Carnet de Voyage Photo

Photographer’s Note

She did it 1500's style!

We had a fantastic group during the camel trek in the Thar Desert. Everybody just got along great. We had the English actor that lives in Paris and gets all the acting contracts where they require somebody that speaks English, we had the German Tooth-maker who had such a such a bad cough I thought she had tuberculosis, we and the funny French couple that translated everything the guides said and the Asian-origin artist from California.

What I really found amazing about her was that she would not carry a camera, but instead she would draw her trip! I felt pretty lazy at that point. I saw her travel album and it was simply stunning.

Now, accepting my laziness and my obvious lack of ability for hand drawing, I went back to my camera and tried to make the most of it!

MeAT :)

From my travelogue: India Revealed

Clairedelune, JPlumb has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Clairedelune (4885) 2008-04-12 9:12

Bonjour Mathieu,
L'idée est bonne. Et j'aime comment la dessinatrice et le chameau semblent se regarder mutuellement. Le chameau "pose" littéralement! :)) J'aurais préféré que tu sois capable d'isoler un peu plus tes sujets. Je trouve dommage que l'arrière-plan (les tissus au sol et le personnage coupé) viennent distraire de l'action qui se passe à l'avant-plan. Mais, j'avoue que c'était peut-être un peu difficile à faire...
Les couleurs sont peut-être un chouia trop chaudes à mon goût, mais c'est sans doute l'effet du soleil. Dernier détail, je ferais disparaître le petit triangle de sable dans le coin inférieur gauche.
Ta photo donne des envies de voyage!
Claire

Polonaise (5636) 2008-04-13 13:48

What a charming scene, Mathieu...

there is something disarmingly refreshing in the photo...
the tranquility of the scene...?
The rather unusual situation...
The grotesque (for us - the guys who carry the cameras rather than notebook and a pencil !!!) - situation...

I just love it...
The colors... The sand... The light...

g.

JPlumb (3153) 2008-04-13 23:58

Hi Mathieu, I like this composition with the artist drawing the camel, and you have captured the art as well in your photo. I don't consider this lazy, just another style. I tried a similar approach in a workshop of mine some time ago here. The colour in this shot is great with very good light. Enjoyed!

Thanks, John

batalay (20984) 2008-07-18 1:47

Hello Mathieu,

I love the photo, and just as much, your enthusiastic note. Aside from the excellent detail, the light, the composition, you show the subject of the artist along with her creation (actually unrecognizable at this juncture). I've always maintained that the invention of the camera made us all a bit lazy, rarely develop the skills for producing sketches. Not just the great artists, but also the great writers and scientists of the past developed superb skills as observers by producing detailed sketches. John Ruskin, the essayist, and Galileo Galilei, physicist-astronomer, were among the talented draftsman. The way to teach people to draw is first to teach them perspective, an invention of the surpassing architect Philippo Brunelleschi.

Warm regards,

Bulent