---- I ---- I ---- Photo

Photographer’s Note

2 teams were trainning for the anual boat race in the Mekong river that was going to happen the next day.

These races were part of the Festival of Lights and two nights after this shot, this part of the river was filled with large floats festooned with lights.
What at first glance may seem to be a mere sporting event is actually rooted in ancient beliefs that predate Buddhism in Laos. To this day, many lowland Lao believe that the Mekong and other local waterways are the abode of naga, serpent-like creatures that leave the river during the rainy season and inhabit the flooded paddy fields. The boat races, held near the end of the rainy season, seek to lure the naga out of the fields and back into the rivers, so that ploughing may begin.

In the next day the festive mood was big and noisy, with exciting crowds screaming for their teams, but at the time of this shot, there was a peaceful atmosphere with the boats disapearing in the misty distance.

Henryk_Bilor, fabio_ts, japiey, savask, Photo65Net, pasternak, flory, John_F_Kennedy, Tue, feather, paura, bostankorkulugu, manatee, lucasgalodoido, pablominto, AiresSantos, sacavem, Cricri, Didi, bakes888, stego, Rosa, xuaxo, zeynepe, Rosa_d_MonteLua, Floydian, luisafonso, josepmarin, JCG, Bluejeans, Amaz has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

fabio_ts (13674) 2008-03-19 3:03

Funny title for a nice picture Ricardo, well composed, bravo!!

have a nice day,
Fabio.

bwiti (402) 2008-03-19 3:03

J'aime assez le minimalisme de celle-ci Ricardo... Notamment la palette réduite de teintes qui composent ta composition, le regard est inexorablement attiré vers l'effort de ces rameurs...
une très belle photo...
A plus...

Paolo (40694) 2008-03-19 3:10

Hi Ricardo, a beautiful one, with a wonderufl capture of the silouhettes in that humid light over the Mekong.
thanks, ciao

japiey (9491) 2008-03-19 3:15

Hi Ricardo,

Energetic capture...
They are in their finest moods of life..
Victory is their goal....
Excellent shot that defines a moment true in life..
All the best, my dear Ricardo...

jp

savask (1803) 2008-03-19 3:30

very creative composition. Well balanced and I like the result against the whitesh color of the river

emka (21179) 2008-03-19 3:33

Hi Ricardo, strange photo. At first I thougt it was salt lake. Chott in Tunisia looked like this, the same colours . Interesting boats, nice framing.

Regards

Malgorzata

jasmis (50142) 2008-03-19 3:35

Superb graphism. Amazing composition in minimalism stream.
Regards.

pasternak (13214) 2008-03-19 3:46

Nice title for a great picture, Ricardo, very pure composition with much isolation achieved for these two boats, the moment captured shows well the dynamism of the contest...

Cheers
Alexander

Photo65Net (43084) 2008-03-19 3:47

Ricardo,
So minimalist, and so great !
This is a wonderful compo, you used perfectly the river as FG and the reduced DOF as a BG.
Nice one,
Regards,
JB.

flory (4804) 2008-03-19 4:09

just beautiful,dear Ric!an excellent placement for the boats in this vast space..
bravo!
Flori:)

carper (64546) 2008-03-19 4:41

it is a very nice shot Ricardo,
the dof is fantastic and those two boats are a pleasure to look at, a well composed shot, good photojob and nice to see you back, have a nice day.
gr. jaap

Gerrit (35593) 2008-03-19 5:11

Hi Ricardo,
beautiful picture in al these silver tones. Despite the distance you can see the effort of the racers very well.
Regards, Gerrit

John_F_Kennedy (31197) 2008-03-19 5:26

A beautiful riverside, captured with wonderful light! Well composed presentation.
Best wishes,
Achim

Tue (25608) 2008-03-19 6:32

Hi Ricardo,
Good capture of the boat race training along with an informative note about the event too. The peaceful mood of the place is nicely illustrated by the hazy background and layered hills. The two boats stand out nicely against the white background. Thanks for sharing this view!
Regards,
Lars

feather (49858) 2008-03-19 7:53

I wonder if images from the main event are to come!
I can't quite put my finger on what it is I like about this image. I would normally have something to say about the white sky, but here it's perfect and the image wouldn't work half as well with any other sky. I like how the two boats are dark and the mountains gradually fade into nothing. In short I like it! Well done
Kath

paura (38266) 2008-03-19 8:25

Brother,
Ficou muito interessante o fato dos barquinhos estarem mais escuros, contra a paisagem bem iluminada. O efeito gráfico está muito bom.

Abraço

Paulo

Stepan (27175) 2008-03-19 10:46

Almost abtract... The environment almost disappears and we could just see the boats...
Moody...
Stéphane

bostankorkulugu (33514) 2008-03-19 11:28

...and this is so cool as well... i like the pale and dreamy atmosphere and these two boats full of people add dynamism at full gear to the scene... congrats rcrd... krkt:)

gilou530 (35007) 2008-03-19 13:00

salut ricardo
a light and soft colors all in smoothness, photograph which could have been in N&B and so beautiful, perfect framing friendships
gilbert

vincz (19039) 2008-03-19 15:14

This i need to see with my eyes someday. Maybe in the fall I can go back to South East Asia and go to the old kingdom of Arakan (Mrauk'U) in Myanmar (so big in my dreams) then to Laos again. i was planning this spring (now) but have been called by some work requirements... Yu make me dream my friend with such a wonderful image, i just get immediately there where I feel good with just simple things!

manatee (4279) 2008-03-19 16:29

Interesting note Ric:

I like the title too, the pic is inetrestng, is a pity the ligth and the mist, don't help to get a better balnce, I woudl like to see less fo this sky and more to this guys.
However as all your pics all the time is a pleasure to see it and enjoy it the things you have for us. I travel with you all the time I see your pictures my friend

Have a good day Ricardo
P.S I'm exited you will travel soon to PETRA yeahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

lucasgalodoido (16583) 2008-03-19 18:06

Olá Ricardo,
uma fotografia bem interessante essa, com um assunto bonito e forte contraste, gostei!
Parabéns e Abraço!

ribeiroantonio (21859) 2008-03-19 23:27

Gosto muito do contraste entre os planos dos barcos e o das margens do rio e das montanhas ao fundo. Penso que conseguiste explorar bem o ambiente da neblina/nevoeiro ao captar os barcos e as pessoas em silhueta. Além disso, o posicionamento dos barcos dá uma ideia perfeita da largura/tamanho do rio.
António

pablominto (40402) 2008-03-20 0:27

Hello Ricardo,
There is an amazing atmosphere in the image!
The hazy day combined with the simplicity of composition gives the image a strong impact, with this this near black and white appearance...
The scenery is a pleasure to my eyes!
Greetings,
Pablo -

:-) OK-

delkoo (34158) 2008-03-20 1:36

ola rricardo
i like this view, nicely spotted and well executed, a sort of high key.
well done
regards
didier

AiresSantos (41866) 2008-03-20 2:24

Ola Ricardo
Um titulo magnifico para bonita foto. Gosto muito de fotos em ambiente de nevoeiro e aqui temos uma excelente com os diferentes niveis de cor nas montanhas. O melhor ainda sao as silhuetas dos barcos e pessoal
Boa Pascoa
Aires

sacavem (8223) 2008-03-20 5:02

Olá Ricardo,

Mais uma bela fotografia da tua viagem ao Laos. As condições atmosféricas são assim. Mas gostava de ver mais cor principalmente nas montanhas onde o verde predomina.
Mas as silhuetas das montanhas ficaram muito bonitas.
Um abraço,
filipe

Cricri (43030) 2008-03-20 8:37

Ola Ricardo,
Un joli événement et une ambiance particuliére tout en douceur ou la la brume légére ce mélange a la lumiére, beau contraste et composition
Have a nice day for you
cricri

Didi (35998) 2008-03-20 16:12

Bonjour Ricardo
Un high Key très bien conçu qui met bien en valeur la scène d'action des rameur.
Une très bonne idée au niveau de l'exposition.
Joyeuses Pâques.

bakes888 (18101) 2008-03-20 23:13

Hi Ricardo. Great photo. The boats and crews stand out well from the misty background and grab the eye. Well captured and thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

stego (22350) 2008-03-21 12:52

Olá Ricardo,
Gosto do minimalismo da compo, que resumiste bem no título. A névoa luminosa dá ainda mais destaque aos barcos e remadores, dos quais, apesar de pequenos, se apercebe bem o esforço, que juntamente com os rastos na água, produzem um dinamismo algo inesperado. Tb. gosto da dessaturação natural.
Está muito bem enquadrada, mas interrogo-me se não ficaria ainda melhor com um corte em baixo; ou se clahar tb. em cima... Acho que vou fazer um WS...
Um abraço, José.

[workshop] [compare] +

Rosa (4589) 2008-03-22 4:56

Hi Ricardo,
Une ambiance particulière toute en douceur sous la brume, jolis contrastes et bonne composition,
merci pour le partage,
Amitiés,
Rosa.

xuaxo (5693) 2008-03-22 12:14

Olá Ricardo,
Mais uma vez confirmo que às vezes o mau tempo dá boas fotos. É preciso é saber aproveitar a "matéria-prima" disponível. Tu soubeste. Muito bem.
A seguir, venham as fotos de tempestades de areia e nevoeiro no Nilo ;-)
Um abraço,
F

zeynepe (9342) 2008-03-22 13:56

Ola Ricardo,
Very nice shot with all those boats on the water.Also thanks for the very informative note :)
Congratulations,
Have a nice weekend,
Zeynep

Rosa_d_MonteLua (1504) 2008-03-22 19:32

Olá Ricardo!

Vista bastante interessante deste rio, onde as "sombras" de fundo quase parecem uma aguarela esbatida no fundo deste cenário.
Título bem escolhido, por ser tão minimalista quanto a própria foto em si.

Gostei!

Beijos,
Rosa

Floydian (30970) 2008-03-23 4:49

Hi Ricardo,
At first glance i thought that you should have worked on the sky with some gradients to give some light to it, but later i thought the way it is now but also Jose his ws is very interesting to see. Almost no colour, all attention on the two boats. I like it, really nice.
Have a nice Sunday, Henk

coco (27766) 2008-03-23 9:09

Hola Ricardo.

This photo has something amazing. At least the place is amazing and I love it.

Well done and thanks for sharing.

toto (18695) 2008-03-24 0:57

Bonjour,
belle photo de ces deux pyrogues sur cette grande étendue d' eau qui ressemble étrangement a votre titre, belle reflexion pour penser a un titre pareil.
Belle représentation de ce systhème de transport fort important dans ces pays.

Amitiés Thomas
Je reviens

adores (15463) 2008-03-24 16:27

Olá Ricardo!
Está um pouco diferente das que costumas mostrar, mas gosto dela, especialmente pela forma como as silhuetas se destacam no meio daquele branco todo. Muito bonita!

Angshu (33551) 2008-03-24 22:39

Ola Ricardo
The tones reminded me of Leo's Myanmar's fog posts from Lake Inle. This is quite outstanding with the layers of the hills in the BG...like watercolored landscape. Of course the two sets of rowers create a great subject..the picture is almost like a dream, wish I had seen this with my own eyes. Great shot my friend!
Best Regards
Angshu

luisafonso (858) 2008-03-25 2:12

Gosto muito de toda a simplicidade da foto. A paleta reduzida de cores, o espaço, a posição equilibrada dos dois barcos... Está lindíssima. Podia bem ser um dos teus quadros, pois tem uma forte carga estética e emotiva. Muito boa mesmo.

marietom (31796) 2008-03-25 3:06

Hello Ricardo,

Epurée, et magnifique composition ! Jolies silhouettes sur ce paysage presque blanc.
Marie

rajiv_077 (1355) 2008-03-25 3:56

Dear Sir

What a capture, nice picture of race's. Nice composition and POV, infact i most like the workshop picture.

kind regards

rajiv

josepmarin (33785) 2008-03-26 10:27

Olá Ricardo,
has combinado perfectamente el ambiente neblinoso en este paisaje fluvial, con una fuerte exposición, para conseguir un gran efecto gráfico en una escena que parece en B/N a pesar de ser en color.
La carrera de las barcas da un buen dinamismo, y un fuerte contraste con el resto de la imagen.
Bella composición, amigo.
Un abrazo,
Josep

JCG (25147) 2008-03-27 1:14

Hi Ricardo,

Here are two competitors which could measure their force on the Large Channel of the castle of Versailles!!! Particular atmosphere on this photograph, I like this misty environment and this impression of black and white. Good framing gives a beautiful balance to the image. Pretty glance Ricardo, cheer.

With all my friendships and a very good day,

Jean-Charles

Henryk_Bilor (20365) 2008-04-01 0:13

Ola Ricardo
Interesting capture of the training on the boats. Excellent light and these boats look like a part of the nature, not an intruder :).
Regards

Bluejeans (32021) 2008-04-02 10:46

Ola Ricardo ,
Que belo momento com estes dois barcos neste largo rio , muito bonitas a silhuetas da vegetação nas margens do rio, bom enquadramento da foto , gostei do titulo :), parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

berek (28849) 2008-04-15 9:19

Ola my friend ,
I miss this one. I like heavy gray tones and simple compo. well framed picture. take care.
Burak

NMaverick (0) 2008-07-03 3:37

Dear friend, I am sorry to announce that I may be departing from TE very soon. The reason is that TE admins keep erasing my photos although here there are many similar ones, some without even a note! I keep on posting and they keep on rejecting without a "real" reason. when I ask for an explanation by e-mail, they keep ignoring me. Today as another act of threat they erased one of my first posts here. I posted on the forum requesting advise, they erased that post also. I cannot keep up with this rude behavior, I feel I am posting to my stupid pc since once rejected no one responds to my requests.
You be well and keep shooting!
Nick

jmdias (19071) 2008-11-29 5:57

ricardo

mais uma imagem que nos engana na miniatura. A gente acha que é menos importante e quando abre se depara com uma pequena maravilha. gostei muito das siluetas escuras contra a suavidade da paisagem. muito bonita e poética esta vista. parabéns

abraços

jorge

Amaz (6622) 2009-10-22 12:40

Extraordinária composição, amigo Ricardo!!
Bela perspectiva e bom enquadramento!!

Parabéns mil,