What does this picture say to you...

[daveleo]

@astro8

You could say that about any picture. Put up a picture and ask "What does this picture say to you?' . . . It's that question that provokes people to come up with the stories. My opinion is that this picture in and of itself, amid the billions of other pictures out there, would not provoke anyone to stop and imagine the story behind it - except that someone specifically asked the question.

 

[FrankS]

@astro8

You could say that about any picture. Put up a picture and ask "What does this picture say to you?' . . . It's that question that provokes people to come up with the stories. My opinion is that this picture in and of itself, amid the billions of other pictures out there, would not provoke anyone to stop and imagine the story behind it - except that someone specifically asked the question.

It did for me. I find pictures of people interesting. This one especially because of their disconnected expressions.

 

[daveleo]

Yeh, I should not have used the word "anyone".

The picture alone does not capture my attention or my imagination, but the question is kind of a challenge.

Different viewers, different perspectives.

 

[astro8]

@astro8

You could say that about any picture. Put up a picture and ask "What does this picture say to you?' . . . It's that question that provokes people to come up with the stories. My opinion is that this picture in and of itself, amid the billions of other pictures out there, would not provoke anyone to stop and imagine the story behind it - except that someone specifically asked the question.

It's not the first time I've seen this picture. Something about it made me stop and think the first time...and I'd never heard of HCB.

But, I do agree that there are billions of pictures that I wouldn't give a second thought too.

 

[Phil_F_NM]

I see a fairly ordinary snapshot of a couple who may or may not be in love. Unfortunately the photo is dominated by a hand that has had the lower portion cut off through sloppy framing.

I was going to say the same thing. In school this image would have been tossed out and I would have been told to take half a step back.

Phil Forrest

 

[paulfish4570]

for me, not a remarkable photo at all.

 

[steveclem]

Man: "Hmm, if only she was wearing that low cut thingy she wore when we first met"
Woman" Wish I'd hooked up with a man of substance rather than this shabby no-hoper"

 

[FrankS]

Both of them could be thinking: I deserve so much better.

I'm not saying that its a brilliant image, but it does get me to think.

 

[Jamie123]

Look at the body language. The both photos tell different stories of the relationship between couples.

Even if one could unequivocaly interpret the specific relationship dynamic between those two people (which one can't) it still wouldn't be a story. Let's say one could read the picture as "He wants her, she hates him", that wouldn't be any more of a story than "I have 20 roll of film in my fridge", which I could easily convey by taking a picture of my fridge.

I can go out my door, take a picture of a pebble on the floor and then tell a story around it that traces it back to the Roman Empire. But that doesn't mean the picture tells a story. All it means is that I'm telling a story in words and incorporating a picture to illustrate some part of it.

Whether or not, and if so, how, pictures tell stories is an interesting question but it's definitely not as simple as arbitrary conjecture about the backstory of what is shown in the picture.

 

[dcsang]

Things I've learned from this thread:
1) A photo can evoke a story that is unique or similar to any number of viewers.

2) Joe is quite hip and with it for an older guy . . . 😀

I see beyonce singing, "put a ring on it"...

Cheers,
Dave

 

[Joakim Målare]

My first feeling was that she doesn't want to be in this situation, that she is directly or indirectly forced to be there. Worst case scenario, she's trying to stay alive by selling her body. She could be forced to marry the guy. Less dramatic, he wants their portrait taken together, but she hates being photographed.

After reading others comments, the idea that he's trying to make up for some mistake he did also sounds reasonable.

Either way, the picture definitely has impact, whether you ask for a reaction or not.

 

[willie_901]

No intrinsic story. Like every photograph it's just a frame around 3D objects that are recorded by a 2D medium.

It sort of has Winogrand's "monkey problem" because for a fraction of a second the expressions on the subjects' faces was so different. Who knows what their faces looked like seconds before or seconds later?

 

[Richard G]

No wonder HCB didn't want his photograph taken after this.

 

[filmfan]

That is Henri, and it is a moderately decent shot.

What IS amazing is the fact that this photo was regarded at pure genius until the fact that it did not come out of Henri's camera-- after which all the scrutiny came pouring in! haha

 

[Richard G]

That is Henri, and it is a moderately decent shot.

What IS amazing is the fact that this photo was regarded at pure genius until the fact that it did not come out of Henri's camera-- after which all the scrutiny came pouring in! haha

It's not clear that all posters have read the whole thread and know who that is and who did and who couldn't have taken that photo.

 

[Keith]

:angel:

 

[steveclem]

What IS amazing is the fact that this photo was regarded at pure genius until the fact that it did not come out of Henri's camera--

Aint that the truth.

 

[Carterofmars]

LOL... that was great Keith.

 

[Keith]

LOL... that was great Keith.

The devil made me do it! 😀

 

[robklurfield]

Absolutely, that IS HCB.

Is that not Henri himself with his wife.....? Only the heavy proprietorial arm makes me think otherwise. Not very aristocratic.