photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Patricia Lay-Dorsey | all galleries >> my photo-a-day archives >> 2007 photo-a-day galleries >> photo-a-day December 2007 > surgical waiting room
previous | next
04-DEC-2007

surgical waiting room

My husband's brother had coronary bypass surgery on Monday. He came out of it fine but it was a long day, especially for his wife. The surgery took five hours but she was at the hospital for twelve, from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Fortunately she was not alone. Members of her family and his made sure of that. When Ed and I arrived at 4:30 p.m., this table told the story of the day. So did people's hands. We can control our faces, our voices and our words, but so often our hands give us away.

Canon EOS 40D
1/40s f/3.2 at 36.0mm iso400 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
share
Guest 06-Dec-2007 17:49
A moment in time, storytelling, photojournalism. Whatever one chooses to label it, you speak the language well, Patricia.
Guest 05-Dec-2007 04:28
The number of pages read gives a sense of how long you had to wait. The tension is visible in the hands. An eloquent image.
Phil Douglis05-Dec-2007 04:07
I can't get my mind off this picture, Patricia. It reminds me so much of the work of the great depression era photographer Dorothea Lange. Look at how the hands express meaning in the Lange images that appear in this brief biography (http://www.myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp?hero=d_lange ) The tension in the folded hands of the man in the "White Angel Breadline" is very much like the hands of the distraught woman in the image above.
Guest 04-Dec-2007 20:33
Excellent study in body language, hope all goes well...v
Alejandro04-Dec-2007 19:37
well captured the moment and the mood and good to hear that everything went well. v
Phil Douglis04-Dec-2007 18:35
Vera says it well here -- you use abstraction here to tell a story. By showing less of the people, you minimize distraction and emphasize the point: tension. It's all in those hands. You provide a perfect setting for them, too -- the stuff of normalcy is all around them, but the clasped hands that symbolize the reality of dealing with matters of life and death, overwhelm everything here. I'm glad your brother in law came out of it fine and I wish him well in his rehab. I went through the same thing in 2001 -- a double bypass and valve replacement. I came out of as a new man, and I am sure he will be too.
Colin Clarke04-Dec-2007 18:27
An 'eloquent' image, Patricia. ~V~
CM Kwan04-Dec-2007 15:31
That's love - the most powerful driving force of human being! A wonderful expression of love, Patricia! V
Marcia Colelli04-Dec-2007 14:50
wonderful capture, it really shows the story V
Guest 04-Dec-2007 14:32
I hope the best for you and your family. This shot is absolutely fabulous. V
an nguyen04-Dec-2007 13:50
Amazing expression of the hands. I hope everything goes well for your brother's in law.
Guest 04-Dec-2007 13:07
Patricia,
It is amazing that by not showing their faces you have created an image that is universal. Something again for me to learn.
Vera
Paco López04-Dec-2007 07:29
Excellent!!!!!!! Great frame. VOTE!!
Type your message and click Add Comment
It is best to login or register first but you may post as a guest.
Enter an optional name and contact email address. Name
Name Email
help private comment