Comments for Me + Richard Armitage

Comment on ooof: Saint Armitage by guylty

guylty — Wed, 22 May 2013 06:23:03 +0000

Good point. Although a beard is tricky in my book – while it softens, it also ages. And especially in context of a religious connotation, I am reminded of that image we had as children of God as a bushy-beard-guy, dressed in a big white nightie, holding a long staff and ready to scold and shout at us. *shudders* No, I don’t want to be reminded of that beard

Comment on ooof: Saint Armitage by guylty

guylty — Wed, 22 May 2013 06:13:06 +0000

I agree with you, Crystal – even if I am not a massive fan of these images, his demeanor in them is certainly happy, comfortable, relaxed. And that is something I appreciate on an altogether different level than in the realm of aesthetic appreciation – because I take an interest in the man, I suppose.
Re. saintly: Which Thorin images are we talking about, Crystal? Which deity?

Comment on ooof: Saint Armitage by guylty

guylty — Wed, 22 May 2013 06:10:45 +0000

Isn’t it amazing how many memories, associations, connotations flow, just from looking at one photograph? You make a good point about the autumn light in the image, something I did not really think about much when I wrote the analysis, but which now actually helps me understand why the sun was low enough to be captured at that angle but *in* the frame – I was pretty sure it was mid-day-ish when the shoot took place, but it didn’t reconcile in my mind that summer sun is at its highest. Duh – not in the Southern hemisphere… Anyway, you are right, leaving the traces of the sun in the image was a good decision on part of the photographer. It adds the associations that you have mentioned – sweetness of late summer, the melancholy of fall, the transitoryness of life – plus it explains the unusual lighting in the shot.
May I just correct you there on the lighting bit a teeny bit: His face is not quite in half shadow – the fill light that is being used lights him up too much for it (half shadow would literally leave half of the face dark). It would be a bit more dramatic than this. Having said that – I love dramatic lighting effects with shadow, especially half shadow, where the effect is a reminder of the dichotomy that is essential to human consciousness. A ying and yang kind of oppositeness that has to exist for us to be whole.
I loved your explanation and reminiscences of your memories of indian summer light, as captured by yourself. There are several things at work in it. It tends to emit a warm glow that comes across as a golden hue on images, which obviously does wonders to our complexions *ggg*. It also comes with dramatic shadows, thanks to the low angle of the sun – lengthening and distorting the shadows. But yes, it is the connotations of it that make it deliciously emotional – the reminder that the end is near, that things will change, the bittersweetness of that realization. Together with the documentary propensities of photography, it makes for a melancholy reminder that life is transitory and fragile – as you put it yourself. You have actually put it much more positive than I have, focusing on the beauty and on life. I tend to be more morose and see decay and death. Well, you are a historian. I am merely forward-thinking *haha*…

Comment on ooof: Saint Armitage by guylty

guylty — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:52:50 +0000

Katie – remember: “Never think you can’t tell me things”. *coughs*… Free forum. Anything goes. And the writer is not always right, anyway! x

Comment on ooof: Saint Armitage by guylty

guylty — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:52:01 +0000

How could I overlook the peacock similarities?? Thanks for pointing that out, Snickers’ Mom, that is really well observed. It’s funny, because I *did* actually note the exotic flowers in the shot – you can see those orange-and-purple buds to the left of him by the palm tree – and I had wondered to myself whether I was going to say something about the fact that they are called “Bird of Paradise”. But the peacock analogy is so much better. I don’t really think that RA behaves like a peacock, strutting his stuff and deliberately wanting the attention of his fans, but as an actor he obviously has to advertise his wares and show off his assets. It’s quite an apt interpretation, I think. Ahhh, wish I had seen that – there would’ve been much meat for interpretation (and some cheeky fun) in that.

Comment on ooof: Saint Armitage by obscura

obscura — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:48:35 +0000

Something else that occurred to me in my ramblings today was that the beard really softens out the angles of his face (which I totally love BTW), and that lends to the whole saintly, angelic, beatific, whateveric vibe

Comment on ooof: Saint Armitage by guylty

guylty — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:47:04 +0000

Thanks for that insight into the workings of a quick photo-call, Groovergreen. That’s the sort of assessment I would have made – of both the time Nearmy had and how she probably used it. It speaks for her professionalism how well her shots came out. (And I don’t even mean the heavenly distraction of having RA in front of her lens *haha*).

Comment on ooof: Saint Armitage by guylty

guylty — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:43:09 +0000

A reaction like that, Katie, says as much as my words . I think I would like to do that, too.

Comment on You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness by Leigh

Leigh — Wed, 22 May 2013 05:08:11 +0000

Remember, too, that those who give philanthropically are doing it because they want to, not because they are looking for return on their investment. You say “thank you”, but you are not obligated to perform for them.

Comment on Armitage as vampire? by fedoralady

fedoralady — Wed, 22 May 2013 04:19:24 +0000

Ah, but rest assured, ladies, he would be the most elegant, graceful, glorious and desirable dancing Christmas Tree the world has ever known. And suddenly, like prison tattoos and guyliner and hairy old dwarves in burlap sacks—Dancing Christmas Trees would become sexy to us, too.

Comments for Me + Richard Armitage

Comment on *ooof*: Saint Armitage by guylty

Comment on *ooof*: Saint Armitage by guylty

Comment on *ooof*: Saint Armitage by guylty

Comment on *ooof*: Saint Armitage by guylty

Comment on *ooof*: Saint Armitage by guylty

Comment on *ooof*: Saint Armitage by obscura

Comment on *ooof*: Saint Armitage by guylty

Comment on *ooof*: Saint Armitage by guylty

Comment on You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness by Leigh

Comment on Armitage as vampire? by fedoralady

Comment on ooof: Saint Armitage by guylty

Comment on ooof: Saint Armitage by guylty

Comment on ooof: Saint Armitage by guylty

Comment on ooof: Saint Armitage by guylty

Comment on ooof: Saint Armitage by guylty

Comment on ooof: Saint Armitage by obscura

Comment on ooof: Saint Armitage by guylty

Comment on ooof: Saint Armitage by guylty