Esther's photos with the keyword: rifle

U.S. Army's Spirit of America - U.S. Army Drill Team AIMG 3825

Taken at the Citadelle in Quebec City. Usually when I photograph men with rifles, it is in third world countries and I have to do it surreptitiously. Here, the shooter did not seem to mind the camera. I'm not certain what he was shooting at, but he was intense. The gloves add a CSI look. ODT: Pointed AIMG_1890

A security guard at the Mulagandhakuti Vihara, a monastery built in in the 1930's in Sarnath, India. It is a bit scary to see someone in street clothing toting a rifle, but no one else seemed put out by it. I photographed him from a distance, since I make it my practice never to annoy people with guns. Sarnath is approximately12 kilometers from the Hindu holy city of Varanasi. It is the site of the deer park where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma after his enlightenment. Sarnath is one of four holy Buddhist sites sanctioned by the Buddha for pilgrimage. AIMG_9771

There is something very challenging about getting a person with a machine gun or automatic rifle to smile for the camera. In the US, they tend to be rather cranky about it. In Italy, they were only too happy to do so if requested. In China, it was strickly forbidden, although when the errant tourist did so, most guards at the major tourist sites merely ignored them. In India, some police were sufficiently scarey in the conduct of their duties to avoid even approaching. This man seemed friendly and very professional as he guarded the Taj Mahal and a smile from me while pointing to my camera got a pose and a smile back. AIMG_6105