Two vs One, a photo from Nusa Tenggara Timur, Nusa Tenggara

Photographer's Note

Two are better than one:
These Bugis women were not looking at me, but they were so engrossed enjoying the images from the LCD of my first camera strapped on my neck. They were totally unaware when my second camera was put into action stealing the precious moment from the hip, preset to aperture priority.

I normally go out shooting with two camera bodies and having a second body on-hand I am assured of being able to keep shooting without a hic-up. My general setup is to have on first camera body around my neck with 80-200 mm attached, and another body with a wider lens 16-50mm for the occasional establishing or context shot. This set up allows me to have quite a variety of focal length to choose from. By having both I am ready when the opportunity presents itself or for just about anything that I run across and I love the way I can use the advantages of the two bodies to the max.
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This was taken In Wuring Bugis fishing village in Maumere in Sikka district, Eastern Flores. This coastal town was once devasted by the earth quake and tsumani in 1992 when 23m high waves swept 300 metres inland swamping many villages which killed about 3000 people and almost flattened the whole town. Beside the native Sikkanese, the Bugis dominate the coastal areas and actively engaged in fishing industry.

The Bugis are well known in history as seafarers, shipbuilders and traders who originally came from South Sulawesi, the third largest island in Indonesia. They traditionally turned to the sea for their living. For their navigational skills and sheer courage have guided their famous phinisi schooners over unbounded ocean and along the often treacherous coastlines of Southeast Asia, Northern Australia and to as far as Madagascar for at least four and a half centuries. They have plied those waters guided only by the stars. Today the descendants of this great seafarers can be found scattered all over the Malay archipelagoes.

Additional picture:
Workshop: Bugis fishermen unloading tunas for export to Japan.

Romano46, holmertz, adramad, ourania, mirosu, krzychu30, Noel_Byrne, kato, kato, maloutim, jusninasirun has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Romano46 (4890) 2013-03-03 7:46

Ciao Abmdsudi
ho letto le tue note e ora mi spiego la spontanea espressione delle due donne.
Sei stato bravo ad escogitare questo metodo per cogliere momenti di spontaneità che altrimenti sarebbe impossibile ottenere.
Devo anche riconoscere che la macchina era ben impostata nei suoi parametri e che ovviamente la buona conoscenza delle tecnica da parte tua ha fatto il resto.
Non mi rimane che complimentarmi per il tuo scatto che si va ad aggiungere alla tua bella serie di ritratti della tua gallery.
Ciao e buona domenica
Romano

holmertz (26932) 2013-03-03 7:52

Hello Abmdsudi,
The women's spontaneous and happy looks make this a very charming picture. You have managed three very natural and relaxed portraits and it is also a perfectly well exposed and perfectly sharp photo. Considering the circumstances I am very impressed. The dark and neutral background means that my entire attention is directed at the faces and bodies. I also enjoy the glimpse of a child in the background who is wondering what's going on.
Best regards,
Gert

ACL1978 (5775) 2013-03-03 8:55

A beautiful shot, Abmdsudi - the contrast of the joy on the faces of the two women and the child's wonderment through recent tears makes for an interesting emotional scene. Perfect DOF as well; I love how dark the background becomes, instantly placing the focus of the shot on the woman with her brightly lit pink dress.

Interesting also to get this look into your process. Do you ever find carrying two cameras with you to be unwieldy?

Thanks,
Andrew

adramad (27552) 2013-03-03 9:13

Hello Abmdsudi.
A delightful portrait of these three women, the pretty fantastic expression you've captured on their faces, convey sympathy and closeness, I love how you arranged the scene, with the diagonal to form the figures with the rest of the plane, when his dark background makes them stand out beautifully.
Sensational both crisp, as good light.
Well done.
Enjoy good Sunday afternoon.
Best wishes.
Luis.

wolf38 (28180) 2013-03-03 9:13

Hello Abmdsudi. What a beautiful and vivid photos. Great colors. It is a pleasure to look at these happy faces.
Rgds wolfgang.

pajaran (36224) 2013-03-03 9:17

Pozdrav.
lep trenutak ...
Dobar trenutak snimka, kontrast, lepe boje.
Dobar tekst, lepo pokazane gospodje sa detetom i osmehom na licu.
Sve najbolje.
Paja.

Greetings.
Beautiful moment ...
A good time recording, contrast, beautiful color.
Good text, nice ladies shown with a child and a smile on his face.
All the best.
Paja.

ourania (12367) 2013-03-03 9:33

Hello Abmdsudi,
I love the spontaneity and immediacy of this shot as well as the amusement and fascination in the three -or rather four- ladies' faces. Your picture has wonderful depth and illumination, textures and colours are so natural and lovely. You skillfully created a situation to which your models responded in an interesting and delightful way and then captured it with great readiness and efficiency. The workshop picture offers us a very vivid experience too. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a great week,
Ourania

Fis2 (73100) 2013-03-03 12:20

Witaj Abmdsudi!
Interesting faces.
Curious portrait.
I like frame and colors.
Well done.
Best regards
Krzysztof

dkmurphys (36801) 2013-03-03 22:59

Hello,
Spectacular trio portrait. I like their natural mood and the perfectly balanced composition. Well taken.

Daniel

Schnappilic (7927) 2013-03-04 3:33

Hello Abmdsudi,

A real good frame using wide lenses. I like their happy faces but the combination of colors. Good informative note about your technique.

Best regards,

Ovidiu

mirosu (5509) 2013-03-04 16:51

Hi Abmdsudi,
Beautiful smile, beautiful eyes, excellent photo in very good light. I like to see also the small boy in BG curiosly looking at your camera. Asymmetrical arrangement creates excellent balance and harmony.

krzychu30 (8873) 2013-03-05 0:45

Hello Abmdsudi,
beautiful,joyful and very natural looking portrait.The timing seems to be as much important as the framing in such pictures-and you could chose both perfectly.Good you had your second camera with you.The outcome of your work is really magnificent.I admire also your attention divisibility,you were able to show them photo on the display and simultaneously taking picture with your second camera.Impressive!

Have a nice day
Krzysztof

Noel_Byrne (7352) 2013-03-05 2:11

hi Abmdsudi,
Really nice catch of the intrigued faces of these people, and thanks for note to explain how you did this. I have been trying more street photography recently, so great to learn rom this.

I'm still not very good at it, but hoping to get batter as time goes on!
Cheers
Noel

Silvio1953 (98129) 2013-03-05 11:36

Ciao Abmdsudi, lovely family portrait, fantastic smiles, excellent clarity, splendid light and wonderful colors, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

clic (11001) 2013-03-05 16:06

Sorry to contradict you, my friend Abmdsidi, I see four cute girls staring at your second camera!
Lovely natural expressions indeed and many compliments for the off-center setup on dark backdrop that creates the "Wow" of this exotic portrait!
Cheers.
Robert

Cricri (86431) 2013-03-07 0:07

Hi Abmdsudi
Des sourires qui font plaisir a voir, des yeux pétillants, des tenues colorées sur le fond sombre, belle présentation et complémentaire en WS
Belle journée
cricri

kato (6767) 2013-03-08 18:13

Hi Abmdsudi,

You're capturing well this portrait by a good arrangement and excellent tone/clarity, so it's interesting and imoressive to see the happy and natural face of these women. It's impressive in seeing lovely kids, too. The light is managed well by rich/bright tone. And, the blurred image of the backdrop draws out a good effect.

Kind regards,
mikio

yquem46 (32263) 2013-03-10 6:41

Hello Abmdsudi
One that I missed when away to Morocco
An excellent off centered luminous colorful and joyful triple portrait
Have a nice sunday, best regards
Patrick

maloutim (8608) 2013-03-22 18:00

Hi Abmdsudi,
What a lovely triple portrait ! You have caught so well the happy look on their faces, especially in their eyes !
Lovely sparkle in their eyes, with the blue glow matching the bright colour of their eyes and contrasting well with the darker surroundings.
Can't miss the child in the background who would like to join in.
Well done!
Marie-Louise.

jusninasirun (17138) 2013-04-01 9:07

Salam Bro.
You are clever in stealing candid using the LCD tricks and the reward is beautiful. Their timeless expression is well registered in your CMOS sensor with perfect shallow focus setting up the aperture before the click. Superb work from seasoned photog and thanks for sharing.
Regards,
Jusni