Tijuana Poverty Trap -- Trap of Death

This photo was taken in the slums of Tijuana when they were located

in the riverbed of the Tijuana river, which ultimately empties across

the border in the United States. One day years later, this entire

slum flooded out, killing most inhabitants, possibly including this

small boy, years older. Your ratings and critiques are invited and

most welcome. (If you rate harshly or very critically, please submit

a helpful and constructive critique/Please share your superior

knowledge to help improve my photography.) Thanks! Enjoy! John

I like the coomposition and the contrast. I would crop out the headlight of the car, I don't think that it will impact the image much. It captures the mood that you convey.

 

Good shot.

Thanks for the kind comment. I found this one recently and it struck me as very good. Did you notice that the foundation leg and the boy's leg both are akilter?

 

As to leaving in the nose of the car, I did so and didn't crop it out, to tell you when the photo was taken, and to balance it out a little. Leaving it in was a discretionary act.

 

I like your comments.

 

John

A wonderful shot.I agree about the cropping.It amazes me that no matter where you go in the poorer parts of the world you always see the pepsi the coca cola and 7 up signs,as if thats what these people need, maybe some of these companies should consider helping improve the lives of the poor instead of pushing their crappy products on them.You have a wonderful eye for subject matter, now I will have a look at the rest of your shots.

This is a 'crazy dysfunctional world' as you state, but in some ways it rationalizes itself and not in the British sense (fires itself) but somehow becomes sane. Whereas floods took away this section of these slums and drowned many (I was threatened with arrest for taking this photo and another in this folder, and bluffed my way out of it threatening a diplomatic incident), the deaths caused seismic upheaval in Tijuana, Mexico and such slums never will be allowed there in the riverbed again and the floodplain is protected from habitation.

 

Now Tijuana is a thriving city of 1,000,000, still corrupt, but with millions of tourists every year from California and a thriving cross-border traffic both ways. Less well off than neighboring San Diego suburbs (among the wealthiest in the nation), it still is quite wealthy, as many Mexicans work across the border and live in Tijuana with their American dollar wages or send their money to Tijuana, and maquilladoras (cross-border, tax-sheltered factories) have sprung up there in large numbers, I hear.

 

Dysfunctional -- yes, then, and even now, but less so.

 

Pepsi and Seven-Up are hardly a problem and more of a symbol of something to strive for -- a 'status symbol' than something being advertised with real expectation of sales to these poor people in the late '60s. (with all due respect to your very sensitive sensibilities -- I am sensitive too, as you maybe can tell).

 

With respect.

 

John

Excellent documentary shot, with beautiful contrasts and great expression in the child's face. The inclusion of the surroundings is greatly achieved: it offers us some info about the place, without losing strenght concerning what is the main subject. However, I am not totally sure about the inclusion of that slice of car: although it still gives us more info, it is a rather disturbing element (I am just saying that trying to give a totally constructive point of view, ok?). Regards, Sigfrid.

The inclusion, or not, of the auto, is a judgment call, which gives context to this shot and places it in time and place (on a makeshift road or parking place -- car a mid-50s or 60s auto, typical of that time in Mexican slums. In fact the auto is the fanciest physical thing there, and indicates that this wasn't taken in the '30s, as otherwise one might wonder. That's why I left it in, but I equally might have cropped it out.

 

Again, judgment call.

 

Nice, thoughtful comment.

 

Please come again.

 

John

Thanks for the explanation, John, really. A glimpse of that car is giving us that xtra info you are commenting. Regards, Sigfrid.

I noted this in the Request for Critique but want to emphasize it: There is a subtle repetition in this photo.

 

The center-most pillar on which the house rests is bent and leaning to the left (as viewed from in front).

 

The boy's right leg is similarly inclined -- a corollary 'leaning' if you will, that slightly raises this photo to a little bit higher plane, I think, especially if this photo is blown up quite larger, as I sometimes view my photos.

 

(My print files - all hundreds of them -- I make upload and print files simultaneously -- are set as the default 'screen saver' to go on as a slide show after a minute or two of computer inactivity and fills my 17-inch wide laptop screen, so I can see how these photos look full size.

 

This is very pleasing full size, and, in fact, should be viewed large and would do well in an exhibition hall.

 

John

I like every thing about it....very affective in b/w

It's an interesting thing -- especially after shooting color-only for a while, to shoot black and white once again, which I do from time to time.

 

At the time, I was shooting B&W in one camera -- (Tri-X) -- and slide film (transparency) for stock photo, in the other.

 

This sat for 30 years and no one ever saw it, though I had it printed some time ago (negative gone, but the print's show quality).

 

It's interesting how some photos stand the test of time, isn't it?

 

John (Crosley)