Thursday, 10 December 2009

Stood up

Furious woman in the mall, Bondi (November 2009)

Chance has a way of parting the waters. It is subtle: there are no flashing red neons, or shrill wolf whistles. Reflected light at an odd angle, or a portion of a sign glimpsed while idly waiting, will suffice.

Enticed to the Art Gallery by the sharp wit of Annabel Crabb, I chanced upon a small softly-lit alcove housing "6 Photographers" and there, in a corner, was this gem shot by Hal Missingham, instantly recognisable as a precursor to my furious woman in the mall.

Stood up in Swanston Street - Missingham (1947)
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28 comments:

  1. OlivierDecember 10, 2009 1:09 am

    deux photos différentes, deux beaux b&w, mais on retrouve la même tonalité (ambiance)

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  2. brattcatDecember 10, 2009 2:51 am

    That top photo I would title 'fuming'. The second photo...you might want to read the passage about "the bride" in Brooklyn Bridge.

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  3. LoisDecember 10, 2009 3:13 am

    Just goes to show you that the more things change, the more they stay the same!

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  4. Susan EllisDecember 10, 2009 3:14 am

    Wonderful comparatives...could even be the same woman perhaps still malingering.

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  5. lizziviggiDecember 10, 2009 3:48 am

    Oh, I wish I had the courage to take the photos you do! Wonderful shot. Is she actually smoking inside? You can tell she's not in the US!

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  6. glduro_marieloupeDecember 10, 2009 4:45 am

    I always go back to your blog as an example of pictures of good taste, wonderful technique and unusual objects. Wish to have a minimum of your capacity ...

    marieloupe

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  7. glduro_marieloupeDecember 10, 2009 4:45 am

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  8. Joan ElizabethDecember 10, 2009 6:45 am

    Great pairing Julie. Ugh ... it is so horrible waiting and waiting thinking something is wrong ... wondering whether to pack it in.

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  9. PurestGreenDecember 10, 2009 6:58 am

    I love the intensity in both of these photos. The top one is so...human. That little bit of body language that would have been over in a second, is frozen forever.

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  10. bitingmidgeDecember 10, 2009 7:24 am

    Wassamatta? Cat got the colour?

    Just kidding, I too rather like the pairing. I can almost feel her shaking in your shot.

    P
    Sunshine Coast Daily Photo - Australia

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  11. MirelaDecember 10, 2009 7:31 am

    The second one has the looks that could kill. I wish I could see the eyes of the woman in the first photo!

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  12. AnnDecember 10, 2009 9:19 am

    Wonderful. You look at her and know exactly how she feels.

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  13. AnonymousDecember 10, 2009 12:21 pm

    No painter could have made it better.

    Please have a wonderful Thursday.

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  14. LowellDecember 10, 2009 12:25 pm

    Now, the lady in the first photo could be meditating on the dangers of smoking...or she could be planning the evening meal in her mind...or she could be wonderful how she can rid herself of the boorish lout she married...or she could be...well, so many possibilities...

    The second photo is an excellent 1940s shot and she is waiting for something or someone!

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  15. AnonymousDecember 10, 2009 12:27 pm

    Wonderful picture, Julie: reminds me of me (internally of course) on a bad day...

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  16. Marie-NoyaleDecember 10, 2009 1:22 pm

    We could almost exchange the dates on the photographs!!
    Smoking seems so out dated!

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  17. Three Rivers, MichiganDecember 10, 2009 2:10 pm

    Amazing that she never changed her hair-do in all those years!

    A nice portrait. Tense, arms crossed, legs crossed - lots of body language!

    Three Rivers Daily Photo

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  18. UnknownDecember 10, 2009 5:53 pm

    That 2nd one looks kind of like my first wife. Something about the expression on her face.

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  19. AnonymousDecember 10, 2009 6:33 pm

    Welcome to the theme in advance.
    With all the omments you have you are likely to get even more busy if you check in on Saturday.
    Well caught image.

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  20. diane bDecember 10, 2009 8:08 pm

    Great pairing of photos. Lots of emotion in both. I would like to have seen that exhibition too.

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  21. Julian DavisDecember 10, 2009 8:52 pm

    Great picture Julie. It reminds me the bad days I had. I like the theme behind all your posts.

    Sydney Things To Do

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  22. JoDecember 11, 2009 4:24 am

    Great body language; great shot. Your blog inspires me to try harder at my photography.

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  23. VirginiaDecember 11, 2009 12:41 pm

    Both are so compelling. I love the bottom for it's HCB effect but the top one is a nice accompaniment Julie. Thank you.
    V

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  24. PJDecember 11, 2009 3:57 pm

    I know that woman in the top photo and I can smell the cigarette odor in her clothes. So far from anything I'm ever around now.

    The second photo, I wonder what happened to her.

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  25. Stephen Van TuylDecember 13, 2009 4:02 pm

    Always like the street stuff. Nice job Julie!

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  26. JulieDecember 13, 2009 4:43 pm

    Thank you, Stephen. I take this as an acceptance of my comments and the tone with which they were made. Your work is just astounding, really.

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  27. JillyDecember 16, 2009 5:36 pm

    This is one I saw at the time, Julie. Just love the two ensemble. So works, so touching really. The expressions make us feel we know just what both women are thinking.

    Again, so sorry I've not been commenting. My dog has been terrible sick - on morphine etc and then massive surgery to remove the inner ear that was full of an abscess. In addition, you might have read that I now take photos and write articles for a new Cote d'Azur website (get paid too!) so it's keeping me busy, a bit too busy. So apologies. I try not to be away so long next time.

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  28. JulieDecember 16, 2009 5:44 pm

    Yes, I trawled through Alex's baby. Such a pleasure to see you get the wider plaudits that you so richly deserve.

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