Photo Critique Forum

Please post no more than five images a day and respond to as many images as you post. Critics, please be constructive, specific, and nice! Moderated by gahspidy and mtbbrian.
Featured Photo
Photo by hminx

Photo by hminx
Featured Photo Archive >>
By posting on the Photo Critique forum you agree to post only your own photos, be respectful, and give back as much as you receive. This is a moderated forum and anything abusive or off-topic will be removed.
Results 1 to 3 of 3
  1. #1
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Sichuan, China
    Posts
    12

    Beautiful Khampa Tibetan Woman's costume #7

    Hi everyone, glad that people have found my pictures from Kham Tibet interesting! I continue with 2 photos of a beautiful young Khampa lady's costume, taken at the Litang Festival - one of the few occasion in a year where these ceremonious costumes will be worn. She is dressed in a vast amount of family treasures which in Tibet are described as priceless - and in reality worth many millions of US dollars.

    BTW, If you are interested, but haven't seen my previous threads with other photos, they are are to be found further down in this forum!

    The first photo of these 2 photos was taken on my mobile phone - my camera batteries had run out! I saw her again in a different location after I'd found batteries and got a camera photo. Although the background for the first shot was definitely better...







    Explanation - about these costumes:

    These costumes are the most ceremonial in all of Tibet, and have a much greater importance to the Khampa people than we might ever suspect.

    The value of these costumes are anywhere from several tens or hundreds of thousands of u.s. dollars, to many millions (it may not surprise you that there is a big military presence at the festivals, because there are such expensive costumes on display). Precious metals and stones are the main store of wealth for these nomadic people, because families must frequently move with changing seasons, and an easily transported form of wealth is necessary. this culture goes back millenia, archeological finds from the 1st century AD in the khampa area unearthed ornaments that are essentially the same in design and materials as todays are. these costumes and ornaments are passed down from generation to generation inside the family. so the ornaments also have great emotional value as they are the remnants of decades and centuries of ancestors.

    Women and men both wear these costumes on fesival days; but most of the attention goes to the women because they are more beautiful are relaxed, while Khampa men are macho and proud. The daughters and wives of rich Khampa families are decorated from head to toe in the ornate and antique treasures of their families. The typical women's costume feautures a headdress made from big red and yellow stones, covering the hair - the effect is very striking! See here for example
    Necklaces are made of coral and ancient dzi beads (the long thin black and white stones) - these beads are a vast subject in and of themselves - Tibetans prize them as having a living spirit inside - and genuine antique articles of these beads can cost up to or over 100,000 US dollars in some cases - including on EBay. Women also are adorned along the backs, and carry below their waists in front and behind large pendants made of gold and silver. Hands and arms are also decorated with bracelets made of animal horn and with big gold rings jeweled with coral and dzi beads.

    In Tibet, this costume culture has seen a resurgence in recent years. this is because tibet, like the rest of china has seen much economic growth during the last 10 or 20 years. While Khampa tibetans have no fondness for what they consider the invasion and occupation of their country by the chinese - experiencing the suppression of their freedom to religious and cultural practices, there has been economic development. In truth, a lot of this money goes to the Chinese immigrants, and amougnst many tibetans there is still extensive poverty and need for all aspects of development from food and water, to health and education. However there is a growing upper and middle class of tibetans who are gaining money. well-off khampas today, like their ancestors, continue to invest much of their wealth in the form of jewelry and ornaments, in part because these items increase in value over time, in part to preserve their old culture, and in part because the costumes bring social prestige. at the litang horse racing fesival, the costumes are a significant sideshow, drawing attention from both normal tibetans, and travelling photographers and tourists alike

  2. #2
    GB1
    GB1 is offline
    Moderator GB1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    San Diego CA
    Posts
    9,960

    Re: Beautiful Khampa Tibetan Woman's costume #7

    Feeline - Commenting from a strict photography standpoint, the shots are acceptable to capture her outfit in a clean and straightforward manner, but they lack some elements to make them stand out from an artistic standpoint. I am thinking this straight on angle is too pedestrian, maybe even boring, and that her expression, though not bad, doesn't look either posed or candid but more like she is just smiling for a unknown visitor. It's kind of a tweener look, that is, not quite a professional pose but also not natural.

    I haven't viewed the other posts but will try to take a look a little later and provide critique.

    G
    Photography Software and Post Processing Forum Moderator. Visit here!

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Feel free to edit and repost my photos as part of your critique.
    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    My Site

  3. #3
    Jim B. jbaldocchi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Oakland, CA
    Posts
    759

    Re: Beautiful Khampa Tibetan Woman's costume #7

    I notice that there is a color change between your two images. Are these colors accurate? The bottom image seems closest to what the true color may be.
    Too bad all the people who know how to run this country are busy running taxicabs or cutting hair.

    George Burns

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •