Sophia On Yafo Street 1544-25

I wonder whether people looking like this girl are mentally healthy (I do not claim that I am perfect; but that is another matter). Does she hate herself? Is she ridiculing you (and us, onlookers)? Or, is this just a semi-childish cry like "look at me, look at me & nothing else"?

Perhaps, I am just being old-fashioned...

Regards,

Bulent; I think she is just playing a game.

Inmates, by definition, have lost control of their lives. Where they sleep, and with whom; what they eat, and with whom they eat; where they spend their time is decided by others. Unable, for one reason or another, to conform within the rules of society, the inmate is unable to exercise control of their surroundings. The natural desire for control manifests itself with exhibited control over those things that those with limited control retain control of, such as their skin. Inmates, with a real sense of no control, do control what they can. People not incarcerated exhibit the same tendencies through piercing and tattooing. People who are not happy with where they sleep or what they eat or how their time is spent want to control what they can. Let’s not forget endorphins. If you have sixteen holes in your ears and elsewhere you know about endorphins. Opiate receptors are activated by endorphins. In other words, stimulating the pituitary gland to produce endorphins produces an addition to decreased feelings of pain, secretion of endorphins leads to feelings of euphoria, modulation of appetite, release of sex hormones, and enhancement of the immune response. With high endorphin levels, we feel less pain and fewer negative effects of stress. Endorphins have been suggested as modulators of the so-called "runner's high" that athletes achieve with prolonged exercise.

 

Pierce something and you are “in control” with, perhaps, some bonus endorphins. Pierce everything…tattoo everything…

 

This young lady will mature and stop making holes in her ears, et al. Self-mutilation and self-control are certainly related…but let us keep them separate eh?

 

Thank you for taking your time to comment. There is a lot I do not understand so I have to come back and read this comment over carefully.I do not understand if you are saying that this is conneted to over piercing on not connected or neither. Your eMotiveImaging site is very impressive.

Great and powerful photo that tells a lot about our society and young people in it. I guess for many teenagers tattooing and body piercing may just be the ways to attract people's attention. Really well done, thank you for sharing, -wm

Thank you Meir.

 

Your portfolio is remarkable and indeed truly inspiring.

 

A condensed version of my thoughts on your capture of Sophia on Yafo Street follows:

 

We do not see people at sixty or seventy years of age with 50 holes and a habit getting another piercing. It doesn't happen.

 

We do not see people at sixty or seventy years of age going from 300lbs to 350lbs. Do you know anyone close to seventy years of age that weighs 400 lbs?

 

Sophia is controlling what she is currently able to control. Sophia will either gain more control over important factors in her life or she will not. Your photograph documents this stage expertly.

 

Please tell us the circumstances when you made this capture.

 

Thank you again for your kind words and inspiring work.

 

-George

 

 

 

 

The 'circumstances" when I made this "capture" (I do not like that word. Sounds like I trapped her). ....The photo was taken the first time I met Sophia. Sophia is/was a Heroine user -actually addict at the time; she had the "habit". She sits on the street asking for money. When she collects 100 shekles she goes off to buy. She buys outside the city because it is cheaper. A driver takes them. I was never allowed to go along. I made a folder on Sophia; I think it did not rate well. Maybe 6 months later she called me on the cell and said she was trying to get straight. I never saw her again.

 

i clicked this image because i first saw a pill in her mouth. i then read the story. how strange. However i want to express my appreciation for your really big and constantly great portrait work. I wonder why there is no obviously Orthodox in your first people - folder though... I will certainly be back.

Best, flo.

Flo; What story? I did not write a story. In the first folder there are 7 photos with a total of 13 obvious "orthodox" (excluding Palestinans) people. Why not more? I suppose that "Orthodox" has no particular novelty for me. I assume you mean religious "orthodox" Thank you very much for visiting and the encouraging comment.