Contrasts... Photo

Photographer’s Note

I'm not going to discuss the problems Ecuador has since I know far to less to judge or talk about faults happening here. All I do is show the different side. When people come to Quito they are amazed by the skyscrapers, the BMWs and the huge houses on the slopes of Pichincha. Somehow it seems easy to ignore what else "Ecuador" means. Eventhough the country has oil, has ressources and exports a lot there are major problems.
This boy walked alone on a mainroad in Quito crying his hand held on his stomach. He is hungry! Behind him you can see one of the SUVs with a rich owner. These rich people could maybe change something, maybe they couldn't...
I don't want to start judging!

Tone, Buin, leo61, lukas, adam_k has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Buin (37634) 2006-08-20 8:27

Hallo Andreas!
Ein wunderschönes Foto, aber auch ein nachdenklich machendes...vor allem die Pulloveraufschrift gibt zu denken!
Hoffentlich wird aus diesem "Kurzen" ein gesunder Großer...
Aber Du wirst sehen, dies wird die meisten TE-ler kaum interessieren, denn da geht's mehr um POVs, light-conditions, cropping und Fotos technisch zu überzüchten...obwohl wir doch mehr über diese Welt lernen sollen. Motto: Augen zu - und durch! Zum Kotzen! Mal sehen, ob ich eines Besseren belehrt werde.
Mach's gut, bis bald!
Papa

leo61 (43398) 2006-08-20 8:48

Hallo Andreas!
Wie Dein Vater schon schrieb,es ist schade daß sich die meisten TE Mitglieder nur für die schönen Seiten dieser Welt interssieren und Ihre kritken und smiles dort ablassen.
Dabei hätte diese verloren zuscheinende,traurige Getsalt jede Menge an Zuspruch verdient.Ich war nicht in Ecuador aber Dein Bild hat für mich Symbolcharacter für die armen Länder dieses Kontinents.Dabei müssten die meisten Länder dort nicht arm sein,wenn das Geld dort besser verteilt wäre.
Gute Komposition mit der Luxuskarosse als Hintergrund.Ein sehr emotionales,nachdenkliches Bild.
Gruß,Andreas

cobraphil8 (11652) 2006-08-21 12:07

Hi Andreas,
Following the message of your father in the forum, I discover your gallery...
This boy resembles much those which one can see in Peru, they get dressed like American, perhaps that tourists left him clothing?

And on the level of the problems of Ecuador, I do not know enough about the facts to give an opinion.

So long and I will look closely your next publications.

Regards
Philippe

WesternDrake (656) 2006-08-21 13:05

Hi Andreas!

I also read your father's message in the Forums. I live in the Dominican Republic, which happens to be also a country of big contrasts. I understand pretty well this image, as I see similar scenes like this everyday in the streets of Santo Domingo or any other city.

As I wrote yesterday in a picture by TrekEarth member Aralda, which depicted an old caucasian woman begging in the streets of a city in Romania, poverty surely has no skin color, nor has age, nor sex. Poverty is everywhere. Of course, we should not accept it as that and do nothing, but for sure this hungry little boy from Ecuador and that old female beggar from Romania (as well as many of the Haitian mothers-and-childs that beg in my city, as you can see in one of my recent posts) share the same misfortune: Lack of opportunities!

As for your shot, it really speaks a sad story. This boy's face express so much need and his clothes tells a lot of suffering. You managed to capture a very emotive shot.

Thanks for sharing, and keep posting.

[2]

eversweb (18) 2006-08-21 20:45

I also saw the thread from your father. Looking at your picture, one can not help feel for the subject of your picture. His expression and the way he is holding his tummy, the logo on his sweater "USA" and the expensive car behind really tell a story in itself. Thanks for sharing.

Lynette (1615) 2006-08-22 3:45

Hi Andreas,
Following the message of your father in the forum, I found your gallery...This boy resembles many kids which can also be seen here in SA. This image is very emotional and speaks a sad story.
tfs and see you on TE.

adam_k (596) 2006-08-22 4:07

This happens in the bigger part of the world... in Africa it's even worse...
I hope you gave him something to eat...

lukas (2027) 2006-08-22 4:08

Andreas

Impressive shot of this little poor boy!
It shows a different and black side of our world, very sad! Maybe you can show us more of this so that we get our eyes open!

Luc

Polonaise (5636) 2006-08-22 13:55

Follow the thread from Forums...
------------------------
Is he hungry?
Did you buy him a sandwich or something to eat?
Did you contact his parents and tell them their son is hungry?
His parents are THE ONLY PEOPLE IN THE WHOLE, ENTIRE WORLD that are responsible for him.
The kid looks pretty well fed and nicely (but filthy, true!!) dressed. Stomach problems from over indulging into some snacks, perhaps?
The 'USA' on his dirty (where is his mom?) sweater is very symbolic. But of course the USA is responsible for the misery of this 'starving' kid (and every other starving kid all over the world as a matter of fact).
And tell me please, Andreas: How old are you, again?

fijiphil (1343) 2006-08-23 8:40

You sure are getting a lot of grief on this, Andreas. You aren't doing yourself any favours with your aggressive stance though. Polonaise - save the politics, mate, and concentrate on the photography.

Let me critique the photo... that is what we are supposed to be here for, isn't it?

As many have said, it isn't a great photo. It's not a lousy photo either, though. Somehow it lacks impact. Maybe the SUV is too dominating in the background there, it doesn't give the rest of the photo much room to breathe. The photo ends up being two dimensional - the kid, the SUV... and nothing else. Maybe you could have tried throwing it out of focus with a smaller aperture, but it wouldn't have helped much. I think the boy's position in the frame is also not the best. Normal wisdom says your subject should be off centre, not in the middle, but for me it would have worked better here had you placed him centrally, maybe because the background is so dominated by that SUV and thereby so two dimensional.

Also, and this bothers me the most, is the fact that you tell us he was starving - and maybe he was, I have no idea - but he just doesn't look starving. He looks a little overweight if anything. He looks like a kid who's crying cos his mum won't buy him a Big Mac, rather than a kid who has nothing to eat. Now I could very well be wrong, but if I am that isn't important. What is important is that, through the photo alone, you haven't convinced me that this kid is starving, so I don't get connected emotionally to him. It is possible to capture poverty in a shocking (if that was your intention) but still emotionally engaging way, but you haven't pulled it off here I'm afraid. Check out the work of Maciekda, see how he connects us to his subjects, learn from it, then take some cracking photos in South America before you come home, and become a better photographer for it. That's why we're here, isn't it?

paulw (2014) 2006-08-23 11:15 [Comment]

Show Comment

westernisles (736) 2006-09-11 13:20

Hi Andreas,
very nice shot.
Compo is really good, i like it so much!!!!
TFS
Christian

rbcy1974 (20742) 2006-09-21 11:05

Hello Andreas
As a native peruvian I cannot help but give my two cents worth (as Peru and Ecuador are similar culturaly and economically speaking):

You talk about "grinding poverty" and a "hungry child". You talk about rich and poor, about skyscrapers and huge houses.

I am personally tired of hearing people generalize about latin america as if it was some kind of binary society where people are either stinking rich or miserably poor.

I would suggest while you are there that you go on a cultural expedition to find how the normal popular classes live. THe average person there lives in a house made out of brick in a city with electricity. Sure its not a pretty house, and sure they have to work hard to get ahead, but it is light years away from the poverty that I saw in Ethiopia for example. The kid does not look starving to me btw.

Photographiclaly speaking, it the photo lacks impact. Maybe taking it horizontally and placing the child on the lower corner of the car would have made him look smaller comapred to the car. Otherwise you should increase contrasts and who knows, turning it into black and white might help.
Regards
Daniel

branley (3681) 2006-09-28 9:09

Hi,

a good shot Andreas but not a great one. Sights like this, sadly, are not just confined to Ecuador or under developed countries. Poverty and hunger exsist all over the planet. A sad photograph but I'm pleased you posted it.

Regards

Stephen