Childhood Photo | TrekEarth

Photographer’s Note

It is quit inevitable to come back from Laos without any child portraits.

The number of children running around in the rural villages is a striking observation.
They are most often walking hand in hand with poverty.

With not much more than rice and green vegetables, when the right season is there, the most rural areas lack so much nutrition to bring up a child in acceptable conditions. Fruit is as much a luxury than it is a necessity and milk is if possible even scarcer, or bluntly non existent.

It is heartbreaking to walk along the earth beaten tracks of the villages, breathing in the poor life conditions that keep sticking to your skin like a tick.

Although a smile is never far away when you approach the children, there is an ever lingering sadness that simply doesn't belong.

Young Akha boy in a poor village in the area around Muang Sing, close to the Chinese border. This is the original image, no cropping.

nikosrio, bombilla, dareco, Floydian, Dpbours, BennyV, fabio_ts, Mistral has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

faubry (32281) 2008-05-14 0:20

bonjour sabine, très beau close up portrait, j aime beaucoup l'expression de ce petit enfant,avec l'esquisse d'un timide sourire...
passe une bonne journée
francine

nikosrio (1048) 2008-05-14 0:21

Hello Sabine,
Excellent portrait,i dont have much to say,the eyes of the child and the note says everything.Thanks for sharing,
regards,
Nikos.

jasmis (50298) 2008-05-14 0:22

Welcome after long break.
Fine portrait. Superb eyes. Amazing model.

Regards!

bombilla (3402) 2008-05-14 0:40

Arresting portrait. Tender. Great contact between you two. The sadness, as you say, is there, palpable. A strong composition. You might have tried a slightly shorter depth of field, but perhaps your lens does not allow it. You seem to have a spot, on the sensor or on the lens or filter, near the boy's left ear -- easily cloned out. Best, -Hugh

dareco (17104) 2008-05-14 0:46

A very beautiful picture of this very sweet little guy! Your note is SO TRUE! You have said it well. I must add this to my theme. Well done! TFS

Floydian (30970) 2008-05-14 5:03

Dag Sabine,
Lang geleden alweer dat we je gezien hebben. Maar dat je dan toch iedere keer weer terug komt om ons mooie platen te brengen vind ik prachtig om te zien. Deze close-up vind ik erg mooi in compositie (mooi links in het beeld gezet) en kleur. Maar vooral de blik van jongen doet hier wonderen, schitterend en heel erg puur gefotografeerd....
Groetjes, henk
p.s.
Zoals Hugh al typt, er zit naast zijn oor een vlekje.

Dpbours (220) 2008-05-14 5:06

Hi Sabine,

Ah, this one is from your latest Laos trip. Some time ago I read it on your intro page and now I remember it again.
I'm always a sucker for horizontal layout portraits. Very nice. And tightly composed. Something I appreciate as well. Laos, the children's portrait country ;-).

Greetings!
Dennis

BennyV (4663) 2008-05-14 5:13

Dag Sabine,

Een prachtig portret met mooie zachte kleuren. Deze zomer ben ik zelf even in Laos, we kijken ernaar uit...en nu duik ik je gallerij in. Vreemd dat ik die pas nu ontdek, want op eerste zicht zijn dit het soort foto's die ik zelf ook wil maken. Groetjes uit België.

Benny

fabio_ts (13674) 2008-05-14 7:41

Lovely work Sabine, it remind to me the pictures of Steve McCurry, (what a compliment... :o) )
absolutely well composed, great use of light and shallow DOF, but, especially you have captured his look in a wonderful way, BRAVA+++

ciao,
Fabio.

Mistral (13694) 2008-06-18 14:45

Welcome back Sabine!
Well framed and good timing for this beautiful sight on a tight portrait.
A pleasure to see your image and read you back!
A smile
Luca

everlasting (10898) 2008-11-22 4:39

I seem to have missed this series completely, but time to put that right.
Beautiful tight crop of this young lad, the background colours compliment his skin.