streets of Kathmandu..., a photo from Bagmati, Central

Photographer's Note

Despite its general reputation as a Shangri La, people forget that Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the region and that it's not just about priviliged climbing expeditions and stunning vistas, playgrounds for the rich. Not all of Kathmandu is like the Thamel tourist district. Just walk a few kilometres towards Pashupatinath and you'll see the "new" side of the city.

Serendipity, Philippe, isabela_sor, ewasting, SamB, everlasting, sayat, Wanda1, bnallama, keribar, Mistral oznaczył to zdjęcie jeko użyteczne

Critiques | Translate

ninaL (21348) 2006-11-29 14:00

Hi, Caleb. It is very important, very strong shot. And very well done. Regards. Grazyna.

VeeJayCee (2410) 2006-11-29 14:07

This picture tells the story so well of the gulf between the haves, and the have nots. Excellent POV, composition and colour to make a powerful image.

ballyna (1689) 2006-11-29 14:17

caleb,
very powerful story with ultra wide lens and u captured it very well.u might have cut it out the road sign for getting rid of distortion effects of that wide lens.
regards

oriolm (1142) 2006-11-29 14:25

What a document of street life! A shot that suggests meditation on our way of life...

Serendipity (1045) 2006-11-29 15:19

Impressionnant. Je suis tout ŕ fait d'accord avec "oriolm". TFS. Marc

recepyuksel (18640) 2006-11-29 15:46

Congrats u for this affective composition...
best wishes

arindam_thokder (3987) 2006-11-29 16:28

WOW....A great Imgae....Composition, Color, and the Moment. Very powerful.

limule (4176) 2006-11-29 16:37

Brrr... homeless people are often picture on TE and it is always difficult to watch. But this leg, just standing up, is just so difficult to admit. Actually I am surprised this leg that is probably so important for him is not hidden somewhere. Very good shot.

caproger (168) 2006-11-29 16:38

Caleb:
Another astonishing portrayal of the dichotomy that is found in this part of the world between the rich and the poor. It is disturbing to view, but one must to understand that there are other sides to the coin than just the tourist districts. Very well done.

Mike

isabela_sor (47748) 2006-11-29 16:56

Your picture touches our souls...Well captured scene here, very sad, but so real...
Life is so unfair ....

AmiBe (6042) 2006-11-29 17:24

Hi Caleb,
strong picture, the leg makes this picture so powerful.
Good framing also... sad shot.
rgs

dospordostres (1170) 2006-11-29 17:56

Hi Caleb,
A very powerful image. I think that this kind of documents are not pretty or nice to see, but absolutely necessary to do so.
Good job,
Daniel

Furachan (0) 2006-11-29 18:14

Extraordinary POV to get your point across, Caleb. This is more than just "nice" work, I would call it "significant".
Best,
Francis

ewasting (762) 2006-11-29 18:45

Hello Caleb, thanks for sharing this photo and Your note - very meaningful and thought-provoking. ewa

roamermark (1592) 2006-11-29 19:04

This is fabulous Caleb,quirky original and sad as well. An element of the grotesque and macabre added by the false leg brings this far above the 'homeless - look how poor this place is -isn't it awful' kind of shot often presented on TE. Yours is not without empathy but it is also not without an artistic touch.
Keep it up
cheers
Mark

izmirli (3989) 2006-11-29 20:47

merhaba dear caleb
beautiful daily life picture.very good composition and colours.well done my friend.
best regards.
gürkan akçakır.

SamB (1948) 2006-11-29 20:55

i added it to my favorites... and felt kind of strange as i did so.

This picture is kind of a punch in the gut--part of me wants to comment on the message of the picture, and part of me wants to comment on the technical aspects of it, but i think that what makes this a very strong, as Francis said significant, piece is that the two seem deeply connected.

i guess i'll just start... the composition is very strong, you filled the foreground very well, using two different limbs, neither looking to be in much better shape than the other, to portray the poverty and desperation of the man. You managed to make this a tremendously deep picture, and yet about 7/8 of it is right in the viewer's face. The background was also well put together, with the lady and the distant man providing the depth and contributing to the message, the lady showing poverty, the man showing desperation.

One of the things that really catches me about the picture is that it objectively pulls so strongly to the background, the geometry is so intense and demanding, and yet i can hardly take my eyes off of the foreground scene. The wide angle lens worked well for you, keeping the leg at vertical, but causing significant distortion the farther you get from the man, almost as if i share in the dizziness of his hunger.

Two small compositional elements work very well for you, also. The inclusion of the word "vision" fits well with the picture, as it certainly shakes one's perspective a little bit. Also, in a picture where everything pulls to the right, one small arrow on the distant sign points back to the man.

Sorry i was kind of long-winded... This is probably the most powerful picture i've seen on here in quite some time. Thanks for this one.
sam

vincz (19113) 2006-11-30 3:27

Very strong picture Caleb. I did not get it at first because due to your very effective composition leading down the street towards the background, my eyes slid first there but at some point there was a "fast backward" to the leg where I got stucked. Wow, what a shock...

everlasting (19680) 2006-11-30 7:31

Stunning POV, and a brave, powerful shot. I couldnt have taken this, you make your point well.

sayat (2949) 2006-11-30 8:03

A great composition showing the realities of the hard lives of poor people. Great DOF and POV.
Sayat

delkoo (68) 2006-11-30 8:15

hi caleb,
a strong picture Telling a true history of the poverty which we can meet in the Nepal.I cannot remove my eyes of this lonely leg which attract me.

didier

Philippe (11836) 2006-11-30 10:15

Hi, Caleb. This side must also be shown. The wooden leg you've put in the foreground is a real eye-catcher and its poor quality tells us much about the beggar's life. The woman a little further doesn't seem to be much better off. Something rarely seen here on TE, bit it gives us food for thought.

ego (55) 2006-11-30 12:24 [Comment]

Show Comment

Wanda1 (15142) 2006-11-30 13:02

Hi Caleb,
A sad image with a strong message. Good point of view to empahsise the situation.
Regards
Wanda

jdwyer264 (1084) 2006-11-30 13:10

An interesting shot Caleb.
I like the idea, but not sure whether this is a little exploitative, I'm not sure where this stands.
I do love the shots composition and colours. Well done.
Have a good day.
TFS

bnallama (3763) 2006-11-30 15:26

Caleb, touching note and shot.. A powerful moment... Bala

cherryripe (21033) 2006-11-30 15:30

Hi Caleb
It's difficult not to have any emotions when seeing this photo.
Your pov is so dynamic, showing first the artificial limb, the poor person sleeping and the people who seem so small in comparisam in the background. Choosing to shoot in colour makes it so much more real than if it were in B&W.
Regards
Nikki

rbcy1974 (20758) 2006-11-30 17:15

Hello Caleb
Very shicking poignant portrait of the ahrsh realities of life.
Really well done and good reminder of the ugly side of the world
Regards
Daniel

marknunnerley (2780) 2006-12-01 11:16

God it's so sad for these people but you have handled the shot well with a sympathetic image, again matching the colours around.
BR,
Mark

jussipee (10) 2006-12-02 1:39

Hello Caleb
Yes, its vision, vision with leg and straighten arm. Background wideangle falling and background persons boost same story than foreground.
Very Raw and effective picture. Golden pillow (symbol).
As sayd before, we have to see this, but much more important is, to understand it.
100 points.
Regards
Jussi

I have to come look this picture again.
This horizontal picture with vertical leg really stops.
Stops and puts to think basic questions.
Thanks again.

ben4321 (9875) 2006-12-02 12:06

A powerful image that tells a story well, and shows us the reality of life on the streets of Kathmandu.
It seems a bit trite to be discussing technical details, but you really did compose this very well. It's a superb example of using a wide-angle lens to "see around" the subject, putting it into context. Your placement of the prosthetic leg is also spot-on.
I think this would have been even more powerful converted to B&W; in a way the bright colours seem a little out of place here.
Great work, Caleb.
Cheers,
Ben

keribar (43841) 2006-12-07 0:06

Hello Caleb,

Although I avoid taking pictures of beggars in general ( For obvious reasons ) I must admit that with the leg as the prime subject this one has a powerful impact: I am thinking about the place which you left on the upper right, and trying to visualize the picture if only a portion of the wall was framed.But here we also have a "dancing " man which brings a good balance to the left side. Not forgetting the extended arm !

Keep well - Izzet

ALSOM (6616) 2006-12-07 6:59

Very nice pov and very strong composition, every elements have been carefully designed, the yellow & blue color match up quite well, strong message & sad 'vision' indeed.

zips (1958) 2006-12-07 7:14

Great POV and I like the camera tilt on this one. Holy smokes that leg looks as if he had the thing fitted in Laos.

The thing that gets me is the shoes the people choose to put on the feet of the devices. I was explaining to a guy the other day that the devices used for running now have feet that look more like skis and he couldn't believe it.

When I told him a guy ran 100 meters in less than 10 seconds with a prosthetic leg he was astonished.

Sad but I guess this type of leg is better than nothing.

Great Job.
Aloha, JB

dzain (585) 2006-12-26 2:12

Very impressive shot! The leg, the use of wideangle. Great picture!

Mistral (15416) 2006-12-30 13:16

Hi Caleb,
stunning powerful image with superb framing, composition and colours.
Have a nice 2007!!!
A smile
Luca

andreng (265) 2007-01-20 23:33

Caleb
Was browsing through your gallery and this shot hit me. A powerful composition indeed. The people there are most probably immune to these kind of sights along their five foot ways. Seeing these kinds of shots sometimes knocks one back to reality. It was also by chance that the word 'Vision' is in the background. If those in power over there has more vision, they should not be squabling and focus attention to such plights. TFS Andre

illusion108 (89) 2007-03-09 12:19

one of the most shocking photos that I have seen ...

martin_b (362) 2009-08-01 10:43