Orphan Angel - a shot from the heart

[LeeMac]

Several people have asked me to post a version of this in the 'people' section - so, here it is. Shot on location near the mexican border. Feb 2005. I was stopped in my tracks when I saw this child's expression. I welcome comments about the photo. Thanks.

[hjoli]

Wow, powerful image

[guitarman]

I don't mean to be rude as this is just my perception of the shot, but it looks staged. He doesn't look like a street kid. He looks fairly delicate with some strategically placed scrapes and dirt. If he's abandoned he looks like a kid that was abandoned about 24 hours ago from a middle class family.

[quantabeh]

wow. and it really needs that WOW.
excellent exposure, excellet framing. It's really effective, and consumes one with sadness.
thanks for the great post.
cheers,
quantabeh

[InskiP]

Wow, that is a beautiful child. Incredible eyes. But I have to agree w/ guitarman he's just a little too pretty to be believable. And, I don't know what side of the border is being depicted here, but he definately doesn't look Mexican. Looks like he belongs in a Mad Max movie or something. Beautiful image anyway...

[Titus213]

Wow, that is a beautiful child. Incredible eyes. But I have to agree w/ guitarman he's just a little too pretty to be believable. And, I don't know what side of the border is being depicted here, but he definately doesn't look Mexican. Looks like he belongs in a Mad Max movie or something. Beautiful image anyway...

Ditto for me. Hair doesn't look messy/dirty enough.

[kenyc]

I don't mean to be rude as this is just my perception of the shot, but it looks staged. He doesn't look like a street kid. He looks fairly delicate with some strategically placed scrapes and dirt. If he's abandoned he looks like a kid that was abandoned about 24 hours ago from a middle class family.

That's exactly what I thought.

KAC

[cameron]

Hmm... I'm not sure I agree with what has been said - for the most part.

Who says that pretty people can't be homeless? Only ugly - beat down - ragged kids can be orphans? Nah.. I'm not into that.

I think is a great shot - seems like you really captured a great expression - and technically speaking ... everything is dead on.

good stuff!

[JMAS]

"Location Street: Documentary shot from war zone film
Equipment Unknown Technical Details Caught this face during the documentary shooting. I was moved by the sweetness and contemplating moment. It made me feel that we all need a guardian angel. "

Taken from the information Lee has posted in Photo.net
This must be Lee pulling our leg.
You have a great portfolio that I had seen before in Photo.net.

I will assume you are legit and if so... Wonderful work, even if staged.
Welcome and keep posting, please.

[Titus213]

"Location Street: Documentary shot from war zone film
Equipment Unknown Technical Details Caught this face during the documentary shooting. I was moved by the sweetness and contemplating moment. It made me feel that we all need a guardian angel. "

Taken from the information Lee has posted in Photo.net
This must be Lee pulling our leg.
You have a great portfolio that I had seen before in Photo.net.

I will assume you are legit and if so... Wonderful work, even if staged.
Welcome and keep posting, please.

War zone makes more sense to me than homeless/abandoned.

So are we at war with Mexico???

[kenyc]

"Location Street: Documentary shot from war zone film
Equipment Unknown Technical Details Caught this face during the documentary shooting. I was moved by the sweetness and contemplating moment. It made me feel that we all need a guardian angel. "

Taken from the information Lee has posted in Photo.net
This must be Lee pulling our leg.
You have a great portfolio that I had seen before in Photo.net.

I will assume you are legit and if so... Wonderful work, even if staged.
Welcome and keep posting, please.

I think that says it then, it was "staged" in the sense that the kid was an actor.

KAC

[kenyc]

Hmm... I'm not sure I agree with what has been said - for the most part.

Who says that pretty people can't be homeless? Only ugly - beat down - ragged kids can be orphans? Nah.. I'm not into that.

I think is a great shot - seems like you really captured a great expression - and technically speaking ... everything is dead on.

good stuff!

Regardless of whether it was staged or not, it gives that impression to me (and apparently to others). I don't accept it as real and that's what matters, art is in the eye of the beholder. Maybe I and the others are not in the majority, that's fine too....

KAC

[LeeMac]

Thanks for the attention. I did not expect that a conversation would grow about who this kid is or what side of the border he was on. Just wanted the shot to stand on its own merit as a photograph. Sorry if anyone feels I am pulling legs. I am not selling this kiod or trying to get adoption. Just loved the moment and feeling. I have been shooting both real and actor kids in settings that are real as well as implied for this documentary. Not trying to fool anyone. Just hoping for honest opinions/feelings about the photograph itself.
Again thanks for the support and interest. Maybe I will cahnge the title.

[JMAS]

Thanks for the attention. I did not expect that a conversation would grow about who this kid is or what side of the border he was on. Just wanted the shot to stand on its own merit as a photograph. Sorry if anyone feels I am pulling legs. I am not selling this kiod or trying to get adoption. Just loved the moment and feeling. I have been shooting both real and actor kids in settings that are real as well as implied for this documentary. Not trying to fool anyone. Just hoping for honest opinions/feelings about the photograph itself.
Again thanks for the support and interest. Maybe I will cahnge the title.

Maybe I didn't express myself: I enjoyed the photo.

[kenyc]

Thanks for the attention. I did not expect that a conversation would grow about who this kid is or what side of the border he was on. Just wanted the shot to stand on its own merit as a photograph. Sorry if anyone feels I am pulling legs. I am not selling this kiod or trying to get adoption. Just loved the moment and feeling. I have been shooting both real and actor kids in settings that are real as well as implied for this documentary. Not trying to fool anyone. Just hoping for honest opinions/feelings about the photograph itself.
Again thanks for the support and interest. Maybe I will cahnge the title.

I understand now. I guess the deal is that it seemed to be being passed off as a real orphan, not a shot from a movie set. (I should have read more in to the word "location") If that had been clearly stated up front my reaction certainly would have been different. It is technically a great shot, but clearly staged so something seemed out of place.

Carry on, keep up the good work!
KAC

[LeeMac]

Thanks.
I do understand and wish not to create and undo stress here. Cheers
Lee

[JMAS]

Thanks.
I do understand and wish not to create and undo stress here. Cheers
Lee

We're coll. ;)

Keep posting, please.

[guitarman]

My remarks are just what I saw or interpreted in this shot. Neither advocating good or bad. I guess I should have said good picture. It would have been less controversial but not honest from the heart. Not that I'm saying there was anything wrong with it technically. I was just trying to look past that.

[Art Rodriguez]

I was one of the people who suggested that LeeMac post this picture in the people section. I thought, and still think, this is a great picture and great capture IMHO. I honestly didn't think about the picture being staged or real. I only saw the picture for what is was.

Keep up the good work LeeMac and thanks for sharing.

[grego]

It's a great picture, but it's also good to indicate if its staged, especially when you get into a more serious subject.

[LastLine]

Thanks for the attention. I did not expect that a conversation would grow about who this kid is or what side of the border he was on. Just wanted the shot to stand on its own merit as a photograph. Sorry if anyone feels I am pulling legs. I am not selling this kiod or trying to get adoption. Just loved the moment and feeling. I have been shooting both real and actor kids in settings that are real as well as implied for this documentary. Not trying to fool anyone. Just hoping for honest opinions/feelings about the photograph itself.
Again thanks for the support and interest. Maybe I will cahnge the title.I agree with you, the photo when I first saw it truely moved me. Fantastic shot my friend!

[LeeMac]

Hi again
I came back to peek at the post again..Ia little cautious as I felt a bit shy. Do not want to get into anything but the art of this wonderful medium. Thanks to all for the positive and encouraging words. I look forward to more image talk in the future. Cheers
Lee

[karusel]

If I didn't read it was real, I would have thought it was staged. Not exactly sure why... maybe the shot is too beautiful, the background too blurry or not enough of the background in the scene.. something along those lines.