dhawks

I was in New Orleans a few years ago on a walkway between the waterfront and the French Quarter. It was late in the evening and the entire length of the walkway was populated by gypsy fortune tellers sitting at their individual, portable tables. As you walked past them, little children would implore you to take advantage of their gypsy services. I guess they were paid on a commission basis or, more likely, related to a particular fortune teller. Well, I couldn't resist and the one I chose looked a lot like your gypsy, only more French. She had the garish jewelry, the all seeing, all knowing demeanor and, of course, the ample breasts. Her specialty was palm reading. So, I let her read my palm. At the time, I had advanced Dupuytren's nodules on my right hand which is a benign tumor commonly referred to as the "Viking's disease." She was apparently familiar with this relatively unknown affliction because she pronounced "you are descended from the Vikings." This could be true because my mother and father are both Norwegian. But, it was interesting because before she made that declaration she asked to see my other hand (which has no sign of Dupuytren). Then, she told me of my distant past. "This hard scar on only one hand is a sign that your descendants were Vikings," she said. "It was passed from father to son from that time of conquering and domination." I was of course flabbergasted, because my father and his father and, probably, my great, great grandfather and all of the other grandfathers on my father's side each had Dupuytren nodules on their right hands. Then she stated, "If it is on one hand only, you were a Viking of great stature...a swordsman and aristocrat." Apparently, this disease had a Darwinian advantage in that those who possessed it were great swordsman, and survivors, and the nodules, by contracting the hand tendons, allowed their owner to hold a sword steady and firm. Then she said with authority, "If it is on both hands, my son, then you were not a valiant and powerful Viking, but a slave who was confined to the lower decks of the Viking vessels for the purpose of pulling the oars."

 

Well, John, you can imagine my pride at being an all conquering hero...a Viking, a Norseman of no insignificant stature. So, I thanked her, paid her royally (as is my wont as a Viking) and called my dad to tell him the good news (my dad, you must know, is somewhat of a frustrated genealogist, who was cut off at the knees when he couldn't find any family history beyond 1765, and here I had news of our Viking past perhaps as far back as 700 AD). Imagine my excitement in being the one to give my father the good news that could perhaps spur further investigation and circumnavigate those boring years between 700 and 1765 AD. Trembling and excited I made a cell phone call to my dad, the seed of my Viking past, and gave him the good news along with the supporting provenance. I was, to my surprise, met not with ecstatic praise and enthusiasm for my new found, and family vindicating, information, but silence. And then, my father said to me, "Son, I'm getting Dupuytren's nodules on my LEFT hand."

 

Great photograph.

 

I still love it...often I go back to photos I have rated or comment upon and think "what was I on when I looked at this one?" Yours stands the test of time, just thought I'd let you know.

Very sturdy composition. Well done.

You've got the great tones workin' here Daniel. Well done.

Absolutely love the composition and the tonal range. The active sailboats in the background really make this photograph. Great work.

This is funny as well as colorfully pleasing. Nice composition and attentive eye.

Nice composition, John and a very creative and innovative use of threes. I'm not sure I've seen it used on a vertical plane before. Another first for Mr. Crosley. Terrific work. P.S. I like the way the slope of the dock reinforces the boy peering over the edge...gotta be careful. You call it a simple photo that is easy to overlook, I call it simply eyecatching.

Nice simple composition and excellent use of shadows and light. Well done, Pnina.

Thanks in advance for your comments and suggestions

Wonderful composition, depth of field and tones. Well done. Regards, Doug.

A very emotional photograph, Albinas. The lighting in combination with the dark, velvety background is quite stunning. Nice work.

There is some real subtle humour in this portrait. To me, it's a welcome divergence from the standard portrait fare on this web site. Well done.

Michael, I think you've used motion and blur to good effect here. To my mind, you have conveyed both a sense of anticipation and impermanence. What will happen next, is someone expected or unexpected arriving, how long will the gathering last and how quickly does time pass us by? These are all questions I find raised by your capture of the moment...all of course left unanswered, as it should be. Having said that, what really makes this soar, is your bearded gentleman...without him, and by him I mean beard, hat, glasses and countenance, as a central point of attention all is lost in the swirl of that dance we call life. He is our anchor and he is the anchor of this photograph. Well done. Regards, Doug.

The muted tones are a nice touch and the simplicity of the scene quite alluring. Nice work.

A fine presentation of starkness and, judging from you title, lonliness. I'm a believer. Well done. Regards, Doug. P.S. The genie is making me dizzy.

A very creative interpretation of an athletic event, Toby. I like both the intensity of the combatants and the sense of movement. The only question I have is would it have been as or more effective with more of the crowd showing. Only you know for sure. Overall, a fine effort.

Nicely composed...others might object to the cropping of the plant on all sides, but I think is serves to accentuate the lines and lighting. My only criticism would be the burned out highlights, which on film would be indicative of over-exposure. In digital, I don't know what the cause would be, possibly the same thing. I would probably BLC (Bracket Like Crazy) on this one and see if there is an exposure that would allow me to maintain the full tonal range.

Gil Evans, Dave Brubeck, Art Pepper, birth of the cool...this photograph transports me back to a time when Jazz, with a capital J, ruled (I don't know what the term for ruled was back then, but you get my drift). You've captured all that and more with this and you've added a dash of contemporary for good measure and a bridge between then and now. Great work...man.

Slightly abstract, wonderfully mysterious, questions left unanswered...love it.

Very clever composition that accentuates textures and colors quite nicely. Well done.

You do some very unusual and creative wedding photography (not to slight your portraits which are equally out of the mainstream). Keep it up. Regards, Doug.

Just a fabulous combination of night neon color and perspective. I'll never see the Space Needle the same again. Great work.

Very haunting and thought provoking. I hope I can get to sleep tonight. Very well done. Regards, Doug.

I think this transcends the common tourist shot through its creative perspective and touch of humour. I like it very much. Well done. Regards, Doug.

Regardless of the manipulation this is pretty stupendous stuff...somehow it takes me back to my childhood and movies like "Forbidden Planet". Nice work. Regards, Doug.