gareth_harper

"i would expect to see a picture, and a simple description of it."

That's exactly what we have here. I have described this slightly odd picture as briefly as I can.

"i am aware of the category. but this is a photography critique forum, and while there are a million places to go discuss politics online, there are very few good places to participate in the workshopping of photography. "

Yes and you will be aware that photojournalism by it's very nature is political. Don't believe me, then look at all the other pictures in that forum, perhaps it is of course just that you don't like this grieving mother's message.

As for your 1,1 rating, I don't care, but I would prefer if could try and understand and critique the photograph for what it is. Feel free also to express you political opinions, as this picture is intended to provoke, but do try not to mix the two up.

Yes, we have mothers and fathers who have lost their sons and daughters because rich men send poor kids to fight their stupid wars.

And yes we have your type too. I would point out to you that this picture is in the news/photojournalism section of photonet. What did you expect to see?

This picture was taken during the 2005 UK election campaign, in which

Rose stood against Adam Ingram the Forces Minister.

From the press "Rose Gentle is trying to be where Tony Blair is when

she can. Despite having written to Rose to inform her that her son

Gordon "made the ultimate scrifice for his country" Blair still

refuses point blank to speak with Rose.

 

Someone had the idea of a Rose face mask. When Rose can't be there in

person, other people can be Rose. If it catches on it would mean that

everywhere Tony went during the election he would have Rose staring

out at him. "

 

Comments most welcome.

http://www.justice4gordongentle.org/

www.photoecosse.net

Paddy Hill, along with MSP's, a church minister, and many others,

lock down the Glasgow immigration office for a day in protest at

recent deportations.

Here the press interview Tommy Sheridan MSP, who's inside, by mobile

phone.

See www.paih.org for more.

Comments most welcome.

www.photoecosse.net

Excellant photograph, and of course very sad.

Yup Paddy has got wonderful eyes and they really are deep blue. Have a look at this one http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?topic_id=1481&msg_id=00E3dS&photo_id=3847615&photo_sel_index=0 again it's those eyes I think that makes the picture.

Thanks for the comments.

Thank-you for the kind comments.

Paddy Hill peeks out of the main door of the Glasgow immigration

centre, after he and others locked themselves in, and shut down the

Glasgow immigration office in protest against deportations.

Comments most welcome.

www.photoecosse.net

Pollokshaws Midsummer Carnival 2005.

Part of 'Refugee Week in Scotland' 2005.

Comments most welcome.

Rose checks her e-mail in the run up to the general election in 2005.

Rose lost her son Gordon in June 2004 to a roadside bomb in Iraq.

Gordon had just joined the army six months before.

Ritchie looks on, he brought Gordon home.

Rose continues to fight for an independent inquiry into the conflict.

My son died in an illegal war over oil she told me.

 

Comments most welcome.

www.photoecosse.net

www.justice4gordongentle.org

Simple and effective shot.

Paddy Hill expresses his anger at the deportation of the Vucaj family

to Albania.

Comments most welcome.

Speakers Corner, Hyde Park, London.

Comments most welcome.

Demonstration in Glasgow against deportation of refugees and asylum

seekers. Just days before this the Vucaj family had been deported.

They had lived in Glasgow for 5 years. Saida Vacaj came to Scotland

as an 8 year old, now 13 and with a strong Glasgow accent she finds

herself thrown out of her home, and deported to Albania, a country of

which she knows little about. Despite a campaign by her school

friends, her teachers, a major Glasgow charity and the whole

community in which the family lived, and indeed despite our own First

Minister expressing his "profound concern" about "scandalous

immigration practices", Westminster continued with it's deportation.

I guess this is what 'getting tough on asylum' really means.

see www.paih.org for further info.

Comments welcome.

This is not bad. I don't think it's a stand alone shot, but it could be good as part as a series. Again I feel there is a little wasted space. Also a bit more punch needed and lose the noise/grain in the solid black areas.

I'd agree that there is too much space here that ain't doing anything for the shot.

One thing I will say is that I wish I had a workshop like that!

Also it's workshop, why is granpa sat in a chair posing for you? What does he do in there? Maybe try again but this time with him doing whatever he does in there. Also as somebody who still shoots b&w film, this is a bit flat and grey. A bit more work on the finish I think.

Gary Lewis being filmed by the Glasgow based Camcorder Guerillas, for

their upcoming film 'Dungavel, Monster of the Glen'.

see www.camcorderguerillas.net

 

Comments most welcome.

www.photoecosse.net

Well I like it. I cover a lot of demos. Like you I opposed this war and still do. I also oppose globalisation, free trade and imperialism. The so called free west is the real terrorist.

So there's my political reaction.

But why do I like the picture? Well like I said I do a lot of this stuff. You grab the usual shots, the angry shouty stuff, the cute kids etc, then you start to look for something a bit more off the wall, something different, and here you have succeded. My only complaint is that it's a little flat, but I'm sure that can be fixed.

Well done, a good amusing original western demo shot. And go nurses go!

A powerful picture.

Gary Lewis being filmed for the upcoming Camcorder Guerilla

film, 'Dungavel' about Dungavel Prison for refugees in Scotland.

Any comments most welcome.

see www.camcorderguerillas.net for more info.

Nice attempt, but,

It's not sharp, the staionary stuff should be sharp. Also the highlights have are very much blown. I'd also try and get a vantage point that does not have those telegraph wires in the frame.

Sorry.

Hello Lisa. I got stuck in a garden after being riot charged. These guys weren't for letting me by. I couldn't get into the field. Meanwhile Chinook helicopters were flying in reinforcements to drive back the 100's of protestors that had broken through the exclusion zone. It's one of the ones I'm quite pleased with.

 

Hello Lisa, it's probably grainy as I burned it in at a high grade. Also the cheap flatbed I was using at the time to scan my prints exaggerates grain. This plane cashed at the airport in 2001. As far as I know it's the only commercial beach airport in the world. Thanks for your comment.

Thank-you for the comments.

Lisa, the police have other people to watch out for, that's what they are doing. Yup I've lost the shadow detail in this print as I was printing quickly, that can be fixed if I print it again.

Cheers, Gareth.

Quite nice. But maybe I'd prefer more DOF back to the guitarist. Highlights are just blowing out, and I don't like all the crap round the boarder. I think it makes a good shot as part of a series, but not one to stand by itself, if you know what I mean.