old silk Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

silk factory, inle lake: no matter how old some people get, they have to keep working their entire lives

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Critiques | Translate

clodreno (0) 2004-12-09 7:46

Nice image Sohrab. love those posters on the wall.
I guess we did visit the same places.. I love the floors insided those factories.
I used to weave when I was... your age, the "babacool" period we I even had a shop where i sold my production...When I think about it right now, it seem like another life..That's why I always shoot weavers when travelling.
Take care

Bogdan (1641) 2004-12-09 7:59

Hey...i do like it, do like the colours, and belive that the posters give it an extra hand at artistic impact. But there is something that could be done better...the angle...you could have shot it from a greater distance..couldn't you?
Anyway, to learn from as usual,
Bogdan.

maciekda (19599) 2004-12-09 8:39

very nice image Sohrab, colors are superb - this brown... very nice compo, great wall behind the woman, very interesting picture, I like it much.
i have to visit Myanmar...

kourosh (2368) 2004-12-09 10:57

Hi Sohrab. nice work. good management of the light. well done.

Spoony (3539) 2004-12-09 11:14

It´s a very rich composition. So much great elements and details. Very nice capture.
Colors and light are perfect here.

scalerman (25787) 2004-12-09 11:44

lot's of detail, and the motion helps the shot too. film I think? anyway, deep colors and nice compo.

flydragon (0) 2004-12-09 12:59

hmm Sohrab
nice place i love the wood
it warm
but for me not your best pics
,o)
••simon•••

kinginexile (2440) 2004-12-09 13:55

Talking about me, Sohrab? :-(....:-)!
Again, an explicit image, with the leaning stance of the old lady conveying indeed a sense of a life spent working.
She also reminds me of the stringed movements of burmese puppet theater.

alford (3897) 2004-12-09 22:10

Nice daily life scene, Sohrab! I'm always fascinated with weavers, they skillfully produce fine silk or products from simple materials. The posters in the pic add some color and modern touch to the pic, but I prefer not to have them there, since it will give you that 'older' feeling. Great shot! rgds.

nygus (8077) 2004-12-10 5:32

I know the place. Maybe I will post sth from there, but sure this one rules. One can see big advantage of film here over digital.

MKING (3050) 2004-12-10 8:34

I agree with what Simon has said to you already-- wrong focal length chosen here I think. I don't mind the posters and machines cluttering the frame since they're part of who she is and what she does; to not have them would be to not tell some of her story. But there's too much empty space in the corner and the flat on view just doesn't quite carry this one through.

Also you've tilted the lens down a little-- sometimes it works but it doesn't work here for me in this horizontal example since rather than leading from point A to B within a frame, it just seems like you're glancing down on her from standing height.

This sort of composition works on the street photography for some reason; probably because this is how most people see one another as they brush past on the footpath, glances from standing height. (There's also no time to be choosy).
In an intimate portrait-- one has more time and freedom to take a particular perspective other than the hasty brush-past.

On the plus side, great exposure. I've developed a great fondness for the interplay between shadows and brightness and you've worked the balance between the two extraordinarily well here.

Kicka (0) 2004-12-10 13:38

Nice scene with a lot of intresting details in the frame. Like the light and the colors.
The lady seems kind of tiered or even a little sad.

michel_r (1114) 2004-12-11 5:20

Nice colors, i like very much these posters. However not your best imo, strange compo, too centered with empty space on the right?
regards, michel.

RGatward (19749) 2004-12-13 14:24

A great subject here, and very well caught. This looks it might one of those living museums, but I guess from Myanmar, and from your note, that this is real. Great pose she has.

Eugene (969) 2004-12-13 15:14

The posters are a nice contrast with the elder lady. That's what the picture tells. Sharpness good and bright colors. Greetings, Eugene

joseelias (367) 2004-12-16 9:02

There's a lot of controversy around this one! ;-)

Personally I like it, although at the same time it does lack a bit the message you're trying to transmit in your note.

Technically I like the photo because it's a succesful centered composition. The fact that the woman is framed by the two machines help us focus on her but also because of the posters behind her. They form an inverted triangle pointing to her and I like that. The colors and light are very nice.

In the emotional side I must say that the contrast of the young models and the environment they are in the posters against her age, pose and surroundings is very significant. Maybe they are a bit bright and saturated thus distract a little but not enough for me. A balance in PP could correct this point.

Yet I can't say I feel "pitty" immediatly for her when looking at this photo. Only after some analysis and intelectualization I capture the whole sad scene. The neat place and warm colors create a warm and confortable atmosphere for example.

But not only, and here is where you have no fault. It's becoming so common to see old people from Asia working that I feel people start to become insensitive! People are starting to look at it as natural and common that that happens in those places that don't realize people work until that age because they have no option!!! Only by showing more and more degradating images people realize this type of tragedy. And this is not nice.

bfly (5737) 2004-12-23 10:03

hi Sohrab,
came back and landed on a quite non-sohrabi picture..will see the others I missed later..
I was going to ask two things, but bogdan and MKING already did and I have my answers:)
excellant colors..
I miss India..
fusun