Experimenting ( please roll down)

On our way to Timbuktu we were waiting for the ferry to take us to the other side of the Niger river, nearly end of day, waiting there, I saw that little boy experimenting how to sail that raft which was a collection of straw and other remnants.

 

I have looked at his efforts, to follow his ancestor's life tradition near the river with a real admiration, and took some examples.It was taken with backlight, hence the silhouette.( I think he was about 7-8 years old)

 

Thanks for your thoughts, Pnina

3ed, version, the end...

Thanks, Pnina

I like all 3 versions! The silhuete really looks nice and the mood is fantasticly captured! Keep up!

Three versions have different types of appeal and are equally good. This image gives an impression of motion. Silhoutted figure of the boy works out well.

Pnina, a powerful sequence of images. I think I prefer this one over the others as this one portrays a strength and resoluteness to preform the task. A perfect rendition of a very difficult way of life. Thank you for sharing with us.

...Of this small, charming, innovative and industrious boatman! The three images are all compelling. Regards, Kelvin.

Great!

I really think this is a Great Shot, Pnina. Silhoutted figure of the boy works out well as amal mentioned. Shalom

Excelente encuadre, luz, color y una bella composicion, un cordial saludo Pnina.

Chapeau !!

I love all three, but I think that v2 is my favorite. It's amazing to me that he's even afloat. I like that the boy is in silhouette. It gives him an anonymity that is makes him more of a general representation of any child his age who lives there in Mali....

Silhouette effect is very good. There is a feel of motion & force in the captured. Very well done.!

 

 

Super Pnina! His little silhouette is awesome in his boat!

I like all three. The silhouette works well in that it distances us from the boy and emphasises both the gap and the common ground between our experience and his.

We all have grown up through many experiments and expeditions with a lot of painful mistakes and a few sweet success. Even after grown-up, we can't live without uneasy trials and errors too. This child looks to start rowing into the river of life. He must get full of troubles in his future life but(or, so)this photo touches my heart. Silhouette killed his personality and I can see a universal image of life in this photo.

All three, Pnina; the sequence makes us follow the kid's experiment, the endurance and determination. I think the silhouette is perfect in this three images. It's THE CHILD in that area and not one child.

Thanks To all of you for your feedback and connecting to that sequence of images.The children situation in Mali is not an easy one, and from my short intensive visit, I could see that they have to master independece quite early in their life, if they survive.( Death rate of children is very high 10%)If you look:

 

here

 

You will see that very young children have to look after the babies in the family, and there are many. So following that child ( about 7 or 8 years of age)in his efforts to master sailing the raft, was a real experience , and I admired him doing it.

I like version 2 better artistically (as a stand-alone shot, if you will), but I think version 1 works better as part of the photo essay as a whole. It maintains the attractive and universal silhouette, shows the struggle and determination involved but also some detail to provide context.

You are doing some wonderful work here!

All versions qre quite delightful. I like this one best, I think because of theright hand and the left foot...seems like movement in what must not move that well. Great story!

We were commenting on the same time... Please read my answers on the last tri photos , if you like, there are some more information there.

 

Thanks for expressing your point of view, I really appreciate it.

 

Mali was a very unusual experience for me, and I felt it is importent to share a small part of it.

Thank you for sharing~ the story and the pics. My favourite is the 2nd composition but they really work well altogether for the whole story.

Well done, cheers, Iren

All three are wonderful, but my favorite is the second because I think the silhouette is most directly affecting with the sepia. But they are all impressive.

Nice series. IMO 2nd image is the best with its desaturation and full silhouette.

The "silhouetting" of the person is impelling this complete composition to a singular work. Chapeau!