<< Previous Next >>

City centre, really


City centre, really
Photo Information
Copyright: Gert Holmertz (holmertz) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 728 W: 55 N: 841] (4565)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 1976-08
Categories: Daily Life, Architecture
Photo Version: Original Version, Workshop
Date Submitted: 2008-07-13 1:22
Viewed: 455
Favorites: 1 [view]
Points: 26
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
This is the centre of Jakarta. Or rather: this was the centre of Jakarta, what it looked like in 1976. I was astonished by the wide, six-lane avenues bordered by high wooden walls and climbed a footbridge to find out what was behind those walls. I saw this: Huge areas of slums with an occasional highrise building on the horizon.
I returned for the first time in 1999 and was equally astonished by the total makeover of the city. Where these slums used to be, there were now modern apartment-houses, sophisticated shopping-malls, banks and hotels and maybe a golf course.
I can't imagine what all these people have gathered to watch. Me?
This was scanned from a Kodachrome slide.
robertosalguero, saxo042, feather, ndb1958, edytungkal has marked this note useful
Only registered TrekEarth members may rate photo notes.
Add Critique [Critiquing Guidelines] 
Only registered TrekEarth members may write critiques.
Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To molla: tackholmertz 2 08-03 23:37
To noborders: thanksholmertz 2 07-15 02:12
To ndb1958: thanksholmertz 1 07-14 02:43
To Kielia: thanksholmertz 1 07-14 02:40
To fanni: thanksholmertz 2 07-13 22:21
To saxo042: thanksholmertz 1 07-13 03:08
To mariandrea: thanksholmertz 1 07-13 02:12
You must be logged in to start a discussion.

Critiques [Translate]

Hello Gert
very nice historical document
nice colors and composition
thanks for sharing and explanation
regards
Ozhan

Hi Gert, great picture with very good notes, just one thing the sky is overexposed, anyway great work. I made a workshop, hope you like it. Chau chau,

Maria

Hej Gert,
A quite funny picture! I never had such a big audience while just taking a photo! Very good colours, a bit cubistic, reminds me a bit of Cézanne. I have heard that when the Dutch built Gothenburg, they used the same plan they had used for Jakarta. Could you see anything of this?
Hälsningar
Gunnar

Gert, what a shot, what a statement. Colors and contrast are edgy and it works well. I like the sky in the shot, the mosque and the high rise add to the shot by illustrating the differences between top and bottom. Fine capture.

Greg

Hello Gert,

The documentary element in this shot is amazing. Composition is very good with a lot to see for the eye.

Cheers
Kamran

  • Great 
  • fanni Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 253 W: 65 N: 344] (1446)
  • [2008-07-13 6:45]
  • [+]

Hej Gert,
extremely interesting photo full of details and a lot to think about.
By the way, I can't quite make out what's written in white colour on the red roof of one of the houses? the date?...

Colour-wise, the image is like a mosaic... IMHO, all Asia is very colourful, and you manage very well to capture the peculiar "Asian" colour gamma.

I like the palm-trees and those two high buildings rising above the almost strait horizontal line of roofs: the mosque and that fainly coloured high tower... I can't guess what it is, though.

In my opinion, these people gathered to look at you while you were taking a photo :) Did it take you long to take it? I'm not sure such foreign guests with photocameras were frequent visitors to that place!
best regards,
Elena

The image has stood the test of time very well and you have been able to put in plenty of contrast. A wonderful image to have in the Jakarta part of the gallery for modern day comparison.
Kath

Hi Gert,
I love this shot and I hope you'll post more from Indonesia. So many people looking for what ever. Great documentation.
I add this to my favorits because it is so interesting.
Thank you for sharing,
Nino.

Hej Gert,
phantastic scan with outstanding colours and a very interesting note. This is a historical document indeed.
TfS
Best regards
Harriet

Hi Gert,

I imagine the center of this city has changed dramatically in the last few years. I like this scene because it show us the past of this metropolis and the way people lived back then. Nice point of view with the little corner of water to give us a better perspective of this place. Good scan quality Gert.

Roberto
:-)later

  • Great 
  • molla Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 618 W: 85 N: 751] (5142)
  • [2008-07-14 15:21]
  • [+]

rather good buildings to be in the Batavia slum area. I was there in -86 and remembered some horrible areas. here i am amazed by the way they lining up, as they actually was posing for you.
and off cause the beautiful colors yo have in the picture.
Anders

Yes, Jakarta in the 70s was like that - even in the early 80s there was an impression of "villages" and slums even close to the centre...
The toilets built on the canal, the crowd watching something (at this point : you probably, but I cannot imagine that you would not remember if they had come specially for you and even if this happens often as I find these moments truely unforgettable !), a very special photo that shows more than normal life, an event that nobody I guess will be able to explain the meaning if you don't know !
Extraordinary,
Your scans are full of surprises !

Really a special documentary shot of the Jakarta city, its good that we can see the Jakarta face couple decade ago. But very sad we can still find such kind of conditions in some of Jakarta area. Thanks Gert for the shot...

daniel

Calibration Check
















0123456789ABCDEF