Drug of a Nation, a photo from Western Australia, West

Photographer's Note

Whilst a wild amount of money in Australia gets spent on keeping drugs out of the country, it seems the decision makers are a bit more cautious and scared when it comes to doing something about the health of the nation.

A simple and logical proposition to ban junk food advertising during childrens shows seems to receive no attention from any of the politicians, even despite the World Health Organisation titling the situation in Australia as an epidemic.

Australia has been the second fattest nation in the world for quite some time now, experts are starting to now say that we may possibly be the fattest, ahead of the U.S.

kajspice, dolin, tcht, ribeiroantonio, hubert, yanseiler, mjdundee, luisafonso, alana, MKING, Cuba-Junky, Isabelle, Izobretenik, Luan, david, keribar, andante, JEPC, everlasting, rtome, wanderlust, fadingstar78, rui_seabra, Emiel_Skyfreak, Traveller, Cadrim2000, fotostar, Don_Gato, maloutim, KevRyan, prantik, Jason_teale, brevbrev14, tomaszmarcinek, Talia, Brian, whereami, normandiem, Victor, yogi32, tmx, raphaelhcm, helroc, arturski, Sne011, AYDIN has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

jinju (14265) 2006-06-18 4:18

Hey Brendan,

good social commentary shot. Youve divided the frame nicely, the vivid colors and the nice simplicity of the red and the Golden arches has a great direct connection to your human subject.

[2]

kajspice (4542) 2006-06-18 4:25

Hi Brendan,

This is a fascinating subject. One I have personally been exploring photographically. I think this image works really well alone, or it would be really strong as part of a series. She is looking longingly at the burger menu...

Really? Australia is the fattest, ahead of the US? I know the UK is up there somewhere. Something like 1 in 4 people are considered to be obese in this country...the problem is so bad, they are considering introducing a radical new FAT TAX!

A really interesting piece of social documentory...

[2] +

donluicu (24741) 2006-06-18 4:26

Exactly..
very interesting image..nice framing, well balanced..
bravo, you don't even need a note here...all is said.

loic

MKING (3054) 2006-06-18 4:26

This is almost a still from a "Today Tonight" segment, except that you're even more daring and have left her face in view. Slick composition, I like that the golden arch has lost a bit of its yellow sheen. Aptly depressing.

[2] +

dolin (7369) 2006-06-18 4:41

Hi Brendan.
Drфle mais rйel, et trиs trиs bien pensй.
Ces deux parties en 50/50, avec ces rouge et ce noir, et d'un cфtй le M de McDo et puis cette grosse femme dans la partie gauche...fallait oser et c'est top
J'aime bien le fait qu'elle regarde dans la vitre et que l'on dйcouvre son visage.
Belle note pour accompagner cette image forte.
Joli
fred

tcht (7565) 2006-06-18 4:45

Hi Brendan,
This compo works extremely well! You've got the typical McDonald's customer just outside plus her reflection as well. Lovely division of frame using rectangules. ...well I still like Mcdonalds...its still very cheap! TFS.
Cheukhin

ribeiroantonio (22730) 2006-06-18 4:49

Nice picture with a good composition. It is also, a great political statement!!! Your note is very good and very much actual. I really like both.
Antonio

Furachan (0) 2006-06-18 5:40

Very cool minimalist shot with a message. I don't mean to be rude but that lady could lose a few pounds, eh? And there she is brilliantly reflected in the window of MacDonald's like one of Garry Winogrand's photos From new York...
Excellent note to go with, tis is an artistic adjunct to the movie "Supersize me!"
Good on you!
Francis

[2] +

yanseiler (20) 2006-06-18 7:46

Hi Brendan, it seems that the problem becomes to be globalized like the root of the problem... We have about the same problems in Switzerland, people are getting fatter with time and it doesn't get better while people do less sport due to chaotic work schedules... Interesting unusaul 50/50 composition...
Kindly
Yan

hubert (1591) 2006-06-18 7:56

Hi Brendan,
Really interesting this release and I share your criticism at the system.
Also the aesthetical point of view the job is impeccable.
The only note is on the publicity that I don't bear on TE. But in this case...
Bye, Marco.

mjdundee (4663) 2006-06-18 8:06

Right on ya, Brendan!

noir (260) 2006-06-18 11:14

Super size her...
'M' is actually kind of drug.. I come to wanna eat some burgers seeing this picture..
Good captured! TFS nori

luisafonso (862) 2006-06-18 11:52

This is amazing Brendan! Really yours! That divided frame is your real touch of genius. Love the colors here. That red as a special quality I can’t explain. Almost peachy. The left part says it all. No need for your comment words (although straight to the point and very well written), the image really says it all. Love the vigneting. A great shot.

alana (2625) 2006-06-18 13:44

Hi, Brendan

Very useful note, I had no idea about this problem in Australia...(: Love your image, very clever idea and composition. Very well seen and composed.

Alana

Homerhomer (4080) 2006-06-18 14:15

interesting, sure this image won't be included in any advertising campaign for a big mac. Like the division of frame, your message is loud and clear.

Lady made it difficult for you by wearing a white bag, overoxposed and a thorn in the eye.

Message as I said is loud and clear, yet I sometimes wonder where does addressing the problme ends, and ridiculing the subject starts. Here we can see her face only in a reflection, don't know if she is reconizable or not, but I also wonder how other who have weight problems react to such a photo. Not judging but wondering out loud.

I also don't agree with the regulations you mention about banning advertising of junk food during some shows. Here in Canada we are overregulated to death, I am not sure if I can s.h.i.t anymore without violating some bylaw ;-) we have some bylaws about selling pop in schools, it isn't going to make anyone slimmer, we eat unhealthy food period, it's grown in unhealthy way (be it meat, fruits or vegetables), tastes like crap (I haven't head a good tasting tomatoe in years), on the top of that we don't have much time left to prepare healthy meals so frozen dinners and ready made foods are consumed at very high volumes, combination of unhelthy produce and bad habits, and you have the results. Somehow I remember back in Poland we ate plenty of fats, pork, gravy etc etc, and the people are much leaner than in north america, and I am not sure how many down there order diet coke with big mac.
Peter

[11] +

peter1892 (1681) 2006-06-18 17:15

Ah, the ubiquitous golden arches - thankfully I haven't succumbed to this particular vice for about 8 months, and even before that I wasn't indulging very often!

Excellent composition - an ironic choice of focal points, the large woman & the McDonalds 'M'. A good shot with a good message.

Cuba-Junky (2817) 2006-06-19 3:34

All those junkies ... ;) LOL
Great candid shot, besides the very good compo, very funny and la verdad indeed
An

Isabelle (9046) 2006-06-19 12:38

this image speaks loud and clearly, Brendan. It stands out by itself; it would be a precious part of a series.
Junk food and its consequences are spread in the west part of the globe, unfortunatelly.

Izobretenik (1268) 2006-06-20 1:56

Nice one Vapours. I love the composition, the big red Mac symbol so strong because of its simplicity and this woman walking near the restaurant and unable not to take a look inside. Is the temptation too big for her ?

A part of the woman's leg is just a bit overburned but I really like it. After religion and TV the next step to encouraging people not to fall in despair will certainly be junk food's addicts.

Izo

Luan (12971) 2006-06-20 5:46

Very well seen Brendan, a great juxtaposition and perfeclty composed. A nice documentation shot.
Luan

Kicka (0) 2006-06-20 14:44

An intresting photograph with a clear message. The composition works very well to convince your messege. It's intresting how we can see her face as a reflection, don't know if it's good or not. Anyway great idea that worked out very well.

Take care,
Jessica

david (3992) 2006-06-21 7:41

nice mcshot brendan! i like the mcstatement you're making here by placing the mcdonald sign and the mcfat woman in the shot. i have to say that the mcproblem isn't the mcfood, it's the lazy mcparents who don't make their kids do any mcexercise. this food wouldn't be bad for you if you only ate it once a mcweek.

yes, photos like this do create mcbias. but every photo creates bias. is america a mcgood place or mcbad place? depends on the mcphotographer ... same goes for everything.

i like your mccomment and the mcnote is a good statement.

great work.

[2]

anthonyb (1209) 2006-06-21 21:41

This is one of the best photo's I've seen. What it's saying is just soooooo true.
Remember folks ... don't eat that crap!

Cheers Ant

keribar (43841) 2006-06-23 1:15

Hello Brendan,

Iw as looking at this picture and thinking that it would be even more impressive with a thinner silhouette, before I realized that you were also referring to fat people in Australia.
But I appreciate the fact that you used the Mac ad,dividing the frame in two , and that you composed by adding the lady as a counterweight of the red.
I wish you an excellent week-end - Izzet Keribar

andante (7092) 2006-06-23 7:04

!!!! I always thought that the australians were among the fittest... I guess you learn something new everyday. In my mind, MacDonalds representes a form of pasive invasion killing local traditional foods... I haven't eat at MacDonalds in 10 years.
Your image is very well composed and lends itself to open discussions about the obesity issue.
Cheers,
Enrique

srgabreu (0) 2006-07-04 20:31

What else can I say, the image and your note work very well toghether on sending the message that we are eating too much, consuming too much...
Love the compo!
Thanks, Sйrgio

verde (957) 2006-07-18 21:38

very nice,
well seen and your meaning comes across well, and tasteful while not being too soft.

nice
b

everlasting (19978) 2006-08-02 10:27

For my work, I have been doing some research recently on obesity and especially youth obesity. Apparently the scandinavian countries are ahead in addressing the issues.
This is a good documentary shot, Brendan. I like how we only see her face in the reflection.

bubbapenner (164) 2006-08-20 16:27

This photo just wouldn't have worked with a slim and fit adult in it. While this woman isn't grossly obese, she certainly appears to have eaten at McD's a few times herself. Excellent photo, and excellent capture of a moment.

devimeuxbe (58557) 2006-08-26 18:59

Hi Brendan
I really like the graphism of this picture. It's well composed and colorfull.
Nice work.
Bertrand

greg (2835) 2006-09-08 5:19

Funny picture, but a little unfair, I think. There's no-one who doesn't know that if you eat too much, you get fat. Criticise McD because the food is ugly, but the blame for obesity is not with them.

Framboisilla (5277) 2006-10-19 11:42

Hello Brendan,

Your shot is great in its significance especially with the two parts of the composition... I like the idea and your framing ! Beautiful.

Regards,
Stйphanie.

scalerman (26900) 2006-10-31 14:54

Brendan: most your stuff borders on the abstract, artistic side. But this is a great politica commentary and a fine composition at the same time. Great picture and I see now why it's received a wealth of attention. regards, c

Emiel_Skyfreak (3002) 2006-11-18 7:53

Hi there,

Nice work and also good info supplied with it. I believe the US isn't even the fattest country, in fact some little islands around Australia, I believe Fiji and those one's nearby, suffer the most from being obese.
But ofcourse if Australia is passing by the US, getting ahead of them, in case of getting fatter that's not a good thing.
This shot is well composed, splitting the shot in two halves. The red wall with the sign of the drug and on the other side the subject taking the drug walking by. I like that her face is reflected in the window, it's also a good thing she's actually looking in. To be a bit cruel, say searching for the drug.
Is it a crop or did you frame it like this?
Good sharpness (although, sharpen up that M) and tones. Well done.

Cadrim2000 (109) 2007-01-03 11:33

Hi Brendan.

I like the basic message of the photo. Very good job. Was it a snapshot or did you wait a long time to get a woman with these proportions next to the McDonald's logo? In any case it is a great photo with a great message.

Very good job!

Greetings,

Sven

alejandroguzman (4684) 2007-02-09 1:35

hello Brendan !

AWESOME photograph.
Very well composed, GREAT IDEA, and useful noteguideline.

TFS
Hugs
Edgar

maloutim (13617) 2007-02-09 13:31

This is an excellent advertising against junk food! I don't care what Homerhomer says, there is something that can be done against the world diet catastrophe! And your posting is part of this!
I like the dark background, with the girl in front and the red background to her left, thay seems to say: DANGER!
Thanks for sharing, and may lots of people take a good look at your posting!
Cheers!
Marie Louise.

sebcz (2345) 2007-02-15 18:06

So well caught. I like the way the woman looks at herself in the mirroring window. She seems to be prod of herself. For me, that's OK. But the the other half of the photo suggests something else, the reference to a way of keeping a diet or something.
Well, a good shot. A VERY good shot.
Seb

Traveller (672) 2007-03-21 4:04

Excellent anti-advertisement, you should post it somewhere else as well! Very telling picture.

Jason_teale (717) 2007-03-30 21:43

I keep reading about "telling the story" something that photojournalists use in when taking a shot for an article. You have done this perfectly. There is no guess-work in your shot. You get the exact meaning. It is simply great.

As for the fast food epidemic, I can see it happening here in Korea as well. In times gone past, children ate basic foods for snacks like rice wrapped in seaweed, noodles, cuddle fish etc. Now, more and more kids are switching to burgers, fries, and pizza. The amounts of over weight kids has been steadily increasing over time. Not a good shift for such a traditional society.

brevbrev14 (140) 2007-04-10 3:44

Another great work!:)
i love your composition here, the woman with her face to the McDonald...
the perfect moment you have choosen to take the image..
Really a cute shot!
ciao!
Valeria

Talia (242) 2007-05-08 15:22

nice division in the scene. equally displaying the M in Mcdonalds and the woman walking past. I also like that we can see her face in the window. Fitting that she's not quite fit;

carry on!
talia

cristobmat (22) 2007-05-14 17:26 [Comment]

Show Comment

Faros (12) 2007-12-27 9:27

Excellent shot !
You gathered the cause and the effect,

Phil.

Koopman (1247) 2008-03-18 11:34

This one is in my eyes perfect: as a (amateur) photographer and and a medical doctor!

What do I see:

The M symbol and the bag of the girl suggesting in color and form that there is a relation between the two subjects.
The girl looking to her face in the glass.
Her obese body not to be seen in the mirror of the glass,
Enough visual stuff to think about,
Regards Henk

Jonas_Schmitt (3074) 2008-04-17 23:19

the comp is good, but the pics quality itself is not: the sharpness and the crop are not good ! i wonder how this pic could get 85 points so far !

have a nice day,

jonas

arturski (4465) 2008-05-23 3:22

Hi Brendan!
Very eloquent, good work!
Regards

coco (30439) 2009-01-05 4:12

Hi Brendan.

The composition is very clever. I mean, somehow you were lucky because you shot in the right moment and then, and only then, you were able to make this photo.

The composition and also the note look powerful.

Well done and thanks for sharing.