Mountain Man

[oldhippy]

Top picture is the edit.




Hard Workin, Good Hearted Man. And a good neighbor. C&C love to here opinions

 

[tirediron]

Wow!!! I would LOVE to be able to spend a couple of hours shooting his portrait!!!!!

 

[MSnowy]

Nice shot. I would like to see him looking up. The eyes really help tell the story.

 

[mmaria]

I like him too. was "that-you know what" his house ?

 

[oldhippy]

I like him too. was "that-you know what" his house ?

yes that was his house

 

[mmaria]

will he marry me? and no, it's not just because of his house!!

 

[oldhippy]

Nice shot. I would like to see him looking up. The eyes really help tell the story.

He looked up long enough to give me the look.

 

[robbins.photo]

You know OH, I look at this I can just here him say "sombitch".

Lol - believe it or not this brought back some really amazing memories for me. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[robbins.photo]

Ok, so thought I'd tell you the backstory here - and why these two pictures brought back such great memories for me. When I was a kid.. i mean a very little kid (age 2 to 3) I spent a ton of time with my paternal Grandfather. My grandmother had passed away about the same time I was born and Grandad I think just needed to feel connected, so he'd stop by and pick me up and take me to the most amazing place on earth, the local barbershop.

Ok, now this is in a town of about 1000 people and the time frame is back in the late 60's, at that time my home town is a small community where most of these folks make their living farming. Even the guy that owns the barer shop does farming/ranching and runs the barber shop part time. Every man in the place wore coveralls, and 9 out of 10 had a straw hat. The local barbershop at that time, well that is the place to be - the place where these guys go to hang out and shoot the breeze. Here I am, just a little tike, and I get to sit in on all of the most amazing and important events of the day - and nobody treats me like I'm a kid. Nope, I get a full 16 oz pepsi in the long neck bottle all to myself to drink - right out of the machine. None of that crap where mom would poor a tiny amount into a little cup and never fill it more than about a third full. Nope, at the barbershop I was one of the big guys. Best yet, I got to listen to all the men talk about what men talk about.

Politics: "I can't believe they elected that two faced sombitch" / "I tell you the sombitch is going to raise taxes" / "That's what them sombitches do. Raise Taxes. That's what all them sombitches do"
Commerce: "You seen that new John Deere. Big Sombitch." / "Expensive Sombitch. You know how much they want for it?" / "Bet the sombitch will plow like a sombitch though"
Religion: "For as much as I put in the collection plate last Sunday you think the sombitch would make it rain"

Lol.. so yup.. I look at that picture and I think, sombitch. And I just smile. Thanks again Ed - for the remarkable memory.

 

[Bamps]

Dickies overalls, T-shirt, straw hat. Don't care for the hat, it serves no purpose, had he needed shade from the sun he'd a bought a wider rimmed hat, had he been looking to keep ticks out, he'd of bought a solid felt. Straws are good because they provide shade, (when wide brimmed), but allow air through to cool. The bibs have enough pockets for most things you need. If he'd switch out the straw for a wide brimmed hard-hat & lamp, add a slicker top, and shove those pant legs into 16" rubber boots, he could be a miner heading underground. All functions as a purpose, with few changes here and there to suit up fir tasks at hand. I would add thermos, if out on the desert, (don't know about mtns) but what keeps you warm in cold keeps you cool in heat, rather be 98.6 than 106. All this but one question arises, what's the man like? Is he in the city, house to house? It's almost there on the second pic. Both pics are good but the second is my fav.

 

[oldhippy]

Dickies overalls, T-shirt, straw hat. Don't care for the hat, it serves no purpose, had he needed shade from the sun he'd a bought a wider rimmed hat, had he been looking to keep ticks out, he'd of bought a solid felt. Straws are good because they provide shade, (when wide brimmed), but allow air through to cool. The bibs have enough pockets for most things you need. If he'd switch out the straw for a wide brimmed hard-hat & lamp, add a slicker top, and shove those pant legs into 16" rubber boots, he could be a miner heading underground. All functions as a purpose, with few changes here and there to suit up fir tasks at hand. I would add thermos, if out on the desert, (don't know about mtns) but what keeps you warm in cold keeps you cool in heat, rather be 98.6 than 106. All this but one question arises, what's the man like? Is he in the city, house to house? It's almost there on the second pic. Both pics are good but the second is my fav.

Some good points. I see what you mean about the picture telling an incomplete story. So here's a little fill data. The hat, well that's
his hat. Hand picked and worn to a frazzle. Location. A farm in the Appalachian Mountains. Ya that's Appalachia. Just a neighbor coming in for a cold tea, then back to that garden that sustains his family. I couldn't capture all that, but his face speaks a story to me. Thanks and appreciate your remarks. Ed

 

[The_Traveler]

Great faces, nice catches
I sometimes feel like packing up and driving down to your town just to get some pictures of your friends.

I suggest you darken the brights and brighten the darks, then warm them up a bit.

 

[IzzieK]

Good one, Ed...I was a little bit late to this party but I agree with Lew L on this one. I even like the way he edited your shots.

 

[oldhippy]

Good one, Ed...I was a little bit late to this party but I agree with Lew L on this one. I even like the way he edited your shots.

I have to agree, I really like the edit that Lew did. Now I just have to figure how he did it. Good for the old brain. Ed
lastly I will tell, that this guy is a cancer survivor. Near death for months with leukemia, his family never wavered in their support. That was 20 years ago. His dad passed a short while ago. Now my buddy has the work of two. Enough of that. Ed

 

[limr]

I like Lew's edits, too. That was the ONLY thing I wanted different about these portraits - to see his face better lit. His looking down tells its own story just as much as his eyes would have. That hat is a huge part of the story, too. You can't lose the hat and get the same richness.

Y'know what else I love? The word "pride" showing between the buckle on the overalls. Ed, you said you couldn't capture all that - the hat, Appalachia, hard work and a quick respite, a quiet, stoic pride - but you really did.

(As for you, robbins!! I loved being allowed to peek behind the gorilla mask and read your barbershop memories )