Masai

Nice work Teoman. Perfect composition. It looks like masai chorus. Thanks for sharing.

Wonderful composition ... excellent tones ! Best regards

marvellous documentary work...

Truly remarkable picture. I like it a lot.

Great antiqued shot!

Great composition

Best regards

Xavier Corcobado

xcorcobado.blogspot.com

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Teoman's photograph is one that focuses on the people by removing everything else within the frame. We're shown a slice of the Masai sociological environment with the physical and biological environments intentionally stripped away. For a photograph of people so directly connected to the land, this seems to me to lead to an incomplete depiction.

If Teoman had chosen a closer view of the group, the isolation of the people would have happened naturally, and the deliberate removal of everything around them would have been unnecessary. But we have a wide view, one in which the individuals are more difficult to see, and contextual elements that would normally be seen in the wide view have been removed.

In making a comment like this, I'm showing my prejudice to a more documentary style of photography, and Teoman was evidently pursuing a more conceptual or artistic photograph of the Masai. In that regard, I can understand his choice of toned B&W, and I like the separation of one individual on the right (a second person is largely hidden) who is looking at the group much as the viewer of the photograph is doing. I don't see any hints within the photograph that tell me much more about what the people in the frame are doing, why they are gathered like this, whether something special is involving the two people on the right who are separated somewhat from the group (I do see the large disk around the neck of the nearest person), or anything else about this gathering of Masai. Teoman certainly isn't obliged to do more to satisfy my curiosity or desire to know more; his artistic decision can stand on its own for what it is. But it leaves me without any insight and feeling shortchanged. That's simply a result, I think, of one style or intention not fully meshing with another style or desire.

In the end, I have to ask myself what Teoman has accomplished in such a restricted depiction of the Masai. I want to know his intentions of photographing and stripping the photograph down to just these individuals. I can't see it on my own, and I need Teoman's help. This is a case where I would welcome a statement from the photographer so that I don't dismiss the work simply because my style doesn't match Teoman's style. I can appreciate what I see, but I also lament what has been taken away and that I therefore can't see and for purposes that I don't understand.

[After posting, I looked at Teoman's portfolio, and it is very evident that Teoman really is a "people person." From that point of view, his decisions regarding this POW are more understandable to me, and our differences are also more clear.]

Teoman - My congratulations on this image's being selected as the POW. This accolade is well deserved. The composition is spot on, and the distance between the subject on the right and the group leads me to believe that he must have some position of authority. (It's possible I may have read this all wrong, and he's just a casual observer.) I also really like the slight hint of sepia tone.
My best,
michael

I very much like the dynamics of the image related to your point of view and the positioning of the Massai warriors, including the impact of the strong visual point (the isolated warrior at right), the downward-upward curve tracing their heads from one side of the image to the other, and the noticeable spears that describe a multitude of different near vertical angled lines that add energy to the photograph of standing persons.

The sepia effect for me is very unattractive, much too yellowish and not evocative of good former chemical sepia technique. I changed your photo into black and white and it strikes me as better. I am not sure how much detail you succeeded in getting in the apparently dark clothes of the Massai, or in the shadows before them. I might try post exposure shadow opening in Photoshop to get more detail, but evidently the contrast range of the image was quite strong. Given that there is little detail in the sky, you might let it go even more white and seek more detail in the shadows.

Overall, the composition is really nice, and for me that is the image's strong point, despite the possibilities for improvement mentioned above.

I like the tonality. I don't like the absence of the environmental background. That absence disconnects the Masai from reality. The camera-to-subject distance lessens the impact of facial expressions, what little of them I can see. The body language is interesting, but without facial expressions to match, it doesn't really say anything to me. This photograph holds my interest for a couple of minutes.

I've also photographed the Masai, and it's hard to come up with something different, feel wise, and here I think it has. Probably why it was chosen.

I also like the piece, but could see it being much improved with a bit of cropping. It's right heavy, and bottom heavy. Take 20% off the top, and 5-10% off the left and you'd have much more of a winner. You'd also then be in tighter, thus helping the viewer have to look longer at the piece overall, as there would be more strength and less weakness (negative space).

I do believe when the piece merits the 'nice composition' comments they are referring to the nice crescent lines of the Masai, along with the ladies looking in towards the left, which keeps the eye in and 'sending it back around for another' looksey'. That is nice.

Don't mind it going too yellow, adds a bit of 'historic' feeling to it, even though it could have been made yesterday. Personally, correct color always comes in last place of importance, in the scheme of things, for me. I'd rather have great composition- light, form and line, over a perfectly color balanced, poorly composed, poorly balanced image.

I like the pinball effect this photo has on my eyes - they roll along the line of heads until they hit one of the end stops (the people at the end looking inwards) and then they roll back down the other way. There are other aspects of the composition that I like too: the juxtaposition between the larger, upright figure on the right and - at some distance - the group of smaller, leaning men. I also like all the parallel slanting lines in clothes, postures and sticks. All this makes the photo very worthwhile for me.
The post-processing - B&W with a bit of dodging in the bottom right-hand corner and deep shadows lacking much detail - gives the image a much older "look" than the more detailed color version (on Teoman's website under the heading Tanzanya, not Kenya).
For me, the "Kenya 2011" stamp does detract from the "old look" effect.

Leaving aside the aesthetics, I am really interested who the person on the right is. He's dressed differently the the others. Maybe a chief. There's at least on other next to him. MAybe froma different tribe. It looks like the rest are heatedly discussing something while he quietly is taking it all in. I'd like to know the context of the shot. A caption would have helped. Nice shot.

Stephen, I am not clear if you are inferring that that the environment has been stripped away in post or just by the choice of where it was made. It appears to me that it is an organic shot in that regard--for the most part anyway. I actually like how stark the environment is depicted here--we can see some vegetation and structure low to the horizon in the distance. Several other images in the same group show this sort of stark environment--I think it speaks volumes myself.

There does seem to be an intent here to simulate a more historical type of photograph, maybe like an albumen print. Although I do think the setting is as it was, there appears to be some post vignetting (wiping away detail) on the edges/corners.

For me, I think what makes me look is the fact that the woman exists here on the right side. She provides a nice contrast to what I feel is the too dark rendering of the men to the left. By being closer and giving us a bit more detail/separation, she informs the image where the men start to feel like a singular shape. I really think seeing the texture of her cloak adds to the image. For me, the image would be stronger with more detail in the men's clothing and it could be done pretty easily without ruining the basic image.

I do think it is difficult to really get a sense of what is going on here. There seems to be an indication of more than one woman being in this line--the bulbous head (or is this a child) protruding from the front woman's shoulders and the extra foot further down. But how many are there? I think an angle where we get an idea of how many women were there would really create a more powerful image-even if there weren't others-- rather than how that is somewhat ambiguous. I have a hard time filling in the story here--or imagining--without more detail there.

MIchael's comment with regards the left side is one I do agree with, it is very obviously off balance with the right side and I have a hard time figuring out a good reason for this. I don't know what percentage is right as I think it would be a process of getting the feel just right by doing it--it wouldn't be a whole lot though. I am ambivalent to cropping the sky as I am not sure if it really matters-one of those things to sit on for awhile--I think that could change the dynamics of the image though if the woman were more constricted into the space.

I am not blown away by this image because it does just feel a bit ambiguous to me. It appears to document an event but it doesn't give us much information--nor do any other photos fill in the information. I think the image would actually be better larger than smaller as I do think the expressions on the faces are critical here.

Warriors? Carrying a baby into battle? Hardly I think. More like a farmers' co-op meeting african style. Too contrived to my liking with the world ending immediately behind the group.

John, I had the strong sense that the background had been removed in post, leaving just the people. I see very little in the background. However, they could also be just this side of the crest of a hill, and that would also leave an empty background.

I still get the sense that this gathering has to do with the nearest person on the right, the one with the large disk around the neck. I think the person is a young female, judging by the few facial features I can see. There is at least one person on her right, but largely hidden from our view. I think she is the subject of the group of older men on the left, and I sense this moment is a low-key lull in whatever is happening.

There are a lot of "senses" in my interpretation. I really don't know what's going on, and I'm not even sure of the physical context. I'm really hesitant to speculate, because I'll most likely be wrong. A title would help, as Alan said, and an introductory paragraph from Teoman would be even more helpful.

On its own without a title or introductory paragraph, I'm one of several who would like to see more detail among the men on the left. They are too far removed from the camera, and the toned B&W has made it even more difficult to see detail, especially on dark-skinned faces. Teoman seems to define his travels and the countries he visits in terms of the people he sees, and I think that was his intention here.

Hello Teoman,
I have performed a shadow opening on your image to support my previous suggestions. I trust you will not be disturbed by my audacity, as I very much enjoy the composition you have achieved. I quite like the space around your Masai subjects.

Adjusted image for shadow detail

This is really an interesting shot of another peoples' culture. The viewer, not knowing, can interpret it in various ways. It does seem the man on the right, dressed more regally than the others, commands their attention.
There's a great deal of negative space,which, I feel, in this case adds to the photo's impact and works. I might just snip a bit off the left

Love the perspective here. A group of tall Masai men look subordinate to the woman on the right. Getting close to the ground and closer to the woman on the right achieved this. This is a great lesson in showing how to take a photo that shows who's in charge.

I like it from a sociological point of view, more than an aesthetic one,and the woman separate from the group, maybe its a maternal society? It leaves questions. I much prefer one of his other images: zanzibar7. Its a beautiful portfolio. Congratulations.

I really like the shot as uploaded, but I have to say that Arthur has done a wonderful job of bringing out the detail. As much as I like the shot, though, I have to say that I agree with others who lament the lack of a background. Here is one from Zanzibar which includes the background:

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=12737194

--Lannie

This is a mediocre photograph. Yes the subject matter is exotic to anyone who is not Masai, as klatch of Baltimore housewives would be exotic to a Masai. But exoticism alone does not automatically make for a great or even good photograph. And this is not even a good phtograph.

The baby-couldn't-help-it sepia is one major demerit of this photograph. Why this yuk instead of black and white? Yes, it gives it a vintage look. But this is not what you want in a photograph of the here and now. It is important that we know that the Masai are living this good and valid life now as we sit before our computers.

That fecal looking sepia is one thing. The other is that this photograph is static. No, it is dead. The Masai are not real people in this photograph but figurines. The underexposure of the subjects and the lack of detail is to blame in part. But the real problem is the distance that the photographer places between himself and his subjects.

I do not mean only the physical distance, which is bad enough. I also mean mental distance. There is no rapport between himself and his subjects. He does not seem to understand them or care to understand them. This is a casual tourist photograph.

In fact this photograph reminds me of last week's giraffe Photo of the Week. What I said about it applies to this photograph. Tourist photographs are valuable as personal keepsakes. But they are neither great documents or great art.

Just as there are lots of giraffe photographs there are also lot of photographs of indigenous people. While bad giraffe photographs are fairly harmless, I think there is something offensive and dangerous in bad photography of indigenous people like this one because the subjects are dehumanized. They are reduced to stage savages and circus attractions.

The use of sepia is the photographer's attempt to turn this dull photograph into Art. If he had only not done that this might have been a marginally better image.