Mekong watering Photo

Photographer’s Note

In Luang Prabang, at the Mekong margin, while some were trainning for the anual boat race, others were occupied in their daily life tasks. It seems that the sandy margins of this mighty river are good for growing crops, and the river itself comes in handy to water them. These margins are actually submerged for a part of the year, and are in fact a part of the river bed.
It was quite odd to see this use of the river margins/bed. This is happening virtually in the midle of the city, and the "fields" are not fenced. There is nothing to indicate that they are private fields, and in fact I had the feeling that they were not: It looked like a "first come, first served" system.

WS1 - transporting the free water, after collecting it

WS2 - watering and sowing

Henryk_Bilor, japiey, German74, bostankorkulugu, josepmarin, berek, rigoletto, amfdj, Tue, paura, Floydian, lucasgalodoido, Clairedelune, carper, AiresSantos, pasternak, feather, Didi, Cricri, stego, coco, xuaxo, patdeph, bakes888, jhm, zeynepe, Photo65Net, danos, alvaraalto, ChrisJ, syd1946, delic, JCG, adores, papagolf21, fabio_ts, Jonas_Schmitt, flory, rajiv_077, clio, belido, ruisc_pt, kevinos has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

japiey (9521) 2008-03-25 12:04

Hi Ricardo,

Amazing is this composition, and Laos series has a new dimension here...
Fantastic !!
All the best.

jp

rigoletto (26792) 2008-03-25 12:08

Ola Ric,
Definitely one of your best!
The diagonal with the slopes, the placing of the figure, the fast shutter speed which makes us see crystals of water drops...
This is fine photography or what!!
Congrats!
Deniz

Waylim (11157) 2008-03-25 12:12

Sabidy Ricardo,
I love this diagonal composition with layers of hazy mountain backdrop. The silhouette of the fence and the girl really standout. yet there still some detail of the girl's clothing. I love the way the back lighting hits the water sprout that sparkles and glows against the shadowy part of the mountain. Great sense of depth in this image. As always, great work. You’re my inspiration.
Way

German74 (771) 2008-03-25 12:13

Hola Ricardo, excelente momento el que nos muestras, y a mi criterio está muy bien aprovechada la luz natural... abrazos...

josepmarin (34099) 2008-03-25 12:21

Olá Ricardo,
me gusta el efecto que has creado con el fondo sobreexpuesto, porque acentúa la belleza del contraluz en el primer plano, destaca la silueta de la chica regando su pequeño huerto, crea unos bonitos brillos en las gotas del agua que caen de la regadera, y da un ambiente neblinoso con un ligero toque de misterio.
La diagonal que divide el encuadre es magnífica, tiene un fuerte grafismo y da mucho dinamismo a la escena.
Los WS también son muy buenos y completan perfectamente este buen trabajo.
Un abrazo,
Josep

rbassin (4267) 2008-03-25 12:22

Hello Ricardo,
Superbe, le conte-jour avec la lumière sur le jet d'eau est bien vu.
J'aime bien le flou en arrière plan avec des tonalités très douces.
Roland

berek (29019) 2008-03-25 12:30

Ola Ricardo,
great light management and nice composition my friend. I like it. congratulations !! take care.
Burak Erek

pablominto (41354) 2008-03-25 12:36

Hello Ricardo,
This is an artistic composition and a proficient use of backlight!
I like the contrasty appearance and the great sense of depth....
Greetings,
Pablo -

amfdj (1968) 2008-03-25 12:48

Hi Ricardo,

A great silhouet you captured here. The opposite light fall is really fantastic. It's also very beautifuly compose.

My compliments,

Eddie

Tue (25608) 2008-03-25 13:38

Hi Ricardo,
Excellent capture of the daily life in the village. The light is marvellous, I like very much the hazy layers of the hills and trees as well as the very white sky. This brings out the silhouettes superbly and the water sparkles wonderfully in the sunlight too. Very well seen and captured, thanks for sharing!
Regards,
Lars

gilou530 (35680) 2008-03-25 14:25

salut ricardo
un très bon traitement des couleurs pour avec des teintes claires et faire ressortir l'arrosoir, magnifique cadrage
amitiés
gilbert

paura (39258) 2008-03-25 16:10

Ricardo,
Uma composição algo diferente das suas habituais, monstrando bom trabalho com sombra e luzes. Artisticamente, uma de suas melhores.

Abraço

Paulo

Floydian (30970) 2008-03-25 16:15

Hi Ricardo,
What a nice shot with a minimum on colours but with a very good framing and crop. That empty piece of space on the top left with a strong natural diagonal line along the mountain is wonderful, that makes the whole composition complete. The light what shines through the water is simply perfect. That so called simple Samsung seems to be a very good one, even with very tricky light conditions...perfect, i like this one a lot.
Regards, Henk

vincz (19045) 2008-03-25 16:49

I loved so much this place. I spent hours looking st the activities on this small garden along the Mekong. So pleasant when they come and water the place one after the others manually. And the monks crossing with their orange robe going to the boats to cross the river. You caught it very well.

lucasgalodoido (16789) 2008-03-25 17:10

Olá Ricardo,
fantástica essa captura sua, os ajustes fotométricos ficaram perfeitos pra essa situação, pois além de congelar a água devido a alta velocidade, a abertura baixa criou um interessante e bonito efeito de bokeh (acho que é assim mesmo que escreve). Um belo trabalho amigo.
Parabéns e Abraço!

Clairedelune (4885) 2008-03-25 19:22

I just commented on the last post of George, where I felt the busy life of a city street, with warning lights and sirens... and then your photo! A completely different feeling, no doubt!
There is a peaceful feeling coming from this one. A grace too, made mostly by the drops of water. You played with the silhouette but managed to keep some details in the clothes of the woman. I might have clone the "thing" on the ground (a plastic bag?).
For my part, I like that square format. Don't ask me why, but I like that oblique line of trees with the big white sky. It reminds me some Japanese prints...
The two WS are good too, but yes, I prefer this one. For the light passing through the water...
Very beautiful Ric... Truly.
Claire

emka (22319) 2008-03-25 23:39

Ola Ricardo,

Wonderful picture from Luang Prabang, diagonal, with women watering her little field. Fantastic water drops.

regards

Malgorzata

wolf38 (13111) 2008-03-26 1:13

Hello Ricardo. An interesting and worth seeing photo, as well as an informative text. The back light pleases me. It lets the things in the foreground appear like a silhouette. The bright water is a central element. Very beautifully. Best regards, Wolfgang.

bantonbuju (48796) 2008-03-26 1:17

the beauty of this image comes from its simplicity...charming, arresting mood...
relax, water the plants, enjoy the freshness of the morning...
best, j.

delkoo (34788) 2008-03-26 3:07

bonjour ricardo,
You were there at the right moment to get this surprising episode of Gardening. back light on the water is absolutely well seen.Very original!

best regards
didier

Paolo (40755) 2008-03-26 3:15

Hi Ricardo, fantastic one, with the light that is the subject of this image, not the farmer, the the water, but the light!
excellent composition.
thanks, ciao

kai (412) 2008-03-26 3:43

Beautiful image, great contrast of subject and background with a lot of detail.
Just one thing, why white frame. no frame or darker color might be good too
: )
KAi

carper (65646) 2008-03-26 4:21

a very nice photo Ricardo,
the pov is very nice and the backlight is very good handled in this verynice composition, very good photojob, have a nice day.
gr. jaap

AiresSantos (42902) 2008-03-26 4:57

Ola Ricardo
Uma sobre-exposicao divina nesta magnifica fotografia.
Excelente o efeito da agua dos regadores e a diagonal tambem.
Um abraço Amigo
Aires

pasternak (13646) 2008-03-26 5:08

You've captured wonderful light on this one, Ricardo, i like the silhouette against the foggy hills, but especially the poured water is gorgeous here!

Cheers
Alexander

Gerrit (36269) 2008-03-26 8:13

Hi Ricardo,
fatastic way to catch the light. The blurred background withthe soft colours of the trees is great too.
Regards, Gerrit

jonathan_hart (22627) 2008-03-26 8:14

good composition and framing, the soft BG is great, fine contrast
regards
jo

feather (50144) 2008-03-26 9:09

I love this one Ricardo. You have achieved a wonderful and atmospheric image while going against many of the things I normally don't like. For instance I would usually hate the white sky, yet for some reason it works so well here and I don't know why. Maybe it's the strong diagonal division of the two halves of the scene. The best bit is of course the way the light is hitting the water from the watering can. I also like both WSs (even though in WS1 she is walking out of the frame. ;D ) The whole package tells a wonderful story. We saw this too in Laos, but I never had the impression it was a free-for-all. Surely if someone did all that work the crops would not be taken by others!?
Well done
Kath

Cricri (43738) 2008-03-26 12:03

Hi Ricardo,
Une scéne bien présenter sous des ombres parfaite avec la grâce de la lumiére, je trouve belle aussi celle en WS, compliment
Friendship
cricri

Didi (36442) 2008-03-26 12:12

Bonsoir Ricardo
Intéressante diagonale qui coupe en deux le contre-jour, cela donne un cadrage très original et aussi très intéressant.
Je me suis permis une variante en WS, ceci n'est pas une correction.
Obrigado.

[workshop] [compare] +

stego (22448) 2008-03-26 12:30

Olá Ricardo,
Está fabulosa. A encosta arborizada em diagonal, a miúda em contraluz, a água a brilhar!... Fantástica! Um bocadinho menos de inspiração e aquela névoa luminosa teria estragado tudo em vez de ser um dos encantos da imagem.
Os WS's são um bom complemento para perceber a horta e a actividade relacionada. Gosto especialmente do WS#1.
Um abraço, José.

Ber (7576) 2008-03-26 12:52

Hi Ricardo,
Wonderful and atmospheric image.
I like the silhouette against the foggy hills. Fantastic water drops.
Regards

coco (28122) 2008-03-26 13:16

Hi Ricardo.

Excellent work and this one much better than the WS. Your work here is amazing and the composition is superb.

Well done.

xuaxo (5835) 2008-03-26 14:01

Olá Ricardo,
Prefiro o WS2, mas todas estão bem interessantes, assim como a nota.
Um abraço,
F

ribeiroantonio (21969) 2008-03-26 15:16

este contraluz está simplesmente maravilhoso. O efeito sobre a água a sair dos regadores é lindo e quase que podemos contar as todas gotas. Também gosto muito do enquadramento e daquela grande diagonal criada pela montanha. Outra coisa que ficou excelente foi o facto de teres conseguido vários planos de luz e neblina até chegares ao plano da pessoa a trabalhar. Muito linda.
António

bostankorkulugu (33982) 2008-03-26 22:02

thw water drops are like diamonds or pearls pouring into the soil...
ola ric... very nice compo with this little girl watering the field... the sky looks a bit empty so a rectangular format rather than a square one would have worked better may be...

take care pal...

korkut

korkut

Stepan (27175) 2008-03-26 23:59

One of your best laos post : the dof is perfect to appreciate the working woman and the sharpness is simply excellent. A class compo, a great realization.
Stéphane

Angshu (34099) 2008-03-27 0:12

Ola Ricardo
Light is the key here my friend as it strikes from the back and illuminates the water...striking with your fast shutter speed! What I also like is the diagonal compo. with the frame divided into two with the diagonal of the hill slope. In fact I loved the WS1 as well a lot...a strong contender for an original post because of the strong light, the silhouette like effect & the boats in the BG. Excellent work my friend!
Regards
Angshu

Bluejeans (33049) 2008-03-27 5:54

Oi Ricardo ,
Ficou fantástica este momento desta camponesa a rega as plantas , o movimento da agua e o brilho dela ficou fabuloso , tiveste bom olho , parabéns!!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

patdeph (18338) 2008-03-27 13:13

hello Ricardo
waow!!!Superb!I love the glowing water with the misty and blurred landscape as background.Really magnificent!
Have a nice evening.
Pascale

bakes888 (18353) 2008-03-28 1:51

Hi Ricardo. If they can share a piece of common land without bloodshed why can the rest of the world not do likewise? Excellent photos. I love the backlit water in the main post and the trees disappearing into the haze. Wonderful capture and thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

jhm (83328) 2008-03-28 3:47

Hello Ricardo,

I find both WS very well certainly the woman with two pails.
Most I like the water drops with this splendid backlight.
The silhouette of the fence and the girl really standout.
Excellent composition.
Thanks for sharing.

Have a nice weekend,
John.

zeynepe (9362) 2008-03-28 5:31

Ola Ricardo,
This one + WS1 + WS2 are all splendid. Thanks to you, I learnt a lot things about Laos. I am waiting impatiently for your next trip:)
Have a great weekend,
Zeynep

KaiK (32) 2008-03-29 1:13

GREAT PICTURE! The pouring water with the back light is fantastically captured! Regards Kai

Photo65Net (43096) 2008-03-29 2:56

Ricardo,
A great backlit shot !
Your exposure allows to get beautiful details and nice depth on the BG.
Beautiful job,
Regards,
JB.

danos (33272) 2008-03-29 3:26

Ola Ricardo,
nice the snapshot of this woman with the watering cans on her shoulder to try to water plants.The silhouette is well managed contrary to the opposite sun.I like and the complementary photos.I visited the Mekong river and i saw the difficulties that these people meet.Informative your note too.

Have a nice weekend,Danos

manatee (4297) 2008-03-29 13:34

Th day was very foggy rigth? there bakcground looks like that. I saw the woorkshop and I like the tird looks nice the contast and you can the the solohutyes perfec.

Exelent, you know this days I'm been very lazy, but I dont want to upload just to upload, so I will try to be more active at list I will try to upload one a week. You looks the same no much activity in your page rigth? maybe we have the same deseas ;0))

So you are ready for your trip?

Have a nice weekend and take care my dear Friend,you know even I dont know you, you are a very nice person and for me you are a friend, a real friend really.

A Hug

Elias

alvaraalto (5303) 2008-03-29 14:42

Hi Ricardo,

It needs the eye of an artist, a painter to make the picture like you did. The lovely diagonal, the extreme white sky, the soft colours of the forest, the clear drops from the watering can, and the silhouette of the girl.
A perfect picturesque impression.

Groet Rob

hatti52 (12654) 2008-03-31 0:35

Hi Ricardo,
Excellent capture with great light management
my compliments
have a nice sunday

ChrisJ (70443) 2008-03-31 1:59

Ola Ricardo

Superb backlighting, with the water can adding a lot to this shot. Marvellous graphism, silhouettes & sharpness. This would work equally well in b&w. Parabens!

syd1946 (17965) 2008-03-31 4:03

Hi Ricardo,
I am amazed for this picture!Not only the beautiful light but most of all the capture of the water's motion is incredible.And as moment I found it very dramatic that means very attractive to me.A big bravo and for the two images in the workshops in the way for a complete presentation!

Thomas

batalay (21193) 2008-03-31 8:28

Hello Ricardo,

There is a lovely effect here in this backlit image— the silhouette created by the individual with the watering can, and the scattering of light by the streams of gushing water. Simple but elegant photograph. Well done!

Warm regards,

Bulent

delic (6735) 2008-03-31 9:28

Fine composition and light game, esp. the contrasting semi-silhouettes and the out of focus backdrop. You don't preclude aesthetics from documentation. One suggestion would be to go down on the levels selectively in the sky to bring out the mountain. Regards,
Hakan

Henryk_Bilor (20371) 2008-04-01 0:15

Witaj Rysiu
Interesting composition, great contrast between the light and dark silhouette. Nice scene ;).
Have a nice day.

JCG (25749) 2008-04-01 11:40

Hi Ricardo,

Very beautiful use of the light here, I like much. A beautiful series of photographs on the work as of these peasants. I like much the light on the filaments of water leaving the watering-can. The contrast of the foreground with the background is astonishing and of the most beautiful effect. It brings out a peaceful side of this image. Well seen Ricardo.

With all my friendships and a very good evening,

Jean-Charles

adores (15755) 2008-04-01 18:08

Olá Ricardo!
Bonita foto, Gosto da silhueta e o efeito da água a sair do regador está excelente. A vegetação a formar diagonal também está muito bem. Tambeém gosto dos WS, especialmente do 2.

papagolf21 (56737) 2008-04-03 2:06

Bonjour, cher Ricardo,
Excellentes prises de vue. Comme quoi, nous ne mesurons pas la chance que nous avons d'avoir l'eau courante !
Des images de qualité !
Amitiés.
Philippe

fabio_ts (13674) 2008-04-03 4:52

This is stunning, great work my friend, an excellent proof of talent, all my compliments!!

have a nice day,
Fabio.

Jonas_Schmitt (3074) 2008-04-04 12:10

Hola Ricardo!
What a fantastic new picture, I really like the scene you captured in an excellent composition very much! Seems like it was hard to manage to chose the right exposure, but you did well, as I see.
Well, a fantastic picture made in the excatly right moment, good sharpness, nice point of view! Muy bien, Ric!!!Me gusta mocho.
Jonas

flory (4804) 2008-04-04 23:00

ola Ricu:)
with you and Catherine it's a real pleasure to travel! sometimes have the feeling that i'm there and you are the guide..:)
certainly,is a good diagonal composition,but the best is that light through the water..:)
sun and waves for your weekend:)
Flori:)

rajiv_077 (1355) 2008-04-05 3:22

Hi Dear

Good shot, well seen and capture, The overall scene looks good there. The lady's silhouette looks really good and water looks stunning. A lovely crystal type drops of water's. I also like WS-2.

Nice sharing with note.

kind regards

rajiv

clio (23045) 2008-04-06 0:30

Hola Ricardo,
As teus 3 fotografias são maravilhosas. Gosto mais ligeiramente do WS1 onde a instalação da jovem mulher sobre este fundo branco é magnífica. Esta é muito bonita também com a luz que atravessa a água. Este trabalho que fizeste em redor das silhuetas e a luz é excepcional.
Parabéns e Abraço!
Diane

belido (16857) 2008-04-08 4:37

Olá Ricardo,

uma bonita cena. Consigo sentir daqui o frescor do que penso ser o amanhecer. A figura principal está bem posta no frame e o céu iluminado fez um ótimo contraste com a parte inferior. Ótimo trabalho!
Abraço,
Carlos

banyanman (7737) 2008-04-16 7:22

Hi Ricardo. Hope you are enjoying your trip to Egypt and Jordan. This post is a great example of how to take advantage of backlighting to turn a simple composition into something really special. The strong diagonal of the middle distant hillside across the frame adds impact too, and the very faint outline of the mountains in the distance adds depth. Excellent work. Cheers . . . David

rbcy1974 (20746) 2008-05-02 3:06

Hello Ricardo
Great composition with this silhuete contrasting against the slopes of the mountains,
very nice tones and contrasts giving a magic aura here.
Well done
Regards
Daniel

kevinos (6927) 2008-05-23 21:54

Hi Ricardo. This is a very careful composition , that works very well. I like the bold diagonal and the counter diagonal if the water,, frozen beautifully. I like the cool grays and neutrals colours that create such a soft feel. Regrads kevin

jmdias (19861) 2008-07-08 17:19

ricardo

bela transversal na imagem, gosto do trabalho com a luz e as sombras, a água translúcida.. Os ramos de bambu dão uma noção do local e a personagem está muito bem colocada na cena. belo trabalho

abraços

jorge