Sometimes the Golden Years are not so golden

[RBSinTo]

Taken recently in downtown Toronto while I walked with a friend.
We came upon an elderly man who was bent over and shuffling along very slowly.
His painful posture, and unkempt appearance gave me pause to remember that for many elderly persons, their Golden Years are anything but.
Nikon FG
Nikkor 24 f2 AIS manual focus
Fuji 100 ISO colour slide
5.6 @ 1/125th

[Shadowman]

Nice concept, I think I would have taken a knee on this one and gotten the shot from lower angle.

[rpcrowe]

I don't think that I would have shot it at all.

[RBSinTo]

Nice concept, I think I would have taken a knee on this one and gotten the shot from lower angle.

John,
You are right. A lower angle might have been better, except as I get older and put more miles on my beat up body getting down on one knee gets harder and harder to do.
Robert

[RBSinTo]

I don't think that I would have shot it at all.

Richard,
Fair enough. May I ask why?
Robert

[AlwaysOnAuto]

Probably to preserve a little of the man's dignity.

[RBSinTo]

Probably to preserve a little of the man's dignity.

Alan,
The photo was taken from behind as my walking buddy and I approached him, using a virtually silent non-motorized camera which I schlepp along when I go for non-photographic walks in the city.
Thus, the man is neither identifiable nor aware that his picture was being taken. Had I waited until we had passed him and then stopped to shoot, yes I undoubtedly would have embarrassed him, and further he might have been identified (however unlikely that is) by others viewing his picture on the internet.
My intent was to illustrate a simple, sad fact about the life many elderly people are forced to live without stripping away the dignity of the subject used as the example.
Robert

[AlwaysOnAuto]

Robert - my statement was only made as a possible explanation of why Richard wouldn't have taken the shot. Pure and simple. Not criticizing or judging on my part.

[RBSinTo]

Robert - my statement was only made as a possible explanation of why Richard wouldn't have taken the shot. Pure and simple. Not criticizing or judging on my part.

Alan,
I understand.
But I'm really interested to hear Richard's explanation.
Robert

[rpcrowe]

Richard,
Fair enough. May I ask why?
Robert

I tend not to shoot images which show less fortunate folks in awkward situations like having defecated in one's trousers. I have nothing against other folks shooting images like that but, I personally do not...

If I were doing a news article on that type of subject or if I needed that type of image for any other use, I wouldn't mind shooting it.

BTW: I can fully understand not being able to readily get down to shoot at a low angle. Folks often ask me why I don't shoot my outdoor portraits of dogs from a lower angle. I answer that I am fond of getting up unaided and that can be problematic if I get to my knee.

[RBSinTo]

I tend not to shoot images which show less fortunate folks in awkward situations like having defecated in one's trousers. I have nothing against other folks shooting images like that but, I personally do not...

If I were doing a news article on that type of subject or if I needed that type of image for any other use, I wouldn't mind shooting it.

BTW: I can fully understand not being able to readily get down to shoot at a low angle. Folks often ask me why I don't shoot my outdoor portraits of dogs from a lower angle. I answer that I am fond of getting up unaided and that can be problematic if I get to my knee.

Richard,
I respect your opinion, but obviously disagree with it, as I chose without hesitation to take the shot.
As for the inability to get down low to shoot without the greatest of difficulty, it comes about largely as the result of playing ice hockey for over 55 years and continuing to do so mostly with players vastly younger (I'm 68 and the youngest person I play against is about 20). I've suffered a great deal of wear and tear, including having four knee operations to remove damaged cartilage, at least two torn MCLs, broken ribs twice in the last four years, spinal stenosis, sciatica, and benign positional Vertigo.
Best description of my current state of being is a conversation from the film "Raiders of the Lost Ark":
Marion:"You're not the man I knew ten years ago".
Indiana: "It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage".

Robert

[Shadowman]

We've had discussions on should we as photographers capture ....

Would you?

Topic is worthy of revisiting and I'll say the there is no right or wrong answer, however we usually justify our response by one criteria; the intent of the photographer when they pressed the shutter.

[RBSinTo]

We've had discussions on should we as photographers capture ....

Would you?

Topic is worthy of revisiting and I'll say the there is no right or wrong answer, however we usually justify our response by one criteria; the intent of the photographer when they pressed the shutter.

John,
The photographer's intent in this case was to tell a story.
Robert

[LePetomane]

Probably to preserve a little of the man's dignity.

What little dignity the poor man has left.

If anything, it is a statement of how society does a rotten job of caring for the most vulnerable.

[chauncey]

As most of you folks know, I am not a proponent of street photography,
save the occasional festival and what not.

Having said that, IMHO, the comments given to date are entirely too considerate. I question the
motives in taking the picture as I can't imagine it gracing anyone's living room wall, it is unquestionably,
the most disgusting image that has ever graced these pages.

[Marie Hass]

Extremely evocative. The scene is telling in terms of eldercare and very disturbing, I think because it hits so close to home for many of us, me included. My first thought was, "There, but for the grace of God, go I".

We need to look at Robert's intent here, rather than damning the content. If his intent was to mock or degrade (which, in his initial commentary and later comments he did not) I would have censured in my comments as well.

Marie

[RBSinTo]

As most of you folks know, I am not a proponent of street photography,
save the occasional festival and what not.

Having said that, IMHO, the comments given to date are entirely too considerate. I question the
motives in taking the picture as I can't imagine it gracing anyone's living room wall, it is unquestionably,
the most disgusting image that has ever graced these pages.

William,
Everyone is entitled to an opinion on the photos I post here, and so I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
However, I take exception with your oft-repeated comment both here and in a number of other threads that implies that unless a photo is worthy to grace a living room wall the maker's motives are suspect. Would I hang this shot on my living room wall? Undoubtedly not. But while my photographic heroes are all photo-journalists or combat photographers, I think it is highly unlikely despite that a number of them have taken numerous award winning shots, that many of those are not suitable to hang on a living room wall either. But that doesn't lessen or negate the impact of those photos, nor does it call into question the photographers' motives for taking them. I explained my motive for taking the shot (posts 7 & 13) which you can read in case you missed them.
If you are truly disgusted by what you see in the shot, perhaps you might do something to make sure it doesn't happen to people near and dear to you. In the meantime, I'll continue to document life as I come upon it, good, bad or ugly.
Robert

[Shadowman]

John,
The photographer's intent in this case was to tell a story.
Robert

Robert,

Then I would say you've achieved your goal.

[RBSinTo]

Robert,

Then I would say you've achieved your goal.

John,
Thank you.
Robert

[madcrow]

I have read with interest comments from both sides. I don't know who is right or wrong, just to say it is one sad image. There for the grace of God go I.