Thousand Yard Stare - a photo on Flickriver

            In an alternative existence, Ingrid has grandchildren dandering on her knee. She rocks quietly in her chair in the evening, a cat purring gently by the fireside, But in this reality, Ingrid is homeless, wrapped in layers of woollies, living cold and alone on the streets of Bristol. I dread to think what may or may not happen to her at night.

I met her in the centre, sat in the alcove of a door, surrounded by carrier bags. Were they all her worldly goods in there or where they just as they appeared to be - trash?  But those piles of old newspapers were precious to her.

Homelessness is tragic whatever the person's age or sex. But an old woman out there seems particularly wrong.

This is a new edit of a shot from 2015. The statistics indicate this lady is dead now. Average life expectancy for homeless females is just 52 years old so Ingrid was already on borrowed time when I shot this,

This is an unposed street shot of Ingrid. She broke into a big grin when I asked her name. Bag ladies don't have names usually. Maybe their names goes when the dreams go. How bloody sad.

(Don McCullen, whose work I have long admired, famously did the Marine in Vietnam with the Thousand Yard Stare which my title pays homage to and references.)

Taken in: UK / England / Bristol (show map)

Taken on: March 27, 2015

Tags:

portrait

STREETPHOTOGRAPHY

STREET

STREETPORTRAIT

old

elderly

oldwoman

women

candid

candidwoman

face

eyes

pain

sad

glasses

PTSD

Bristol

bnw

mono

monochrome

blackandwhite

n&B

b&n

retrato

renmen

mental health

photojournalism

homeless

streetperson

spectacles

hat

througherlens

emotions

emotional

depression

tragic

focus

blur

selectiveblur

depthoffield

shallow

shallowfocus

closeup

bestportraitsaoi

trauma « less

Sets appears in: • Street Portrait • Black and white more » • Bristol, UK • Mental Health • Street and candid « less

Groups appears in: • Portraiture Photography (of real people) • Portrait (real persons only) more » • Street Documentary: Story, Life, Human Connection • Candid Camera (person not posing) • Homeless • Black & White Portraits • Old People • Images from the Street • One Face @ a Time ~ Street Portraiture • Candid • Bristol UK • Street Portraits • Street Photography Group • In Your Face! (People - Candid - No tele) • The Portrait Group • Sneaky CANDID People images • The Best Portraits • Views: 10,000 • Homeless people all around the world • Street portrait • Candid Captured Snapshots • 200+ Faves 1-2-3 (Post one,Comment and Fave two) • Homeless People • RAW Street Photography • Candid Human Expression Award - no invitation needed • Flickr Fine Art Portrait Gallery • Walk-By Shootings - Street / Urban Photography • Street Photographers • Candid Girls & Women • Quality Portrait Photography • Homeless Britain • ---Portrait World--- • *****Street Photography***** • SUPER CANDID ~ the best candid photography • Art of Images ~ AOI L1~ ( Post 1, Award 3) NO "AI Portraits" • CANDIDS NO FLASH • The Best Portraits AOI ~AOI L2~(Admin Invite) (P1-Award & Fave3) • !Art and Photography (seriously18+) INVITE ONLY • Monochrome portraits • PORTRAITS ~Together´s Art Gallery "Admin Invite Only" AWARD 2 • All Street Photography • FACE ON flickr (men & women) • Black & white - Poetic streetshots • Humanistic • The Candid Frame • Shoot the Street • Street Photographer • candid photos of daily life • Bristol Photographers • !Portfolio of People (HIGH QUALITY, ADMIN MODERATED p1/c2) • Candid Captures • In The Streets • Street Photography International - The SPI • A Portrait Group • Photo Infos • Candid & Street Photography UK and Ireland • Image Portrait Gallery !!! - B&W or Color !!! • Life in the Street Photography • Aspiring Street Photographers • Artistic Portraits, Post Processed • all poets are blind • Bristol and South West UK Photographers • Female Portrait Photography • Enjoy the photograph.Exchange with people all over the world. • Street Photography - Image of People. • Portrait Portal Pro Photos (PPPP) • Street with Feeling • P - for Portraits around the World [P1/C2] • Candid Country • The Human Element • More Than Portraits • Candid Street Portraiture • Street, candid photography • Street Photographers UK • !Art Book (18+) • Feminine Beauty 2 • PORTRAITS POUR FEMMES DU MONDE • Portraits - gesichte - faces - ritratti (hard selection) • "Streetlife" • PORTRAITS *** • Street People Shot as You see • Street Photography Magazine • Candid Shots & Street Photography HQ • Social Documentary & Street Photography • Black and White People Street　Artistic! • Human family HQ • 13,000 Views Unlimited 13000 • Monochrome Female Portraits • 10,000 Views Unlimited 10000 • 12,000 Views Unlimited 12000 • 7,000 Views Unlimited 7000 • 14,000 Views Unlimited 14000 • The Girl and Women Street Photography • Great Portraits (10th.Year) • More Like Magnum - Street Assignments • Flickr Social • Black & White people portraits • Street Explorers will not count to 30/60 rule. • The Bristolians, Street Photography from Bristol • 10.000 / 10000 views at least (NO LIMITS, NO 30/60) • Portraits - World Group [Retratos - Grupo Mundial] • 7000+ Views - No 30/60 • LES PORTRAITS DU MONDE/PORTRAITS FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD (No n • ! FavTop Plus 250+ (P1, A+F4) • DSLR Autofocus Hall of Fame • Bristol. • 200 - 299 faves (add 1 - fave 2) • People portraits 50 plus • Faces Book • People in the streets B&W • Beautiful people 50 and over • Street Photographers Community • Girls in the street • still & leben ~ still & life,,,and much more • Street Life UK • 6000 VIEWS - no 30/60 - no SL • High-Quality Portraits with Class (NO 30/60 LIMIT - NO PORN) • Life as we know it - HQ Candid Street Photography (No 30/60 limi • Raine's choice • Poetic Monochrome • WOMAN Portrait, Fashion, Art Nudity, Erotic (Eighteen+) • Street People in Black & White • Family-Friendly Portraits • 7000 plus views • Flickr Pearls • !! On Candid Street !! • peak of the deep « less

Stats: 14,538 views / 342 comments