Big Bucks in Silicon Valley!

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), June 11, 2000

Answers

I wish I could get as excited as this guy apparently is by having a mere two bucks in my hands to spend as I please. The expression is great, though under this harsh lighting condition I would want more light on his face.

Just a nitpick, and I'm not trying to pick on you, and it's probably just me, but, oddly, the title distracts me from the image because I find myself trying to resolve "Silicon Valley" to it. If the title was "Silicon Valley, 1989" then I would simply assume the photograph was made then and there, and that would be enough of a description for me. The title of "Pay Day!" would also work OK. Just my ramblings. This is a good people shot.

-- Tony Rowlett (rowlett@alaska.net), June 12, 2000.

Tony,

The harsh light was unavoidable and I had no fill flash with me. We were at a science camp on a trip to a coffe house in Boulder Creek CA. I guess the Silicone Valley CA thing is kind of an inside joke...We are teachers in Santa Clara Valley, now dubbed Silicone Valley, and the average price of an average home just went over $600,000. I don't own one...any one. Most of us teachers can't even qualify with double incomes! He is a first year teacher who must move back to Arizona because he can't afford to live in this valley. I have taught 30 years and earn $15,000 less than the median salary of $87,000 in this community, even with a masters degree, etc. I am in a service occupation and should expect to make sacrifices, but we can NOT attract good teachers here...they're all going into industry, and we can't blame them. I guess the photo, even with the technical contrast harshness, is kind of a "statement" photo. This young man is a supurb teacher and it is sad for the kids in this state that we a losing him...and many, many others.

The original image is a bit less contrasty and some darkroom work would improve it.

Todd

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), June 12, 2000.

Todd, I think the context serves to improve the work much better than any darkroom work.

-- Edward Kang (ekang@cse.nd.edu), June 30, 2000.