Ron, this makes me think I'm eavesdropping on someone's nostalgic dream. I get a bittersweet feeling from looking at it.

Beautifully shot, as all your work is.

It is stunning and surreal, a wonderful image.

what a great idea! It seem to be a terrible story to me.

Nice work, I like the lights and central composition. I feel the leaf on the upper left corner of the window rather disturbing. Feeling: sadness and loneliness.

Curt, Thanks for your feedback, and your kind words. I am glad that you were the first to post, as your impression of the shot is more inline with the mood that I was trying to set. I'm almost (unfortunately) certain that the comments about this looking creepy and horror show-ish are going to come along, and though I really do want to hear everybody's take on this photo, I'm grateful that you have seen the shot in a more sentimental way. There is another shot that I actually used for the assignment, with a slightly different take on this idea, which is located in my recent projects. I think this one overall had less potential for the creepy factor. Thanks for the great rating, too. Boosts my big ego!

Mm...it has an eerie mood...some how the girl in the picture doesn't seem frightful, I think it is because of the way she is holding her teddy bear. If she was frightened she would have hugged it. She is rather dragging the bear as in remose/indifference or more probably shock. I love the smoke/fog effect.. Great work!

Transported back in time.... I really like this image. Well done. 7+7

The picture feels as though the little girl is sleep wallking she doesnt belong where she is but somehow can't get back. It isn't nightmarish but there is somthing emotive about it. The teddy is an excellent touch. Great picture!

it reminds me of my serie about the girl with red ballon..:))) excatly the same feeling..:)) http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=3874991

classical; good for some superego movie front page

Hi Ron! I must say, this photo is very evocative. It's haunting but intriguing all at once. The framing is so powerful. It makes me think of either one of two things: An innocent girl who witnesses/experiences something surreal, or, more disturbing perhaps, the cover of a Stephen King novel maybe entitled 'Dolly' or something like that.

That's just my two cents on this one :) Technically, I think it's a masterfully crafted photograph

Best regards from Kenya, Mark

Great and mistical....7*7

wonderful...7\7

Very creative work! Well done!

Just like a painting

Ron, You've asked what kind of feelings does this conjure up. Well, here goes. I look at this, and it's a bit spooky, which is not a bad thing. Anytime that you can look at a photo, and if it can conjure up any feeling at all than I think of the photo as a success. Yes, so it is a bit spooky. Here's where my imagination is taking me. The girl has died. Maybe while she was sleeping somehow. Maybe she was murdered by a family member and she has come back from the dead to visit her murder, not to haunt him/her but to find out why. She misses her family and she is hurt that someone she cared about got rid of her. Probably could make a great cover for a Stephen King novel. Rarely do photos make my imagination work, but this one has. Congrats on a great work. I hope I have not offended you with my horror story interpretation of this photo. ~Will

yes!!!!!!!!!!

Fantastica composicion.

wow..Excellent dear Ron....

So BEAUTIFUL !!!! I am speachless, and that happens not very often !CHEERS JANA

I suggest giving it some poetic name / title.

Ron: Simply an awesome magical image ... one that I have come back to quite often since its posting. For a photograph, you have achieved the Thomas Kinkade'ish glowing light effect ... magical to create with photography and perfectly mastered. The feeling and story (to me) brings a peaceful and dream-like feeling and thoughts .. returning from a dream. The innocence of the favorite security of the Teddy Bear and long wide shadow cast of the girl, rather than a skinny one, make this image more like a dream and painting. The lighting and fog are amazing ... Your thought process and creativity to capture this window light assignment with a camera really works. Would make (it is) a great painting! Very impressive! Perfect 7s!

Absolutely breathtaking. Almost too good to be real. Nothing less than 7s.

Bravo. Stunning work

can only say 7/7... wow this pic amaze me... everything is good the light the colours and the idea is adorable :clap:

Daddy left the family and is now living with girl friend, she misses Daddy to tuck her into bed. Wonderful image.

Ron, you asked what we think, well I would like to know what thoughts you were trying to provoke from this photo. Share you vision and intent. Thanks. ~Will

Excellent ! like it so much, Are you director of film ? :)

eccellente!!!

A great image. Portrays a scary scene for me like a nightmare. Well done.

I shouldn't have put this off so long...First of all, thanks to everybody for treating this photo so well in the poles, and in your comments. This community is a steal at $25. Just don't let the big dogs hear I said that. ;)

Gundega, I saw your photos, and they are great. I like the idea of the girl with the balloon, though I must say you scared me a little with the blood. That's just fake blood, right? I mean, you're not referred to as "the butcher" by your associates and enemies, are you?

Robert and Mustafa...I just get warm fuzzies when you mentioned movies, even though you were no doubt either joking or being extremely generous. I love movies, and love the way things are lit so well in the movies. So much color, shape, form. The light is always so perfect. It is an art that appears to be so easily mastered, but in reality takes years to see. I really admire Directors of Photography (cinematographers) and their craft. Maybe one day I can be one. It's a hope, at least.

Mark, I have had a handful of people mention the correlation in their mind with a Stephen King novel, including none other than our own Will King right here at Photo.net, a bit below your comment. Lots of Kings on this one. I can't say I ever thought I would produce a photograph that would be S.K. worthy in intent. Kind of funny.

Jana, Stephan and Ben, thank you for your generous comments. We are all better here for such kind words. Jana, I think your comment is a good suggestion about giving it a poetic name/title. I actually wanted to get an unswayed opinion from everybody first, (which means to say, "I suck at naming photographs effectively but I am too proud to admit it right out"). Maybe some of you guys can contribute name suggestions after I spill the beans on what I was shooting for...

Will, thanks for your comments and for coming back. I guess it's time for me to give a little. ::sleeves go up::

Well, as you guys can see, a lot of people have seen a lot of different things here. I am not personally a horror movie watcher, at least not anymore. I love dramatic movies, and love dramatic movie lighting even more. I would say that in a word, I was probably not looking for "creepy", though it's closeknit cousin "eerie" was definitely in the running. I wanted something ethereal, something dramatic, and something with the contrasting colors of outdoor/night and indoor lighting. If you look at the other (almost square crop) photo that looks just almost like this one, then you'll see the final image I turned in for class. This was the original idea, where the girl is outside, and the family inside. I wanted to really exploit/emphasize the juxtaposition (love that word) of the warm colors of the inside, with the family in there looking happy, secure, and together, against the vulnerability of the little girl, outside in a cold dark environment.

Actually Will, it all started about 10 months ago just after I started school. I had a project I was working on that I kind of conjured up this vision of this girl in my head. It was for a different environment/scene, but I saw the same outfit, stance, hair, comfort item (bear). I tried to get somebody, including this girl, but things fell apart, and I had to go a different direction altogether. When I started planning for this assignment, I decided to do something different than everybody else, and shoot outside. This was one of the main ideas, and it ended up all coming together.

So, I kind of had the first part, the girl standing outside looking vulnerable. The lighting kind of took care of itself, as it no doubt needed to be dramatic. I'm not sure exactly when the family entered into the final idea, though. I remember thinking I needed a reason for her to be looking in, and I thought it would be good, as I said earlier, to have her looking at the security which she immediately lacks, as that would have the most impact on the viewer.

After it was shot, I decided to submit this shot without the family. I thought it may provoke too much of the creepy/adolescent killer feeling from everybody. Although I was more in the camp of "sad, lonely, melancholy", the best word to describe what I wanted was probably "dramatic". I wasn't so much shooting to draw out a specific emotion, but rather any emotion. As I've said to friends and my instructor in class, most title pages of books have "written by" and "illustrated by" on two different lines, with two different names. I am the illustrator, and I feel it's up to you, the viewer, to be the author.

The best images, in my mind, are the ones that you look at, and say in your mind that you know the story perfectly, and the next person thinks the same thing; though the story may change for each viewer, the connection to it is just as strong. I want people to be able to connect with my images. I want to evoke emotion. I feel that to be able to do that with the still medium, with no sound, no motion, no follow up, it is a difficult thing to accomplish. That's what keeps me going. Thanks again for all your comments and questions. That's what makes this really fun!

I hope this answers your questions. Feel free to ask anything any other questions you might have. I'll try to keep it a little more concise.

Ron, you certainly caused a stir and great conersation with this one and in my mind that's only one reason why this photo is a success. I think I mentioned, or may be not, that rarely do photos cause my imagination to start turning it's squeaky gears, but this one has. I enjoy most photographs merely for their aesthetic appeal and some originality, and rarely do I get rowled up by the story behind the photo or the story that the photo is telling. This is one of those rare cases. Somebody may have already said it but this photo is almost like a movie in a single shot. 20 people can look at this photo and you will get 20 different interpretations. Sounds like you put a lot of thought and work behind this photo and it has paid off. If I could, I would vote for this photo as Photo of the Week. Excellent job. ~Will

P.S. Thanks for coming back and giving us the explanation. Also, I would like to know who the bugger was that rated this a 4/5?

I think I like your finished assignment shot better, not to take anything away from this photo. It confirms the movie I imagined. The girl was murder by the step mom. I see the dad in through the window with the baby. The dad of course would be the biological father of the girl outside the window. He has no idea that his little was murdered. He thinks she was kidnapped, but it was his new wife that killed the girl because she didn't want their new baby to have to compete for attention and love by the father. The girl comes back, seeing the joyful father with the new baby and is saddened because she feels no one misses or loves her. I know, I know, sick imagination.

excellent... cong.

Your picture is excellent... light and composition are superb! I think this deserve a POW!

I hope you don?t get me wrong, I really like this picture and the concept is brilliant. Just some things from my point of view.

This picture really makes one think. This is truly a strong and well framed picture that has a story to tell. In my oppinion is the other picture that looks like this one is much better.

I thinks this picture lacks something in color to get the right feeling. The blue light from the flash at the girls feet somehow makes me get the feeling that this is set up with studio lights. I also think that the shadow on the ground is a little too big. I really get more sense of a photo shoot than actually being there.

Keep up the good work.

No comments, only admiration for such a sensitive beautiful image:-))) Regards, ben

The girl was behaved very bad by her parents and she decided to leave the house. She took her teddy and took a last look from the window. :(

Wonderfull photo, congrats.

Great! Of the 3... this is the one. Great work.

I love this a lot. You create a spooky atmosphere..and this little, tiny girl being in the center of the all..poor thing.. I somewhat find the lights inside a little disturbing..but all in all; a great picture!!

Merry x-mas!

K..

Very nice!

d.

I found your picture and read that you were interested to know what thoughts people get, when looking at this picture. It might be too late, but I'll give my thoughts anyway. For one thing, I somehow connect this picture with the movie Polterqeist. This is just me, and if someone else doesn't do that, that is very acceptable. Anyway, what I sense in this picture are the following things: A. Magic B. Ghost C. Danger I have to say one thing. I do sense a bit of danger in this picture, but it is not strong. I guess I sense danger because this is not a normal situation. It is very hard for me to say, if this happening in this picture, is a positive or negative event. It can be either or. Anyway, I hope my feedback gave something. Very interesting and technically well made picture. Good job!

For me, this picture remember me PeterPan.. Should I come back home or stay in wonderland??? Really nice picture

What I love about this shot is how it is simple and yet complex. The teddy's fur illuminated as it is adds an ethereal feel to the whole image but the contrast between the cold blue light of outside with the warm orange of indoors is a little overstated for my liking, but nevertheless it works. I feel more questions are asked than are answered by this picture...who is she?...why is she there?...what does she see?...and to me that is what gives this image 'life'and makes it stand out.

superb

fantastic photo! when i first saw it i thought of similarities to Gregory Crewdson which is always good keep up the good work!

Great concept and capture!

"Shadow crop"

Different crop. Hope you don't mind! :]

Wow ! Superb shot. Congrats, Fernand

Excellent lighting and atmosphere on this image!

Maybe the most original photo i have ever seen .... Where has the alien craft landed ?? it is like a movie scene... My regards !!!!!!!

This is wonderful. You capture all the wonders and mysteries of the child's mind. It doesn't have to be surreal in reality, because children live in an alternative reality where anything might be surreal, for them! I love this picture, and I hope you will continue down this path. I am working with the same theme myself, but with a different expression. It's so great to see other pictures on a theme that is important for me nowdays.

Perfect Shot !!!

it looks rather scary. its a great photo though. i love how you can see the fog rising. bit gives me the creeps though

Holy hell, this is perfect! Just like from some creepy horrormovie, absolutely excellent mood, light and so on. Only thing that - but just a little bit - bothers it that branch on the left window. But as I wrote, just a little bit (so it ain't too bad).

Excellent work. - Sadness and lonelynes.

Ron, this picture is absolutely amazing. My interpretation is that the little girl had died, and she is now looking in the window of what used to be her home and family. Somewhat morbid, maybe, but the lighting really gives me that sad feeling of loss. Warmth=life and cold (blue)=death. You did a wonderful job. That's the beauty of photography - all the different feelings/interpretations seen in your work...

Reminiscent of Crewdson though in no way a ripoff. Very nicely done.

Great picture. Well done

Truly beautiful work. I am very new to photography, but this image just drew me in and I wanted to comment even though I am still learning... but that's the whole point of this site right? Anyway. This portrait reminds me of childhood and a glimpse of a better future. I love it because it reminds me specifically of my childhood. She's in the dark looking into the light. It reminds me of hope. She is standing on the brink and can't see too clearly, but enough to see the light shining brightly and a chance to explore such things.

Don't know if you are still checking this picture for comments, but in case:

The emotion is scary / fear / supernatural tension. It's an innocence gone evil. This is largely due to the incongruity of the model and wardrobe with the environment. It is also because of the blue mist. Something is wrong and the dark side is in the process of revealing itself.

Story: Hmm could be lots of them on the Stephen King side of things. This is the child the people in the house chose not to have. Instead she grew up on the other side gaining supernatural powers. Powers that focus her desire for acceptance...and revenge.

.....................

Let me say... WOW!

You certainly accomplished your objective here...this is an awesome image. It speaks LOUDLY..it evokes so many emotions..such as sadness,fear,loneliness,lost,wonder..and I could go on but don't need to. This is an amazing image. Bravo!!!

what Wil said!

Reminds me of this old movie "Firestarter" - about a little girl who could blast all the bad guys with her firepowers.... I imagine this girl coming to the house of some bad guy who did her mother & any second now burning it all to hell!!! Powerful image.... Great light...

Very perfect! Very formidable! I come China! The hope exchanges the communication with you! Welcome fellow masters to send mail WJX114@163.COM to me!

this is wonderful i can't tell you anything from a photographers stand point but i am a writer and i just want to ask you if i can write something using this image it is so powerful my heart broke when i saw this i will never publish said poem i just want to write and have your permission

Nice one! I love the square format and the light is simply stunning. Some how this brings Donnie Darko into my mind, even thou there are no direct resemplancies.

I love this image you have created, It reminds me of Spielbergs "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" May I ask about the lighting set up? any behind the scenes photos?