impression mali - a story of a voyage Bridge in Early Morning

West Africa, Mali, Timbuktu ( the name meaning is "The well of the woman named Bouctou" , and Bouctou means belly button.)

 

Coming from the west to Mali, is coming to another planet, where the mass majority of people live their life in a constant fight for survival. To experience it with western eyes for the first time, is a cultural and emotional shock.

 

The country has a light brown color, because of the desert and the mud constructions, but what brings colors is the women cloths that have very vivid colors even in the remotest villages.

 

My images will be an impression of my voyage to the remotest point in Mali, To Timbuktu.

 

I hope to succeed in expressing my experience.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.I don't use the rating system for the time being, and concentrate on comments, Thanks Pnina

 

Please read comment, Thanks Pnina

I am looking forward to reading and seeing.....!

Watching and reading on, Pnina. Observing the heavy structure of the bridge and the earth colors dominating the scene.

P, can you give us your rationale for the left hand collumn of the bridge, covering it over with my thumb seems to give the image a different dynamic for me. Just wondered what your thoughts were?

 

PS. I like the viewpoint very much.

Thanks Sarah, Paula and Ben.

 

Yes Ben, I have decided to leave it as a ballance to the tree on the right HS. Both of them are like a frame to the people on the bridge, But your suggestion is a possibility as well and I will try it and see if I like it better. All that serries will go to Europe as a presentation ( as a mean to collect money for projects in Mali)

 

Thanks Pnina

Pnina, glad to see your back. Looking forward to your photgraphic documentation of your trip.

So you went to Timbaktu. Nice composition,Pnina.

Pnina,

Welcome back !

i like the idea of this shot, but the technical details bother me. Its too soft and far away. you need a longer and sharper glass and tripod. i dont care for the light and you need to pay more attention to selecting who you photography crossing the bridge and picking the right time of day. you might have take 50 shots just to get the right one.

Thak you CJ, Amal Chipsy and Peter.

 

Peter, thanks for your comments about technics the bridge is far away yes, but I liked the figure the way they are, far away ,as the bridge is.a tripode is a good idea for a long trip, mine was short and intensive.

 

Pnina

Welcome back, Pnina !

 

This looks like a typical image you have brought back from Mali. I would crop out the left and right side to remove cut people.

 

 

Lionel, thanks, I don't think it is significance , I may cut the left side though. Pnina

I like the different walks of life making thier way on a probable vital crossing, nice portrayal Pnina. Nice to see places of not-your-everyday-run-of-the-mill-you-know-what-I-mean!

Here is a nother version cropped as suggested Ben and Lionel. what do you think ?

 

Don, thanks!, what do you think ? which is a better version? Pnina

Now that I look at the 2nd version I think your original photo is stronger, the collumn somehow grounds the bridge.

I like the cropped one Pnina, eliminating the bridge support puts focus where it should be...on the travelers.

Pnina, welcome back from your trip! - I hope it was a good one. You have caught and image that immediately says 'Africa' to me - the people on foot or on bicycles, the women carrying things on their heads. The quality of the light is good and feels like an early morning scene though the bridge could maybe benefit from noise reduction. You take us to all sorts of places, Pnina!

Thanks Ben and Don. interesting to get your points of view.

 

Colin, great to see you here. I'm glad to be back, thanks for your comment, I don't see noise on my monitor, I will check it again.Pnina

pnina, the recropped photo 100% better.

Hello Pnina, I'm enjoying these first Mali photographs very much. What strikes me about this bridge scene is how strong this must be, at least 5 times than could be needed, probably built to hold a freight train......Yes I did send Tony a card from the both of us(regular mail). Really don't know if he got it though, and put a little letter inside telling him about your trip to Mali.....Jim

Nice to see you back with nice documentary photos! I think I have seen many photos of Timbuktu introduced as a World Heritage but haven't seen such a picturesque photo which captured ordinary people in casual scene. It's a pleasure to see this place through your eyes.

Peter, I'm glad you like the second version, I will probably use both of them.

 

Jim, first thanks for your help with Tony, that is real nice of you!

 

Hiroya and Jim, Mali is the poorest country in Africa, and I was reffering in my work to that too, so you will see later on photos that will show the beauty as well as the misery and hard life there.

 

Thanks to all of you for your interest and thoughts. Pnina

Great shot Pnina. Wonderfully composed and the lighting is magnificent. Welcome back. Truly a spectacle and so representative of Africa. Great image.

 

Ciao.

Pnina, I was about to suggest exactly the crop you've produced in attachment to one of the comments.

 

In principle, I would dislike the motorcycle so close to the edge... you know, this usual thing about leaving space in front of what moves.

 

In this particular case, though, it works great in that presents an effective gap between those who can afford a fossil-fuel mean of transport, the man walking without loads and the women walking even further back with the loads... one can get lots of meaning from there.

 

By all means, then, go with your crop rather than the original image.