Men of Colour, a photo from Attiki, Attica

Photographer's Note

Dear white brother
When I was born,I was black,
when I grew up,I was black,
when I am in the sun, I am black,
when I am ill, I am black,
when I die, I shall be black,

Whereas you, white man,
when you were born, you were pink,
when you grew up, you were white,
when you are cold, you are blue,
when you are frightened, you are green,
when you are ill, you are yellow,
when you die, you will be grey.

So, of the two of us,
Which one is the man of colour?

- African oral tradition

Taken in one of the corners of touristy and colourful Plaka. Quite an ordinary scene actually: you can get some music for free, a CD for 10 euros or less, and for a few coins a smile...or two :)

delnaja, g_panakia, macondo, pauloog, bostankorkulugu, BennyV, luisafonso, hispic, avene, ciakgiak, zmey, kdialyna, laxpix, vishaal has marked this note useful

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delnaja (2056) 2009-02-09 1:12

Salut dear Miss M. !
a great one ! The colors are really superb and needed in those winter days : ) Their smiles are great also. A good one to begin the day !
Take care
Fred

g_panakia (4031) 2009-02-09 1:27

kalimera marija,
what a lovely street moment!!!
i like this double portrait of the musicians very much!!!
your pov also is very good!!
have a nice week & tfs
georgia

macondo (20449) 2009-02-09 1:59

Hello Marija!
Wonderful picture, thanks to the great smiles on their faces, the colourful background, including graffiti, and the straight-ahead low viewpoint. I like the lens distortion in this case, adding to the funny feeling of the photo. Very sharp picture, full of energy.
Regards,
Andrew

pauloog (11751) 2009-02-09 2:23

Hello Marija,
A joyful portrait, with fine colours even if there is no sunshine.
Very fitting background with the graffiti.
Well done.
Regards,
Paul

daddo (28748) 2009-02-09 3:17

Zdravo Majo.An image that exudes energy and joy. When one thinks what these men must have gone through to get to Europe, the wife and children they left behind- their smiles become even more precious.Lovely POV, seems more personal somehow. I like your title and note. Posjeca me mog djetinstva kad smo zivjeli u Parizu i kad smo mi bili u njihovim cipelama, daleko od doma, od familije.Budi nam zdrava i sretna.Klaudio.

nasokoun (0) 2009-02-09 6:28

very beautiful scene with very good corner of reception
regards
Nasos

grantlp (2113) 2009-02-09 6:29

Hi Marija,
This is such a fresh looking image....just the two musicians enjoying the trade....and I suppose each other's company. Your clarity, composition and colours are superb, creating a photo I find interesting to study. The colourful graffitti and pealing wall plaster add more character to the result. Well done.
Cheers Grant

Wanda1 (15142) 2009-02-09 9:23

Hi Marija,
I really like that you have used your wide angle here it gives a nice feeling and I find adds to the "vibe" of the shot. I like the background they are against and that we can see all their various instruments, they give you such nice smiles as well. A nice daily life image.
Regards
Wanda

bostankorkulugu (42866) 2009-02-09 9:33

i like your soft postprocessing here maja, adding this every day scene a surreal charm... warm smiles are a good bonus for sure...

BennyV (34748) 2009-02-09 11:23

Hello Marija,

This is a lovely picture, great use of the background, the old paint, the 'new' graffiti...but the best thing is, of course, the two smiling musicians. This is a warm shot, a kind shot. Nice work!

Benny

CycleEyes (24) 2009-02-09 22:09

Marija, great moment captured with nice exposure showing beautiful tones of colours and expressive smiles. Opportune shot, well done.
George

luisafonso (862) 2009-02-10 2:30

Athens?! Greece?! Haven't you misfiled the picture? This is all but Greece... Anyway, the moment is very magical. And very happy too. Catch a friendly soul in front of a camera is hard, but catching two!!! You must really be: 1. A beautiful woman; 2. A very charming person; 3. Both. :) Yes, I love your colors. But wouldn't mind seeing that yellow wall a bit more saturated.

hispic (9658) 2009-02-10 19:37

Kalimera Dear Marija,
I may be ill, for i am yellow. anyway, they seem to be a perfect match for this yellow background. you have capture exquisitely this attractive atmosphere with a splendid composition, amazing indeed!
Regards, Hisashi

avene (12675) 2009-02-11 21:43

hi Marija,
lol, how very true about the "man of colour", you might want to add that when a white man is in the sun, he/she tends to turn boiled-lobster-red :D
great shot, both men seem to be relaxed about meeting your camera. what looks like a low point of view together with the wide angle has created an interesting and dynamic composition, I like the result a lot.

best,
Kristine

ciakgiak (30) 2009-02-13 2:13

Hello Marija,
A really fantastic daily-life capture.
I like this kind of photos, so full of colors and life. Excellent portrait dear friend.
Best regards.
Giorgio

zmey (7335) 2009-03-05 8:31

So, what do we have here, Marija? The mood is definitely there; darned captivating mood too. I'm not so happy about the light though: makes these fellows blend in with the background too much making the wall the main visual magnet (I think).

But the mood... a green facie for that easily!
Brings us MORE. more of Greece. I miss that place.

K.

flashpoint (4000) 2009-03-05 14:03

hello Marija!
excellent capture of the street music with colors and lively atmosphere...well done

best sERGIO

kdialyna (3148) 2009-04-29 23:42

For some reasons I like very much this photo.
I think it has something very special.
Very good choice the low corner shot, emphasis of the two men expression.
Best Regards
Kostas

vishaal (1042) 2010-10-11 22:03

Hi Marija,
A lovely shot captured in the street. The duo is playing music with smiles on their face which is so attractive & one of them is playing two instruments. Very interesting !
The colors are fantastic and the whole composition is superb. A great note too.
Best regards,
Vishal.