Shepherd on the Mountaintop Photo

Photographer’s Note

My trekking group passed this shepherd at the top of a mountain pass (elevation around 3000 m) in the Atlas Mountains. In the background you can see a typical Berber village, where the otherwise barren mountains have been made green using hand-built irrigation systems and terraces. They grow a lot of grains and walnuts. There is no electricity here, and no roads, only steep, rugged mule trails over the high ridges.

mivyk, wilkinsonsg has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

mrbialy (2568) 2005-05-04 10:52

Nice photo. I really like this background. Colors and light is ok. Hat this shepherd is very good contrast with other composition. Nice place. Sorry for my English,...good luck

mivyk (0) 2005-05-04 11:02

Really nice photo ...

Cos (1562) 2005-05-04 12:41

Hi Ken
This is a nice composition of a local man at work. I like the POV which has allowed you to show off the village behind, and this also puts the man into perspective. Good colours and clarity.
Regards, Sarah

Coyotyto (1299) 2005-05-04 13:30

Interesting POV, Ken.

The man and his cattle, above the (his ?) village. July and its dryness were here, showing the bared rock. I like the presence of the green in the left side.

Well done,
Regards,
Youssef.

rbcy1974 (20746) 2005-05-04 17:11

Hi Ken,
Amazing Image. I really like how you have captured both the shepard and the valley in a very sharp way. This photo is trully amazing. Goes to my favorites.
Ill be back
Daniel

capthaddock (28640) 2005-05-17 9:50

Hi Ken - this is very nice, especially the terraced hillsides and the village in the background. I only wish the animal (what is that thing, a mutton-tapir hybrid) was better visible.

Becky (334) 2006-12-09 4:08

Hi Ken, wow, your trekking group went through some fantastic parts of Morocco. The terraced landscape in the background is beautiful.

banyanman (7739) 2006-12-19 9:31

Hi Ken. Thanks for linking me to this - yes you are right, it does look a lot like the villages in Oman that have terraced the mountainsides like this with hand-built irrigation channels taking the water from the mountain springs. They don't waste a drop of it. Westerners could learn a lot about water conservation from them. The main difference between these villages in Morocco and those in Oman, is that nearly all of the latter have electricity - a benefit of the oil revenues. Your composition is good - excellent sharpness and DOF too. Cheers . . . David