photo sharing and upload picture albums photo forums search pictures popular photos photography help login
Cecilia Lim | all galleries >> travel >> kenya >> the samburu > Three Samburu Men
previous | next
21 July 2004 Samburu National Reserve

Three Samburu Men

I was absolutely delighted when I found these three young men standing very relaxed next to a mud hut. They just happened to be taking a break and were observing the buzz around the tourists in their village. I knew it was a great opportunity to make a portrait. Samburu men have to go through different stages of initiation to become "morans" or warriors, which are considered the most striking members of their society. They are often quite vain, putting red ochre in their hair, sporting braided hair and flamboyant bead necklaces. These warriors are at the prime of their life and are considered very attractive to young girls. I was thrilled that these warriors were totally comfortable infront of the camera and this has allowed me to capture their pride and confidence.


other sizes: small medium original auto
comment | share
nomada07-Sep-2005 21:15
Great shots in this gallery Cecilia. Really nice color and excellent composition. Thanks for sharing
Phil Douglis04-Aug-2005 17:09
I agree with all of your comments on this image, Celia. Yes, the toes are on the edge, but it was a small price to pay for an image of such expression. I was going to mention the power a wideangle perspective could have given this image as well -- you could have truly worked in great depth perspective with it, particularly a 24mm focal length. It would have embraced them in both dirt and sky, and sent them soaring overhead in pride.

(That should be your next purchase. Check out Tokina's 12mm-24mm f/4 lens (ATX 124 AF Pro DX). It costs about $500 (US) but it would be well worth the cost. Good glass, and it would deliver an 18mm-36mm perspective on your Canon Rebel DSLR.)
Cecilia Lim04-Aug-2005 15:14
Thank you Phil for your wonderful comment on this image. My gut told me that the best vantage point for making this portrait was from a low vantage point to emphasize a sense of superiority and confidence. And contrary to what Adolfo feels, I wish I had a wider lens to create more depth & perspective by including more sky, which I too feel is integral in evoking that sense of pride and achievement.

And Adolfo, you are right about that foot being too close to the edge. I was working quite frantically, making many attempts to get the right shot. My technical skills are not that great and I had some problems exposing them correctly, as you can imagine how difficult it is to photograph dark skinned people against a bright sky. A fill-in flash would have probably helped a great deal in situations like these, though I am generally not a fan of flash photography because I think it makes people feel self-conscious -- not a desired effect especially when you want them to feel relaxed & natural. I also didn't want to waste too much time fiddling with buttons because it was essential for me to capture their body language and expression. I was afraid they were going to move or put on an artificial pose for me. So in my shooting frenzy from a squatting position, with my heart racing with nervousness and excitement, I did overlook the edge of that foot! But of the various images I took, this seems to speak the best and apart from some shortcomings, I am happy with this final product!
Guest 04-Aug-2005 02:18
The choice of a low angle was very appropriate for these subjects. Tiny areas of improvement on this shot could have been better framing of the subjects. Less sky and more ground. The foot of the right subject is uncomfortably close to the edge of the picture. Maybe a sync fill flash could have improved the face details and lit up even more their red vestments.
Phil Douglis02-Aug-2005 02:10
A spectacular environmental portrait, Celia. Your low vantage point makes them seem so proud that they seem to reach to the sky, which is an integral part of this image. The mud hut gives context, the costumes an incongruous color against the drabness of the dirt. The backlighting partially abstracts the detail, emphasizing instead the rhythms of their bod language. This image virtually sings of the human values that define this culture -- pride, tradition, and an easy, natural-born self confidence.