Headman (for Malgo), a photo from Kunene, North

Photographer's Note

I post this shot for Malgo (Emka) who commented that I seldom upload pictures of Namibia people or animals.
The man pictured here is the headman of the small OvaHimba village we visited last year. The men are quite plainly dressed in comparison to the highly decorative style of the women. You can see that he is married as his hair is covered by a type of turban; this is only removed at times of mourning. The brass spoon-like item is multi functional; it is used as adornment, as a ‘sweat-scraper’ and as a snuff spoon.
The headman (usually the oldest male in the village), of the clan, sits by the sacred fire during the day and talks to the ancestors about problems facing the family. He is responsible for residence, religious aspects of life embodied by the sacred fire and ensuring that the rules of tradition and the specific rules of the clan are obeyed. His authority is identified by an erenge bracelet. He oversees births, marriages and coming of age ceremonies. He performs the various ceremonies at the sacred fire, involving the spirits of the ancestors in the daily life of the village. He is also responsible for the rules of the tribe. If a crime is committed or a property dispute arises, he will be called to give judgment. If his judgment is not accepted, a number of headmen will meet to discuss the matter.

This photograph is copyright of Rosemary Walden - © Rosemary Walden 2012. All rights reserved.
Any redistribution or reproduction of the image in any form is prohibited.
You may not, except with my express written permission, copy, reproduce, download, distribute or exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system

daddo, brianmcc, GREGG, janraiski, gildasjan, saxo042, jjcordier, bukitgolfb301, bukitgolfb301, ACL1978, tyro, UlfE, timecapturer, delpeoples, Suppiluliuma, annjackman, ourania, marabu61, bayno, Didi, kennyblack, Noel_Byrne has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

daddo (18517) 2012-08-19 4:09

Hi Rosemary. A great study of a man with gravitas.He looks like someone who has seen and heard just about everything and anything, yet has remained serene. Excellent clarity. Best wishes. Klaudio.

brianmcc (5536) 2012-08-19 4:25

hi rosemary,
this is a wonderful portrait; the close up shot is excellent. you have managed the light perfectly and have achieved an amazing degree of detail and sharpness. the textures are incredible especially in the subject's face. the colour tones are wonderful, and i think the area of pale blue sky contrasts well with the rest of the natural brown tones.
regards,
brian

Sergiom (39223) 2012-08-19 4:40

Bonjour Rosemary

Un très beau portrait. Tu as su presque entrer dans les pensées de l'homme. On perçoit bien la texture de sa peau grâce à une très belle gestion de la lumière. Un cadrage de professionnel.

Amicalement

Serge

siudzi (23879) 2012-08-19 4:48

Hi Rosemary,
Excellent portrait picture executed with a top class! Like the close-up used here and very interesting cropping. The work is great and I'm sure Malgo will be more than happy:)

Have a lovely Sunday!
Malgorzata

kathryn_weir (1742) 2012-08-19 5:05

Hello Rosemary
A very pleasing portrait with good detail , despite the harsh lighting. The close crop is used to good effect and you have captured a wonderful mood.
Tfs
Kathryn

chrisvek (5453) 2012-08-19 5:35

Hello Rosemary

Perfect portrait with ethnic details.So nice the expression of this man.I can imagine that you had a very difficult lightning management,but this result is really excellent.Well done!

Have a perfect week
Chris

GREGG (8243) 2012-08-19 6:32

Hi,
fantastic portrait
a unique man with Malgo
Have a nice Sunday Rosemary,
Greg

mjw364 (3680) 2012-08-19 6:49

Hi Rosemary

I like the way the mans eyes are focusing in the same direction as the "spoon like" implement. A study in concentration and thought.

Nice capture

Mike

janraiski (340) 2012-08-19 8:46

Hello Rosemary,

excellent potrait, excellent sharpness & many details, and of course the thoughtful look of this man. All together fantastic photo.

Jan

gildasjan (38218) 2012-08-19 9:48

Bonjour Rosemary
Un portrait bien placé dans le cadre et ici les textures du visage de cet homme sont parfaitement rendues.L'exposition est juste.
Amicalement
gildas

Nicou (97679) 2012-08-19 11:24

Hello

Grandisoe portrait et iamge quel rendu sur la peau avec ce colier quel regard avec la flèeche sur son oreille sueprbe image.

Bravo et amitié

Nicou

saxo042 (31800) 2012-08-19 12:04

Hi Rosemary,
A very good portrait! This is a picture with dignity and perfect sharpness. An interesting note makes this a very fine TE contribution!
Kind regards
Gunnar

jjcordier (62328) 2012-08-19 12:17

Rosemary
Un portrait de magnifique qualité de cet homme. Lumière et netteté sont tout simplement époustouflantes.
Amicalement
JJ

Royaldevon (17791) 2012-08-19 14:08

Hello Rosemary,

A remarkable portrait.
His features are so strong, almost chiselled, with amazing textural details. I feel almost guilty, studying him in such depth, without authority!
A fine narrow dof does justice to the face but gives a useful context for the person.

My warm regards,
Bev :-)

emka (58140) 2012-08-19 14:12

Hi Rosemary, today I am very happy. First, Craig has a surprise photo for me and many kind words, and now another wonderful gift - this photo from you. I do not deserve it. In both cases beautiful photos of the people made by the photographers who rarely make such pictures. others should be grateful to me :) Amazing portrait, you were so close to the man but also close to the community, you learned a lot about their lives and we can read this fascinating note. Perfect light, stunning sharpness, many details . Superb TE contribution, thanks!

Warm regrads

Malgo

bukitgolfb301 (30065) 2012-08-19 17:01

Hello dear Rosemary

This is so significant portrait shot. Very impressive and dynamic shot too. His face is very meanigful and he seems to be blue, he has some trobles as a leader. Quite sharp presentation to clearly see his skin condition. I want to visit there with malgo, if possible. Thanks for your sharing with finest shot and have a good day!

Takero from very hot Tokyo

ACL1978 (5775) 2012-08-19 20:52

Despite not posting many portraits, Rosemary, this one is stunning. You captured rich and deep expression here, with perfect shadow and light, a nice soft DOF isolating him, and a really attention-grabbing framing that creates a lot of intimacy and empathy. Rounded out with a fascinating note - beautiful work.

Andrew

tyro (13073) 2012-08-20 1:05

Hello Rosemary,

This is a very fine portrait of this rather serious looking elder statesman. You have captured his mood and his appearance perfectly - an appearance which speaks of many years of hard earned experience and wisdom.

Perfect composition, excellent lighting, glorious true colours and exquisite sharpness against a finely out of focus background.

Fabulous!

Kind Regards,

John.

UlfE (13730) 2012-08-20 1:29

Hi Rosemary,

What a wonderful portrait of this man! Your timing was perfect with his pensive expression on his face and his partly sunlit face. The sharpness and detail could be better than this. TFS and have fine week!

Cheers,

Ulf

dkmurphys (36801) 2012-08-20 2:19

Hi Rosemary,
Very picturesque portrait. I like the way you've captured the man, so natural and genuine.
Enjoy a good week.

Daniel

timecapturer (30324) 2012-08-20 3:11

Wow! Rosemary
this is so immaculately sharp and detailed, you can count the lines and bristles on his face and chin. Executed brilliantly and a portrait that is full of character and atmosphere. Stunning! Look out - this one is top of the snaffler's list I bet! Awesome work, wish it was mine.

Enjoy a good week - regards Brian.

delpeoples (44904) 2012-08-20 4:31

hello dear Rosemary

Lucky Malgo, she get's all the presents today! :) And rightly so. Wow, this is so close, you really are so brave. And I mean brave getting up close and personal like that with anyone - whether you know them or not. I can account for every pore in that man's skin, the photo's extraordinary. beautiful colours and definition and I like the tight framing too. Great shot.

Have a lovely day and thanks for sharing
Lisa

madhumita_roy86 (2150) 2012-08-20 5:45

Hi Rosemary,
great shot..awesome..
beautiful catch..good portrait...
excellent sharpness...superb POV & DOF...
very good details on his face..
Tfs! regards,
Madhumita.

annjackman (13195) 2012-08-20 11:18

Hello Rosemary,
I seem to have some catching up to do - a few days off TE and I miss some some fabulous shots such as this. This is the type of portrait image that I enjoy. You have captured a natural pose and I like his downward, melancholic gaze. Excellent skin tones and detail. The close cropping makes a powerful study of this man.
A really excellent portrait - congratulations.
Best wishes, Ann
p.s. I notice that you used your signature small aperture even for a portrait. I wonder what a wider aperture would have done for the BG. Perhaps the brown 'shape' would be less obvious - just a thought.

ourania (12367) 2012-08-20 11:36

Hello Rosemary,
a great portrait, so suggestive in the light of your comprehensive note. The perspective offered by your close point of view and framing makes a tremendous impact on our perception of the gentleman's physical appearance and most intriguing character. The status and demands of his position, his serious and thoughtful character are seen and felt superbly. I love the marvellous sharpness and lighting, the wonderful chromatic tones and the shadows that you have employed most effectively as part of the narration. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a great evening,
Ourania

marabu61 (3914) 2012-08-20 14:04

Hi Rosemary
A very appealing portrait. The man seems to be unaware of the camera and has a pensive look. The tight crop really enhances the pensive mood even further.
This is a fine example of why I love it so much here on TE. I learn so much about the world, illustrated with superb photographs.
Daniel

mauro61 (52527) 2012-08-20 14:07

ciao Rosemary,
complimenti per la qualità di questa immagine dove tutto è tecnicamente perfetto.
Ritratto di grande intensità ripreso con maestria,
saluti
maurizio

bayno (16195) 2012-08-24 0:28

Hi Rosemary,
beautiful subject, the picture makes me a little sad, I do not know exactly why, the man or the warrior that you have photographed has a sad expression ... as if the modern era burying its own traditions and customs, excellent quality and attractive tones...
regards,
Valter

Didi (48926) 2012-08-24 9:42

Hi Rose
Very nice portrait; the man has a very good natural attitude
Very good frame quality I feel an ambiance of heat.
Best regards

kwekwekan (620) 2012-08-26 7:36

Hello Rosemary,
A wonderful portrait to go along with your beautiful landscapes from Namibia. Exceptionally fine details throughout, great f-stop choice to give hints of the natural surroundings in the background. TFS
Caleb

kennyblack (4125) 2012-09-01 13:52

Hello Rosemary
How many things can tell a picture like this. You have received the right time to capture this profound expression and you did it perfectly.
Photo worthy of being part of a gallery of 'art. Great job and thanks for sharing.
Warm Regard's ... Marin

Noel_Byrne (7352) 2012-09-02 10:18

Hi Rosemary,
Thank you for the image, and the wonderful note. Once more, a magnificent portrait that speaks loudly. The true spirit of Trekearth for me is to learn through images and notes like this of places that are to me, so far away and so different from what I know. Beautiful.
Best wishes from Ireland.
NOel

dekanski (489) 2013-01-30 12:03 [Comment]