B/Proip/bido... just don't do it, ok? Photo

Photographer’s Note

Somebody's struggling with the spelling here : where's the B or the P located in PROIBIDO?

Just below these word meaning to forbid any littering, there was, as you may expect, half of the town trash sitting on the pavement.

At least it was an interesting playground for this resident kid who found a metal spring to play with.
A week later, school holidays would end, opening another year to practise word writing and get the correct spelling for PROIBIDO.

Taken outside another dilapidated building in Ilha de Moçambique stonetown.

s10001in, bombilla, kajspice, euryan, lestans, thea0211, luisafonso, michiels, eleparc, dolin has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

s10001in (1485) 2007-09-19 15:51

Hummm..Totally differnt feel watching this image from this series.
Very strong Photo.
Just perfect...
-Regards,

bombilla (3402) 2007-09-19 15:56

Yes, you always know where to find the good garbage. Wherever they post the sign "Proibido jogar lixo" (or "deitar" in this case). (For example.) Another beautiful composition from Moçambique with rich textures -- and humor. I just wish his eyes were open, I guess. -Hugh

faubry (32347) 2007-09-19 16:08

haha, heureusement qu il y a l ecole pour apprendre a ecrire prohibido..en tout cas cette photo me plait beaucoup par sa conception avec juste le buste de l enfant au dessus du mur et son vetement bleu contraste fortement avec les murs clairs. a ++
francine

euryan (8349) 2007-09-19 20:46

Good eye for a funny sign. I wouldn't even have noticed that they had to change the P and the B. Your Mozambique photos remind of the lyrics from the Frou Frou song "Let Go" when she sings that "there's beauty in the break down." The buildings seem to be in a slow decay from their former Portuguese "glory days."
However, while the sign is large and amusing, and while the building is beautifully growing old, the star of this photo is the little boy nicely profiled with his toy spring. He contrasts so elegantly against his surroundings. I'm loving your Mozambique photos.

AnimeshRay (8886) 2007-09-19 22:37

Wow! A minimalist sketch in color and pattern. Very nice detail and composition.

stiginthedump (1823) 2007-09-19 23:45 [Comment]

Show Comment

thea0211 (1355) 2007-09-20 0:07

:) nice one - different - the kid's such a fresh :) presence in the middle of all those old walls, the colors or better said lack of - speak volumes about the surroundings - i think it would work well as a huge poster.
well seen! (what's new? :)
take care,
dora

lestans (15460) 2007-09-20 0:33

Ciao Luko!
I like so much this photo and this kind of photos, so rich of meanings and so well done technically.
Everything is in ruin here, we can imagine also people that uses to litter there, but there is a lovely boy in quite different color: he is our hope, isn't he?
Thank you so much!

Livia

luisafonso (858) 2007-09-20 0:45

Love the colors here. So pure, so natural, so crystalline, as only a Canon L lens can manage to produce... The light creamy tones populate the entire picture and the blacks available gain a very special strength because of that. I would love to see a bigger kid, or him taking more presence in the picture. But you wanted to show the windows... It's a good decision. The blue shirt of the kid is priceless here. I wonder, why not include some of the garbage they prohibit here? Probably it would have ruined you color balance...

cobraphil8 (11652) 2007-09-20 2:11

Salut Luko,
quel coup d'oeil pour avoir su saisir cette scène prohibée !
Une composition minimaliste mais pleine d'informations...
a+
Philippe

marietom (32026) 2007-09-20 3:02

Magnifiquement composée, cette image Luko !
Superbe mur, et portrait sympa.
Marie

vapours (7913) 2007-09-20 4:39

Quite brilliant, that detail on the wall and the writing is perfect..the kid stands out well in his bright blue shirt against the yellow and decaying walls.

vts_ch (2624) 2007-09-20 5:13

Superbe celle-ci, magnifique mélange entre la dureté du message et le leu de l'enfant.

'aime aussi le jeu sur les textures.

Du tout bon

Vince

rbcy1974 (20744) 2007-09-20 5:52

Hello Luko:
Graphically it is very well accomplished as you have an overall whitish yellowish tone broken by the blue clothing of the kid,
interesting the way the warning occupuies most of the frame. I guess including some garbage would even improve the irony of it.
Regards
Daniel

stevep (556) 2007-09-20 6:35

compositionally its great and its graphic and there is an interesting story with the message on the wall and the kid playing with whats forbidden.. but ultimately for me it lacks mood. perhaps its the boys expression/posture...? not quite sure.

but it does look good regardless.

SP

Furachan (0) 2007-09-20 8:19

A very strong one, Luko. The boy perfectly placed above that aging wall and the Portuguese graffiti. Colors really kick and it's a lovely use of the vertical as well.
A warm "hello" from the UK, leaving for Japan again in a few days, wish I coulda stopped by Paris...
-F

michiels (4170) 2007-09-20 8:26

hello Luko,

I like the soft colours. It's creating a good atmosphere. the boy , innocent ? on the perfect place. very good compo !!
greetings, inn

eleparc (24059) 2007-09-20 10:20

une image amusante avec la note qui l'accompagne.. franchement je n'avais pas vu l'erreur corrigée... j'avais donc lu directement PROIBIDO;-)

sothy81 (8536) 2007-09-20 12:12

Excellent documentary photo indeed. Very nice light and great sharpness. Vertical view is so appropriate here which shows great details of the area. Well done. Sothy

dolin (15647) 2007-09-20 12:59

Salut Luko.
Des textures qui se rapprochent, des teitnes qui se suivent....et puis cette touche de bleu qui sort de nul part...vraiment sympa.
Les écrits donnent de l'impact.
Et ce que je prèfère c'est ce petit détail....ce jouet, ce bout de féraille qu'il tient dans la main....ca fixe le décor une fois pour toute.
bien joué
fred

Haymotion (1793) 2007-09-20 13:22

Très belle composition
Ce fond tout de brique et de débrit est génial..
L'attitude du gosse qui a l'air pensif colle parfaitement avec l'atmosphère de l'image..
Bleu peut-être un poil trop saturé à mon goût.. Mais je pinaïe...
Un grand bravo
Vince

brevbrev14 (372) 2007-09-21 5:14

Hi Luko...wow...beautiful result!!
the blue spot in the middle of the old walls is fantastic...
a different image from your usual style...
i like a lot your clever composition... :))
bravo!
ciao!
Valeria

bwiti (402) 2007-09-21 17:06

Je l'avais repéré hier déja celle-ci et l'avais trouvé de toute beauté... Au risque de répéter ce qui a déja été dit, j'aime le fabuleux contraste qu'il existe entre le gamin et les murs ravagés... A plus...

coco (27928) 2007-09-22 21:11

Hi Luko.

Impressive work where you have shot a unique moment. The composition and the graphism are wonderful and I love these words in the wall.

Well done.

ALSOM (6616) 2007-09-23 4:49

[Je t'imagine avoir répéré à l'avance ces écrits sur le mur, préparer to cadrage et même ta mise au point. Tu n'attendais plus qu'un autre élément pour faire ta compo ...]

J'ai cru un moment qu'il avait une bosse qui lui poussait dans le dos ... Luko nous a trouvé un Casimodo Mozambien ;o).
Paradoxalement, ce qui attire l'oeil c'est sont ressort métallique et le regard du petit.

Belle texture pour l'avant et l'arrière plan avec des tons chauds qui entoure cet ilôt bleu (je te soupçonne d'avoir légèremen saturé son t-shirt pour mieux le détcher de la fenêtre).

evilren (1395) 2008-01-12 15:15

Wonderful composition here and great colours!

You couldn't have done it better.

Daniel

Tibo (1842) 2008-01-27 15:47

Hi Luko! Excellent report! I love the colour of the composition. Luckily, the kid was wearing blue :O) SUper! Tibo

scalerman (25755) 2008-09-07 1:26

L: simply appreciating the textures on the wall - just genuine. c

carobnica (1336) 2008-10-07 1:39

There is something for me in wall-paper photographs as I call them - when photography abandon what is one of the most particular thing of the medium - the depth. When photographer do it rightly it can be great, as in this case. Everything is glued together and it works. Color accent and title helped not to be boring. Another thing which imidially atracted me towards this one (I was looking what you have been photographing lately) are this rusty walls. I have a thing about it. anyway, great photo Luko.
ciao