Nervous Curiosity, a photo from Maritime, South

Photographer's Note

A boy in a teeny weeny village next to a teeny weeny village called Agbodrafo on the southern shores of Lake Togo in the teeny weeny nation of Togo. Lots of teeny weenies, but the people and children have hearts that would make any nation jealous.

...coming from Benin to the east, the people of Togo were a welcome relief. Honestly, looking back, the people of Togo were some of the nicest and most refreshing of all the countries Ive visited in West Africa (including Cameroon, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal).

...Lome, the capital, hot, sweltering actually. Heaving with people. The pizza place isnt open. Damn. Humanity and chaos living side by side, intertwined and unseparable.

...Voodoo, homemade african whiskey and a people just wanting to live is what you find outside the capital. Go walking on the shore of Lake Lagdo, in the palms and villages dotted around the farmlands, around the wells and down the streetsa and you will find an Africa that really makes one think about some of the values of the west. Just good, nice, outwardly friendly and curious people.

...damn, it is hot.

plimrn, Dpbours, casperduppy, ilvao, lamentforicarus oznaczył to zdjęcie jeko użyteczne

Critiques | Translate

plimrn (21344) 2009-01-08 20:48

Hi John,
What a moving portrait! It must be hot when a local boy is sweating like that!!
HLJ, Pat

Bartleby (13552) 2009-01-09 0:42

Hi John,
interesting note and moving - I agree with plimm - portrait. I like it.

Philippe

grantlp (2113) 2009-01-09 1:15

Hi John,
I really like this portrait....the tight cropping creates an impactful result. Clarity here is superb with great deatil and tones. The inclusion of the hands adds very nice interest. Exceptionally well done.
Cheers Grant

devimeuxbe (58557) 2009-01-09 1:18

Hi John
very interesting close portrait.
excellent light and sharpness.
Well done
Bertrand

Dpbours (222) 2009-01-11 11:33

Hi John,

You're posting a self portrait today, but I have to say that I like this double self-portrait more. It just speaks a bit more to me. No idea, perhaps it is the curiousity I see in this eyes here. The other eyes do not really speak to me. But that can be me.
A good note again, making me want to go to a field mission again. Homemade African whiskey. I still remember the 3-day splitting headache I once had....

Dennis

casperduppy (1794) 2009-01-11 12:14

Hello John,
What amazing beauty. A child eager to understand and learn. Curious beyond belief. A stare so deep, full of wonder. I think I could stare for ages looking at this photograph, just wondering myself.

Casper

ilvao (2308) 2009-01-19 2:18

Hi John,
you are right Togolosese people are just wonderful, warm, kind
this is a great shy portrait
the eyes tell a lot
thanks for your african report
all the best - olivier

lamentforicarus (393) 2009-08-05 14:12

John,

Superb detail and sharpness in this shot, from the beads of sweat forming on the young Togolese boy's nose and upper lip to the fantastic clarity of the relfection in his almond-colored eyes. The lighting on your subject's face serves to further illuminate these details. You rightly captured him biting his fingernail, which makes the shot more dynamic and underscores the slight trepidation in his eyes. Great framing and composition. Well done.