The Man and his Cats.

[Merelyok]

I feel quite compelled to share this little snippet, this mini-story if you may, with my fellow RFF members.

So i was out with my friend, snaping some pictures in an old housing estate when we chanced upon this elderly gentlemen with quite a number of cats in his home.

He invited my friend and i into his flat (spartan and bare but homely nonetheless) telling us that he's been staying there for about 30 years or so. The cat you see there (the black one) was saved from certain death by him. It was found in a storm drain covered in oil. Sadly, it lost an eye, but remains a healthy and inquisitive cat. The medical bill apparently cost 700 Singapore dollars.

He told me that he has been living alone for 20-30 years. I cannot even fathom how one might feel doing that. And i'm glad i had the chance opportunity to speak to the man.

Thomas Wolfe wrote, "“Loneliness is and always has been the central and inevitable experience of every man." Well,At least he seems contented enough with his cats and kittens.

Sometimes, just sometimes, in any point of our lives, i think we take the simplest things for granted.

The kittens were found in a box, drenched because of the rain. He told me that he had to take that in because "they would have died if i didn't" The kittens are growing quite well i reckon, thanks to him.

More shots of the man.

Well, at least there's still some compassion left to go around in this world! I still wish i remembered to ask him for his name though.

Portrait of the man and his cat.

( i apologize for the mixed lighting. The fluorescent lights in the flat was rather hard to meter for accurately - for an amateur like me at least!)

Technical info:

Technical info: Bessa R3a, Nokton 40mm 1.4 SC, Ilford Pan 400 pushed to 800, Tmax Dev 1:4, 20C, 8 mins.

Thanks for looking!

 

[Mauro]

Thanks for your beautiful pictures, and for the touching story: I think it is always great to discover what is behind a picture.
Well done, congratulations!

 

[joachim]

( i apologize for the mixed lighting. The fluorescent lights in the flat was rather hard to meter for accurately - for an amateur like me at least!)

Incident light meter. Foolproof in such situations.

 

[bsdunek]

the world if full of kind people, it's just that we don't hear about them in the news very often. Thanks for sharing and the photo essay.

 

[Merelyok]

Thank you Mauro and bsdunek, i appreciate the comments.

Joachim, it does look like i need to invest in a good incident light meter in the near future!

 

[Nh3]

Did you use the R3A meter? If so that explains the underexposure because the camera's meter was fooled by the white (?) walls and thought it was a bright place. You should have overexposed by at lease 1.5 or two stops because the subject was much darker than the background and then processed -1 because of the high contrast.

The other option was to use flash, but sometimes there is nothing you can do when the light is terrible and background is too bright compared to the subject. Had you used a incident meter the walls would have been overexposed.

Go back and this time photograph the man outside with his cats or use a flash.

Another lesson which I have learned and would like to share is that whenever you're emotionally moved by the subject pictures turn out not what you expected for the worse. So, the trick is to always stay detached and focus on photography and feel emotional once the photos are developed.

 

[Merelyok]

Did you use the R3A meter? If so that explains the underexposure because the camera's meter was fooled by the white (?) walls and thought it was a bright place. You should have overexposed by at lease 1.5 or two stops because the subject was much darker than the background and then processed -1 because of the high contrast.

The other option was to use flash, but sometimes there is nothing you can do when the light is terrible and background is too bright compared to the subject. Had you used a incident meter the walls would have been overexposed.

Go back and this time photograph the man outside with his cats or use a flash.

Another lesson which I have learned and would like to share is that whenever you're emotionally moved by the subject pictures turn out not what you expected for the worse. So, the trick is to always stay detached and focus on photography and feel emotional once the photos are developed.

Yep, i used the R3a meter!

It's true what you're saying about the whole emotional aspect of it all. I actually only thought about it after i developed and scanned the photos; and was perhaps more interested in getting a proper shot (if only just one) of the man while i was in his apartment. Personally, i'm pretty happy with the 2nd shot, but i'm sure i can do better.

However, the whole aspect of objectivity is one that is often over-hyped in my opinion. There is always room for self-reflexivity because no matter how one tries to be detached from the process of creating a photo, the photo, the end result, is still a portrayal of how the photographer saw the scene. The composition, the aperture, shutter-speed, film used, communication between photographer and subject are all choices the photographer chooses to create the picture, and the very essence of that suggests that there is no true detachment of emotions even when the photographer is on the scene..

 

[tedwhite]

The emotions are there, as you say. You mention that there is no "true detachment of emotions when the photographer is on the scene." Interesting thought. I have photographed some pretty awful stuff in my day (car accidents, people dead, people dying, people trapped in wreckage, etc.) and felt that I managed to temporarily "mute" my emotions whilst doing the job. But after it was over I would find myself emotionally numb and exhausted. A problem I frequently solved by heading for the nearest bar. I don't recommend that as anything more than a temporary respite.

 

[Merelyok]

The emotions are there, as you say. You mention that there is no "true detachment of emotions when the photographer is on the scene." Interesting thought. I have photographed some pretty awful stuff in my day (car accidents, people dead, people dying, people trapped in wreckage, etc.) and felt that I managed to temporarily "mute" my emotions whilst doing the job. But after it was over I would find myself emotionally numb and exhausted. A problem I frequently solved by heading for the nearest bar. I don't recommend that as anything more than a temporary respite.

Thanks for sharing with us your thoughts Ted. I've never shot anything remotely as morbid as you have so i can only imagine how you must have felt while at work. But i have to agree with you it is an extremely exhaustive task to try to block out all emotions. After all, it is only with emotions that we can be human.

 

[Nh3]

Yep, i used the R3a meter!

It's true what you're saying about the whole emotional aspect of it all. I actually only thought about it after i developed and scanned the photos; and was perhaps more interested in getting a proper shot (if only just one) of the man while i was in his apartment. Personally, i'm pretty happy with the 2nd shot, but i'm sure i can do better.

However, the whole aspect of objectivity is one that is often over-hyped in my opinion. There is always room for self-reflexivity because no matter how one tries to be detached from the process of creating a photo, the photo, the end result, is still a portrayal of how the photographer saw the scene. The composition, the aperture, shutter-speed, film used, communication between photographer and subject are all choices the photographer chooses to create the picture, and the very essence of that suggests that there is no true detachment of emotions even when the photographer is on the scene..

Emotional detachment is not the solution, I was talking about controlling and reigning in emotions so the task of taking competent photos is not compromised.

The first task of a photographer is to record the subject/moment with the best of his ability and not give in to sentimentality and emotions. If on the other hand the photographer wishes to emotionally engage the subject then he/she should put down the camera.

That is the discipline.

 

[Merelyok]

Emotional detachment is not the solution, I was talking about controlling and reigning in emotions so the task of taking competent photos is not compromised.

The first task of a photographer is to record the subject/moment with the best of his ability and not give in to sentimentality and emotions. If on the other hand the photographer wishes to emotionally engage the subject then he/she should put down the camera.

That is the discipline.

I'm not arguing that one should give in to sentimentality and emotions; but rather, be aware of it.

 

[Ducky]

Photo #2 has great emotional depth and is beautiful. I don't know about detachment or engagement, whatever you did here worked fine for me, even the lighting. Maybe if you had worried about metering you would have missed the man's emotions.
Just lovely

 

[FrankS]

So let me get this straight: You met a stranger on the street who invited you up to his apartment, and in some of the pictures you took there, he's wearing nothing but a towel?

(Just kidding. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation. Right?)

 

[Bike Tourist]

For me, the story is best told (in spite of the lighting) by the second image, the one I originally saw posted. I didn't need to know more beyond what was contained therein. But, thanks for elaborating anyway. For curiosity's sake, what is the approximate location on the planet?

 

[Merelyok]

Thank you Ducky, that is perhaps what im trying to get across.

Franks, i was actually walking past his apartment (which happened to be on the 1st floor) when he saw me photographing some cats outside of his apartment (or flat as we call it here). He invited my friend and i inside his apartment to show us the cats and kittens he saved. He proceeded to feed the kittens. I then asked him for permission to take a shot of him and the kittens to which he agreed ( that's how i got the 2nd shot.) The 1st picture you see was actually the last picture i photographed. (He's dressed because he was going across the road for some dinner.)

Biketourist, the 2nd picture seems to work the best for most people ( me included ), i just included the rest of the pictures because it was a rare opportunity to photograph a complete stranger in such an intimate setting (for me at least.) Pictures are from Singapore by the way 🙂

 

[Nh3]

The second picture is great but for a totally different reason. Its one of the best surrealistic shots I have seen in this forum.

A naked man with a pot belly, standing in a giant-like pasture over kittens and his face not visible. What is he going to do next?


Photography is a far more strange medium than you suspect. In the end of the day its what the camera saw and all your emotions and goodwill means nothing when it comes to the unflinching eye of the lens...

So, press the shutter carefully. 🙂

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Thanks for posting the story and the photographs. I too find the second shot the best and most moving: here's a man who despite his not being that well off, is still willing to share what he has with a bunch of kitties. He looks there as if he had given them all he has.

Which may as well be the truth.

But then, they're his companions. 🙂

Again, thanks for posting!

 

[Merelyok]

The second picture is great but for a totally different reason. Its one of the best surrealistic shots I have seen in this forum.

A naked man with a pot belly, standing in a giant-like pasture over kittens and his face not visible. What is he going to do next?


Photography is a far more strange medium than you suspect. In the end of the day its what the camera saw and all your emotions and goodwill means nothing when it comes to the unflinching eye of the lens...

So, press the shutter carefully. 🙂

Thanks! I agree with you fully. The ability of the camera to paint the most ordinary of scenes into something surreal and quirky is something that i find most appealing!

SolaresLarrave, thank you for your comment 🙂