On 11/13/05, Cotty <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Today (Sunday 13th Nov) is Remembrance Sunday in the UK, and services > were taking place up and down the country to honour and remember those > who have passed away in conflict, not just in two world wars, but in > countless other arenas over the years. I was in Watlington, Oxfordshire, > covering one such memorial service for the news. A regular character to > these parts is one William Stone who served for many years with the > Royal Navy. As lively and jovial as ever, he walked unaided to the > service and participated in the solemn - but spirited - atmosphere. > After I had finished filming, I managed to grab a very quick portrait > before he was whisked away for lunch with friends. In my haste, I > accidentally left the ISO at 800 from a previous shoot (d'oh!) but it > has not detracted from the picture. > > <http://www.cottysnaps.com/snaps/portraits/images/pic31.html> > > EOS 1DmII + Pentax SMC-A* 85mm f/1.4 > 1/8000th at f/1.4, levels, sharpened, slight crop. > > BTW, William is 105 years old, and still has his ration of rum every > night at 9pm. > >
Lovely portrait, Cotty. I'm sure without the rum he'd have not made it to 105! <LOL> Remembrance Day is always "celebrated" on Nov 11 here in Canada. The old guys march gallantly to the cenotaphs across the country and stand in rememberance of their comrades. There aren't many WWI vets left - just a few country-wide, and every year there are fewer WWII vets (and fewer of them are marching). I am a dyed-in-the-wool peacenik who hates all wars (was WWII the last "just war"?). But every year I buy a poppy, sold by local Legions, to commemorate the sacrifice of these old fellows, along with the sacrifice of UN peacekeepers around the world. Sadly, there are fewer and fewer vets who are able to stand outside stores and subway shots selling poppies. Mostly they're sold by young cadets these days. I wanted to get a photo of a vet selling poppies this year, as I realized that such opportunities won't be around for much longer, but sadly, I couldn't find one vet out selling last weekend. Thanks for a wonderful and poignant photo, Cotty. cheers, frank -- "Sharpness is a bourgeois concept." -Henri Cartier-Bresson
