If The Fates Allow...

[TByrne]

I'm feeling that this is an awkward Christmas card, huh? But it does cause me to wonder that with respect to the needs of the most fragile among us... why it is that "overlook" and "oversee" mean opposite things?:(

Ted

http://homepage.mac.com/byrneprintmaker/.Pictures/Italy/beggar2_srgb.jpg

[drandtus]

A sad and strong image, T. Overlook and oversee, indeed.

Merry Christmas to you.

[TByrne]

A sad and strong image, T. Overlook and oversee, indeed.

Merry Christmas to you.

Thanks Drandtus... I fear the image and its caption, judging from the lack of reaction, may be insensitive on my part for a Christmas posting? Didn't mean to affront. It just seemed somewhat iconic re. a lot of folks who lack an ability to share in the spirit of the time. Oh well...

Happy Christmas to all... and to all a Merry New Year...

Ted

[patchow]

I fear the image and its caption, judging from the lack of reaction, may be insensitive on my part for a Christmas posting?
Ted

I suppose that is the reason for Christmas in the first place...

[Stefan A]

I do not necessarily find this to be a picture of "folks who lack an ability to share." The one guy is looking down at him with his hand in his pocket. Looks like he is about to give him some money.

BTW, nice shot. You have taken a typical scene and make it "come alive".

Stefan

[bikerider]

a poignant image for the season Ted....an all too common sight in Italy. All the best for the holidays.

[TByrne]

a poignant image for the season Ted....an all too common sight in Italy. All the best for the holidays.
Poignant? Yeah. But subtle it ain't, eh? Which is the beggar's point exactly.

One morning before sunup I came upon a group of sinewy rough men in expensive leather jackets... They did not look to be Italian and their language seemed more Eastern European (but my ear is not trained enough to tell well. It was neither Italian, Spanish, nor French). And they were arranging these beggar people on the streets and apparently ordering them curtly into position. Even though I was out to take photographs of the sunrise, I did not take pictures of those people. They were intimidating in the darkness broken only by street lights. Picturing them did not appear to be a healthy morning exercise.

[bikerider]

Ted that sounds like Gypsy bosses organising the daily collection and they were probably from Romania where most come from....good thing you avoided photographing them, the best thing to do is ignore. A lot of the beggars here pretend to be disabled and I certainly experienced organised begging in Napoli when a middle age guy tried to use a child to get money from me, I pretended not to see them at all.

[Yiskah]

I always learn something from POTN:) Thanks Bikerider and Ted. Oh, and Ted- I am glad that you did not choose to photograph them... you used your 'gut feeling', your instincts... something we tend to lose when taking photographs;)