uphill push Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

I was stuck on a hillside for a couple of hours in south-west Uganda, between Kisizi and Kabale. The day was scorching hot and the poor old Toyota Corolla taxi I was riding in couldn't take the strain of another steep incline - so with a bang and a hiss of steam the radiator blew.

Stuck at the side of the road I watched the world go by. In Uganda most rural people don't have a car - they use bicycles to ferry their goods to market. This could be irish potatoes, huge banana bunches, grasses or onions. Uphill they lean in and push up the steep slopes - downhill they salom past potholes and hope their brakes are working! Some people set off at dawn to get to market - a 12km journey over these hills can take up to 4 hours. Yet again one is left in awe at the capacity for hard work!

This chap crossed my path. It was almost midday as he went past. I dislike midday in Africa when photographing - the light is unbearably harsh and exposure is always a terrible problem. In this case the blown highlight on his forehead, a product of sun and sweat, is a minor annoyance I can put up with as I think the shot shows all the strain and effort of a hard day's work for a normal guy.

'What's he pushing uphill?' you may ask. The answer is about 20 litres of locally brewed 'Waragi' - good enough in small doses but strong enough to produce a strong hangover (so I hear!).

I thought about a B&W conversion for this photo but have not mastered it yet. Anybody feel like having a crack at it?

Rinie_Hoff, mimi, marcinbrzezinsk, alabama_pl, danbachmann, marieaude, gevezeonline, IaKoop, arnab_thokder, MLINES, natc, rchristiansmith, notrap, enedimd has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

olli (2091) 2005-01-07 5:00

The road behind the man and his position really create an "uphill" atmosphere. Beautiful African light/tones. Very good note, too. I like the tight cropping, but I think it´s a bit too tight; I would like to see more the bike and all of his feet.
Very original choice of subject and very good result in any case.

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verge (1237) 2005-01-07 6:39

nice daily life picture. this is just show us that not all of us are lucky living on better place with nice road and transportation. the man really seem tire, his facial expression and sweat is really pouring. I agree with Olli the background really provide the details how stiff is the road. too bad your taxi you are on also gave up.....rgds

verge

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hajle (1087) 2005-01-07 8:58

very impressive but it's a pity that the bike was cutted ;-)

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Rinie_Hoff (9332) 2005-01-07 17:23

Hi Tom, Interesting picture of the daily? life of this man. I think you rendered his heavy job quite well here.
Like Olli and Verge I think that you crop is a bit to tight, the whole handlebar would have been nice.
I also think the picture is a bit too dark. I played with highlight and shadows in photoshop CS, and that made his face more visible.
I also darkened the white sky a bit.
I made a workshop, but I already used my daily portion, I will upload it tomorrow.

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Durius (1144) 2005-01-08 10:15

Very nice picture of daily life.
Perhaps it would be much better if we could see the uphil path adn his feet ...
Any way, very nice capture.

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roberto (257) 2005-03-04 8:53

Imagem expressiva. Parece retratar a dura realidade de um povo humilde e sofredor.

alabama_pl (340) 2005-03-04 8:59

very good to me; real, with no affectation; good cropping and triangle (ground, bike, man`s body) emphasize his effort; cutted bike does not matter, the man`s position is the most important.

marieaude (1196) 2005-05-09 14:17

Great photo of quotidien life in Africa. I like it and i like the cadrage too.

andrewgg (0) 2006-02-18 11:30

A very evocative image, Tom. You can really see the effort and strain here, and can empathise with the subject quite easily, I feel. I'm a fan of tight cropping when it's used effectively, as it is here, so I'm afraid I have to disagree with those who don't like the cropping so much. (But each to their own, of course!) I do agree with you that the blown out highlight is of little concern here. Yours, Andrew.

IaKoop (809) 2006-02-18 11:56

Great work here and an excellent note. I like the tight crop, but you'll have to add me to the list of those who might have wanted a little more of the handlebar. You've worked well with the available light. Not sure I'd want a B&W version, except for comparison. The warm tones speak of Africa and the hot midday sun you mention. I would have liked to have seen Rinie's workshop... I miss the definition some work could have brought to the face. Well seen and captured. Truly an image that says a thousand words.

MLINES (10308) 2006-04-20 20:20

Tom, Thanks for this graphic picture which can remind many of us, a tough day is really not so tough as many others have it. Good clarity and message to describe the scene. Well portrayed.

winjoy (25) 2006-06-30 6:22 [Comment]

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natc (315) 2006-06-30 6:30

i like the framing, there is not much space around the guy, and it's sometimes the way one feels when he is doing such an effort : hard to watch far, just watch the next step !

Benedict (6982) 2006-07-01 18:56

the man's facial expression of strenght to pushing the the "burden" uphill says it all, it's a hard work! Great foto!

rchristiansmith (226) 2006-12-31 10:55

If I could give your photo ten points, Tom, I would. I think this picture summarizes what TE is all about. Your note and photo open windows to worlds that are not easily reached but should be required to be seen. On top of it, I enjoyed its composition (alhtough the gent's foot is cropped off). Three cheers,
Christian

criscoso (15) 2007-01-05 7:25 [Comment]

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faubry (31481) 2007-02-17 7:20

bonjour Tom, une puissante image qui nous montre les efforts que fqit cet homme pour monter la côte... belle texture de sa peau; bravo
francine

j4uvikram (57) 2007-03-15 11:08

Hi Tom

This photo is amazing.
Even the mans stretched veins on his forhead are clearly visible in this pic.
Great work

Regards
Vikram

enedimd (1482) 2007-05-10 14:13

Hello Tom,
Very good captured.
Especially, I agree with Olli, Verge and Durius.
It is impressive shot.
Your note is also so good.
TFS,
Have a nice day.
Emir Nedim

korbee (2232) 2007-05-10 14:30

This picture is telling the whole story....

pawelx (473) 2007-06-22 4:12

Lovely, dynamic photo. Great story to go with it.

I remember an article (I think in National Geographic) about Congolese goods-carriers who used to walk pushing their bikes for days through the rainforest. This was an enormous effort, many of them sacrificed their health for this job. I think both the photos in that article, and yours are fantastic in bringing us closer to the sometimes harsh realities of African life.

Superb, congratulations!

GREGO (29) 2007-08-11 13:53

Uma foto que mostra um aspecto real da África.
Você foi muito feliz, por mostrar um ládo bem rústico da África e uma foto bem feita.
Um Homem negro com olhos claros?
Bem captados todos os detalhes.

ewiczek (366) 2007-12-23 5:41

great photo, nice capture and mood photo

drweizy (319) 2008-05-31 7:09

Hi, tom,
we can see the life style there from your shot, some african countries needs support indeed. TFS, wei
very well done.