'Happy the Man' (or Woman), a photo from Hong Kong, South

Photographer's Note

The title of this photo comes from the John Dryden poem of the same name.

When I saw this 'sleepy' fisherman, I was reminded of the first two lines of this poem:-
"Happy the man, and happy he alone,
He who can call today his own"

This photo was taken on the seafront beside Ma On Shan Park, which is on the eastern side of Hong Kong's New Territories.

I observed this fisherman for about 15 minutes, as I was taking other photos ( e.g. Playing in the park ), and he never moved. I do believe he was sleeping.

He was completely oblivious to the nearby park full of hundreds of children, the noisy teenagers riding alone the cycle path or any of Hong Kong's other distractions.

He was a happy man, enjoying the peace and quiet of his own little world - which is not easy to do in Hong Kong!

Tech: Cropped, resized for TE, sharpened and added frame.

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Critiques | Translate

cxxl (2684) 2004-02-12 2:55

mmm... after a tough day at work... this is paradise :) Simple pose but very strong sentiment. Well captured.

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Darren (6823) 2004-02-12 2:55

Very nice shot Andrew. I really like the simple anonymous look of the man and I like that there are not many distractions, helping to keep the shot clean and uncluttered. I agree with Yitzhak that I would like to see a little more on the left, but it is good as it is.

Edwin (188) 2004-02-12 3:26

Great composition Andrew. The off-centre man is kept in balance by his fishing gear that breaks the negative space on the left. Nicely cropped too. Very nice work!

avigur_11 (22535) 2004-02-12 3:29

Excellent, Andrew. I like it very very much. A very interesting subject, excellent pose, and a very nuce framing. I would keep more space at the left, until thr end of the fishingrod. But anyway, nice shot.

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clodreno (0) 2004-02-12 3:34

A very pleasant picture to look at. I like it a lot. Qiet. I believe you'll get a big smiley from P璚he passion!!!

robbertjan (2906) 2004-02-12 3:47

Andrew great shot. The picture is supersharp with a great sense of dept. The sunlight is a great detail. Very well done.

nwoehnl (122) 2004-02-12 4:29

It does evoke peace and calm, Andrew. A simple shot at first look, but very thoughtfully composed. The barefoot feet in the sandals, and the hat add on to the feel. Very well seen.

roconnell (327) 2004-02-12 4:41

Indeed it is not easy to find peace and quiet at the same time in HK, but this fisherman seems to have found the solution - snoozing at the shore. Great composition and the blues repeating in the plastic stool and shirt add continuity. Well done.

jrj (34843) 2004-02-12 4:48

You got a good capture of this typical posing for many anglers doing this kind of fishing.
And maybe Andrew he was more in to a dream world than a happy mental state. I mean no fish for a long time.... ;-)

manny (22032) 2004-02-12 7:56

Simplicity. Simple colors, simple composition, simple patterns. Yet it looks very engaging. I like this picture because of its soothing effect to eyes (and the soul).

PLD_images (7149) 2004-02-12 11:12

This is a very good shot Andrew, it made me smile. There is a sense of happy easy going life here. Your cropping is perfect in my opinion. There is just enough water and peir to make it right. The color and the light are also well done. Great job.

allotfy (1525) 2004-02-12 14:09

Your framing really is perfect .. this is very quite shot and very sharp

Ebbe (9625) 2004-02-12 14:34

So simple and powerful. The big man and the undersized stool. The angle of the feet. The of centered composition balanced by the rod. Just great Andrew!
BTW I think I have something very similar in my old slides somewhere, taken in Finnland in -86.

Georges (11185) 2004-02-12 15:59

Chut il doit dormir je pense attention a ne pas le r憝eiller;-)))))))))))
Ce que j'admire avant tout c'est cette qualit� d'image avec des couleurs sombres qui mettent l'image tr鋊 reposante a mes yeux.
Bravo pour ce cadrage judicieux Andrew

dsidwell (9783) 2004-02-12 17:28

Very nice point of view. People's backs are too often discounted, but this shows this man as also a symbol for others--so the title is appropriate, too. nice work!

sunny (3069) 2004-02-13 10:33

Hehe, excellent idea, simple but lovely composition, fine colours and perfect light! ...and of course - sharp eye to capture it! ;-)

flip89 (3418) 2004-02-13 12:15

The loneliness of a fisherman evocatively captured ...

Clochette (8076) 2004-02-15 4:47

Well framed, not leaving anything else than him in the pic. As many fishermen, he is isolated and lost in deep thoughts (I can't believe he is sleeping ! ;-)
As you only saw his back, you could have shot a wider view ; but this narrow framing is a very good idea, stressing on his pose and loneliness. I like it Andrew.

dominique (11414) 2004-02-17 17:29

Framing is really powerful like the colors, I love this character ,True fisherman or small fishing, a very funny photograph and it could have fallen has water.

placombe (7715) 2006-07-10 21:48

Hi Andrew
Maybe he (or she) is sleeping. His look does not follow the fish rod so I'm comcluding he asleep (or thinking how big it's going to be).
Pierre