Sleeping girl and watermellons

Any and all comments welcome. Hand-held 300mm-- leaned against a

post to hold steady. Film was Kodak Gold--I rarely use print film,

but this in my pre-digital days and I wanted some for an album--

versus all slides. Ca. 2000 or 2001. Somewhere in Northern China.

 

Technically this picture lacks (busy...), but I happen to like these

types of images depicting real life. It's the way it is.

 

Cheers!

 

Clive

I discovered your work 'cause you gave me my first 1!(i guess). Some of your pictures are pretty good, keep on posting. This one is just great. Ciao, Floris.

I like this very much. Could be good in B&W, but still the color is great.

 

Simone

brilliant candid. well done

 

Hi, Clive,

 

It is a very powerful photo truthful of life. The red clothes and the green watermelons have wonderful contrast. I guess the girl is no more than 18 years old yet she has to share the burden of life for her family. I like this one and I understand what you want to say with it.

Thanks for the comments. George wrote, "I guess the girl is no more than 18 years old yet she has to share the burden of life for her family." I have been blessed to travel to China 9 times. It had been most enlightening. There are some 500+ million farm people in China. Their lives are hard. This was in Heilongjiang Province where about 25 million people farm. Most live in single family uninsulated brick homes. Right now it is -17°C. Their homes are heated mainly with corn stalks and other plant straw. Their beds are raised brick platforms under which heat from the cook oven flows. Yes, it is a hard life. This young lady (probably 14 or 15) likley was up at 3 or 4 AM and was on the road with her father by 4:30 in order to get to the market by sun up.

 

Photographing real life and TRYING to depict it the "way it is" is a challenge. I frequently get asked to give slide shows on China. People don't want to see the Great Wall. They want to see life.

 

Thanks for your kind words.

Very nice capture! It doesn't have to technically perfect. It conveys the message and that is perfect. Very well done.