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Looks a very good documentary type shop. Poverty looking. All the great documentary shots I’ve seen are in mono so maybe give that a bash.
really impactful shot though. I like it. Care to share some of the background story
Brianthanks brian, i had a small try with B&W, but wasn’t overly happy with the result as i thought it lost a bit of impact. i’ll give it another try maybe using a different conversion method.
the background for this shot was a small market in Humahuaca, which is more or less the last main village before you reach the north argentinian border with Bolivia. This market was in a sort of car park with this disused track running through it. This little boy was playing with 2 little girls, maybe his sisters, in front of their mothers small fruit stall. so i crouched a few meters away, trying to blend in (not easy for a 6 foot 3 pale white man in an indian village) got the camera out hoping to grab a shot or 2 of the smiling playful kids, and next thing you know, the girls spot me, become all shy and walk away, and this little boy just lies there with his head on his hands, playing with his little truck. So in 2 seconds the shot shifted from a happy playful scene to this quite sorrowful scene (even though the little boy was having a great time).
cool, cheers for sharing. Amazing how a picture can give you an impression of something else.
Love this shot!!
Only thing I could think of to improve it would maybe be a little crop off the bottom, so that the rails are entering shot from the bottom right corner.
It’s a strange shot really. Because when I first opened it my initial reaction was…holy crap!! It’s a little kid laying across a train track!! Must be my parently instincts kicking in… :wink:
I agree about the colour btw. Even though I love black and white shots ..I think this shot would lose something if it was converted. As it is, the colours are not over powering..and one of the main reasons for going mono is to reduce any colour distractions and concentrate on the scene.
That is not an issue here.
Great shot anyway. One of my favourites on PI at the moment.
thanks for the comments expresbro. good idea about the tracks in bottom right. i’ll give that a go when i get home.
I agree Irishagua, if it had been the case that i’d just stumbled on this scene in the middle of nowhere, i would have been too upset about taking this shot. I’ve never been a big fan of shooting misery for the impact factor, although don’t get me wrong, it has its place in photography (sometimes), it’s just not for me. i’ve been a father now for a few years, and now, a hell of a lot more than before, i am deeply disturbed by sadness and suffering in children.
Great shot Shrapnel., I felt the same emotion expressed above by Expresbro. I was thinking – quick save the kid.. :-)
At first I was quite disturbed until i read your background on the image, not as disturbed as I was when I seen this shot for the first time http://thexodirectory.com/2008/02/famine-stricken-child-and-vulture.html still freaks me out each time I see this.Very good story and a brilliant thought/reaction provoking photograph.
Dee
The photographer in the case of the above shot, taken in the Sudan during yet another famine, was called Kevin Carter, immortalized in the Manic Street Preachers song of the same name. From what I’ve read about him, he was affected hugely in taking those shots and found eventually that he couldn’t get the images out of his head..contributing to his eventual suicide at just 33 years of age, less than a year after that picture was published.
Just thought I’d share that.
i was actually thinking of that photo when typing my last reply. it’s about as powerful and invocative as it gets.
brickee, he certainly didn’t hear the train coming on that track, but hopefully he’ll hear the train coming when it matters.
I really like this shot.
agree with the idea to crop from the bottom a little. I like the colour.
Nice shot, just as it is.
Dee
thanks deeorgan.
actually allinthemind sent me a new crop and processed version so here it is (i think he did a great job, just shows how little i know how to use photoshop)
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that’s great. nice work allinthemind and shrapnel.
the photo alone is great. Photoshop or not
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