Homage to those 192 innocent ones killed..... - Baltasar Alvarez Quintana




...in Madrid exactly one year ago today, on March 11 2004, after several bombs exploded in those early-morning trains carrying commuters to their work. Just this morning, exactly 365 days after the killings, with a couple of pictures left in my Contax, I decided to walk to the railway station in my hometown - about 500km north of the site of the tragedy- and take a picture or two of the people there, or of the general atmosphere. I didn't have the courage to aim my camera at anybody. I decided to picture an empty bench instead, as a reminder of the 192 absent ones. The film was immediately processed ...and this is the result. It was, sadly,our particular 9/ 11 Selected for the Hall of Fame on 2006/Feb/01

Camera:   Contax G2
Lens:   Carl Zeiss Planar 45mm f/2
Film:   Fuji Superia 400
Exposure:  
Flash:  
Support:  
Filter:  
Adjustment:   Some basic Photoshop adjust...
Posted:   11-Mar-2005

Rating: 8.70 (23 ratings)

Comments

A very powerful image. Thank you. Ron

Ronald Wells     12-Mar-2005 at 07:23

Thank you

Baltasar, you shared your reason for this image with me after commenting on one of my images just after the bombing. Having revisited your image a few times I would like to vote it a 10. Sometimes it takes a while for an image to work its meaning through the daily clutter of one's own busy mind. Looking at your image this morning, I realised just how lonely and empty the world would be without people in it. People, of all colour and creed, are fare more important than the obscure ideologies they sometimes impose on others with such devastating results. It is the ordinary people of this world that are the salt of the earth and long may they continue to populate it.

Keefo     26-Jul-2005 at 02:32

PS

I was, of course, referring to your mono version of this image posted as a tribute to the recent bombings in London.

Keefo     26-Jul-2005 at 02:38

Beautiful comment.

Thank you so much for your great, wise words.

Baltasar Alvarez Quintana     26-Jul-2005 at 12:08

Congratulations

Well deserved

Gregg Humphrey     01-Feb-2006 at 12:25

For world peace.

I was made to consider the importance of one photograph, by your strong discussion with deep insight of this image. The subjects that should really be taken with a photograph, it is not in front of the photographer, but inside of the photographer, I think. Thanks for showing it, Baltasar.

[Unknown]     07-Feb-2006 at 00:06

Commentary

Your comments add significance and clarity to this poignant image.

Bob James     10-Jun-2006 at 05:16

Yes, i gave it a 6, basically because as a photograph it is a photograph of an empty bench, maybe as a political statement it is very powerful, but I'm not into politics and this aint a political forum and thats my 2pence worth.

Ibbi     19-Jun-2008 at 14:19