Muzaffarabad - destroyed city

Critiques [Translate]

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• avis2avis (4087)
• [2006-06-01 6:39]

Bit cliched now but I still like these "half-head" shots. Must say that's quite a disaster area.

More power to your camera for getting us these great shots from around the world. :)

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• Furachan (0)
• [2006-06-01 7:02]

Remarkable, Maciej - the eyes go straight for the boy's cropped head on the lower left, mesmerizing compo, powerful, precise.
This is great reportage!
Francis

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• Luko (13673)
• [2006-06-01 7:23]
• [8]

There's a thing I just can't understand : Why is the focus limited to the foreground wall???

I can't see more than two answers :

1- this is a reportage photo, and as a reportage photo, you should focus on what is important, the earthquake consequences. therefore you should have focused on the background

2- this is an "arty" photo.. well, I can't believe you can make art for art sake photos on such a drama.

Really Maciek, I find this one twisted and "unnatural" in the way the out of focus trick appears more like a technical feature than a message... For me, first is the sense, then are the tricks, not the other way around.

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• aravind_phd (237)
• [2006-06-01 9:07]
• [2]

I totally agree with Luko about this shot.. the focus on the boy is cool but, the crop not including the whole face is dramatic..

Thanks for sharing,
Aravind

Yeah.. Nobody will tell you that you note and the photograph doesn't go together!

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• sarhanp (122)
• [2006-06-01 11:37]

Hello Dear Maciej, I really appreciate your photos. This one really a masterpiece. I can see the desperation, sadness and fear from his eyes. And what a strong effect to crop the boy's face.

Congrats,

Sarhan.

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• mopinia (153)
• [2006-06-01 12:31]

Hello Maciej,
What a striking picture! The image becomes stronger the more you stare into the eyes of this child. If you crop just the bottom quarter of the picture only showing the kid's face and bottom of the road, you have no idea what this kid is thinking of. Is it a look of frustration? Sadness? Hopelessness? Just a blank stare? Then you zoom back to expose the rest of the picture and now you understand the emotions in his eyes. Whew! This is a very strong image. Thanks for sharing.
- Mike O.

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• bboss (3512)
• [2006-06-01 17:07]

I find this a powerful and moving photo. I like the way you have focused on the boys eyes, leaving the background out of focus...it adds I think, and makes me feel that the thing of real importance is the boy, and the destruction of the property is only secondary - the human tragedy is paramount.
cheers, David

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• kensimage (7590)
• [2006-06-02 3:01]
• [2]

I disagree with Luko about the focus. For me, it puts the emphasis on not the destruction itself but rather the boy's experience of the destruction. That does not make it overly arty, or exploitative. It reminds us that the rubble is not just bricks, it is people's lives. Regards, Ken.

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• jinju (14241)
• [2006-06-02 3:31]

I guess nobody will tell you that you didnt show earthquake damage:)

This shot was a surprise. I didnt notice the head in the thumbail and I was actually quite disappointed by what I thought I was goinf to see. But the crop is so dramatic, and so on point that it sets the mood and takes the devastation in the back and brings it to a human level. You are trying some funky crops now Maciek, I really enjoy that.

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• dolin (15647)
• [2006-06-02 6:14]
• [+]

Hi Maciej.
Encore un cadrage très osé, une photo reportage superbement construite.
J'adore ce cadrage, qu'elle claque !
Pas grand chose à te dire, moi je trouve ca super fort et touchant.
Bien joué
Dolin

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• fixed (3825)
• [2006-06-02 6:34]

hi Maciej
interresting shot from Muzaffarabad ... and very impressive ! ... sooo bad :(
I'm a little bit agree with Luko about DOF and concept about this journalistic photo ...
impressive one
thanks
Arnaud

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• ramesh_lalwani (3193)
• [2006-06-02 10:27]

Hi Maciej
Sad reminder of earth quake boy inset looks really sad.I witnessed similar scenes in Kuttch in 2000 Jan.TFS
Ramesh

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• AnimeshRay (8743)
• [2006-06-02 21:41]

stylistically and iin journalistic quality, this is quite striking photo. The deliberate focus on this pair of dark 'unseeing' eyes against the backdrop of utter destruction is admirable. Where it suffers, IMHO, is in its lack of sufficient dof to keep the ruinous background also in sharp focus.

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• euryan (7760)
• [2006-06-03 3:06]

When it comes to the DOF, I agree with Ken here. I think the background is clear enough to show the damage, but out of focus enough to draw our attention to the boy’s eyes, and that's where the real story lies. His gaze is so distant, so withdrawn, we get a sense of how the earthquake has effected the lives of the people. This is a great documentary photo.

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• wanna_yu (0)
• [2006-07-26 19:34]

Hello Maciej,
this is one of those photos which remind us how powerfull and angry nature could be. Excellent focus and boy's eye expresion. Very well captured.

Regards
Ivana

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• s10001in (1454)
• [2006-08-07 21:09]

Maciej,

I am agrre with Commnets from Francis.
This is really great shot with nice crop.

shot very near to reality.
Very strong shot.
-Shailendra

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• scalerman (21357)
• [2006-09-06 20:11]

Maciej, some nice additions to your portfolio, never ceasing to be creative. regards, c

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• xavis (2794)
• [2007-11-12 5:13]

Hola,
I find this picture interesting as a photojournalism picture, and is quiet interesting your composition with the boy in front, and the ruins in the background.

Just a question: Do you know James Nachtwey?
See his gallery if you have the time.

Best regards,

Javier