<< Previous Next >>

The Wealth of Swaziland


The Wealth of Swaziland
Photo Information
Copyright: Kate EarnestDeyoung (KateinDenmark) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 105 W: 4 N: 93] (452)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-07-02
Categories: Daily Life
Exposure: f/7.1, 1/200 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Travelogue: Swaziland and it's neighbors
Date Submitted: 2008-07-23 22:34
Viewed: 418
Points: 18
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This picture was taken my first full day in Swaziland, and this picture seemed to repeat itself throughout our stay. We found cows grazing everywhere. Our friends who live there told us that the police have started to crack down on road side grazing because too many people have been killed when their vehicles collide with a slow moving cow.

Cows are seen as a sign of wealth in Swaziland and much of Africa. We were told that if a man wants to marry a woman in Swaziland, he must give her father 17 cows. Later in our trip, we were told the going rate for a wife in Zambia was only 7 cows. The odd thing is that Swaziland appeared to be a wealthier country than Zambia in more ways than just cows. Swaziland appeared to us as the most peaceful of all of the 5 countries we visited on our travels through southern Africa. The land appeared to be fertile and the people comparatively well employed. One must mention that the HIV rate is around 40% and the population has actually declined probably due to AIDS, but if you're in the region, I highly recommend visiting Swaziland.

NOTE: This picture was taken through the windshield of a moving car. The dark area in the top left is a spot on the windshield. I had to crop out the hood of the car as well.
ls7902, Jeppo, tomescuc, bobocortis, holmertz, lingvisten, omerozden has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekEarth members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekEarth members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To holmertz: Wealth...KateinDenmark 1 07-28 12:08
To ls7902: ThanksKateinDenmark 3 07-24 04:19
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

Hello Kate,
Not a scenery I'm used to but very beautiful & exotic. The spot on the windshield could be easily removed by cloning. I've done a WS to remove the spot plus some other minor adjustments. I hope you will like it. TFS. Greetings. Latiff.

  • Great 
  • Jeppo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 744 W: 2 N: 714] (5605)
  • [2008-07-23 23:24]

ciao Kate,

swaziland...what a pleasant place. I spent a day there 2 years ago...in Mlwane and manzini!

I do agree with you....swaziland is a place to visit if you travel from kruger southwards

ciao
Silvio

Hi Kate,
The warm evening light pleases me quite well. And the view from this not very often seen part of the world.
cheers,
CT

Hello Kate.
I don't share the tree's position in the middle of the shot.
About the other elements, this picture seems like a painting. I lik the warm paintes and the great depth.
Kind regards.
Bobo.

Hello Kate,
Amazingly good picture considering the circumstances. Very fine sharpness and wonderful, warm colours. An interesting note too. It could also be mentioned that the wealth in Swaziland might have been even better if the king didn't spend so much on himself.
Best regards,
Gert

  • Great 
  • JanP Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 375 W: 85 N: 209] (1255)
  • [2008-07-30 2:51]

Hi Kate.
Very beautiful and absolutely well composed.
Colors and clarity just stand out. The cows following the line in the picture add some invisible contrast to the photo.
Nice to see some photos from this part of the world.
Jan

  • Great 
  • Angshu Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 5036 W: 170 N: 7789] (25424)
  • [2008-08-02 22:48]

Hello Kate
Looks like a scenery very similar to many parts of my country...even the cows look the same, kind of skinny. Like the reddish colour of the soil, which means aridity. The low light is an asset to this picture. Well done Kate...Notice a small spot on the top left, could have cloned it off :-)
Regards
Angshu

Hello Kate, very nice view and a very interesting story. The country looks completely different and far more developed than Iīd expect from a south African country with one of worldīs highest HIV/AIDS rate.
When processing and cropping the photo, you could also clone out the dark spot. On the other hand, itīs a mark of authenticity :-)
Best regards,
Adrian

Hi Kate
It's always hard to capture something from a mowing car, but I think you succeded pretty well. The colours are nice and warm, a little gray in the background though. I like the shadows of the cows on the red soil. I like the note aswell. TFP
Regards
Patrick

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF