Lamalera

Photographer's Note

Indonesia, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Lembata island. We were in a small village for three days, where they see only one occidental each 2 or 3 years... A wonderfull quiet place. As always children are the first ones to welcome you. Then, they focuse on their father coming back from a night in sea : dolphins are on the beach, there will be food for tonight...

Men from Lamalera are the last harpoon spermwhales fishermen in the world... But when they find no spermwhales, they fish manta rays or dolphins. As tuna for us, it's only fish, and food for the village.

It was difficult for us because we are divers, but you have to understand that they have not the same feeling as us : they are not divers, they consider fish... as fish. And fish is food.

No judgment.

This photo could be better with no rock in the background maybe, but I wanted the gesture of the child on the sand and the look of the little girl. There is a light contrast more with Photoshop.

jcdurka1, bstreeck, jaywalker, yanm has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Lix (0) 2007-02-01 4:52 [Comment]

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andy_yoes (275) 2007-02-01 5:23

Save dolphin please!

jcdurka1 (1950) 2007-02-01 5:45

Jolie composition en diagonale accompagnée d'une belle lumiére et de couleurs bien saturées. Le ton de la peau des enfants pourrait peut être légérement amélioré par des calques sur photoshop. Les rochers en arriére plan ne génent pas à la composition, n'attirant pas particuliérement l'attention.
Joli cliché, bravo.
Jean-Claude

bstreeck (179) 2007-02-01 5:58

Great Photo! Good composition, the light is wonderful and the colors strangely beautiful, the subject matter captivating. My 2pt for today.

Honestly, I did not know that there are cultures which hunt and eat dolphins (which by the way seems more than logical now that I think about it). As long as the "fishing" (as they not fish but mammals) does not take overhand with modern technology, I see no problem with this -- thank you for your neutral note, the very ignorant "save the dolphins"-people will be around soon, I'm sure.

TMLH (2496) 2007-02-01 6:48

Hi Marie,
Interesting photo and excellent note.

The sea and the creature living in it is their basic source of food and what they can afford.

You are fortunate to be able to travel to remote places, experience different culture and different standard of living.

Thanks for sharing
Tony

Luko (14000) 2007-02-01 9:28

Very interesting, a great addition to Trekearth knowledge database.
That's a place I wanted to go some years ago, to see whale fishermen... I had planned everything from Flores to Lembata unfortunately I didn't have enough time to go.
Your photo is good, the rock doesn't bother in any ways.

Just one nitpick in your text : the name of the island where Lamalera is located is Lembata , not Lembeh... the latter being of course kingdom of weird underwater critters... but there are so many places to remember in Indonesia.

jaywalker (16105) 2007-02-01 11:09

Hi Marie Ange, A very well composed photo with beautiful light & colour, it is a superb daily life shot, I will not judge these people because they kill to live, it is when i see people killing for commercial gain that i judge! you have managed the photo very sensitively & expertly, TFS, kind regards Wilson.

cepekdong (3676) 2007-02-01 11:21

wow i love ur pic and what makes it interesting to me is the fact that you took it in a very rural place ... very nice and interesting

dan

marietom (34611) 2007-02-01 16:20

Superbe scène, belles couleurs.
Marie

yanm (1485) 2007-02-03 4:50

for a travel picture, you have a very great one. for a moment, what can be better than have it once in 2-3 years ?

yan :d

cobraphil8 (84) 2007-04-10 10:08

Bonjour Marie-Ange,
voici une belle composition et je trouve que ce rocher à l'arrière équilibre bien le tout... Très jolie scène avec ces enfants qui dès le plus jeune âge sont occupés aux taches quotidiennes.
A bientôt
Philippe

veranita (12) 2008-01-27 23:47

hi marie ange ..!!

well done with the picture , very speechless , very typically indonesia culture picture

i am sad about the dolphins! while in other country,'if they found dolphins like in that conditions' your people will do the best to save it and put them back to the sea, very ironic that my country has lots of seas and Fish verities(Tuna,marlin and manta etc.), they sold these kind of fish to other country, country like japan and Korea, while sadly... some of fisher man have to eat dolphin and whale for their food and if they found Tuna etc ..it's mean money and another day to survive.

regards
nita lombok

smarcell (19965) 2008-11-26 6:44

very interesting and beautiful.
An interesting scene
Regards Stefano