Not a "people" but still a "portrait"!

NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
edited August 29, 2008 in People
Came upon this cutie in a backstreet in Luxor, Egypt. Obviously loved. All dressed up... but hobbled!

360046899_xZCFh-XL.jpg

P&S shot. Reprocessed from a small jpg with LightZone.

Neil
"Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

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Comments

  • RichardRichard Administrators, Vanilla Admin Posts: 19,955 moderator
    edited August 27, 2008
    Nice, but I wish we could have seen the eye. It's actually a good demonstration of why eyes are so important in "real" portraits.
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  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited August 27, 2008
    Richard wrote:
    Nice, but I wish we could have seen the eye. It's actually a good demonstration of why eyes are so important in "real" portraits.

    It's "sultry", Richard. Think of eyes almost covered by a fan or a veil... thumb.gifwink

    In fact, a few veils and Nik might start getting excited :hide

    Neil
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • SystemSystem Registered Users Posts: 8,186 moderator
    edited August 27, 2008
    I'm really glad this thread wasn't titled "A portrait of my ass"

    Although you may have gotten more views that way.
  • dlplumerdlplumer Registered Users Posts: 8,081 Major grins
    edited August 27, 2008
    MagicKiwi wrote:
    I'm really glad this thread wasn't titled "A portrait of my ass"

    Although you may have gotten more views that way.

    rolleyes1.gif I like this shot thumb.gif
    Dan
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  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited August 27, 2008
    MagicKiwi wrote:
    I'm really glad this thread wasn't titled "A portrait of my ass"

    Although you may have gotten more views that way.

    rolleyes1.gifroflrolleyes1.gif

    N
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited August 27, 2008
    dlplumer wrote:
    rolleyes1.gif I like this shot thumb.gif

    Thanks!

    And she was the only Egyptian who didn't demand baksheesh! eek7.gif

    Neil
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • ShepsMomShepsMom Registered Users Posts: 4,319 Major grins
    edited August 27, 2008
    rolleyes1.gifroflrolleyes1.gif
    Too funny!!!
    I love the color saturation on this one, it's a nice shot despite eyes not showing on your ass.
    Marina
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  • jeffreaux2jeffreaux2 Registered Users Posts: 4,762 Major grins
    edited August 27, 2008
    Technically, well done NeiL. I see a thousand more photos in there though. Buckles, fabrics, doo-dads...macro magnets....but then again I am a sucker for the details.

    Glad you shared it.
    Thanks,
    Jeff
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  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited August 28, 2008
    ShepsMom wrote:
    rolleyes1.gifroflrolleyes1.gif
    Too funny!!!
    I love the color saturation on this one, it's a nice shot despite eyes not showing on your ass.

    Thanks, ShepsMom!

    Neil
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited August 28, 2008
    jeffreaux2 wrote:
    Technically, well done NeiL. I see a thousand more photos in there though. Buckles, fabrics, doo-dads...macro magnets....but then again I am a sucker for the details.

    Glad you shared it.

    Yes, Jeff, you are absolutely right! I can see the many possibilities now you mention it.

    Thanks!

    Neil
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • dadwtwinsdadwtwins Registered Users Posts: 804 Major grins
    edited August 28, 2008
    MagicKiwi wrote:
    I'm really glad this thread wasn't titled "A portrait of my ass"

    Although you may have gotten more views that way.

    rolleyes1.gifroflrolleyes1.gifToo Freaking funnyrolleyes1.gifroflrolleyes1.gif

    Love the picture NeilLclap.gif
    My Homepage :thumb-->http://dthorp.smugmug.com
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  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited August 28, 2008
    dadwtwins wrote:
    rolleyes1.gifroflrolleyes1.gifToo Freaking funnyrolleyes1.gifroflrolleyes1.gif

    Love the picture NeilLclap.gif

    Thanks!

    Neil
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • EkajEkaj Registered Users Posts: 245 Major grins
    edited August 28, 2008
    NeilL wrote:
    Came upon this cutie in a backstreet in Luxor, Egypt. Obviously loved. All dressed up... but hobbled!

    P&S shot. Reprocessed from a small jpg with LightZone.

    Neil
    Interestingly enough, you see a dressed up animal and think it's loved, and I see it as scarred (I don't even want to think what caused those), dirty, and probably overworked with what looks to be a spiked bit in its mouth.

    Don't get me wrong, its a great photo but I just see a different story.

    Jake
  • NeilLNeilL Registered Users Posts: 4,201 Major grins
    edited August 29, 2008
    Ekaj wrote:
    Interestingly enough, you see a dressed up animal and think it's loved, and I see it as scarred (I don't even want to think what caused those), dirty, and probably overworked with what looks to be a spiked bit in its mouth.

    Don't get me wrong, its a great photo but I just see a different story.

    Jake

    I think this animal is a very valued part of some poor family. While people at this level of world society cannot afford machinery and vehicles, their existence depends on the contribution made to their economy by animals. That is how it has been for over ten thousand years. This animal works, as do its owners and carers. It gets its pay, as do they. There is mutual benefit. We think of work as ennobling. The work is in unpaved streets or fields. The dirt on the animal is quite natural. People get dirty with such work, too, if they are not sitting inside a tractor, or in a truck on an American highway.

    The scars on the inner legs are brands. The male Muslim owners of this animal also bear brands on an intimate part of their bodies.

    I don't know that such a thing as a spiked bit exists. What I see by its mouth is stitching on leather. With such a large noseband it is possible that in fact there is no bit at all. There is the expensive craft of several artisans in the tack that this ass is wearing. It is all well maintained and fitted. Such pride in appearance would not likely be accompanied by the shame of an animal in an ugly condition. The animal is fat and there is no sign of disease, ill-treatment or lack of care on it.

    There are probably no wild asses in Egypt now. This animal and its kind would probably not exist if it were not for their place in human society. That is the case with more and more animals today. It is certainly the case with many pet animals.

    Mother Nature is not necessarily or always more benign than humans towards Her children. If this animal had lived a free life she might have suffered more and worse. The world is not an ideal place in that sense.

    The whole world, wild and tame, has suffered a great deal as a result of the development of mechanical replacements for this little harmless beast, and of sources of power other than a half bucket of corn. It is as well to remember that next time we ride the bus.

    Of course, I can see that you are sensitive to all these issues. Thanks for your comment.

    Neil
    "Snow. Ice. Slow!" "Half-winter. Half-moon. Half-asleep!"

    http://www.behance.net/brosepix
  • SystemSystem Registered Users Posts: 8,186 moderator
    edited August 29, 2008
    Yeah, I don't see any scars or signs of mistreatment either. As a born and bred Alberta boy I've been around livestock for most of my life and that animal looks pretty well looked after. He's just hanging around having a snooze during a break. Sure the surroundings are pretty filthy but that's bound to happen in a place that they use draught animals. And they don't have street cleaning machines to keep the place all pretty.

    I think it's great to have compassion and empathy for animals but don't always assume the worst just because it's someone else's country. That guy puts food on someone's table and he's going to be treated as such by the people that own him.
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