Well-Earned Refreshment Photo

Photographer’s Note

After a night camping in the desert, our group stopped at a mineral bath on the outskirts of the oasis of Farafra, near the center of Egypt, for a chance to get clean. Pumps bring up water from the underground aquifer and pour it into the pool; the excess then drains off into irrigation channels.

After bathing we went inside the adjacent hut for lunch. We emerged to find a large herd of camels plodding across the desert in our direction. On arrival they went directly to our bathing pool to satisfy their thirst, watched over by one of their minders standing in the bath.

I was glad we had done our bathing first.

Farafra is a town of about 4,000 people, one of the smaller oases in the region. From the location of this shot, if you turned around the opposite direction you would see not open desert but rather the green farms and date palm groves that surround the town, a few hundred meters away.

alainh, Sne011, adores, PixelTerror, hispic, Wanda1, Luko has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

DKarine (3852) 2008-08-19 10:02

Hi Ken,
Seen the number I would be afraid of be snatched by the current!!!
What a herd!! And no blonde!!
A refreshing image besides being funny!
Karine

maria (2712) 2008-08-19 10:07

Hi Ken,
Your note and Karine's comment are hilarious!
Unusual composition with precious natural colours. Love this superb capture.
Regards,
Maria

alainh (35341) 2008-08-19 10:28

hello Ken
neighbour of the day, but neighbour on our styles. a pleasure to discover the pllanet throught your pictures Ken. After Machu-Pichu, this incredible place of the desert. the magic water the gold of the sand. excelent timing and daily life. thanks a lot.
friendly
alain

scalerman (25607) 2008-08-19 13:05

Ken: a great composition... How did you manage your fine POV here? c

Sne011 (3091) 2008-08-19 14:23

Hello Ken,
Amazing scene, bunch of thirsty camels :) Colors are great, the color of the water is very strange...I can't wait to experience the desert!!
Great capture, TFS
Good night
Sneza

adores (15251) 2008-08-19 15:20

Hi Ken!
This is a really different shot of the desert! I like it, the pov and the row of camels drinking water. Good capture!

Polonaise (5625) 2008-08-19 17:26

Great scene, dear Ken...!
It's so NGO - it can't get any better than that...

Oh, well... The only better shot than this would be to stand next to the guy in the basin, and then...
FIRE !!!

And, I swear on the heads of my grandchildren - I'd do it...
What's the big deal..?
Taking my trousers off ( or not ?), go into the water and do my duty... errr.. I mean... Taking the pictures...

Timely moment, delightfully presented...

Love it tremendously...

g

...................

:-)))

mafegan (3949) 2008-08-19 19:34

Hello Ken
An unusual capture of camels stretched out to drink. The desert in the background helps to convey the atmosphere of this destination. TFS,Marlene

wolf38 (12475) 2008-08-19 23:05

Hello Ken. A photo worth seeing and a ideal picture for TE at the same time. Outstanding composes, natural colors. Outstanding. Best regards, Wolfgang.

Stepan (27167) 2008-08-19 23:07

Simply excellent. There is energy and impact in that compo. The pov is the best, to see it's not ending, rather beginning (with the other camels arriving). Very well done.
Stéphane

ktanska (16375) 2008-08-20 0:43

Hi Ken,
Big pool in the middle of a desert is surprising and surely welcome view. Good color contrast too between blue grey water and yellow brown sand. Amount of camels is impressive. This has feeling of adventure.
Kari

gary91 (15319) 2008-08-20 2:40

Hello Ken,
What a beautiful picture here... we just have the impression to be in the water with this guy.
Composition is just perfect and the natural rendering is magnificent.
Have a nice day.
Best regards, Christian

horatiuTT (4566) 2008-08-20 2:43

Hi Ken,
impressive image here,marvelous scene and great use of the
wide angle.Superb.
Horatiu

PixelTerror (85994) 2008-08-20 2:44

Hi Ken,
LOL a hilarious image, I guess this swimming pool is not exactly a place for shy people !!! Now I understand they meant it seriously when offering 30 camels for my wife ;-)
Have a nice day JY

hispic (7399) 2008-08-21 3:06

Hello Ken,
It's very thrilling to see that the camels of a lot of numbers come together. The look of a thrilling affair is really brought out well, with a wonderful composition in which a man is placed at a good position.
Have a nice day, Hisashi

lasscor (7623) 2008-08-21 12:13

Hi Ken,
Amazing Scenery.
Lovely camel composition with natural colours.
TFS,
Corinne

gaby (19793) 2008-08-21 15:05

A wonderful capture - this image is really fabulous - bravo
Best regards
Gay

brandstaetter (13606) 2008-08-22 6:46

Hi Ken,
a scene like out of a geographic magazine, certainly worth to be published.. again amazing contrasts: water and desert, man and animals...
Compliments, chris

jmdias (18683) 2008-08-22 17:38

ken

I guess this is a kind of recyclage.. beautiful image, showing a very interesting subject for us. Very nice pov, light and colors

hugs

jorge

MarcT (20981) 2008-08-23 1:39

Hi Ken,
That's a superb picture with an excellent use of your WA lens. Funny to know that you bathed in their drink water :-))
Cheers
Marc

eversmile (5930) 2008-08-24 8:50

Excellent and unusual view on the desert life, Ken! The composition is very good, and the position of the guy watching the camels attracts irresistibly our look towards the horizon. Well done!
Regards,
Marine

testmaniac (11832) 2008-08-29 10:55

WOW!!! Hi Ken, this what is say great photo! I like it very much! Something very special for me!

TFS

Phil

Wanda1 (10854) 2008-09-14 10:13

Hi Ken,
I think that this is a fantastic scene to have been able to capture, I don't think one sees that everyday! Nice point of view and great depth too.
Regards
Wanda

Luko (13880) 2008-09-21 6:43

Masterpiece (apart from the fancy brown frame around the pic).
It looks like you were hesitationg between two different styles of images in your Egyptian stay : engaging (to me) true life photojournalist shots, like this one or "the deal" and static landscapes.
I think the first ones were more powerful even though you might have had less feedack.

noborders (14215) 2008-09-23 5:42

A very fine view ! I like your elevated position that allows us to see all the camels at the back and a good part of the desert - the pool looks so inviting with its clear water - an original view and subject, great !
Best regards,
Cath.

sengir (4946) 2008-10-10 4:43

this is really good, compo is great, and it's more than typical "egyptian" shot.