This shot was taken in the alley behind the Icehouse bar in downtown Wilmington. I assume that some college kid just got too drunk (Sunday afternoon Reggae) and snuck away to sleep it off!
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Hi Les of the Great White North!! Good to hear from ya! I didn't stick around for the reggae for this shot, way too chaotic. Also, I think you are thinking about the alley above Blue Post...this one is right behind the Ice House, and it is a doorway the poor sap has taken over-- notice the weeds!:)
I know the window he is sitting in, the old brick building down on the river. So the Ice House is still up and running huh? I thought it was sold. Glad to see the downtown life is still how I remember it. I think I may have been on that ledge a time or two. How was the reggae? Miss you. Les
With the background story, I can better relate! I sort of remember this kind of evening, college years are still a bit hazy.....Thanks for the explanation. This really is a great example of photojournalism.
While I wasn't the only one to think it was staged, nevertheless, I still have to say my bad. :-)
I like knowing the backstory. It makes me regret the comments I made because it is a good photojournalist style shot -- I just had my mind set on a completely different stereo-type.
wow--shoulda thought a little more about this one before submitting! I wish I had put something about "college" in the title! I didn't think a thing about it at the time, because I was only seeing it from my perspective--but this is definitely not sad nor is it a homeless person/vagrant type drunk, but one that probably drives a BMW and lives in a Frat house! This is so common here--we get bombarded by thousands of college kids (Chapel Hill, etc.) every summer who pretty much take over! It has gotten so bad that the cops think they need reinforcements--the kind that dress in all black and hide in the bushes--to "keep the residents safe". That sucks, but people do get mad at these kids for passing out on their porches, in their lawn furniture, etc. I even found a guy under my car one night! Pretty bizarre, especially when you think of these guys as our future politicians/lawers/doctors! Anyway, considering that they drink practically non-stop all weekend, it isn't really surprising--it's really pretty funny when you see it all the time--and it isn't sad because their friends are usually close by. We told the bouncer at the bar about this guy--so I'm sure he was fine!
B/W works well for this I think. A dirty/holey shirt and pants would've really set the mood, too I think. So, next time, find a drunk, dress him up, dump him in an alley, and take a picture. :-)
Technically a nice picture -- maybe a tad flat, but still pretty nice. However, I have a hard time believing this isn't a set picture. Whether or not the guy is a drunk, he just doesn't look like he would have fallen asleep in a place like that. His clothes are too clean, the hat, the sandals, even his beard stubble looks to have been shaved around his neck. It's just not believable to me. Because it has the look of something "photojournalistic" but because I don't believe it's a real shot, it loses the impact it might otherwise have.
Offers a pretty low appreciation for city life. Photo is well done, but the sadness of the topic makes me want to avoid it. Sorry. Photo 8 City 6 total 7
I think having restricted aspect ratios might have hurt here. I'd like to see more to create the context of "alley" and not just "doorway". Not a lot more; that's why I thought a differently-shaped crop might work better...
This seems very staged, because you wouldn't normally see someone this clean cut drunk in an alley... A better subject would've produced a better impact.
Do you know if he was really drunk? Doesn't matter. Nicely cropped, good image color. Do you have this type of problem often where you live? Good work.
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