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Lonely In A Crowd

By AlanBW
It has been a long while since my last offering and this is only my tenth upload of 2008. This is due to a combination of Tricia and I spending some time overseas and also having lots to deal with for family, given the sudden and totally unexpected death of my younger brother in May and the fact that Tricia's mum, who suffers from Alzheimer's, has just had to move into a residential care home. You can just imagine the paperwork involved ----------

As for the image above, this was taken in the midst of the crowded market area of Nonthaburi near Bangkok. I spotted this lady and straight away I was interested in her wonderful features but as I lined up the shot - as unobtrusively as possible - she changed her expression drastically. Initially I was amused at her countenance, but the more I look at her expression, the more I feel that she is in a world of her own, full of emotion and that very sad thoughts have flooded into her mind. She appears, to me at least, to be fighting back the tears. A solitary figure - lonely in a crowd - she lingered for a while and then trudged across the road and out of sight. Although we remained in Nonthaburi for another couple of hours before catching the boat back to Bangkok, I did not see her again.

This image was taken from waist level using the tilting viewfinder on the camera and heavily cropped to take out as much of the backgound as possible, for I literally picked her out in a crowd. I had to have several attempts before capturing the shot as there were people passing to and fro and inevitably getting in the way, but eventually there was enough of a gap for me to capture the image.


I know that I have missed thousands of great shots during my enforced absence, but I hope to see some of them as I become more active on the site again. It's going to have to be click and run at times - apologies in advance.

Tags: Woman General Expression Candid People Thailand Nonthaburi Portraits and people

Voters: imander, mrswoolybill, JN_CHATELAIN_PHOTOGRAPHY and 145 more

Readers' Choice Awards are given to photos that get over 30 votes

Uploaded:
20 Oct 2008 9:54AM
Camera:
Fujifilm FinePix S9500 Zoom
Lens:
28-300
More EXIF

Save 60% On inPixio Eclipse HDR Pro

Comments


imander 13 388 7 United Kingdom
20 Oct 2008 10:09AM
wonderful and emotional expression, well taken
ian
mrswoolybill Plus
14 2.7k 2375 United Kingdom
20 Oct 2008 10:22AM
A powerful image and unmistakably one of yours. Welcome back, and I'm so sorry to hear of your brother's death.
Moira
JN_CHATELAIN_PHOTOGRAPHY 14 1.3k 8 United Kingdom
20 Oct 2008 10:38AM
Nice to see you back. I'm sorry about the difficult circumstances.

A very moving portrait. It's all in the eyes. JNC
nickyv32 Plus
13 135 England
20 Oct 2008 11:24AM
Great shot, yes the poor lady looks very sad, sorry to hear of your very sad news as well, hope things start to improve for you.

Nicky
fatherpie 12 18 12 England
20 Oct 2008 11:29AM
Wonderful candid. Hope life improves for you
Regards
Dave
Buffalo_Tom Plus
14 2.3k 15 Wales
20 Oct 2008 11:54AM
Welcome back Alan,please accept my condolences over your brother and I hope all will be well with you from now on.A typical Alan BW portrait and a very touching story.
Tom.
RTDS 12 Cyprus
20 Oct 2008 12:06PM
Great capture...love the expression.
Sad news...hope everything will be back to normal.
Robert
gary_d 13 576 13 Wales
20 Oct 2008 12:12PM
This is a super candid Alan, its great to have you back and looking forward to more of your great images, hope all your problems are behind you and that you and Tricia are able to enjoy happier times again. - gary
JudeC 14 6 3 England
20 Oct 2008 12:18PM
Excellent image - sorry to hear about your family problems - hope things get better soon - Jude.
photophantom 13 108 3 Philippines
20 Oct 2008 12:23PM
Glad youre back Alan, our deep sympathy. Once again, the man of the lens with many great candid shots is on the air.
Dennis
Rock 18 10 2 England
20 Oct 2008 12:24PM
Back to were you left off with a super grab-shot.

Rock
TelStar 16 116 United Kingdom
20 Oct 2008 12:25PM
An emotive image. Welcome back.

Tel*
Last modified by TelStar on 20 Oct 2008 12:25PM
danbrann 16 640 17
20 Oct 2008 12:31PM
A tremendous candid with once more a great narrative.
jdenman 12 19 5 Spain
20 Oct 2008 12:34PM
At first glance it just looks like a funny image, but then you notice the emotion and distance in those eyes. Very well spotted and captured.
John
Silverzone 13 2 England
20 Oct 2008 12:40PM
You have to experience personal pain to recognise it in others. I hope your circumstances improve in the very near future and welcome back. Sylvia
dawnmichelle 13 12 United States
20 Oct 2008 12:48PM
Welcome back... So sorry for loss of your brother . I hope that Tricia's mom will do well . You both have and are going through a lot and our thoughts are with you...
The image is very emotional for sure..
Briwooly 15 454 6 England
20 Oct 2008 1:02PM
What a great candid

Brian....................................
whiteswan01 12 13 England
20 Oct 2008 1:05PM
great shot well spotted
Dawn
challicew 13 1 1 South Africa
20 Oct 2008 1:09PM
Welcome back Alan! I was so excited to see your photograph up here again and have really missed your extraordinary photographs.
This is truly a deep capture, more then what we could ever iamgine.
tdc 13 39 United Kingdom
20 Oct 2008 1:26PM
Another great candid shot, welcome back.

Trevor
jaktis Plus
17 84 Sweden
20 Oct 2008 1:32PM
Lots of emotion captured here

Peter
Richsr 13 91 223 England
20 Oct 2008 1:54PM
Welcome back Alan - certainly captured a unique expression with this one.
Regards Richard.
lostintime Plus
13 13 5 Germany
20 Oct 2008 1:58PM
Good to see you back Alan, this is such an evocative capture.
I'm so sorry to hear you've lost your brother.
Alex
fentiger 19 920 24 England
20 Oct 2008 2:12PM
Great to see you back Alan and best wishes for a return to normality after your traumatic time. Super observation here for a well composed character study.

Albert
glyndwr 13 73 10 Wales
20 Oct 2008 2:16PM
It's good to see you back Alan.
This is a powerful image to re-start with.

Robert
GalleryGirl 13 4 2 United Kingdom
20 Oct 2008 2:17PM
Lovely to see you back Alan. Sorry for the sad news.
You've certainly captured this beautifully. Sharp and powerful image.
Marilyn x
Bob_V 13 1 2 United States
20 Oct 2008 3:09PM
What afantastic expression, a great capture.
Bob
GlynnisFrith 14 23 3 United Kingdom
20 Oct 2008 3:40PM
Nice to have you back on site I have missed your wonderful portraits from far & wide, I hope things will improve for you now
Glynnis
microchip 13 1 United Kingdom
20 Oct 2008 3:49PM
An excellent candid Alan superb detail and skin tones,you have captured her expression wonderfully,..life will improve ...in time..
Regards
Alan
sunshot 16 24 United Kingdom
20 Oct 2008 3:57PM
A powerful image and unmistakably one of yours Alan.
Welcome back to epz.
I'm so sorry to hear of your brother's death..

as you do Alan you've capture a wondeful portrait, i love the expression, very nicely captured

marc
MickyMc 13 8 United Kingdom
20 Oct 2008 3:57PM
What sad news I hope you will enjoy your memories of him as time goes by.
Your picture is really good and what emotion in her eyes.
Mavis
bricurtis Plus
15 2.4k 51 England
20 Oct 2008 4:03PM
Hi Alan good to see you back - sounds like a real tough time.
A lot of thought going on behind that face.A fine candid.
Brian.
Brilane 14 5 12 Wales
20 Oct 2008 4:55PM
Glad to wecome you back, and with such a good character study as well. sorry to hear that you have had problems, and hope that things will go smoother in the future.
Brian
Herge88 Plus
13 40 6 England
20 Oct 2008 5:01PM
Nice to see you back Alan, sorry to hear of your troubles. This is a fantastic capture full of character and emotion, what a candid should be.

Best Matt
Barbaraj 14 450 England
20 Oct 2008 5:11PM
Glad to see your back. I hope you have a quiet period now.
A face with emotion , that could only have been taken by you.
helenlinda Plus
13 374 22 United Kingdom
20 Oct 2008 5:21PM
Glad you are able to have time again for your pictures. Sorry to hear of your family difficulties.
Yes there is an amazing amount of emotion in this shot.
A good capture
Helen
lifesnapper Plus
14 8 2 England
20 Oct 2008 5:42PM
great character shooting here Al'.

John Smile
Glostopcat 14 255 2 England
20 Oct 2008 6:00PM
An excellent candid to herald your return Alan, welcome back
sandrish 17 36 United Kingdom
20 Oct 2008 6:14PM
It is very good to see another of your wonderful portraits again after your sad time over the past few months.

So very well captured, her eyes are full of emotion.

Sandra
foggytwo 17 36 1 Scotland
20 Oct 2008 7:06PM
Thats a very worried expression you caught there Alan, it`s a powerful shot that makes you want to offer help.
Pete.
pamelajean Plus
15 1.5k 2201 United Kingdom
20 Oct 2008 7:17PM
What a marvellous expression you captured here.
So nice to see you back on site.
Rende 14 38 4 Netherlands
20 Oct 2008 8:02PM
Very poignant portrait; very expressive. Sorry to hear about your brother but good to have you back on the site again.
Rende
CaroleA 14 5 3 England
20 Oct 2008 8:06PM
Welcome back officially and what a return! I agree, she looks to be fighting back tears. A wonderful, powerful candid - straight back to form I see!

Wink
peterhookwilde 13 7 Northern Ireland
20 Oct 2008 8:18PM
nice candid
headskiesfly 17 9 Austria
20 Oct 2008 8:45PM
Sorry to hear your news Alan but good to have you back.
Wonderful expression.
Rick
Yogendra 17 22 1 United Kingdom
20 Oct 2008 8:46PM
Wonderful expression.

Yogendra
ChristineD 15
20 Oct 2008 8:47PM
Great image, love the expression.
Christine
Mynett 12 142 6 United Kingdom
20 Oct 2008 8:59PM
what a story, very sad face well captured.
Linda
trissie 14 United Kingdom
20 Oct 2008 9:23PM
Hi Alan, i have missed you on epz and it's lovely to
see you back. I am sorry to hear your sad news.
A great capture with lots of expression.

Trish x
sable 12 9 7 United Kingdom
20 Oct 2008 10:09PM
A very powerful image - well captured - very interesting description of the events surrounding the shot - Elizabeth
bunbeam 15 2 United Kingdom
20 Oct 2008 10:23PM
superb capture, nice to see you back again
bunSmile
GeorgeRusky 15 1 4
20 Oct 2008 10:48PM
Hi Alan
Welcome back
Nice to see you here again
Cheers
George
Joline Plus
14 30 59 United States
20 Oct 2008 11:23PM
So god to see you back again. And very sorry to hear of your family's sad events.
This is signature Alan....how you get these is beyond my comprehension.
cassiecat 12 39 46 England
21 Oct 2008 3:37AM
well captured, i wonder why the woman is fighting back the tears, so much emotion in that face. best wishes to you.lesley
tuhin 14
21 Oct 2008 5:32AM
Beautiful.
jondee 12 United Kingdom
21 Oct 2008 7:56AM
great portrait.
john
tigertimb 13 40 66 United Kingdom
21 Oct 2008 8:57AM
Great to see you back Alan, but so sorry to hear your news.
This is a superb portrait; so much emotion and a story to tell
Tim
pluckyfilly 14 351 33 United Kingdom
21 Oct 2008 9:40AM
definitely a powerful shot, sorry to hear about your troubled life and hope things improve forwith, consider it another milestone passed - easy to say not so easy to deal with and I can appreciate your torment
RAYMO 13 2 United Kingdom
21 Oct 2008 11:02AM
What a wonderful emotional shot, viewing your PF was most enjoyable, you certainly have a knack for this type of work, keep them coming...

Ray
Portknockie 16 48 Scotland
21 Oct 2008 1:39PM
Sorry to hear of your loss Alan.....Great shot of this great face...

Don
Skye24Blue 14 Australia
21 Oct 2008 2:30PM
Another brilliant candid, Alan. Well done.
Mac
oll1e 13 57 2 United Kingdom
21 Oct 2008 6:04PM
good to see you back alan ,hopelife picks up for you my friend ,i know all to well how things go ,as my father who lives in australia is seriously ill and i may have to sell my gear to go and visit.small price to pay though as family comes 1st .
great image and thats some facial expression ,you certainly have a gift for capturing people
ollie
wyatturp 15 2 England
21 Oct 2008 7:03PM
Great to see you back Alan

DougSmile
RockArea 14 18 3 United Kingdom
21 Oct 2008 8:18PM
Good to see you back with another of your excellent and sensitive candids. Your commentary really puts a picture like this into context and I love the way you write as well as photograph.

David
oppo 14 6 2 Scotland
21 Oct 2008 9:06PM
I'm saddend to hear of your personal news Alan. I do hope things pick up for you both soon Alan.

A very natural candid with emotion written all over the woman's face.

Phil
Frase 12 Scotland
21 Oct 2008 10:02PM
Great to see you back , my thoughts are with you. Superb candid image and excellant text.
Don
Tigress 12 Scotland
21 Oct 2008 10:05PM
I find that photography is a great healer, and allows you to escape into another world. I hope you are recovering after your tragedy, and I think experiencing your problems helped you to capture this lady's expression, which hides perhaps a sad story. Great insight and well captured
June
SPARROWHALL 12 26 England
21 Oct 2008 10:30PM
I am sorry for your sad loss my heart goes out to you. This is a wonderfull shot and a moving wright up. Glad to have met you though this web site.

Tracey
edavid 12 United Kingdom
21 Oct 2008 10:31PM
love the shot
edavid
Nigel_95 Plus
15 262 2 United Kingdom
21 Oct 2008 11:57PM
Welcome back Alan, I'm sorry to learn of your brothers sudden death.

Nigel
mikbee 13 3 8 Scotland
22 Oct 2008 1:45AM
Yes,she is fighting back the tears. !!
A well captured emotion here.
Sorry to hear of your own personal emotions.
Mick.
MandsH 14 England
22 Oct 2008 8:34AM
Great candid - sorry to hear of all the problems/troubles. Great to have you back on site
Mandy
brownsilent 14 7 2 United Kingdom
22 Oct 2008 8:44AM
Hi Alan, nice to see you're back safe and sound, in spite of all the family troubles you had to deal with.
I knew that as soon as you are back you are going to provide again wonderful portraits of people from far away.
This one is the best proof of your skills in this area.
Johanna
ShedMan 15 3 2 South Africa
22 Oct 2008 2:00PM
I really hope the police catch the guy who stole her teeth! Very well captured expression though.

Ô¿Ô
steve_r 13 England
22 Oct 2008 3:41PM
GOOD SHOT. Great candid Image, welcome back, so sorry to hear about your brother and your other personal problems, hope you get your life back on track soon.
Regards Steve.
TinyBrad 12 2
22 Oct 2008 4:23PM
Welcome back and I hope the rest of the year goes ok for you. Trish
ginz04 16 281 20 United Kingdom
22 Oct 2008 4:58PM
An excellent capture Alan you have taken some really pictures in this genre.

ian
PeterLaw 12 United Kingdom
22 Oct 2008 5:46PM
What else can one say what a great shot, pleased to be your 100th vote,
peter
thanks for your last comment.
chodge987 14 20 Scotland
22 Oct 2008 7:45PM
Another great candid. Title could have been "MMmm"

Chris
Hop-A-Long 14 52 1 England
22 Oct 2008 8:45PM
Excellent candid as always.
Andy
JimV 14 6 3 Canada
23 Oct 2008 4:24AM
First let me say how sorry I am for the turbulence you've experienced in your family life Alan, hope things go better for you now. Next is to say welcome back, your fabulous candids have been sorely missed, as you have proven right off the bat with this wonderful study and description.
Rgds., Jim
konu 12 31 United Kingdom
23 Oct 2008 8:13AM
great expressions
franken Plus
18 5.2k 4 United Kingdom
23 Oct 2008 10:11AM
Excellent candid!

Ken
Ridgeway 14 222 2 Ireland
23 Oct 2008 12:12PM
Great to see you back on site,really hope things settle down for you and Trish,,
Regarding the shot :no mistaking it for one of yours,brilliant.
Regards AidanR
photodocktor 16 3 United Kingdom
23 Oct 2008 12:32PM
You captured the moment here your portraits shots are really good.
Cheers Mick.
Andree_Borrel 13 United Kingdom
23 Oct 2008 4:39PM
Face detail just amazing
maratsuikka Plus
12 5
23 Oct 2008 6:00PM
good image
FeatherFriend 13 38 217 England
23 Oct 2008 7:22PM
Excellent.
Geoff.
Ayelet_A 12 11 3 Israel
23 Oct 2008 8:36PM
This image has so much behind it, and you put your sympathy to her so beautifully in the write-up. Her gaze and eyes are very emotional, can see why she stood out in the crowed - stunning capture.
Hang on... Smile

Ayelet
Mavis 18 143 2 England
24 Oct 2008 7:19AM
A haunting face, close to tears . Looks as if she is searching for some-one.

Wondered where you were .The older we get the more life has its ups and downs . Sad news about your brother xxx
ugly Plus
12 9 57 United Kingdom
24 Oct 2008 8:55AM
Good shooting...
Dave
hebdens 15 5
24 Oct 2008 11:40AM
we never know whats going on in strangers lives, we can only speculate. I hope things setttle down for you and your wife. Life is certainly not easy at times.
Tracy
edwood 13 3 Scotland
24 Oct 2008 4:08PM
great candid portrait
A Booth 18 11 4 United Kingdom
24 Oct 2008 4:29PM
superb candid capture.
panda 16 5 1 England
25 Oct 2008 2:01PM
Anybody seen my teeth ? Super candid. Trust things will improve for you in the future.

Regards Phil
Last modified by panda on 25 Oct 2008 2:03PM
Pegon 15 78 1 England
25 Oct 2008 11:57PM
An excellent candid. Sorry to hear of your sad news.
Pete.
Dotrob 15 Wales
26 Oct 2008 5:14PM
Great candid image. Hope things will improve for you both.
Dot
Rogerex 14 32 12 Australia
26 Oct 2008 8:08PM
I love the way you've caught her expression it really tells a story.
I hope your life soon returns to normality.
Roger
Tina_Michelle 15 5
27 Oct 2008 1:08AM
what a character study..yes she does look sad.
so sorry to hear about your brother and mom.
joseph 15 England
27 Oct 2008 7:46AM
Wonderful image Alan...Very sorry to hear about your brother. You and Trish take care.....Joe.
Dimitre_P 12 Bulgaria
31 Oct 2008 5:12PM
Hi there...i see I have lot of to learn to make portrites like yours...all are great...Dimitre
pascalg Plus
13 37 1 France
3 Nov 2008 8:49AM
hi, welcome back...
sorry for the bad news ; hope you'll get over it soon
moving portrait here
Dimitre_P 12 Bulgaria
3 Nov 2008 2:20PM
Hi, friends...your work is Great...I like it VERY MUCH...Dimitre
susanbarton 13 11 1 United Kingdom
4 Nov 2008 12:50AM
Super candid shot who knows what goes on in other peoples heads but this is full of emotion well done for capturing it.

Hope all is well with you

Susan
SandraKay Plus
13 233 4 United Kingdom
4 Nov 2008 9:06AM
A capture that speaks volumes. Superb.
So very sorry to hear about your brother. What a challenging year for you both.
Sandra
Last modified by SandraKay on 4 Nov 2008 9:07AM
thorn 16 124 2 Scotland
5 Nov 2008 7:40PM
Hi Alan,
My sympathy to you and your family about your brother albeit late and i hope you and Tricia are doing ok as is mum in the nursing home.
A brilliant candid,i think the fact she moved at the last moment has given you a very moving,character in candid,she's definitely thinking about something and her eyes are glistening over as she thinks,great contact and detail.take care,AnnSmile
Milla 12 7 2 United Kingdom
11 Nov 2008 9:57AM
You're a master of this kinda candids, and it shows again.

Please accept my late condolences too.
Last modified by Milla on 11 Nov 2008 10:01AM

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