Raw with flash and polarizing lens. Kodak photodesk portrait hicolor hold look. PS crop, levels, lightened boys face, darkened and added some color to her body. usm. Cloned out some body marks, and cloned out a distracting pole in the background. Cloned out fingers behind his head. border.
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Place: 61 out of 159 Avg (all users): 5.3984 Avg (commenters): 6.2500 Avg (participants): 5.0899 Avg (non-participants): 5.5629 Views since voting: 2074 Views during voting: 647 Votes: 256 Comments: 34 Favorites: 0
There is nothing sexual about this shot. Good grief. People are so absorbed with judging instead of seeing the photo for what it is. I think the capture was quite natural. Don't apologize for a thing!
I don't think you have anything to apologize for either. Your idea was clearly captured. Everything about the photo indicates you were trying to portray the woman as an object. Most adults see a pretty body and think of sex. The little guy doesn't see that at all. He sees the object that feeds him and is his buddy, his own personal toy that responds to his every wish. I thought this was one of the best ones in the challenge.
The juxtaposition between what most viewers saw (a very beautiful female body) and what the boy sees ("Mom!") is shown perfectly here. It's almost as if he's looking at me saying "What are you staring at everybody? It's just my Mom!" You're right, the placement of the hands makes this point even better. I feel sorry for those that couldn't understand it and projected their own sexuality on a little boy.
You are very insightful to have seen this photo and been able to share it with us (especially because you're so close to the subjects)...great work!
weird. i spend almost everyday with my 4 year old nephew--whether at the beach or the pool (this scene reminds me of our sunspree, where we like to pretend we are on vacation)--and that's exactly what this photo reminded me of--his mom and/or i trying to chill poolside, while the little rascal hops all over us, wanting to play...cause, um, he's a kid. it wasn't until i read your comment--then the rest of them--that i even noticed anything untoward about this shot. people amaze me sometimes.
Based on the comments I recieved on this photo, some of you were offended or disturbed by i t. I would like to explain what my intentions of the photo were.
I was trying to portray the conflict a mother has in dealing with her children. She has her body, which is changed by pregnancy and breast feeding children. She has her freedom, which is lost to a tremendous degree. Her time is not her own anymore. Her sexuality is harder to find. Still, she loves her children, and feels the sacrafice is worth it. However, she looks foward to the day when the children are older, and she will regain some of what is lost. In the meantime, she tries to steal a few moments in the sun to relax and tan and maybe feel sexy for a while. Along comes the child, demanding her attention, with total disregard for her privacy, body, sexuality, and peace. She, of course, gives up her moment in the sun, and lovingly attends to her child.
This is my wife, and 4 year old child. I didn't place the childs hands, they just ended up there. Of course a 4 year old has no overt thoughts of sexuality (yes, I've read Freud). Hands often end up in the wrong place with children. This played into the point of the photo, so I left it in the photo. I shot from a low point of view, to try to make the child more of an imposing, scary figure. The mischevous expression was a plus as well. The fence between mom and the wide open ocean was chosen as a metaphor for the conflict.
The photo was meant to be uncomfortable. I think most of the tension comes from the conflict between mom's sexuality, and the childs total disregard for it. If you were offended by it, that was not my intention and I apologise.
umm - did you look at this carefully? the kid is cute but he has one hand on her breast and the othe on her..umm. and he is licking her navel? The title doesn't help as it could be read with a dirty mind also. Is this the message you intended?
lucky boy to have such a beautifyl mother. Some fill in (or stronger fill in) to reduce the shadow of his face would have been nice. Ok image though as it is.
I like the composition of horizontal bands, color, contrast, detail. I assume this is carefully composed to come as close to the edge of risque as possible without going over--if not, better re-examine your work with a more objective eye before submitting.
Fit Challenge Criteria: 1/2
Contrast/Colors: 2/2
Photo Quality: 2/2
Composition: 2/2
My Subjective Affinity: 1/2
This seems more like a snapshot, but I am very impressed with how it turned out. It appears as though it would have been taken at high noon, but you did an excellent job on the shadows and highlights to make everything come out just right. Good job.
Interesting image, but borders on inappropriate as the eye naturally follows the hands. Also it looks like he's biting or licking her. The tones and ligthing are excellent, and detail is very crisp. 6
Great capture! The hand placement is a little odd, but probably very natural (just seems to draw the eyes to Mom's private parts). Good DOF and really nice composition. Great job!
Funny capture. I wish he weren't centered directly in the middle. His expression is priceless. Interesting "T" formation with his head and her elongated body. 7
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