Monday, April 5, 2010

The American Dream

I had to drop off a job at eight-thirty this morning in Central Islip. As I walked out of the print shop, I saw this gentleman across the street. He was having a King Cobra which he hid behind the bag. I wondered about him, suit, tie and dress shoes, did he just loose his job?
Recently, I've come across that a lot. People loosing their jobs.
There's an American Flag in the window, it has lost some of its color. Some of the substance that makes up this flag has worn thin and disappeared.
It hangs in that window below the flag of El Salvador or Honduras or Nicaragua, I'm not sure which.

It can't help this man that sits there drowning his sorrows.
Someone I know was let go Friday. 
I was told by a professor in college never to make photos of street people or the less fortunate or whatever you want to call them. She told us, as photographers, we're only a paycheck away from a life on the street.

Sorry Ms. Buttfield, I just never saw so much disappointment in one photograph before.
Photoshop and the Canon 5d mkII were used for this photo.

7 comments:

Hilary said...

Wow.. that's a powerful and heart-wrenching image.

S. Etole said...

You've brought a painful story to us in one image ...

agawphotography said...

Very interesting!

SiLa said...

yes, this photograph speaks more then words...

Suecae Sounds said...

I agree with SiLa. Sometimes an image is what is needed to bring about a message.

georgia b. said...

this is amazing!

reminds me very much of a photo my sister took in puerto rico many years ago.

this is time or life magazine worthy. wonderful, steve!

Sandra said...

The imagery is striking. The worn man and the worn flag. You couldn't make that up.