AN AMISH TALE

WARNING: SOMEWHAT GRAPHIC IN NATURE

 

Best viewed large.

I am glad you visited the Amish. A pastoral scene of picturesque retreat for the world weary. The puppy ( I call them all puppies ) intently watching for his ball is master touch. I thought you were worn out from previous battles of wit with Barry, looks like you are indestructible in that respect and you won my admiration there for the fine points you make. Looks like you are also ready to celebrate with fine alfresco lunch . :-) I like the jolly sunshine, others maybe vegetarian. Ah well, you can not please everybody. I like the capture and the finer points it makes, you told the story with characteristic charm. Prepare some wit for possible incoming flack. All best wishes for you my not so old friend. Glad you are back. P. S. Mario is working hard to become a real Curmudgeon, too.. Ciao amigo!

 

 

Oh no! Strung up by their necks - was it a mob lynching? Interesting shot! :)

Yikes! And then some.

 

A city boy like me doesn't run across a scene like this too often. More likely it would be a person hanging there and it would be in a downtown alley sidestreet doorway lit by blinking neon. Ahh, yes, we photographers discover many worlds.

 

Really wonderful composition which does all the storytelling. There are several chapters going on here at once. This is a rich photo for that. It tells us location, lifestyle, reality. It's got wit. It's got tension. It's got perspective.

 

Fabulous and hideous.

Deftly organized, this has a real sense of balance, both visually and emotionally. The visual line from the dog to the ball and to the viewer is a strong one. I've been both a country mouse and a city mouse, and it's amazing how acclimated we become to our environment. Deer swinging from a tree doesn't seem so gruesome when it's a way of life. Neither does toting a pistol in the inner city. The dog is accustomed to his place, sitting patiently with dangling carcases. This makes me ponder who is the animal and what makes it so.

First off, it's great to have you back. This is a wonderful shot, revealing, full of detail and beautifully composed. It's intersting that we have long viewed the Amish as a quaint, anachronistic people, out of touch with the times. Sometimes I wish I weren't quite as much in touch with the times, myself. Perhaps the Amish with their simple lifestyle have carved out a much more viable position than the rest of us who seem to be nakedly exposed to the raging gales of modern life.

As always, I'm indebted to you for your unwavering (and undeserved) praise. Let me advise you, however, that if you want to be a real curmudgeon, you will have to grouse about things from time to time. Don't be pleasant all the time. LOL

Kind of gruesome huh? I guess it's just a slice of life.

You are certainly right about a lot of levels and stories here. It does have humor too, although being kind of squeamish, I was taken a bit aback by the scene when I saw it. I honestly saw nothing humorous about it when I shot it. It was shot hand held, because I did not want to risk the homeowners ire, and I was a bit afraid of the dog. Turns out the dog was more afraid of me than I was of him.

Composition is something I had no time to think about, except when I got home with the image on the screen. I passed this house and saw this scene, but did not feel comfortable invading the privacy of a fairly private group of people and this individual's home. I got about half a mile up the road while I debated the issue, then whirled around and headed back when I convinced myself that the scene merited preservation despite my qualms. I'm a real wuss about confronting people and about slaughtering animals, so I had to overcome those obstacles. Fortunately no human made his or her presence known. I was wary of the the mutt.

 

And, as stated above, I love the stories being told here. Thanks for looking and for your cogent commentary.

Thanks. It's nice to be back. And, yes, the Amish do have an interesting way of life. I admire their toughness. I know I could not make it in their world. And, given their footprint on the planet, it certainly could be argued that their way of life is more viable than ours. This one's a bit of a far cry from Japan, eh?

Dave: A fine shot. As mentioned above, you've captured so many threads in a single image that it's an intriguing one to study. The composition is a delight: the implied diagonal between the dog and ball intersects the shadow that parallels the fence/bales/wagon/road, forming a triangle. And that near-perfect form is dramatically intruded upon by the hanging deer. Life and death in the country! Terrific! Warm regards, Joe

Dave, whatever I'd add would only echo the very perceptive comments already posted.

 

I have found myself sitting quite a while just taking it in.

Thanks so much. I'm sure you've traveled some of these roads, since it is not too far from where you live. Next time I'm back in the Midwest, besides taking you out to dinner, I'm going to prowl the Amish area quite a bit. I find them fascinating.

 

Thanks for looking and commenting. I, too, keep looking and looking at this. There is something there that just draws me back more so than with many of my images. On a superficial level, I know one thing is for sure. If I had to kill and dress my meat, I'd probably become a vegetarian.

what a combination of objects. It covers many things from a play time to a death time via a time 200 years ago. I love the ball in the foreground, as it gives the photo a wacky balance. Dude, I didn't know there was a tree growing deer, but hey - I spend most of the time in the city. This is a gallery-type photo. Maybe not pretty as an emotional sunset or sunrise, but it says a lot more than those... Cheers, Micheal

It does pretty much cover the major themes. I have a lot of mixed feelings when I look at this one.

i believe the Amais are quite frugal people, and likely use every bit of the deer for something. i am an animal lover, but i am not a vegetarian. i prefer my meat either in a celophane package or already cooked. in a wy this seems more honest.

Yes, it is more honest. Like I said, if I had to kill and dress my meat, I'd be a vegetarian. While I am not a follower of their religion, I certainly admire many of their qualities.

Peter Weir's thriller Witness is for me about the only thing connected to Amish I'm familiar with so far. Here your great story telling capture fills in. Immediately recognizable wagon design helps the viewer to connect to Amish, the hanging quarry telling about the lifestyle and the dog and (children's) ball all make this into a very balanced capture to cherish. Very nice that triangle; wagon, dog and ball. I also find the upwards aching branches creating tension to the dead deers. Thanks for sharing, and congratulations.

Thanks so much. I'm pretty fascinated by this image too, as I find their lifestyle so distinct from my own. The Amish are seemingly a peaceful, friendly and hard working bunch.

A powerful image indeed.

Thank you, sir.