Comments on: As the Head is Bent http://www.farrfeed.com/2009/06/30/head-bent/ John Hamilton Farr's Living Planet Mystery Tales from Taos, New Mexico Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:57:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Carmel http://www.farrfeed.com/2009/06/30/head-bent/comment-page-1/#comment-1876 Carmel Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:10:46 +0000 http://www.farrfeed.com/?p=3905#comment-1876 I dunno. Karen is right ... you would certainly stand out in a crowd as 'interesting', but maybe too obviously so. Don't quite know what I mean by that. Hmm ... maybe that there's a sense that you think you won't look interesting without the long hair. But you WILL. For me, what makes me think someone looks interesting is the eyes (you have very interesting eyes, but the long hair distracts from them a bit). Mostly, there will also be something at least a little different about the way they dress, and they almost certainly won't look super-conservative. They might not necessarily stand out in a crowd though. When you stand out in a crowd all eyes are on you. If you don't stand out, it's easier for you to observe everyone else. Many artists look eccentric, outlandish even. But there are others who don't. I think there's little relation between the quality of the art and the degree of eccentricity (with regards to appearance). I remember being amazed by Lord Snowdon's photographic book of Tasmania. There were some great candid photos taken in a pub. How, I wondered, did someone of Snowdon's status manage to take candid photos in a public place? I realised it was because he just merged in. Nobody would expect this small, 'ordinary' looking man to be a famous photographer, and a member of the British aristocracy, let alone someone who was married to Princess Margaret. But I digress :-) What it really comes down to is, you should wear your hair and dress the way you bloody well like ... unless it hinders you in your purpose. PS I quite like your pony tail :-) I dunno. Karen is right … you would certainly stand out in a crowd as ‘interesting’, but maybe too obviously so. Don’t quite know what I mean by that. Hmm … maybe that there’s a sense that you think you won’t look interesting without the long hair. But you WILL. For me, what makes me think someone looks interesting is the eyes (you have very interesting eyes, but the long hair distracts from them a bit). Mostly, there will also be something at least a little different about the way they dress, and they almost certainly won’t look super-conservative. They might not necessarily stand out in a crowd though. When you stand out in a crowd all eyes are on you. If you don’t stand out, it’s easier for you to observe everyone else.

Many artists look eccentric, outlandish even. But there are others who don’t. I think there’s little relation between the quality of the art and the degree of eccentricity (with regards to appearance).

I remember being amazed by Lord Snowdon’s photographic book of Tasmania. There were some great candid photos taken in a pub. How, I wondered, did someone of Snowdon’s status manage to take candid photos in a public place? I realised it was because he just merged in. Nobody would expect this small, ‘ordinary’ looking man to be a famous photographer, and a member of the British aristocracy, let alone someone who was married to Princess Margaret.

But I digress :-)

What it really comes down to is, you should wear your hair and dress the way you bloody well like … unless it hinders you in your purpose.

PS I quite like your pony tail :-)

]]> By: Horse Fly Column, 4/08: “Nine-Year Itch” http://www.farrfeed.com/2009/06/30/head-bent/comment-page-1/#comment-1874 Horse Fly Column, 4/08: “Nine-Year Itch” Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:56:04 +0000 http://www.farrfeed.com/?p=3905#comment-1874 [...] I also see that it relates to the previous post. [...] [...] I also see that it relates to the previous post. [...]

]]> By: JHF http://www.farrfeed.com/2009/06/30/head-bent/comment-page-1/#comment-1873 JHF Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:28:37 +0000 http://www.farrfeed.com/?p=3905#comment-1873 Karen, thank you. It is an unparalled blessing that you would say that after looking at THAT picture. :-) Actually, I usually look a lot more presentable, although in some ways the image accompanying this post does more for me personally than all my previous attempts at a decent header image, including the one that's there now! Karen, thank you.

It is an unparalled blessing that you would say that after looking at THAT picture. :-) Actually, I usually look a lot more presentable, although in some ways the image accompanying this post does more for me personally than all my previous attempts at a decent header image, including the one that’s there now!

]]> By: KarenK http://www.farrfeed.com/2009/06/30/head-bent/comment-page-1/#comment-1872 KarenK Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:11:07 +0000 http://www.farrfeed.com/?p=3905#comment-1872 You know, John, often when I’m killing time, standing in a line at the movie theater for example, I like to examine the faces around me and decide whether I would like to be friends with the owner of each one. I usually think, “No” about most people, but am intrigued by those folks with a more, shall we say, “individual” appearance. If I saw you in one of those movie theater lines, I would think, “Yes — there is an interesting and appealing person. I would like to have a cup of coffee with him.” Not that I’m looking for any dates, either… You know, John, often when I’m killing time, standing in a line at the movie theater for example, I like to examine the faces around me and decide whether I would like to be friends with the owner of each one. I usually think, “No” about most people, but am intrigued by those folks with a more, shall we say, “individual” appearance. If I saw you in one of those movie theater lines, I would think, “Yes — there is an interesting and appealing person. I would like to have a cup of coffee with him.” Not that I’m looking for any dates, either…

]]> By: JHF http://www.farrfeed.com/2009/06/30/head-bent/comment-page-1/#comment-1870 JHF Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:12:25 +0000 http://www.farrfeed.com/?p=3905#comment-1870 Oh good, Carmel! Where the hell have you been? You're absolutely right about not standing up straight. I'm a mess. I need a massage therapist and a personal trainer, and both of them need to be armed, so I'll pay attention. As for the hair, I like it long. I don't know why, it's just more interesting, maybe. By the same token, I think it looks boring and stupid when it's tied up in a ponytail. If I could get away with it, I might just go completely primitive with the hair. What have I got to lose? It's all falling out, anyway. The end is nigh! If I did get it cut -- which is always possible -- I'd probably still look weird. The hair, however, is not the touchstone for geezer edginess. (And there must be edge, because what else have we got?) Unfortunately, I think it's fitness! All the really cool geezers are skinny bastards. My hipness quotient has taken a beating, in other words. Dang. Oh good, Carmel! Where the hell have you been?

You’re absolutely right about not standing up straight. I’m a mess. I need a massage therapist and a personal trainer, and both of them need to be armed, so I’ll pay attention.

As for the hair, I like it long. I don’t know why, it’s just more interesting, maybe. By the same token, I think it looks boring and stupid when it’s tied up in a ponytail. If I could get away with it, I might just go completely primitive with the hair. What have I got to lose? It’s all falling out, anyway. The end is nigh!

If I did get it cut — which is always possible — I’d probably still look weird. The hair, however, is not the touchstone for geezer edginess. (And there must be edge, because what else have we got?) Unfortunately, I think it’s fitness! All the really cool geezers are skinny bastards. My hipness quotient has taken a beating, in other words.

Dang.

]]> By: Carmel http://www.farrfeed.com/2009/06/30/head-bent/comment-page-1/#comment-1869 Carmel Wed, 01 Jul 2009 05:42:04 +0000 http://www.farrfeed.com/?p=3905#comment-1869 Yes, one eye is a little lower than the other, but it's not as bad as you think. I just copied the image into Photoshop, took a line from middle of chin to middle of forehead, and found you had the head on a tilt of 1.43 degrees. When I straightened the image, there was noticeably less difference in the eyes. So your problem is not so much that the eyes are at different levels, but that you can't stand up straight :-) But I suggest you start studying other faces ... I think you'll find quite a few eyes aren't quite on the same level. Re the haircut - yes, perhaps. It would certainly make you look younger, but not so eccentric. Depends what image you want :-) Yes, one eye is a little lower than the other, but it’s not as bad as you think. I just copied the image into Photoshop, took a line from middle of chin to middle of forehead, and found you had the head on a tilt of 1.43 degrees. When I straightened the image, there was noticeably less difference in the eyes. So your problem is not so much that the eyes are at different levels, but that you can’t stand up straight :-)

But I suggest you start studying other faces … I think you’ll find quite a few eyes aren’t quite on the same level.

Re the haircut – yes, perhaps. It would certainly make you look younger, but not so eccentric. Depends what image you want :-)

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