Monday, December 20, 2010

Another TP favourite Pic

Little boys in Turkey are traditionally circumcised - it can be done at birth, but is often delayed until they are 7 or 8 years old. On Circumcision Eve they have a big party, receive gold coins and other gifts, and dress in a costume which is meant to look like that of a King or a Sultan.
In Istanbul this little chap was happy to pose for a photo, and his parents gave their smiling consent when I asked if it was ok.


I love his expression. Am I just being fanciful when I say that I can see excitement, pride, shyness and fear in that little frowning face?

See more entries in Thematic Photographic 128.

8 comments:

  1. Oh I agree....heavy on the fear! Hard to believe they wait so long, it has to be much harder to have done at such an older age...we do it here shortly after their birth....and I have seen it done and oh how they cry! This is a darling little boy and I what a beautiful outfit he's wearing! Great favorite photo!

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  2. That is a great picture, I can see a lot in his face too. Maybe it's just me projecting onto the picture, imagining getting circumcised when old enough to remember it, but I see a whole lot of fear and trepidation on his face.
    Seven? Ouch!

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  3. My dad can remember having it done, but at least no one told him about it so he didn't have to live in fear of the pain...... ugh. Poor kid. That's a nasty tradition to do that at such a late age.

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  4. As if it wasn't bad enough that they made him dress up! At least they'll take him out for ice cream later, right?

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  5. I just feel sorry for him, and it makes me feel a little wierd that they makes their children go through that (yes I'm including the whole dressing up/celebration thing). Would have been my idea of Hell aged 7/8!

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  6. I must add that he was running around with his little brother just before I took this, both of them pretending to be planes or birds... maybe it was just the stress of a foreign tourist asking to take some photos that put this expression on his face!!

    :)

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  7. Children on the cusp of major life change make for compelling photos. What a story in this one scene: I could read his face for hours and still not figure out what's going through his mind. Brilliant shot.

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