Because of you.

Critiques [Translate]

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• trampas (6972)
• [2009-03-02 15:23]
• [+]

sorry but i find this slightly distasteful.
what possessed you to post this?
i hope there are no children viewing this image.

not the best image to open your account.
think about others before posting this type of scene.

please remove it as an act of decency.

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• HurricanAlley (218)
• [2009-03-02 16:06]
• [+]

i agree wholeheartedly with trampas. This has no positive purpose at all. :(
1. why would you stop to photograph such an horrific sight and not be more thoughtful to gently remove him from the middle of the road to the other side of the wall...

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• espanek (6616)
• [2009-03-02 16:16]

Hi John.
Welcome to TL.
A bit controversial, but this is also a photography.
There is nothing pleasant, nice and aesthetic to look, I agree. But this is due to a subject matter. You can't show that in a pleasant way, can you?
It is well composed, with good perspective, sharp and with good b&w conversion.
The message is very strong and it could be used by some environmental activists.
TFS
Wojciech

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• yeti1975 (502)
• [2009-03-02 17:43]
• [+]

I agree with you totally. We humans are trying to dominate the planet with no respect for other species. Welcome to TL.

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• Tezza (2711)
• [2009-03-02 21:46]

Welcome to TL. It's clear from the critiques that this is, indeed, controversal. I understand that your intentions are entirely reasonable. I also feel that images of horrible events can serve a purpose. Images of war, animal cruelty etc have served to galvanise public opinion for better outcomes. Nevertheless this may not be the most appropriate site to stir public disquiet. As for the image: you have wisely chosen B&W and the big depth of field has accentuated the connection between car and animal.

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• Beehive (441)
• [2009-03-03 0:02]

John,

Well composed with excellent perspective, and with excellent lines. It is well portrayed.

Controversial - yes, but you did hesitate before taking, and presenting the photo.However, the tragedy of the event, needs recording.

Imagine the effect with a slower shutter speed to capture the moving car.

By the way, welcome to TL

Regards

Dennis

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• avallaunius (2061)
• [2009-03-03 0:15]

wow
hard image indeed
in Greece such a scene (with dogs) is so tragically usual phenomenon
now maybe some people will take the fur of this animal or they dont care? there are many foxes still? :/
TFS

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• Pennarprat (330)
• [2009-03-03 4:10]

Bravo pour l'image, et le titre. En effet, n'en déplaise à certains censeurs puritains (qui fourmillent sur TL) et autres Saintes-N'y touche effarouchées, ceci fait partie de la vie des gens. Excellent témoignage de l'oeuvre de destruction de notre faune et de notre environnement par une société dont le credo est: vitesse, rendement, progrès (lequel?)...Une culture de mort.

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• shelbeesmom (47898)
• [2009-03-03 7:54]
• [+]

Shock value doesn't work. Never has, never will. I find this horribly offensive. No one intentionally hit this fox. I find it deplorable that you would suggest it.

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• ErikSven (2299)
• [2009-03-03 12:03]

Hello John,

It wouldn’t be appropriate here to use words like “beautiful” or “splendid”, but I do think your first picture on TrekLens can be qualified as “poignant”.

Of course, it is not the easiest photo to look at, but at least you didn’t get stuck in cheap sense of drama or sensationalism. You successfully went beyond the anecdote. You did more than just showing us a run over fox, because you did more than just focussing on the dead body and the blood. No, by your subtle composition (putting the fox on the foreground, but relating it at the same time with the cold and overwhelming environment of speed and concrete) you achieved to confront us with one of the negative side-effects of our beloved western civilization - with those things we’d rather like to hide, the colder side of who we are...
Somehow, this dead fox is a metaphor for all those people who cannot keep up with our happy and shiny way of life: the poor, the less strong or, simply, the different (in every sense of the word). Your photo, with the fox that definitely has not understood our civilization, makes us feel the desolation that many people must feel – a desolation still enhanced by the indifference of the majority, symbolized in your photo by the car that is driving on as if nothing had ever happened (really a perfect timing).

Ironically, by posting this photo on this specific website, you present yourself like someone different as well. But I can’t believe you did this to shock us. Your picture is too subtle, too “layered” for that. I believe you wanted to make us think by presenting us an “engaged” image. A good image as well, photographically spoken, in which form and function perfectly fit. A real photographic job, as you put it in your note...

Thanks for sharing and welcome on TrekLens,

Erik

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• rewshearer (20821)
• [2009-03-03 18:27]

I can't say I enjoy your subject, but it is reality and photography isn't just about pretty faces and flowers and sunsets.

At face value, it is a 'shock shot' that is indeed likely to polarise opinion, turn some stomachs and offend some sensibilities.

At a more metaphorical level the image and its title might make more sense. Maybe it's not about a dead fox on a road. Maybe it's about humanity's impact on the world in general - pollution, clear-felling and burning of forests, trawling the ocean floors and pouring greenhouse gases into the atmosphere?

The road is an encroachment into the animal's habitat, plain and simple; it was 'because of' all of us.

A disturbing, strong image and as a result, probably the most potent shot I've seen in a while.

Rew

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• michelloupis (36)
• [2009-03-04 2:46]
• [3] [+]

Hello John,


Thanks for this shot and it's message.

From a photographic point of view, I would have liked it more dark, with more blacks, the asphalt not so sharp. Nevertheless, a good composition and good POV.

To its meaning, I believe that this picture is much more important than those vomiting postcard-like photos that are thrown at your eyes every day on the Trek sites by some members. It's curious to observe, that it's exactly that brainless fundamentalist crowd that attack your picture now, without even thinking about its true and important meaning. They are so deep bound into their traumas and fears that they cannot help coming here and throw them at others, as if TL was their personal site. What they don't understand, and never will, is that not everybody shares their stupid pathetic narrow minded conservatism. They believe your picture can traumatize their children, who have to be saved. What a laugh. And who will save their children from them?


Keep cool bro...

Nuno

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• tribord (348)
• [2009-03-04 8:28]

Bonjour John,

Sans mauvais jeu de mots, vous démarrez fort!
Au vu des critiques précédentes, on peut dire que vous avez mis le doigt là ou ça fait mal.Décidément, chacun à sa vision du monde (claire ou biaisée), votre note était pourtant bien claire.
Pour ma part, je suis "content" de voir enfin autre chose que des insectes et des fleurs...
Votre sujet est hautement symbolique et vous avez réussi le tour de force de le mettre en lumière avec sobriété.
J'apprécie à sa juste valeur cette image, à la limite du photo-reportage. L'ensemble est d'une cohésion subtile, la légère inclinaison y ajoutant un plus.

Ne vous préoccupez pas trop des critiques et gardez bien votre oeil dans l'objectif...

Merci de nous "rappeler à l'ordre".

Au plaisir,
Damien.
(J'ai désactivé le système des points, ceux-ci me paraissant superflus)

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• daisydaisy (9052)
• [2009-03-04 9:19]

Salut John,

Tout d'abord bienvenue à toi.
Une bonne entrée en matière qui ne passe pas inaperçue... Le poids des mots, le choc des photos.

Tu as eu raison de présenter cette photo, c'est une réalité de notre monde, la vie n'est pas un long fleuve tranquille et nous ne sommes pas à Disneyworld.

BRAVO, c'est tout à ton honneur.

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• Polonaise (390)
• [2009-03-04 20:17]
• [2]

It's not 'a horrible photograph', John.
It's a good photograph of a horrible event.

The fox was killed...
Great, beautiful animal was killed.
Nobody's fault... No one's to blame ( if not the fox himself ?)...
Your reaction to the event was the right one...
You stopped your car to take few shots… To show us... To share your emotion about the killed animal..
Deep respect, brother...
The is absolutely no reason to blah...blah...blah...about the people's civilization, kids' protection, nature protection and all the crap that comes with it...

The animal was killed... You shared the news with us.
You made a good, decent photo from the event.
Your note is well balanced and without any hysteria about the whole ordeal.

If only everyone was so sensitive… To stop the car… To photograph the killed animal on the road…
It wouldn't change anything, but… It would keep as human as possible…

Good photography… Good cause… Good intentions…

………………………..

I gladly exchange ALL of the postcards on this site for this one photo…!!!

……………………………………………………..

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• Soundsangels (11509)
• [2009-03-05 13:07]

L'homme est une réalité qui "frappe"......

Une photo-réalité faite avec tout le professionalime désiré......
Bravo
Welcome on TL.....

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• mortcdz (53)
• [2009-03-07 3:29]

A very striking image, and one with a strong message behind it - everyone viewing it will have their own view (and from reading some of the critiques it shows you can't please all of the people all of the time!). For me this is first rate reportage - photography isn't just about flowers and kittens, and you have captured and displayed an element of life and death very well. Personal opinions aside, the photo is technically very good - strong composition, sharp details and a good conversion to b&w.
Thanks for sharing
Mark

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• CMJC (713)
• [2009-03-13 5:05]

d'un point de vue photo ça me semble bien cadré,et même très sobre pour un tel sujet ce qui est souhaitable; d'un point de vue sujet lui même, ben il est certain qu'il ne peut plaire à tous...
(photo découverte par un message de ErikSven que je remercie, car moi aussi j'ai posté une photo qui choque mais pas avec autant de pudeur que la tienne...)