This started off as a snap of the old Vic Hotel in Smith Street Darwin, which when I first got to Darwin a couple of years after Cyclone Tracy (which completely flattened Darwin) The Vic was a "Blood Bath" 7 Days a week! Here it was transformed into a "Boutique Bar" and all I could say was "Who'da Thunk It, Mrs Plunkett?" So I just raised the camera and click! This challenge has honed my perception though and I sensed something not quite right.
Notice the Lady Lower left corner, the one with her face averted. She had been walking up the Mall and only saw me at the last moment, It is their belief that if I take a photo of her showing her visage and go back down South and she should die, her spirit would find no rest until the photo was destroyed. It is related to the same belief that dictates that once a person dies they no longer use the deceased's name or view photos of them.
Concerned I approached her and asked if she wanted the photo deleted, or would photoshop her out of the shot if she wanted, she said no - no harm done as she had seen me in time, nothing more was said but I got a feeling that she was thankful that I had made the offer. I personally am thankful cause her being in the photo doing the right thing is far more meaningful than my memory of drunken bodies toppling over the balcony you see centre shot.
3 comments:
What an interesting story behind the lady - that was generous of her to let you keep the pic (and Ron, generous of you to ask)! When you look at that pic in years to come, you won't notice the bar, but will notice and remember that lady...
I like the blue color contrast. Thanks for the story of the woman. I don't have too many people in my pictures because a lot of us don't like to be photographed. But looking back at all my photos, I wish I was in a few more.
Love this - you show so much respect for the beliefs - and the composition is just perfect with the woman. I really like the color of the turquoise in the seats, etc..
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