Another day, a photo from Yunnan, South

Photographer's Note

This was taken whilst on my early morning walk in Xinmeng village, Tonghai about 70km south of Kunming sets among beautiful green valley shaded by Xiu Shan Mountain. It is home to a community of some 7000 Mongolians, the descendants of Kublai Khan's soldiers who did not return to their homeland after their defeat in 12th century during the Ming Dynasty.

They settled here near Jihulu Lake and adapted well in the new environment working as farmers, fishermen and blacksmiths living in seclusion and refuse to intermarry with ethnic from other communities. Despite having been cut off from their homeland for seven centuries, these closely knit Yunnan Mongols proudly retain their ethnic identity, practicing their own language and culture. Their village is made up of traditional mudbrick houses, all tightly constructed close to one another. The women's colorful dress, is said to resemble the uniform of Mongol soldiers which makes this look a distinctive one from the other communities.

Picture of a hard working Mongolian farmer getting about her daily routine, fetching water from the stream for her vegetable farm nearby. Farm life is hard and much of the planting is done by hand although some is mechanized. Harvest of most crops like corn, garlic, potatoes and vegetables is all by hand. The sort of comfort we are used to, is not to be seen here despite China's economic boom, poverty and hardship remain a way of life in the countryside.

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Additonal pictures
WS1: : Sorting newly harvested garlics
WS2: : Farmer watering vegetable farm

PecoBud, ourania, Budapestman, bayno, kato, adramad, Waylim, Sonata11, jusninasirun, jhm, josepmarin, alpi1500, Cricri has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

saptak (157) 2012-05-17 8:12

Nicely composed and lovely reflections...!!!

marcan44 (6223) 2012-05-17 8:47

Caro amico Abmdsudi,
le ore del mattino sono spesso le migliori per catturare foto.
Mi piace molto la tua scelta di decentrare la donna che ha raccolto l'acqua sulla destra per lasciare che lo sguardo possa osservare i bei riflessi sull'acqua per poi spaziare sulla campagna dietro dove si vedono i primi raggi del sole.
Eccellente!!!
Have a nice day
Mario

PecoBud (3778) 2012-05-17 8:49

Wonderful POV Abmdsudi, and really nice reflections. This poor person is doing back breaking work here, but goes on like it is nothing. Good colors and light management and very sharp clarity. Perfect job here!!

TFS.........Your Friend from California........Buddy

ourania (12427) 2012-05-17 9:38

Hello Abmdsudi,
a beautiful picture with a very effective composition that illustrates perfectly the themes mentioned in your note. The girl carrying the buckets of water is very well placed in the frame, we can feel the difficult movement and empathise with her having to take her load to a long distance. The lake is very peaceful, the wiggly reflections will be the only sense of movement when the girl and her reflection leave. I love the clarity, lighting, wonderful natural colours and morning atmosphere. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best,
Ourania

Budapestman (82620) 2012-05-17 11:38

Hi Abmdsudi,
a splendid daily life photo once more, the composition is very well balanced, great details and the reflection is very nice, too. Beautiful photo work, TFs! Have a nice week! Kellemes hetet kívánok!
György

Fis2 (73124) 2012-05-17 12:55

Witaj Abmdsudi!
I like this daily life shot.
Excellent composition.
I like reflection.
Well done.
Best regards
Krzysztof

papagolf21 (76603) 2012-05-17 14:35

Bonsoir, Abmdsudi,
Voilà comment je comprends le site, nous faire découvrir et apprendre le monde par la photographie.
Trois bonnes images présentées dont deux en bonus.
Image fort bien réalisée.
Note d'accompagnement bien rédigée.
Que du très bon.
Amitiés.
Philippe

bayno (16213) 2012-05-17 20:11

Hello Abmdsudi,
another nice shot with the morning light, I like the rural scene with the woman carrying water in the old way, perfect framing and beautiful reflections, very nice the other two WS and interesting note about this community Mongol, it is true maybe it can be a hard life, but living in the city is hard too, there's always a downside as in all things, wonderful work... warm regards,
Valter

Graal (88950) 2012-05-17 23:32

Hi Abmdsudi,
nice scenery near by nature. I like the reflections. Fine reportage about daily life, too.
Have a nice day.
Aleksander

kato (6789) 2012-05-18 1:20

Hi Abmdsudi,

You're capturing well this village scene by a good angle and excellent tone/clarity, so it is interesting to see the spectacle which a woman draws water from a pond, carries two buckets on the shoulder, and it carries to the firmland. It's interesting in her mongolian traditional uniform, too. And, the reflection projected to the pond draws out a good effect as well as the small surf of pond. It is one photograph which knows a Chinese multi-ethnic nation.
Have a nice day.

Kind regards,
mikio

dkmurphys (36831) 2012-05-18 1:49

Hello,
A superb scene from the everyday life. I like the atmosphere and the reflections. Well seen, have a great weekend.

Daniel

adramad (27556) 2012-05-18 7:37

Hello Abmdsudi.
A delicious composition, with these wonderful reflections, the place has all the charm and conveys peace, quiet corners of the countryside, the man carrying two buckets, provides an ideal complement to the composition.
Absolutely magnificent, the management of the luminosity in the whole plane and delicious colors.
Have a nice weekend.
Best wishes.
Luis.

TopGeo (37994) 2012-05-18 7:40

Hi Abmdsudi,
nice scenery near by nature. I like the reflections
Nice view with great colours and lights to show this nice atmosphere.
Superb capture of the pool. Great soft light, nice warm, contrast and silhouettes, colours, sharp details of the shadows, beautiful reflections in the water.
Thanks for sharing
best regards
Geo....

Waylim (22357) 2012-05-18 8:53

Hi Abmdsudi,

Once again, a really good documentation of daily life in rural China, life as it unfold. The simplest thing as fetching water from the pond, the way of life I use to know very well. In the city, kid only know water come from the faucet :)

I love the refelction of the bare trees, looks almost like top of the sail boats. Good, POV, the lady anchor our vision and I feel like following here out to the farm and village.

Way

Sonata11 (28375) 2012-05-18 21:48

Hello Abmdsudi,
This composition is impressively beautifu of daily life scene. Wonderfully captured this amazing place and fabulous reflection. Perfectly well done. Awesome photo job with excellent ability. The colors, sharpness, clarity,POV are fantastic. Thanks for sharing.
All the best and have a nice WE,
Barbara

jusninasirun (17138) 2012-05-18 23:25

Salam my friend.
I like the way you have framed with the reflection taking up most of the composition. The sky and dead trees are like water color painting. The light in the distance and the person with buckets of water add dynamics to this beautiful early morning capture.
Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful weekend.
Jusni

jhm (122474) 2012-05-19 0:46

Hello Abmdsudi,

Early in the morning takes they the most beautiful pictures.
Here a wonderful image with the man or woman as water carrier.
Lovely reflections too.
Nice composition, pleasant of colors.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice weekend,
John

josepmarin (55063) 2012-05-19 2:49

Hi Abmdsudi,
an interesting capture of the hard work of these farmers, in a very powerful image, with the flooded field in foreground, and the man transporting his heavy load.
The scene is very dynamic and very pleasant at sight, has a nice luminosity and a few beautiful reflections on the water, and offers us the atmosphere of the daily life in this place.
I like the structure of the composition.
A good work, with two good additional shots in WS.
Best regards,
Josep

alpi1500 (1376) 2012-05-20 2:24

Nice reflection , congrat.
Have a nice day.

Cricri (86501) 2012-05-20 9:59

Hi Abmdsudi
Une vie quotidienne pas facile pour ces personnes, mais j'aime la composition, les reflets et la lumière naturel du matin, belle présentation et note
Belle soirée
cricri

siamesa (27449) 2012-05-20 12:59

Boa noite Abmdsudi

Spectacular! Other impressive photo of yours. Splendid image with a very nigh quality. Congratulations.
Abraços
maria

Silvio1953 (98217) 2012-05-21 6:19

Ciao Abmdsudi, lovely daily life composition with fascinating reflections, nice scene, splendid light and wonderful colors, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

mauro61 (52527) 2012-05-23 14:19

ciao Abmdsudi,
una delle immagini più belle viste in questo ultimo periodo per la forza dei riflessi nel loro rapporto con la luce e per l'ottima inquadratura,
complimenti
maurizio

ashres (1453) 2012-05-24 10:17

Hi Abmdsudi
With perfect placement of man there and the small pond reflects the typical countryside picture here. Its a typical style here in nepal also to carry something. The reflection in the pond is great. Really reflecting the typical lifestyle on the countryside. Nice composure.
have a great time,
ashish

eldancer1 (17088) 2012-06-03 9:11

Beautiful documentation of the daily life of people. I can relate to this photo, we used to get water this way when I was growing up in grandmother's farm. I like the use of the silhouette. Good dof with nice details. Well done, tfs.