A bridge to her future Photo

Photographer’s Note

The plight of a girl. A girl walking on a floating bridge to her future - what future, I am not able to answer. She is one of many offsprings of illegal immigrants that live off the boats and wooden homes floating at the sea bay.

Sandakan sits at north-eastern Sabah facing the Sulu Sea and it is commonplace to find Sea Gypsies along sea shores, and here you see floating homes in the background along Lane Nam Tung City 10 (translated from local lingo Lorong Bandar Nam Tung 10), just off the main thorough fare coastal road. While we were waiting for early lunch, I wandered about and walked to the sea front looking into Sandakan Bay.

Being from neighboring state of Sarawak, I often read and hear alarming news about illegal Philippinos in Sabah, and only after this round-the-State trip have I realised the severeness of the social and political problems. It is needless to say that Philippines have claimed Sabah belonging to them. Undeniably, Sabah is so closely associated with sea gypsies, Sulu and Bajau that drawing a line is quite difficult.

Read interesting articles here, and look at maps here and here, and you will probably get some idea of what I am trying to say. The exodus of sea farers from Philippines to Borneo is amazing, worth migration books to tell the story. Suffice to say, that some of what I saw and captured on camera may perhaps give indication of this social pattern. Thank you for veiwing.

2008-03-09 10:40:06, ISO100, FL220mm

Gessle, flashlight, mehmetemin, gracious, danos, MLINES, gunbud, dareco, shevchenko, ls7902, hispic, patdeph, elendim, zeca, jafadabret, pablominto, Bluejeans, jusninasirun, Charo, npecanhuk, ElAprendiz, noborders, robob, KevRyan has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

mark_mk (246) 2008-09-28 7:34

Hi Bill,
great shot with such a strong expression. Wonderful framing and excellent sharpness, great work, many thanks for sharing!

Have a nice sudnay
Mark

Gessle (70) 2008-09-28 7:34

Hej Bill!
A great picture!
And very reflexive note.
Good POV and I like the composition.
Good job - Anna

flashlight (579) 2008-09-28 7:41

This is in the pure essence of TE. Very good quality
Thanks

mafegan (3949) 2008-09-28 8:01

Hello Bill
Your photo and words tell of this girl's past and her present and hopefully she has a good future. Your title and the content of the photo are quite symbolic. Well composed. TFS, Marlene

afroditi (541) 2008-09-28 8:06

Hi Bill!
Very good composition of picture!beautiful picture and colours!
afroditi

siamesa (12359) 2008-09-28 8:10

Hi Bill,
That is a sad situation, illegal immigrants that try to have a better life in other places. We can't imagine what will happen with these children. That is a very important and informative note .
Regards
Maria

mauro61 (14528) 2008-09-28 8:18

ciao Bill,
una bella immagine ed un titolo molto significativo.
Bravo a cogliere questo momento.
un saluto
maurizio

gracious (20017) 2008-09-28 10:02

Hello Lau,
Nice to see a shot from Sandakan!
thanks for the informative notes update of the place with a good image!
good pov on the floating bridge with the girl easily walking through it!
many thanks for the sharing
take care and my sincere regards
Tony

goodwill (4029) 2008-09-28 11:02

The creation on Earth is meaningful and there is a big bain with wisdom and love behind it.............so her future must be bright.
Notes are more powerful then your shot.

Rajeev

Kielia (8159) 2008-09-28 11:11

Hi Bill,
thanks for sharing this meaningful composition. I fully agree to Rajeev!
Warm regards
Harriet

danos (31562) 2008-09-28 11:39

Hello Bill,
nice the snapshot of this poor girl in this slum quarter.I don't know about her future seeing the wooden floating jetty that she walks on.Informative your note as the links that you mention.Well done.

Regards,danos

MLINES (10824) 2008-09-28 19:13

Hi Bill, Ideal for TE as it shows a way of life so different most of us are used to seeing. Good POV and colours are excellent. TFS. Murray

gunbud (27515) 2008-09-28 19:48

Hi Bill,
Very thoughtful shot of this young landy negotiating the dangerous make shift bridge in her floating world.
Excellent thought provking message to along with the fine image.
Regards, Tom

dareco (17024) 2008-09-28 19:48

A very sad situation and you have captured this very well, the girl appears very sad judging by her expression and body language. My heart goes out to them. TFS

shevchenko (9724) 2008-09-28 20:15

Hello Bill,
Long long times ago, Sabah really belong to Philippines, before west forces reach here and begin of colonial period. Her clothers seem new but the background houses on the water were broken, she walk easy on the bridge, always hard for me to keep balancing walking on a floating bridge, distinct image, good shoot.
Ally

ls7902 (5996) 2008-09-28 21:01

Hello Bill,
Menarik sekali. Bingkai putih besar nampak kemas. Sama sama raya dan cuti pada kamu. Greetings. Latiff.

hispic (7399) 2008-09-29 2:26

Hi Bill,
Beautiful but it makes us think about various things. You have captured the girl living in the bad environment with your gentle gaze. The color is rendered very beautifully.
Best wishes, Hisashi

mehmetemin (7217) 2008-09-29 6:39

Hi Bill
Good composition! Very nice colors and lights!
Best regards
Mehmet Emin

dumbo (4288) 2008-09-29 7:05

Hi Bill,
Nice daily life photo with great composition and good subject. I like that little girl walking on a narrow floating bridge although I feel a bit sad after reading your note.
Great photo and good story to tell.

Warm regards,
Eino

patdeph (17370) 2008-09-29 7:24

hello Bill
first,thank you for your very instructive note!And congratulation for the choice of this beautiful picture to illustrate it!Thus,we can imagine easily what is their life!I like the construction of this picture with the floting bridge crossing the picture in diagonal,and I like the perfect place of the girl!She seems to have a sad expression,like if she was conscious of her precarious situation, but I don't think that children really think of this!The colours are very nice!
Kind regards
Pascale

elendim (1677) 2008-09-29 9:12

Hello Bill!Very good job,I can't say anything else!
Thanks for the informative notes,it's very important!

Regards,
Elena!

zeca (20024) 2008-09-29 9:42

Hi Bill!
Very good registry. I like the framing and the details are very nice. Thanks for the nice note.
Regards,
Zeca

jafadabret (38881) 2008-09-29 10:31

Bonjour Bill.
Cette photo en dit plus qu'un long discours sur les conditions de vie de ces gens qui sont contraints de s'exiler pour vivre. Cette photo reportage est très bien faite, elle montre cette jeune fille triste dans un environnement qui n'a rien d'exaltant.
Amicalement,
Jacques

marietom (31766) 2008-09-29 13:02

hello Bill,

Je ne sais pas, si, comme cette jeune fille, je serais passée sur ce pont... superbe image, et joli titre.
Bonne soirée
Marie

pally3100 (3073) 2008-09-29 13:21

hello trekks
a good shoot well framed , good point of view of this prt of way of life i like very much the human charactere Friendly Henri

Miha2ou7 (4887) 2008-09-30 15:02

Hey Bill,

A poignant photo, shown with your usual precision, both in technical, as well as thematic sense. What can I say - a photo that touches. Nothing extra to add. :)

Best regards.

Bluejeans (31479) 2008-10-01 5:26

Ola Bill ,
Nossa que foto dramática esta criança a caminhar sobre esta ponte flutuante de madeira , e pena existirem lugares assim no mundo de hoje , gostei muito das cores e dos reflexos ,parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

kevinos (6871) 2008-10-01 6:21

A nicely composed image, Bill, and one that tells a story. Your note is good too. Regards Kevin

BoisBarb (9021) 2008-10-01 8:30

Un beau cadrage qui prolonge élégamment ce "pont" à travers l'image. La pdc met parfaitement en valeur le personnage
BoisBarb

jusninasirun (10030) 2008-10-01 8:55

Hello Bill. I like the notes written and the framing of this shot. Very good perspective with this floating bridge and the girl is well placed in the frame. Very good exposure and perfectly metered shot to show the depth of the composition. Regards and have a long weekend. Jusni

Charo (31651) 2008-10-02 16:12

Hello Bill,
Very good, making it teaches us a part of a humble neighborhood and that girl who seems reflexive circumventing the osbtáculos.
Excellent definition and composition.
Best regards,
Charo

ElAprendiz (7370) 2008-10-02 18:09

Hello Bill:

Thanks for visiting my gallery and let me know yours.

Before I would say that between Panama and Colombia there are no access roads civilized, given that there are half a lush jungle known as "cap Darien"

This photo is very striking in terms of composition and framing.

I like the attitude of care that keeps the child when crossing the tables on the water. Good handling of light and adequate shade, something sad.

A small sample of the difficult situations that many people live. Thanks for sharing.

John

noborders (14215) 2008-10-03 0:39

It's a nice photo, but not so positive... Still, we need to know this too - we can see the same in Malaysia-peninsula, also in some places in Thailand (and of course in Indonesia) - your photo is touching me because her balance seems so precarious, yet she is probably used to this and I am sure that she can swim...

Your note is certainly very useful too !
Best,
Cath.

npecanhuk (12947) 2008-10-03 7:39

Hi Bill!
It's an excellent quality picture with a meaning, which I like very much!
I specially like the zoom in the small area, the hightlight of the girl (the main object), with perfect sharpness, so we can see tiny details and by doing so, we feel as if we were there, sharing that moment with her!
Congratulations!
Best regards,
Neyvan

robob (3640) 2008-10-04 7:59

Hello Bill,
C’est une image qui illustre très bien les difficultés de vie de certaines personnes !
En tout cas, photographiquement c’est une très grande réussite !
Le cadrage est super !
Au plaisir Bill,
Robert

MarcT (20981) 2008-10-05 11:03

Hi Bill,
Nice little girl contrasting with that floating wood bridge.
Good light and placement.
BW
Marc

saigon (5444) 2008-10-07 4:19

bonjour BIL.
j'aimerais etre a la place de cette jeune fille sur ce pont extraordinaire!
amitiés....aldo.

jmdias (18683) 2008-10-09 16:55

bill

my tittle would be "the queen of Sabah",, very nice image, show us the fragility of the things in her day life and the strong of her life againnst reality, very nice work

hugs

jorge

fanni (8709) 2008-10-22 4:49

Hello Bill,
a good note to accompany a very good photo! the "bridge" and the girl looks symbolic. Very good composition! good POV.
Well, we all go somewhere... along an invisible bridge, towards our uncertain future, no matter how sure we may be that we know all about our future and our remote plans.
best regards,
Elena

KevRyan (22297) 2008-12-10 9:47

It's great to see so much thought behind or generated by a picture - I like your composition here and the obviously thoughtful and self absorbed way in which the girl traverses the rickety bridge. Thank you for all that wealth of back ground information.

best wishes KEv

wolf38 (12475) 2009-01-18 1:53

Hello Bill. The photo pleases me. It is arranged very affectionate and alive. Exemplary text. Best regards, Wolfgang.