A Celebration
This portrait of a boy selling onions is one of my favorite images of all time. I ponder over it whenever I come across it. I’m posting it today as a celebration of the success of my website.
So far, in 27 posts, Gary Donaldson Photography + has surpassed 2,100 views from 760 visitors!
Thank you very much for the support! I promise to continue posting high quality, interesting images and articles.
The Portrait
The image of a boy selling onions was taken on one of my many trips to Mexico. While walking through a local market, I came upon this little guy hawking onions at his dad’s vegetable stand. The urge to capture this image was sudden and strong. I wasn’t sure at the time why, but I had to capture the moment.
I can still hear his sweet little voice, “Cebollas! Por favor, compre mis Cebollas!” (Onions, Please buy my onions!). He was sincere and compelling.
A Boy Selling Onions
I look at this photo, now 19 years later (Tuxpan, Mexico, 2006), and wonder why it is so moving to me.
What first caught my attention was how sincere and grown up he seemed to be at his task. But what I see now is the joy and connection between a father and his son. The boy is determined, proudly holding a bag of onions from the vegetable stand while his father smiles behind him.
His clothes tell a deeper story – oversized pants, rolled at the cuffs and slipping off his waist hint of hand-me-downs. His shirt is worn but warm. They probably arrived at the market early when a chill was still in the air. His black leather shoes are scuffed and caked with mud, indicating he’s no stranger to working in the field along side his father in their life of subsistence.
Precious Moments
Despite such a humble setting, there is an overwhelming sense of pride, warmth, and contentment here. The father’s proud smile; a boy helping his father at the market; It feels like a glimpse into a loving relationship where even small tasks and gestures are a part of something meaningful, something special.
An Invitation
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