Gestures and Expressions
This week’s assignment was to photograph people in public and capture their expressions. I soon realized that adult pedestrians around here have the expressive range of Secret Service-men with darkglasses on. The middle-class world is so predictable, sanitized, and orderly that people can function almost robotically as far as emotions are concerned. There is no (need for) fear, frustration, desperation, or sadness. Occasionally, there is laughter, but that too missing an element of surprise and enchantment.
These boys at the open air festival at Dance Place in northeast DC, therefore, got my attention with their genuine exuberance and unrepressed frolicking as they got their groove on standing next to the real drummers.
Young drummers getting their groove on next to the accompanists at the African Dance Festival.
I like both shots but the second really stands out to me. I like the context, the color, the expressions of all five subjects and the idea that the boys are emulating the men. nice work.
Thanks Dan! My initial instinct was to put the “context” picture as my pick, and I second-guessed myself. You’ve just third-guessed me!!!
Nice use of flash in these! A tighter frame on the right would really improve the 2nd image.
Thanks. I tried to cut out the little boy on the far right and then decided to leave him in there. I didn’t want to distort reality too much.