Life At The Other Side by flowsnow

flowsnow | all galleries >> Expressions >> The Untold Stories:Episode I > Life At The Other Side

Life At The Other Side

Sapa, Vietnam

Here you see a very young boy lugging on a couple of logs. To me they look heavy especially him being so small and young. I can never imagine any city kid having to do that ...I only presume that's because of the lifestyle and environmental setting. Being where they are secluded from civilisation that's the way of life living in a tribal community.

Below is a BW conversion of the image:

You will find that the BW conversion brings you closer to the boy but as a result you loose the details at the background. This is just a comparison of the impact that an image can give you if you were to use either colour/BW.

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Guest 09-Jun-2007 19:23
Terrific and dramatic shot!

Phil Douglis 05-Jun-2007 21:52
Anna makes a good point about the use of color here. It does indeed add impact and drama to the image. I did not suggest that you convert this to black and white. If you did, as you point out, the logs would almost vanish. I used black and white in my own child labor images I linked you too because the lack of color drains the life right out of these children and underscored their plight. In this image, however, the color version is stronger because the background -- where the labor comes from -- is more detailed and the blue shirt pulls the eye into the image.

Wei O'Connell 05-Jun-2007 01:59
sad and beautiful. v

Guest 04-Jun-2007 14:29
Patricia said it so well.
another beautiful and powerful image,Tricia.

Emmanuel Panagiotakis 04-Jun-2007 01:38
Very strong facial expression well-done

pda_pin 02-Jun-2007 16:43
A great and very expressive picture.

Patricia Lay-Dorsey 02-Jun-2007 02:46
This little boy touches me deeply. His serious expression, hunched over body, and beautiful face will stay with me for a long time. I find the color version attracts me the most.

Anna Wnuk 31-May-2007 05:09
I love the perspective in this photo. Good choice showing the face and the expression on it. It really tels a lot about his attitude towards this hard work. I also like the post-processing - the image is striking and attracting view. I don't agree with Phil as to the colours. I think they add dramatism to the image. I agree as for the shadow, though. But really - marvellous image! Well done! v.

Buz Kiefer 30-May-2007 19:00
Marvelous photo that tell the story immediately. Vote.

fred_il 30-May-2007 16:52
strong and powerful one!
a masterpiece!
VOte!

Jean-Luc Rollier 30-May-2007 16:18
Image très dure et très belle qui nous rappelle que beaucoup,
beaucoup d'enfants sont obligés de travailler très jeunes
pour aider leurs parents.
JL Vote

veraferia 29-May-2007 12:23
Great capture! It doesn´t need words! V

Cecilia Lim 29-May-2007 10:36
This is a wonderful piece of story-telling Tricia. You've shown us a very revealing moment in this boy's life and the community he lives in. We get a sense of how poor his family is and how basic their way of life is because they place so much value on these logs, that they would send their very young son to retrieve them, without the help of any machinery - just some twines and all the energy the boy has. I think you also made a great decision in going low enough to allow us to see the boy's face and brightening it (judging by the lighting conditions, much of it was probably in the shadow) because it shows us this boy's attitude towards this hardwork. There's no sign of frustration or unwillingness in his face - just an acceptance of his work. In modern civilisation, this would be labeled child labour, but in his community, this is just probably the way of life where whoever is bodily abled shares responsibilities to help wherever they can.

Compositionally, I feel a bit uncomfortable with the crop on the left and like Phil, I wish I could see the complete shadow. I think the shadow would reinforce the boy's body language. But overall, this image is rich in human values and makes us reflect on the differences that still exist even though the world is supposedly becoming smaller. Well done Tricia!

Ali Majdfar 29-May-2007 09:14
Sad to see such a catastrophe, Stunning shot. GMV

Dan Ng 29-May-2007 05:46
Wonderful documentary image...the young work so hard. V.

Emmanuel Panagiotakis 29-May-2007 02:59
Superior work ...like always

Char 29-May-2007 02:27
Hi Tricia,
A wonderful portrait shot! Excellent POV. \/

Andrew Vincent 29-May-2007 02:18
Did you lend him a hand Tricia? :-)

Great shot Tricia, can hear LIFE magazine knocking on your door! VOTE!

1moremile 29-May-2007 01:02
In a community like this they all work. This photo does stand out though. It is really well done. Voted.

Rich Westfall 28-May-2007 23:35
We really don't know how good we have it. Very revealing photo.

Cindi Smith 28-May-2007 23:14
I hate seeing such a small child struggling. Children are precious and this one has done this many times before. Wonderful capture! V

marie-jose wolff 28-May-2007 22:39
dramatic and strong image... Vote!

Martha Albuquerque 28-May-2007 21:56
strong statement and image.. sad and beautiful*****

Phil Douglis 28-May-2007 19:47
Tricia, I forgot to add some links for you to my previous comment. I have three images in my own teaching galleries that deal with the same issue, child labor in the third world, yet use entirely different concepts to tell the story. Note that in all of them, I used black and white to remove all traces of beauty (color) from the image:
http://www.pbase.com/image/40169873
http://www.pbase.com/image/40169875
http://www.pbase.com/pnd1/image/40169877

Phil Douglis 28-May-2007 19:33
You are working here as a story teller, Tricia. This image is based on human values: effort, hopelessness, survival. It is also based on what is not here. There is no indication of joy in this image. None whatsoever. Yet children are, by their very nature, entitled to the life of a child -- days filled with pleasure, play and joy. This child's day is filled with effort -- like a beast of burden, he must drag logs that weigh more than he does through the dust and dirt. Your image makes us stop, think, and above all, feel. The longer we look into this image, the darker the future of this child becomes. Child labor is a terrifying reality in the third world. Your image tells that story honestly and emphatically.

The only suggestion I can offer to make it even stronger would have been to include the entire shadow. It is that dark shadow on the ground that symbolizes his future. It will always be dogging him, every step of the way. And if you had just stepped back and included all of it, the symbolic force of the image would have been magnified. A hint -- when you frame your images, always glance at all four edges before click the shutter to make sure that everything that is in should be in, and everything that is out should be out. It will come, Tricia, with experience. As it stands, this image is one of most powerful stories you have yet to tell.

123 28-May-2007 18:26
Poignant image.

Raymond 28-May-2007 18:16
I really like Victoria's comment, life being too heavy... she's got it right on the nail.
Me, I wonder about his futur, he'll have strong work ethics, that's for sure.
Well seen for you and to have captured that slice in time , at 1/320 sec,., and yet, makes me spent a few minutes with that image. Bravo

Victoria 28-May-2007 17:42
definitely too heavy for him .........life there like this ....perfect shot

Olaf Herrig 28-May-2007 17:17
Excellent image! V.

Tom Munson 28-May-2007 16:39
Outstanding image Tricia. He is working very hard, life's not easy for this young man. V

Jay Levin 28-May-2007 16:24
A very poignant image, Tricia. Vote

caveman_lee 28-May-2007 16:18
Excellent shots, very lively indeed. Some kids in the city carry their school bags of about the same weight. V

Zaid Kurdi 28-May-2007 16:07
Dramatic shot........V.

Guest 28-May-2007 15:58
Every message is well written on his face, great capture.

Terri Steele 28-May-2007 15:12
Beautiful and dramatic portrait. This is brilliant photography.

Paco López 28-May-2007 14:48
Excellent!!! Very impressive. Big vote, Tricia!!!!!!

CIS 28-May-2007 14:04
It is dramatic and a tribute to this little fellow. Well captured with the effort showing in his face.

Eric Carrère 28-May-2007 13:47
Very strong image Tricia...V.

Barbara Heide 28-May-2007 13:38
dramatic shot!v

Katie Chew 28-May-2007 13:25
Excellent capture! V

Guest 28-May-2007 12:35
Wonderful image!

Guest 28-May-2007 12:32
Fantastic! V

CM Kwan 28-May-2007 12:13
A great capture of life! Well done my friend. V

Guest 28-May-2007 11:44
A very nice image of the hard side of life. v

Guest 28-May-2007 11:40
hard to imagine what life is like for him.
nice capture tricia!

Guest 28-May-2007 11:32
Different life indeed! I am sure he is however finding this natural, and doing it with a lot of pride. Nice capture.

Fong Lam 28-May-2007 11:19
A poignant image showing a child enduring the hard knocks of life ~V~

Guest 28-May-2007 10:29
nice capture...i will show to my kids...then they would realised how fortunate they are..thanks for sharing.

Guest 28-May-2007 10:23
hard work, excellent shot.

Latifa Messaoudi 28-May-2007 10:19
yes...life in the other side...

Phil Douglis		05-Jun-2007 21:52
Anna makes a good point about the use of color here. It does indeed add impact and drama to the image. I did not suggest that you convert this to black and white. If you did, as you point out, the logs would almost vanish. I used black and white in my own child labor images I linked you too because the lack of color drains the life right out of these children and underscored their plight. In this image, however, the color version is stronger because the background -- where the labor comes from -- is more detailed and the blue shirt pulls the eye into the image.

Guest		04-Jun-2007 14:29
Patricia said it so well. another beautiful and powerful image,Tricia.

Emmanuel Panagiotakis		04-Jun-2007 01:38
Very strong facial expression well-done

pda_pin		02-Jun-2007 16:43
A great and very expressive picture.

Patricia Lay-Dorsey		02-Jun-2007 02:46
This little boy touches me deeply. His serious expression, hunched over body, and beautiful face will stay with me for a long time. I find the color version attracts me the most.

Anna Wnuk		31-May-2007 05:09
I love the perspective in this photo. Good choice showing the face and the expression on it. It really tels a lot about his attitude towards this hard work. I also like the post-processing - the image is striking and attracting view. I don't agree with Phil as to the colours. I think they add dramatism to the image. I agree as for the shadow, though. But really - marvellous image! Well done! v.

Buz Kiefer		30-May-2007 19:00
Marvelous photo that tell the story immediately. Vote.

fred_il		30-May-2007 16:52
strong and powerful one! a masterpiece! VOte!

Jean-Luc Rollier		30-May-2007 16:18
Image très dure et très belle qui nous rappelle que beaucoup, beaucoup d'enfants sont obligés de travailler très jeunes pour aider leurs parents. JL Vote

veraferia		29-May-2007 12:23
Great capture! It doesn´t need words! V

Cecilia Lim		29-May-2007 10:36
This is a wonderful piece of story-telling Tricia. You've shown us a very revealing moment in this boy's life and the community he lives in. We get a sense of how poor his family is and how basic their way of life is because they place so much value on these logs, that they would send their very young son to retrieve them, without the help of any machinery - just some twines and all the energy the boy has. I think you also made a great decision in going low enough to allow us to see the boy's face and brightening it (judging by the lighting conditions, much of it was probably in the shadow) because it shows us this boy's attitude towards this hardwork. There's no sign of frustration or unwillingness in his face - just an acceptance of his work. In modern civilisation, this would be labeled child labour, but in his community, this is just probably the way of life where whoever is bodily abled shares responsibilities to help wherever they can. Compositionally, I feel a bit uncomfortable with the crop on the left and like Phil, I wish I could see the complete shadow. I think the shadow would reinforce the boy's body language. But overall, this image is rich in human values and makes us reflect on the differences that still exist even though the world is supposedly becoming smaller. Well done Tricia!

Ali Majdfar		29-May-2007 09:14
Sad to see such a catastrophe, Stunning shot. GMV

Dan Ng		29-May-2007 05:46
Wonderful documentary image...the young work so hard. V.

Emmanuel Panagiotakis		29-May-2007 02:59
Superior work ...like always

Char		29-May-2007 02:27
Hi Tricia, A wonderful portrait shot! Excellent POV. \/

Andrew Vincent		29-May-2007 02:18
Did you lend him a hand Tricia? :-) Great shot Tricia, can hear LIFE magazine knocking on your door! VOTE!

1moremile		29-May-2007 01:02
In a community like this they all work. This photo does stand out though. It is really well done. Voted.

Rich Westfall		28-May-2007 23:35
We really don't know how good we have it. Very revealing photo.

Cindi Smith		28-May-2007 23:14
I hate seeing such a small child struggling. Children are precious and this one has done this many times before. Wonderful capture! V

marie-jose wolff		28-May-2007 22:39
dramatic and strong image... Vote!

Martha Albuquerque		28-May-2007 21:56
strong statement and image.. sad and beautiful*****

Phil Douglis		28-May-2007 19:47
Tricia, I forgot to add some links for you to my previous comment. I have three images in my own teaching galleries that deal with the same issue, child labor in the third world, yet use entirely different concepts to tell the story. Note that in all of them, I used black and white to remove all traces of beauty (color) from the image: http://www.pbase.com/image/40169873 http://www.pbase.com/image/40169875 http://www.pbase.com/pnd1/image/40169877

Phil Douglis		28-May-2007 19:33
You are working here as a story teller, Tricia. This image is based on human values: effort, hopelessness, survival. It is also based on what is not here. There is no indication of joy in this image. None whatsoever. Yet children are, by their very nature, entitled to the life of a child -- days filled with pleasure, play and joy. This child's day is filled with effort -- like a beast of burden, he must drag logs that weigh more than he does through the dust and dirt. Your image makes us stop, think, and above all, feel. The longer we look into this image, the darker the future of this child becomes. Child labor is a terrifying reality in the third world. Your image tells that story honestly and emphatically. The only suggestion I can offer to make it even stronger would have been to include the entire shadow. It is that dark shadow on the ground that symbolizes his future. It will always be dogging him, every step of the way. And if you had just stepped back and included all of it, the symbolic force of the image would have been magnified. A hint -- when you frame your images, always glance at all four edges before click the shutter to make sure that everything that is in should be in, and everything that is out should be out. It will come, Tricia, with experience. As it stands, this image is one of most powerful stories you have yet to tell.

Raymond		28-May-2007 18:16
I really like Victoria's comment, life being too heavy... she's got it right on the nail. Me, I wonder about his futur, he'll have strong work ethics, that's for sure. Well seen for you and to have captured that slice in time , at 1/320 sec,., and yet, makes me spent a few minutes with that image. Bravo

Victoria		28-May-2007 17:42
definitely too heavy for him .........life there like this ....perfect shot

Tom Munson		28-May-2007 16:39
Outstanding image Tricia. He is working very hard, life's not easy for this young man. V

Jay Levin		28-May-2007 16:24
A very poignant image, Tricia. Vote

caveman_lee		28-May-2007 16:18
Excellent shots, very lively indeed. Some kids in the city carry their school bags of about the same weight. V

Guest		28-May-2007 15:58
Every message is well written on his face, great capture.

Terri Steele		28-May-2007 15:12
Beautiful and dramatic portrait. This is brilliant photography.