Ras Nungwi Beach

First of all, congrats to Marielou on an outstanding portfolio! I just took a quick peek and while I like this pic a lot, it's not even in the top 20 of the portfolio, IMHO. She has some incredible work there! As far as this pic goes, we all know that the Elves select pictures to be interesting and cause discussion ... but, I don't see what there is to discuss here. It's a very nice travel pic; I'd be very happy to have taken it but not ecstatic. It's not just a snapshot. As Stefan noted, there was some waiting involved to get the right light and the camel and the boat in the right places and the compostition is great. But, as some others noted, it could be a lot better. The guy leading the camel looks like he's dancing; even more movement would be nice. Faces would be nice. Less contrast in the sand would be nice. None of these things were in the photographer's control. There is a bit of luck involved in photography also. She did a great job with what was available, but what was available wasn't as interesting as it could have been. As a result, she got a really nice pic but not spectacular. I agree with Marc G that shooting from a lower angle would remove all those interesting layers of water, but it might have yielding a different and equally interesting compostion. Finally, I agree about the line. It's the very first thing I noticed and I would definitely have removed it. All in all though, a really nice pic and a solid 6/6.

funny... I liked this pic a lot when first viewed on the main page. Upon clicking and looking closer, and in reading these comments, I have to agree with the above. I love the lines and levels of color and tone, and the position of the subjects (both men/camel and boat behind). But there are many things (especially "the line" lol!) that could be improved upon. Light, contrast, and positioning of the men could have been a little more dramatic; Most of which were out of the photographers hands. This is a GREAT pic! But not as perfect as it could have been. I also give a very strong 6/6... jb

Lovely photograph. Everyone has described this pic so well. For me, it looks as if the photographer is trying to communicate man's means of travel side by side: Camel on Land and Boat on Water...very nice :-)

I like it a lot... colorful and nice composition. If there ever was a use for the PhotoShop clone tool though, it would be to remove the shadow line running thru the man's head (and into the camel's behind). All in all it looks like a beautiful day at the beach! -Greg-

Congratulations Marielou! It's been a long time coming. You have worked tirelessly and accumulated a vast portfolio of many diverse styles.

 

I appreciate this photo for the height of the shot, and therefore agree with Marc that a lower angle would considerably effect the overall appeal. I also support Stefan's comment that this is not a snapshot. The height of the capture has placed the yacht in the sea just below the horizon line and it sits nicely on top of those beautiful silvery blue layers in the sea.

 

It is a shame one man's head has been intersected by the shoreline, and the other with the rope, but these minor points do not detract for me. There is much to enjoy here.

Lovely photograph!! Congrats on POW. You could actually make 3 seperate pictures from this piece and all would be good. The top half, the bottom half, and as shown. Great shot. Must look at your other photos I "hear" they are just as awesome. Peace, Annie

Great shot! Ditto on the textures of the sea, and nice composition.

The only thing that throws me a little is the extreme contrast in the foreground between the sand and the shadows, man's pants, and his head. I would probably have tried to soften this a bit.

 

Nice work.

Congratulations, Marielou. Although I like many more of your shots for artistic merit, I do find this picture interesting, if only because it shows the boat and the camel simultaneously, not something that most of us will ever see.

 

Although this seems to be a better candidate for a travelogue or brochure than for fine art, it is still a technically good photo made under very harsh conditions: the beach with the sun very high.

 

I simply wish that one of your others had been selected. Many of them are quite beautiful.

 

--Lannie

I have to admit that I was not taken by this photo immediately because I was viewing it at work on a TFT screen laptop.

 

Now that I have gotten home and I see it on a good monitor... much much better.

 

I have to agree that this photo is not spectacular when compared to your other work. (I also wish to God it was mine.) But after viewing your gallery, your work is nothing short of incredible. I was blown away by your portfolio, not just for your amazing talent but the tremendous spectrum of styles and interests.

 

A few posts above somebody mentioned that this photo is not even in your top 20 best. I have to agree. It is interesting, but not even close to the others. I don't know why... this photo screams PS montage, even if it isn't. I don't get that at all from your other photos.

 

You are by far one of the greatest photographers that Photo.net has turned me on to. You have made me a fan.

 

Congratulations on POW.

All it lacks is a 50s Florida bathing beauty...something about the color and the artificial look (that's not criticism, just a superficial first impression).

Very bright but clean image. Seems almost noiseless ... did you clean it up with NoiseNinja or NeatImage?

U lucky dog!! Great place to be, this looked as an incongruent picture at first, deep blue ocean and camel.

Nice pic

regards,

gurpreet

i noticed the line going into the camels butt more so that through the guys head. How wonderful to capture different shades of blue in one picture of the same body of water. The line could easil.y have been removed if that was desired. Then no one would have known and the picture would have never made it to photo of the week! Ha! Pick your sailing course carefully, there are sand bars. This picture leaves me wanting more. I want to see wider. I want to know where the boat was going, I want to see farther down the beach in both directions. So what if there is a camel and two people and a sailboat in the frame? Good timing? What is happening here? Cary another body with a wide angle handy for situaltions like this. Make a before and after. I must confess I read only a couple of the above comments. If those guys were on the camel this would be better. You should have run down (or had some other capeable person do it) and ask them to get on and walk by again and wait for the next boat to pass. With a little effort one only needs to go to a place like this to create a photograph much more interesting than this. good job.

Congratulations Marielou, you are one of the best photographers of these clean bright cut-glass images. I still don't know how you get to do all that travelling!

 

I don't think there's much point rtying to categorise this - snapshot, fine art, whatever. It's just very well done.

This captures the atmosphere of the Indian Ocean coast of East Africa brilliantly. With the clouds about the blues are not ultra blues and this renders them well according to my memory. The bands of sand and sea show the variety of colours that arise at low tide. The lack of shadows indicates that this is around midday not an easy time to photograph. The little dhow type fishing boat is seen throughout the area and adds to the atmosphere.

 

The local people are languid movers and like a little bit of "moving and shaking" and this gives even greater authenticity. The camel of course is not indigenous but is a common sight especially in tourist areas and this is a tourist area.

 

The infamous "line" in the sand is I suppose a distraction but not to me a major one - where in the world is it all perfect ? I have really enjoyed viewing this photograph and can only offer congratulations.

I find it interesting to read that a couple of people thought some of Marielou's other pictures were "better" than this one. Maybe so, but that would depend what makes a great shot in one's view. "I have to agree that this photo is not spectacular when compared to your other work", said someone, for example.

 

Since I am quite familiar with Marielou's work for many years now, I am curious to see which of her pictures some of you may have prefered to this one. I know that's not supposed to be the point of the POW discussion, but I'd find it great to see people posting links to their favorite pictures. My guess as for the selection of this very image for POW is just that this is a slice of life. A very pleasant picture, but a picture of a fairly rare coincidence. A moment in time, where, as suggested by someone, Marielou was lucky enough to capture in a quite perfect composition, and under a beautiful light many shades of blue in the sea, but mostly: TWO means of transportation in a single frame, boat and camel. As if they were compared, or opposed in an amusing way. I think this POW is beautiful, but mostly very original in that sense.

Beautiful. Nicely taken at mid-day too.

I like the "upside down" quality of the photo: the water is ABOVE the camel and people.

Excellent contrast between the dromedary ("ship of the desert") and the dow ("ship of the sea"), both ships going their own opposite ways in the two layers.

Congratulations Marielou. This is very well composed. I like the nice triangle made by the camel, the man in front and the sailboat. Very well placed objects. Couldn't ask for more.

Such a simple 'street' photography does not need any further analysis apart from enjoying its mere beauty.

Seemsobvious how an obviuos fact is emphasized by its appropriate horizontal composition: oposition in the different protagonists' movements and contrast in the means of transportation of the third world versus ours.

And more important a faithful photonetter and consistent great photographer is recognized.

Toutes mes felicitations, chere amie!!.

I love these discussions because they challenge my viewpoints and make me reconsider myself in a way that - unfortunately - rarely happens elsewhere on the site. I hadn't really considered this photo as representing two forms of transport and even the basic incongruity of a camel and a boat together didn't really strike me as odd (still doesn't, actually). It's a good way to look at the photo and I appreciate it a lot more now.

 

Marc's comments have made me think about earlier statement that this pic wasn't in her top twenty (which, I must point out, was not a condemnation of this picture but, rather, praise for the high quality of her portfolio). As this picture grows on me, I'm going to have to retract that statement partially. It's not my favorite, but it's higher than I first thought. So, it's hard to rank art - after all each piece should stand on its own; but, I'm a huge maker of "favorite" lists. So, I'd say I like the following photos in her portfolio more than the POW selection: Biarritz, Shadows and Light, Blowing in the Wind, Mother and Child Berber, Dance Voodoo, Majorelle House, In Marrakech, Nyhavn, Honfluer, Quay and Houses, Fantasy in Zanzibar, Zanzibar Beach, Classical Sunset, Summer Snow, Postcard. Well, after really reviewing, maybe I was right. It's in the top 20, but barely.

 

That said, it's still a good POW. Many of the other shots, especially the last three, are just good classic shots perfectly executed. Not much to discuss about a postcard from Zanzibar. It's just a beautiful spot captured perfectly. There are 1000 pics like it, but the color and detail are just absolutely perfect. This pic is complex and interesting. Not better or worse, but different.

I also enjoy this discussion for challenging what I had originally thought.

 

It was asked why some had mentioned they thought there were better photos in her portfolio than this one. I can only answer that for myself, since I am one of those who said that. Let me first apologize if my comments were in any way denigrating to the photographer or her work. I meant it in quite the opposite vein- that to me her other work is so fantastic that a stunning photo like this is not one I'd have noticed had I been looking through her portfolio. Her other photos are simply that much "better" (for lack of a more accurate term) to me.

 

So, why are the others "better" to me? If I may be so bold, this one didn't wow me because I believe that if I was at this location at the same time I could also have made this photo. However, there is no way on earth I can say that for just about everything else in her portfolio. This woman's work is light years ahead of my capability as a photographer, and certainly beyond my knowledge and ability to reproduce. This photo... I think I could do it. Having said that, if this photo was mine it would be my masterpiece thus far.

For me, this does not work. Their is really nothing special about the little "camel procession" in this image. The sailboat as well as the layered turquoise colors at least gives this shot a chance, because in my mind it gives the image a tropical and perhaps even a somewhat romantic atmosphere. Either of those potential atmosphere's are shot off the page with the camel party. It's a contrast that does not fit unless perhaps the goal is a somewhat humorous one. And even there, it's not much of that either. I would guess waiting a few more seconds when the posse is completely out of the way would open up a better opportunity for something worth keeping.

Felicitations Marie Lou, a well deserved POW after all this time!

if the 'snapshot' definition is choose a location, detect an interesting situation and have the instant reflex to take a shot at the best angle and composition, then I would agree it a very good snapshot. The problem is 'snapshot' as sometime 'candid shot' has a quite pejorative sens in the mouth of some so-called 'pro' or 'enlighted amateur'... I prefer the term of 'nomad shot'. And you are indeed a nomad shooter!

here I like the composition and the combination gathering the various travel means of this country. I also like the various layers of blue tones, although wondering if a BW version would or not offer better merit.

the framing is IMO the only minor negative point, the use of color (and there are already enough kind of blues in the image itself IMO) tend to make the whole image a bit 'cheap' (may be the reason why some people refer to 'snapshot'?).

Funny that the elves chose that very image among the others in your ecclectic (with nomad pics but not only!) portfolio. Personaly, I would have chosen this one or this one which I find, in very different genres, both excellent and worth to be discussed here.