With one foot still in Middle Ages, a photo from Mardin, Southern East Anatolia

Photographer's Note

Rising steeply over the mesopotamian plains, Mardin is a beautiful town that sometimes looks like an open air museum.

Fascinating architecture consisting of heavily decorated stonework cascading from the hilltop, with most buildings using the beige colored limestone rock which has been mined for centuries in quarries around the area.

As you may have noticed, the subject was backlit and his face would have been difficult to get details from, but thanks to the mattress he was transporting on his donkey, the light was reflected, bouncing back on the pale surface.

A lucky shot with only a few seconds to manage the settings and to frame, as I heard the donkey approaching at the last moment.

jjcordier, chrislo, Glint, tyro has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

jjcordier (63016) 2013-02-15 23:55

André
Comme tu le soulignes, cette image semble avoir traversé le temps. Une photo de très belle qualité où tu as su habilement jouer avec la lumière et la profondeur de champ et obtenu une mise au point parfaite sur ton attrayant sujet.
Amitiés
JJ

mesutilgim (68556) 2013-02-15 23:58

Hello Andre,
What an amazing capture from my homecountry.
Mardin is really one of the most fascinating cities in southeast Turkey. City of many legened and biblical stories.
This man on top of his donkey has gotten such a beautiful light on his face !
Very nice compo.
TFS and have a nice weekend
MESUT ILGIM

chrislo (2179) 2013-02-16 0:57

Bonjour André,
Jolie scène de la vie quotidienne, simple, bien composée, avec un parfait cadrage de cet homme, tranquillement installé sur son âne, et qui nous fixe droit dans les yeux. La photo est très belle, jusque dans les moindres détails, tant au niveau des couleurs que de la justesse de la lumière. Une image qui donne l'impression que la vie s'écoule à un rythme plus doux, loin du stress que l'on peut ressentir dans les grandes villes européennes.
Merci pour le partage et bonne journée.
Christian

sandpiper (6093) 2013-02-16 2:57

Hi Andre

Fantastic daily life shot, indeed you can find a great mix of time and culture in beautiful Turkey.Great composition

Chris

yquem46 (32815) 2013-02-16 5:24

hello André
un contre jour parfaitement réussi et une bonne image de scène de rue bien typique des villages d'Anatolie
Bien vu bien sûr le parfait cadrage avec l'inclusion de l'ombre de l'âne
Bon WE, amitiés
Patrick

Glint (5575) 2013-02-16 13:37

Hello Andre,
a well exposed shot with perfect dof.Well composed too with the donkey and rider well positioned in the frame.The shadow too helps give dof.Good eye contact with your subject.
Bev

tyro (13557) 2013-02-16 16:36

Hello André,

I am very impressed by your note - how wonderful to have managed to use a "built in" reflector to add light to the face of this man who, of course, has been photographed "contre jour" on his donkey.

You have caught the moment very well and also, of course, the ambience of this old town - a slow pace of life as the rather doleful looking donkey slowly plods its way down the cobbled street.

Well done to get your camera set up in such a short time. The composition is excellent, the light and colours superb and the details and sharpness exquisite.

Fabulous!

Kind Regards,

John.

emka (58944) 2013-02-17 0:01

Hi Andre,

for me, the view of donkey is always so heart warming. look at him, so heavy burden to carry and the people say he is stupid and stubborn. marvelous composition, the diagonal of the road leads the sight nicely. beautiful pic.

Warm regrads

Malgo

ktanska (21629) 2013-02-17 8:17

Hi Andre,
Impressive backlight shot, You got the exposure right. The donkey has quite special looking load. Good that you caught the attention of the rider.

akm (1216) 2013-02-20 19:50

A very lucky shot indeed -- and a skilful one. I like the way your image is both an engaging portrait and beautifully composed shorthand record of a place and time.

rbassin (11371) 2013-02-23 13:29

bonsoir André
On a l'impression que le temps s'est arrêté,
une scène vue sous une belle lumière, belle attitude de l'homme sur son ane.
Bon W-E
Roland

batalay (32930) 2013-02-24 4:17

Hello André,

The light management is excellent. The composition is perfect, and you certainly have the rider's attention. Although I am primarily a scientist, I also do art, and over three decades ago, I had produced a drawing Father and child on a donkey, highly evocative of your photo. Mine was set in the Old City part of Jerusalem.

Warm regards,

Bulent