great cut! By the steps and by you (on the right! - right hand side :-))

Colin and Paula thanks for your feedback my friends.

 

Colin, thanks for all of them ;-))

 

Olaf. 3% ? , you always make me smile...

 

Jack, as an excellent street photographer, it is a big compliment!

 

And Daily, from you too my friend!

Very good composition,choice of subject and caption,Pnina.

Pnina, love the splendid composition & you have caught the warm moment___nicely talking with good story...! Best regards.

Nice vertical image, Pnina. Excellent composition and contrast. Good capture. Best regards!

Hi, Pnina,

 

Another great shot. The dark window helped you out by providing some contrast to the upper part of the frame. I like the cane on the seat.

 

Is it just my old eyes, or do the windows seem to be leaning a little to the right?

 

Best Regards,

 

Barry

Pnina, it is a fragment of real life, one that most will relate to and enjoy for the sense of relaxation.

Pnina, I certainly agree about how good your composition is. Also from this scene it occures to me that these fellows are very serious about there religion. And there is a aweful lot of good in an aweful lot of people.....Thanks for sharing this with us......Jim

It looks as if these men are special dressed for this picture Pnina. The colours they wear and their skincolour is in a perfect harmony with the building, the window and the bench. I like the composition very much though I would have liked to see just a little bit more space at the bottom. But perhaps you where at your limit concerns sizes. Anyway a touching scene, the both men studing and discussing what's in the bible. Stupid question perhaps Pnina, but has the bookmarker in the form of a tail a special meaning in the Jewish religion? I've never seen it before.

 

Many greetings, Ada:)

At least three.. and I'm proud of it! My daughter came back from a diving course in Thailand and asked me, "Dad do you know witch group of people is, because of their behaviour, the most unloved in holiday centers etc.?" I did start with Dutch.. , Irish.. and an other few.. "No dad.." And she was giving the answer. Pnina, it did hurt.. I do understand. "Materialised" young people in a reaction against the whole world. Nevertheless, the daughter did succeed the course. :)

a wonderful picture Pnina, harmony in their relaxed postures,in the colours, in the protective form of the window - really nice!

Amal, Richard, David, thanks for your nice comments

 

Barry, I don't see it ,after your comment I checked it again;-))

 

Seven, Thanks. I think that this medium IS photographing scenes of life. some are simple like this one, some are more complicated, or worked on. I'm glad you felt the relaxed atmospher here.

 

Jim thanks, Yes, the Ethiopian people are very religious, and it is near a Synagogue.

 

Ada, they are not dressed for the photo;-)) they are dressed so in honor of prayng time.

The tail Ada, is very symbolic ellement in the African/Ethiopian culture. it is a sign that the man is a congregation Rabby ( like priest, high position).

Thanks for asking and your nice comments.

 

Olaf, thanks, I will not go into debate with your daughter..;-))

 

Andrea, thanks for connecting to the scene.

 

Pnina

Pnina,nice how you noticed them in their mutual feelings and give them all the space up with the window in the light facade.

Lovely tones and hues here Pnina. I also like how you haven't cropped the doorway to the right - adds interest and places the 2 men within a wider scene than otherwise.

Dear Pnina, I have only seen this now and I fall on yet another Pnina miracle. It is seldom I see composition where I would not be tended to change something. This is in my eyes perfect and creates a very strong feeling of calm, concentration and joy. The colour tones are in full harmony and so are the vertical lines of the composition at the upper part and the vertical at the lower-left part of the scene.

 

It is loaded with the symbols of age (the stick), of wisdom, tradition and culture. I would love if you could explain in some more details each element of what they wear and what they hold so that we all fully can benefit from the story it tells. Lovely photo

 

Nicely composed with distinct lines. Since the colors are quite muted, would a monochrome version be worth the effort?

Pnina, there is something else about this scene that I notice. These gentlemen are dressed exactly as ever so many African-American men of their age are so very often dressed on Sunday here, even the hats look the same.....Personally I find this rather interesting.......Jim

 

Alix, Mike, Anders Arthur and Jim.

Anders, I have photographed pendant two years the Ethiopian community. It was an educational traveling exhibition in schools here,and is a permanent exhibition in a college.There is a lot to tell, but reffering to this one, their cloths are regular western, what is special is the tail on the stick on his right foot , It is probabaly a "Kess" which is a rabby or a priest. They are very honored in the community, as they serve as well as judges. In ceremonies and prayers, the have special cloths, I upload a photo of Kess Menase,( already dead) that was the "Kess of kesses", a super figure in the congregation. The tail is one of their identification as Kess ( in Africa , it serves as well to get rid of flies...) The book is a bible that Kess Menase kept in his possesion for more than 60! years.The umbrella, is also a sign of the Kess.They are so colorful that most of my exhibition was in color.

 

Arthur,I'm sure that b/w will be fine with this one, but I liked so much the color melange that I did not convert it. Thanks for your suggestion, I will try it. I will upload another one of him in B/W.

 

Jim, we wrote simultaneously , Yes, thier cloths are western, but in events the Kess is dressed as in the photo.

 

here

 

Kess Menase, with the bible.

Pnina, you have a really lovely composition here. It was an inspired thought on your part to include the partial arch on the right to off-set the symmetry so beautifully. The main arch, with its elegantly textured glass, frames the main subjects in a gorgeous and effective manner. Great control on perspective as well. Very nice work. Regards, Kelvin.