"Can't You See I'm Eating?" Photo

Photographer’s Note

Here's another of my Bali portraits.

She's a daughter of a woodcarver in Ubud. While my other companions were busy taking pictures of the woodcarvers, I busied myself taking pictures of this girl and her younger sister. She was eating something that looks like guavas. After 3 shots, she stopped eating and looked at me with this kind of stare. Two more shots and she was close to crying. I stopped. I sat down and talked to her and we became friends. After a while, our tour guide told us to proceed. I hadn't taken a single shot of the woodcarvers.

Auto-adjustments and unsharp masking.

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Critiques | Translate

clodreno (0) 2004-02-29 3:36

Nice shot again manulel. I don't know Bali..She has a very intense look for such a kid. Well framed.

maciekda (19599) 2004-02-29 3:46

lovely picture, she gave you a great look, the picture is very well composed, but somehow it is grayish again - it is mostly visible at the plate area -maybe there is sth wrong tith white balance... I'll play with it in PS and post a workshop.
anyway, a bit grayish but very nice shot

[2] [workshop] [compare] +

carper (65696) 2004-02-29 3:50

I think you are one of the most succesful portrait photographers by TE. Of course there are some other who are very succesful too, But your work is realy good. Till so far my compliments to you. You send again a very good protrait, who speaks her own language. Perfect details. With my compliments Manuel.

zto (292) 2004-02-29 3:51

Love those eyes Manuel and her pose. A sweet litle girl and a nice story to go with it.

joso (1786) 2004-02-29 4:06

I'd like it more without the plate, focusing on the so intensive look of her.
Anyhow, a very good one again, Manuel.

Darren (6819) 2004-02-29 4:10

Nice shot Manny. Nicely framed and good expression. I am not sure what camera you use, but there is one small thing I notice here. The focus is off just a tiny bit. Her hands are sharper than here eyes, which is too bad. I am guessing you are using a digital P&S camera, which I do find difficult to get the focus on 100% of the time. Still a very effective shot Manny (and a reason to get a DSLR ;) )

cool_s15 (4048) 2004-02-29 4:30

Nice pretty shot! I really like the innocent eyes of the child. Great portrait with nice details and DOF. Nice job!

avigur_11 (21307) 2004-02-29 4:35

Manny, you're so good with children, you understand them very well (ah, almost forgot, and with women too..). Making a friedship with them is maybe the sectret of having them pose perfectly and naturaly to you, and this is a great natural shot. Well done.

summer89 (5414) 2004-02-29 5:27

Another excelent photo Manuel,

Here eyes are great. Your note is very nice.

Well done

papagolf21 (56749) 2004-02-29 5:54

Encore un superbe portrait. Les yeux de cette enfant expriment l'incompréhension : pourquoi tu me regardes comme cela, je mange moi !
Du très bon Manuel encore.
Still a superb portrait. The eyes of this child express incomprehension: why you look me like that, I eat me! Very good Manuel still.

jhm (83352) 2004-02-29 6:13

Very nice sharp en beautiful picture Manuel, and good documentary. Good job. Congratulations!

nwoehnl (120) 2004-02-29 7:49

Another very nice child close-up, Manny. I adore the look she's giving you here, and the pose with her index finger pointing at her lips is also interesting. I also like how the color of her dress seems to somehow go well with her food. Great caption, and a very cute story to go with it, thanks for sharing it.

Didi (36452) 2004-02-29 8:07

Joli portrait expressif d'un enfant.
Vous possédez l'art de composer dans ce domaine qui est très difficile à exceller.

Pretty expressive portrait of a child. You have art to compose in this field which is very difficult to excel.

jrj (34779) 2004-02-29 9:20

Grand details and a very speaking expression from the little boy. Another great portrait Manny.

eelliott305 (776) 2004-02-29 12:12

A lovely shot Manuel, the little girl`s pose is so attractive. The light in her eyes is very nice. I like how you have cropped the top of her head, I am always scared to try this.

CoolDan (2490) 2004-02-29 15:57

Merveilleux portrait Manuel. Les détails sont très clairs et les yeux de l'enfant très expressifs. Great shot.

Jeppe (18623) 2004-02-29 16:57

A very tense moment you catured - She surely speaks with her eyes - and I think title tells us what she means - but I'm not sure of the words - good work indeed Manuel

eleparc (24059) 2004-02-29 18:41

very nice and impacting shot manny! I like the green color. It gives it some high impact and i like the DOF on her face. very sharp contours... Who cares about the wood carvers anyway? ;-) you surely did not lose your time there. well done!

Agus (103) 2004-03-01 2:33

Nice expressive picture, Manuel. There's an anger as the title said: 'You disturb my privacy!!' :-)))

lukasfoto (3078) 2004-03-01 3:32

Very well done Manuel!!!

dsidwell (9745) 2004-03-01 22:37

I'm sure glad you looked the other way. Although, I'm sure you would have done a great job with the wood carvers! This is a lovely girl, and I like the expression on her face. The clarity of the photo is excellent both visually and communicatively. My wife asked, "are we supposed to like this girl, or pity her?" (as if any little brown girl should be pitied) and I said, "the photo is just of this girl, doing what she is doing. There's no judgement here. He's just captured the personality of this girl."

sunny (3068) 2004-03-03 8:07

She is so charming in her green dress, trying to tell you something in such a serious manner...:-) I love the way you have framed the picture, including the plate, for it speaks more for the story and makes it completed. Excellent job, Manny!

Motrem (2392) 2004-03-04 9:34

The face of the child is very meaning, we feel her at the edge of tears. This small light in eyes, colours distributed on all the image are simply excellent. Excellent technique.

Le visage de l'enfant est très expressif, on la sent au bord des larmes. Cette petite lumière dans les yeux, les couleurs réparties sur toute l'image sont tout simplement excellentes. Technique excellente.

Porteplume (3257) 2004-04-30 14:23

Oh! Really! The absolute sharpness, the perfect tight framing... It's very difficult to be original in a comment to you Manuel. ;o) - Every picture I see is enchanting, I just like your work very much, and that little girl makes my heart melting again...

Belumpi (306) 2004-12-05 12:46

Touched my inner smile :) Her eyes say more than words.

faubry (32419) 2005-02-21 17:30

very nice child portrait, you are finf a girl friend! very good expression and regard very deep, réally good work, all is always very very good thanks for yours shots.
francine