Who, what, where?

rdegro

I in error posted this image previously but in the wrong place so now I'm reposting it.

I would like to hear your views on the story this image is communicating. This image required some time to assemble props, engage a model and select the proper place and time to shoot the scene. It was shot the latter part of April '06. Canon 20D, 55mm, f/5.6 @ 1/500, ISO 100, tripod used.

frankiejr

It's odd; intriguing but frustrating at the same time.

It's hard to tell the mood here because the lighting doesn't say much. At first glance, I *wanted* to say she's breaking away from something... 18 and moving out, leaving a bad marriage, et cetera.

But once I stared at it for more than a few seconds, it seems more like she's happy. Possibly trotting along the tracks, counting her steps on the beams, singing a song. I think the lighting is what made it seem like more of a happier setting.

.frankiejr

christulk

I too thought she was sad at the start, but then I thought "if she was sad, why would she have a happy hat?" - OK my mind works in strange ways, but that's what popped in..now where was I?

Scott_Quier

No - she's a young wife that married too early to an abusive man. She's finally summoned up the courage break away and strike out on her own. She packed what she could in a bag left over from happier times.

She's using the tracks as her road out of town because it's not a road and harder to search from a truck

The hat - well that is the one thing she has that reminds her of a happier time.

As for the light - it's the middle of the morning or middle of the afternoon and her husband is on the job which affords her the opportunity to make her break and have a little time to put some distance between her and her past life.

JESTER

I love it. Leaves a lot to the imagination. I'm sure that many of us have walked down a track just like this. I'd like to think happier thoughts like she is just going down to Grandma's house for the weekend which is just down the tracks. (That's how I got to my Grandparents house when I was young). Whatever she is doing, it is a great thought provoking image.

binghott

i think this picture is cool because it has made us stop and think about it. i also like that we have several interpretations of it.

something about the harsh sunlight seems odd for this shot. i can't put my finger on it, but i like it, it's different.

this may be an odd comment, but why was this taken on a tripod? maybe i'm being ignorant here, but why do you need a tripod if you're shooting at 1/500? i prefer the freedom of being hand held whenever i can.

maybe it is a tad cliche to say this, but i think this shot might work better in landscape rather than portrait.

i'd like to see if you can post any more from this shoot.
(would this work in b&w?)

Seneca

From a woman's POV...looks like...she is young and she is pregnant...and decided to leave for fear that her parents might be upset with her. The type of dress...makes me think that's she is expecting.

My second guess is she leaving the small town for the big city in hopes of being a STAR.

rdegro

Thank you everyone for responding. The image did what I hoped it would do.... get to thinking to pull a story from it. Everyone provided a situation in their own mind, there is no one answer. This image was taken at 8:18am, I shot 49 frames and selected this one solely on the position of her feet to capture her walking. I only shot in the portrait mode to avoid extraneous distraction, anyway I just thought it composed better. I didn't do a B/W conversion but it might be worth trying... or maybe in sepia. I set up a tripod as I usually do, no specific reason though.