Child's Play

Posted by Ian Bramham (Manchester, United Kingdom) on 9 October 2007 in Sport & Recreation and Portfolio.

a photo taken with affection as I loved the colour and simplicity of this well-loved and weather-worn child's slide next to the sea front in Morecambe UK.

The photo was taken about 1 hour or so after dawn in some wonderful light and I've warmed up the photo even more to accentuate the saturation of the colours.

If you like the photos on this blog and have got a minute to spare please vote for it at 'VFXY Photos'. The link is highlighted in green just below. It's currently ranked in their top 10.

Links to other Photoblog sites that I have found inspirational:
http://hugopoon.aminus3.com/
Hugo Poon records his home city Hong Kong in photographs so beautiful that they inspired me to start taking my own photos. Deeply humanist in his vision, Hugo claims that he is not a photographer. Why not visit his photoblog and decide for yourself.

VFXY Photos | Cool Photoblogs | Listed on Photoblogs.org

Comments (12)

Michael Rawluk from Prince George, Canada

That is strangely beautiful with the great colour. Great composition, especially using the shadows.

9 Oct 2007 12:40am

@Michael Rawluk: Thanks very much Michael.

Sriram from Chennai, India

Lovely colours and excellent composition! Nice use of shadows! Very good work!

9 Oct 2007 4:28am

@Sriram: Thanks Sriram!

Lost Valley View from Kamloops, Canada

Working with children- this speaks to me in so many ways! Wonderful image!!

9 Oct 2007 12:29pm

@Lost Valley View: Thanks - I'm grateful for your support (and Michael and Sriram's)- Maybe you need to be working with kids like yourself or a parent of the right age to get this photo.
Personally I liked this shot as much as the one I posted yesterday (and certainly it means more emotionally)but the response is very obviously completely different - my youngest son was playing on slides just like this one only a few years ago so maybe the photo has too much of a personal attachement for me.
That's part of the fascination of AM3 for me - the response can vary so much from photo to photo!

amy from Rocky Mountain House, Canada

Love the light!! Gorgeous warm image that screams of children playing and laughing.

9 Oct 2007 4:34pm

@amy: Thanks amy! - I really love this image personally but was not sure if other people would see the same qualities in it that I did.

Markus from Reading, United Kingdom

Gorgeous colours + composition!

9 Oct 2007 5:23pm

@Markus: Thank you very much Markus. As you know, its impossible now in the UK to take photos of kids at play unless they are your own - I thought this photo had a certain poignancy. My own kids are a few years too old to be playing on this small infant sized slide but it brought back a lot of happy memories for me of when they were that age.

Reza from Montreal, Canada

Wow ! Great great colors and composition. Very well done!

9 Oct 2007 6:24pm

@Reza: Thanks for taking the time to leave such kind words of encouragement Reza!

Rags from Plano, United States

it is an awesome image. THe fact that the playground is deserted gives the image a sense of abandinment or desertion. It is visually appealing as well as symbolic.

9 Oct 2007 9:26pm

@Rags: Thanks Rags - I thought the slide had a beauty all of its own. I love the simple design but what really caught my eye was the colours - I love the way that it has been so well loved and used that the kids hands and feet have worn away the newer green paint to show the original red and orange paint underneath.

Regarding the fact that the playground is deserted - it has now become impossible in the UK for anyone to take photos of kids in a public place like this unless they are your own (and then you would you would have to make sure other kids were not also in the photo). I thought this added a certain poignacy to the image.

Peter F from France

love the colors and contrast on this one

10 Oct 2007 3:22am

@Peter F: Thank you for taking the time to leave such kind comments Peter!

Rabbit from Richmond, United States

A photo of pure and simple delight. It makes me tilt my head to side and say awww.

-reading a reply to a comment - you can't take pictures of kids? Not that i'm out looking for kids to take pictures of ( i guess if i had a twisted mind i could see why ) but thats so sad, our society has come down to not allowing us to even capture something treasured and playful as a childs' smile and laugh without someone finding some way to make it naughty :( booo to the people who cant love the sweet and simple beauty of life.

10 Oct 2007 11:48pm

yiannis krikis from thessaloniki, Greece

excellent colors and framing

11 Oct 2007 11:43am

blundershot from Perth, Australia

captured with real warmth

12 Oct 2007 7:23am

Damon Schreiber from Toronto, Canada

The sense of disrepair and loneliness together with the warm light really give it an interesting contradictory feeling - like not being able to return to ones childhood.

Also interesting what you say about not being able to photograph children in a public place. Quite a world this is.

14 Oct 2007 1:40pm

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