Lao Princess

[yogestee]

This little princess poses for my camera in the back streets of Luang Prabang Northern Laos..

Canon 350D/Sigma 18-200mm
400th@f9.0
400iso

Jurgen
Australia

[jar_e]

Jurgen,

Wonderful shot. Love the "photojournalism" feel I get from it; something I'd expect to see in National Geographic or the like. My only "critique" (if you even want to call it that), would be to try this shot black and white, and just see how it turns out. It might be a little more emotionally moving with black and white. Other than that, superb shot!

Jared

[yogestee]

jar_e,,,here is a B/W version just for you!!!

Jurgen
Australia

[CLKunst]

Just a gorgeous image! For me the colored one is best. The colors and the quality of the light are even and muted but her smile shines brightly throughout. A keeper!

[yogestee]

Hi CLKunst....this image was taken towards the end of the wet season...It was lightly overcast just enough to kill the contrast a tad..What I have noticed in S.E. Asia one rarely gets vivid blue skies with bright sunlight...There is always a cloudy haze either from the humidity or the heat,,air pollution in some cities..
The lighting is perfect for digital photography which can't handle too much contrast..

Jurgen
Australia

[Lava Lamp]

This little princess poses for my camera in the back streets of Luang Prabang Northern Laos..

Canon 350D/Sigma 18-200mm
400th@f9.0
400iso

Jurgen
Australia

Nice, memorable image. I hope you like it as much as I do. Almost perfect, but the face seems a touch underexposed and a little grainy to me.

[yogestee]

Nah Lava Lamp,,,,her face isn't underexpose,,,it is just about right...These people are from Khymer origin who are dark skinned due to Indian influences..


Jurgen
Australia

[amithi]

I love how relaxed this little girl is, and the earthy red and brown colors go perfectly with her skin... looks like she's right at home. Great job!

[jar_e]

jar_e,,,here is a B/W version just for you!!!

Jurgen
Australia

Looks great to me! I prefer this much more to the color! Well done!

[Lava Lamp]

Nah Lava Lamp,,,,her face isn't underexpose,,,it is just about right...These people are from Khymer origin who are dark skinned due to Indian influences..


Jurgen
Australia

Did you think I was saying she should be lighter in color? It's not the skin tone. It's the light on her face relative to the rest of the photo. Her face is in shadow and in the darkest area of the picture. Look at how here hair blends into the shadow of the open window. Her eyes need a little more light and the relative darkness produces some grainy underexposure that is present nowhere else in the photo -- at least when looking at it through my monitor. This looks to me like a shot that needed a spot meter on her face or better yet, fill flash.

What I'm trying to describe is subtle. It's still a very good shot, but flawed IMHO.

[Chunk]

I think this is a terrific shot, catching such an unusual but still natural pose along with that great smile.
While LL has a point (you can see that the cloth in the next window is similarly underexposed a bit) I don't think it detracts from the strengths of this shot.

[gahspidy]

This is a grea tmoment captured and your framing is bringing it to us nicely. Great feeling from this shot. i much prefer the color version as there is lots of earthy tones, that are not only pleasing to view but bring us more into her environment. I think we lose that sense of location with the b&w. Great work

[Yoyo Szeto]

Hi,
I just want to add that the shot also tells us about the living environment of the place:
1. The wooden doors for windows;
2. The windows are lowerly placed;
3. The stained wall indicates poor maintenance.
I guess the windows are facing south as there are some materials sun-bathing.
yoyo

[yogestee]

Lava Lamp,,,this image is as it came out of the camera...I'm a photojournalist by profession and with these types of subjects there is little time to "plan" the shot,,it is a grab shot..Do you know what grab shot means???Read my previous post,,,it was the wet season in SE Asia,,overcast with little contrast no shadows at all..In SE Asia during the wet season the lighting is very flat due to cloud cover which is great for digi photography..This little girl is standing in an alley way by her home in the back streets of Luang Prabang..
I know little of the Lao language so I could not instruct her where to stand or how to pose etc..On my monitor there is a definite definition between her hair and the window shutter..

Jurgen
Australia

[yogestee]

Hi,
I just want to add that the shot also tells us about the living environment of the place:
1. The wooden doors for windows;
2. The windows are lowerly placed;
3. The stained wall indicates poor maintenance.
I guess the windows are facing south as there are some materials sun-bathing.
yoyo

Yoyo,,,Luang Prabang in Laos is a UNESCO World Heritage city..Laos is one of the ten poorest countries in the world and relies on foreign aid to survive..This little girl's house could be hundreds of years old and believe me there just isn't enough money to maintain their abodes properly..She is one of the lucky ones,,she lives in a stone house...Most live in wooden or bamboo shacks..This little girl appears to come from a family of some means by Lao standards

Also she is wearing clothes,,one of the lucky ones..I've seen children her age in villages running around naked because they just can't afford to clothe their children..Another sad fact,,,40% of children under 5 are malnourished..

I believe in these situations it is important to show some of the subject's environment

Jurgen
Australia

[Lava Lamp]

Lava Lamp,,,this image is as it came out of the camera...I'm a photojournalist by profession and with these types of subjects there is little time to "plan" the shot,,it is a grab shot..Do you know what grab shot means???Read my previous post,,,it was the wet season in SE Asia,,overcast with little contrast no shadows at all..In SE Asia during the wet season the lighting is very flat due to cloud cover which is great for digi photography..This little girl is standing in an alley way by her home in the back streets of Luang Prabang..
I know little of the Lao language so I could not instruct her where to stand or how to pose etc..On my monitor there is a definite definition between her hair and the window shutter..

Jurgen
Australia

No, please do explain what a grab shot means.

I've been a little confused lately when people post to the critique board and then argue about the critique or justify the shot. I think I've been clear twice now in saying it is a very good shot and in pointing out how I believe it could have been improved or how it can be improved now. Is that not what you wanted from a critique, or are you just looking for unreserved praise? Are you perhaps giving yourself a crutch when you say it was a grab shot?

The fact that you are a journalist (or a butcher or a baker or a candlestick maker) doesn't really matter when evaluating the photo -- at least not in my viewpoint -- nor does the circumstances in most cases. Shall I post a shot I took from a boat in a choppy sea and defend the blur from camera shake? Every picture should stand on its own merits and few (maybe none) are perfect.

Again, I'm kinda confused here. My comments and suggestions may be worth what you paid for them (and perhaps even less), but doesn't all input on someone's work have value? I know people have made some really bonehead comments on my photos (or maybe that was me leaving the bonehead comments, I dunno) , but all of 'em are good. It tells you what people are thinking.

[Yoyo Szeto]

Yoyo,,,Luang Prabang in Laos is a UNESCO World Heritage city..Laos is one of the ten poorest countries in the world and relies on foreign aid to survive..This little girl's house could be hundreds of years old and believe me there just isn't enough money to maintain their abodes properly..She is one of the lucky ones,,she lives in a stone house...Most live in wooden or bamboo shacks..This little girl appears to come from a family of some means by Lao standards

Also she is wearing clothes,,one of the lucky ones..I've seen children her age in villages running around naked because they just can't afford to clothe their children..Another sad fact,,,40% of children under 5 are malnourished..

I believe in these situations it is important to show some of the subject's environment

Jurgen
Australia

Hi Jurgen,
Thanks for the detailed information about the place. I also believe in the background is important in a shot.
yoyo