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ctfchallenge | all galleries >> Challenge 78: Think Inside The Box >> Challenge 78:Eligible > Two feets too long*
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03-APR-2005 pfehlauer

Two feets too long*

Puebla, Mexico

A little girl, 4 or 5 years old, sleeping under what was once a box, to keep it warm, while her mother was around there selling some stuff on the street. Every day, this little girl thinks a lot inside the box, and not only inside the one of cardboard.

Canon EOS 300D Digital Rebel ,Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM
1/400s f/8.0 at 75.0mm iso100 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time03-Apr-2005 16:01:00
MakeCanon
ModelCanon EOS DIGITAL REBEL
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length75 mm
Exposure Time1/400 sec
Aperturef/8
ISO Equivalent100
Exposure Bias-0.67
White Balance (-1)
Metering Modematrix (5)
JPEG Quality (6)
Exposure Programaperture priority (3)
Focus Distance

other sizes: small medium original auto
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Techo 11-Apr-2005 20:07
Well taken photo but thought provoking indeed. One of the saddest photos I've seen in a while :-( I would've freaked out if I saw something like that in person.
~elements 10-Apr-2005 14:06
thanks pfehlauer
I understand all you say
still, better the child there with mama then 'home alone' , which sometimes happens
(with wealthier parents )
perhaps this child is there for a few hours every sunday afternoon and the rest of the week is a completely different scenario. just maybe.
she looks to have a nice 'mattress' to rest on in the picture so seems to be looked after. well, as much as is possible
just my thoughts.
Guest 09-Apr-2005 18:34
~elements, you're right, as I said in my comment before, I dont think she actually "lives" there, but she spends all day while her mother is a couple of meters away selling stuff. It was Sunday, 4pm. Still lot of sun in Mexico at that time. Maybe this girl just spends Sundays with her mother, I don't know. And the shoes draw my attention also: they look pretty decent. But I have to admit, that doesn't proof anything. Lot of this children receive used clothes from churches or other institutions, find stuff in garbage, etc., don't know.

Anyway, regardles of all that, it's quite obvious to everyone that there are better places for a 4-5 year old girl to spend her time.

Pedro
~elements 09-Apr-2005 11:32
the child is actually sleeping or resting on a wheelbarrow type of pram

it enables her to sleep between moments while her mother is selling.
or for her to be wheeled home later (without the cardboard cover)
I see shadows which mean probably strong sunshine which could also mean the child was being covered with cardboard because of the sun's rays .
I wonder was it around midday the shot was taken ?
I think I see a fairly well dressed child
yes, it's only her feet , but they seem to have nice socks and shoes on.
emotionally this shot does not bring the usual feelings which are brought about when I see many real homeless people in cities.
pfehlauer 09-Apr-2005 03:21
Nugar, no lo había pensado, tienes toda la razón! Mafalda..LOL... thanks for the comments...
Nugar09-Apr-2005 02:30
Los zapatos se parecen a los de Mafalda. Good image, Pedro, sad, but technically good.
Guest 08-Apr-2005 22:21
Thanks Rod, thanks PhotoNut. In fact, I think she is not homeless, she sleeps there while her mother sells her stuff. Late afternoon, both go back home... anyway, one can imagine what kind of home they got... PhotoNut, that's so true, in other parts of the world, you don't see homeless children, begging on the street and the like, but in Latin America... you see a lot, in every country I've been... and I've been in almost all of them in this region...
Rod 08-Apr-2005 09:51
Well done Pfeh, A very thought provoking shot with the lightness left around her feet making sure we don't miss the point. Great work mate.
PhotoNUT 08-Apr-2005 03:48
No need to explain further. Just a bit shocking to us who live in parts of the world where you don’t see this. My city has homeless people too, but I have never seen a child this young homeless.

Your photo shows a part of life that I think people don’t want to see, your really captured the tragic side of our world in this shot. Really makes me think.
Guest 07-Apr-2005 14:48
PS2: she actually thinks inside or under the cardboard (about real facts, about toys, etc.), and she also thinks inside her own "virtual box" (what will she do when she grow up, her ambitions and expectations, etc.). Hope this clarifies your question, PhotoNUT. Otherwise, just let me know and I'll try again.
Guest 07-Apr-2005 14:41
PhotoNut, the image is definitely real, unfortunately. I didn't want to disturb anyone, maybe because I grew up in Latin America, I got used to this scenes. I saw the cardboard, saw it moving, and then I saw the feet. I took the shot, and then the mother yelled to the girl waking her up, maybe because of me. There I identified that it was a girl.

Now, I don't want to influence on others interpretations, and I certainly don’t want to be dramatic either, but since you asked, I'll explain my phrase: these kids think inside the box, because they learn to accept their limitations, imposed by the society, the system, government, whatever. This limitations are the boundaries of this virtual “box”. Their destiny is already written, they know NOW they will never make it better than their parents, and that their kids will repeat the same story. I’ve seen it too many times, this kids are resigned to their destiny. And the big problem is that this fact influences their attitude, their behavior, everything, decreasing even more the chance to get out of that “box”.

PS: My English is not as good as it should be, sometimes my wording is not the best one, but that’s unintentional. Maybe that’s causing confusion.
PhotoNUT 07-Apr-2005 01:59
This is a disturbing image and leaves me with a couple questions. Is this for real, and if so, can you clarify this:

**Every day, this little girl thinks a lot inside the box, and not only inside the one of cardboard.**
Guest 06-Apr-2005 01:24
Pfehlauer, A very touching portrayal of difficulties faced by people on the street. One needs an inner eye to see this, let alone understand and feel it within. I admire your ability to see it and feel it too. -Cat
ctfchallenge06-Apr-2005 01:10
Sad story. Rich