Namibia: Unmarried Himba girl Photo

Photographer’s Note

"Copyright © – Attila Szili.
The reproduction, publication, modification, transmission or exploitation of any work contained herein for any use, personal or commercial, without my prior written permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved."

How can a visitor distinguish a married from an unmarried himba woman? It's very simple: from their hairstyle. Some pics ago I've shared this pic of a married woman and now it's time to upload this unmarried one.Himba women cover their bodies with a paste made from red ochre, sweet smelling herbs, and butterfat. The paste also helps hold together the braids in their hair.
The difference as you can see, is that unmarried women wear their hair braids over the forehead covering partially their face.

Focal length: 300mm

leo61, pastadog, Keitht, shiva_sg, papagolf21, Michael_Gan, razanoor, Rossignol, TeresaT, AmiBe, emjleclercq, Mangoustan, benkrut, MartaW, Rev, Angshu, jjcordier, andante, AiresSantos, cjmm, pitai, turkamerikali, jhm, Fis2, CRATEOS, devimeuxbe, efigesta, ramesh_lalwani, ktanska, Cricri, Buin, Deepforest, PixelTerror, xavshot, riclopes, rakeshgupta, Stepan, nwoehnl, marjan, alekpet, sufi, Dr_Nibbles, MLINES, linask, gsimon, vagabondtravels, kittyhawk, sergio1, balatrek, Uhu, rachelonthego, rtome, jafadabret, chrisnet, Emiel_Skyfreak, Curioso, jaja1970, fjufju, paura, scalerman, henrytf, zapady, Viera, Pitoncle, jackart, danos, Giis, MarieAnge, lu_muratori, sowhat, tomaszmarcinek, captainsgirl, Bruno40, jurarafal, szabcsi, AnaFrantz, brevbrev14, edytungkal, ocskaymarci, Jakab, ecoli1946, yogi32, Vasa, gelor, velocista ha puntuado esta nota como útil.

Critiques | Translate

leo61 (43438) 2006-03-01 14:11

Hi Attila!
Its a fantastic and technical perfect portrait.Congratulation!!!
The red tones look wonderful and the foto has perfect sharpness.The hair`s shadow at her face looks great.
Regards,LEO

bubujuju (1160) 2006-03-01 14:21

Bonsoir,
Cette image est superbe. les couleurs sont magnifiques,j'aime le regard de cette jeune fille. Bravo !

pastadog (12821) 2006-03-01 14:22

Hi Attila, wonderful portrait, superb color and expression. Bravo! Daniel

Keitht (1112) 2006-03-01 14:24

Wonderful portrait of a culture very different from the one I know in the UK. The level of detail captured is amazing. Every pore of her skin and every hair of each braid is clearly visible.
The only minor criticism is of the pole behind her, but that really is very trivial when considering the superb quality of the image.

shiva_sg (600) 2006-03-01 14:25

Attila,

A perfect portrait, the details and the sharpness is fantastic. Thanks for showing us these rare pictures.

P-S-I-G (24482) 2006-03-01 14:26

Hello Attila,
Very great portrait. The light is fantastic. Very good sharpness. Very good work.
Best regards,
Fabrice

izmirli (3219) 2006-03-01 15:01

merhaba my dear friend Szili Attila.
interesting portrait.very good thought and composition.beautiful frame.well done.
selamlar,gürkan akçakır.

jasmis (50616) 2006-03-01 15:35

Absolutely amazing portrait. Really marvelous. Congratulations. Perfect model, astonish photo.

gilou530 (35374) 2006-03-01 15:57

salut attila
impressionnant ce portrait, super net, etdes couleurs superbes, je pense que le matin elle doit passer du temps pour se coiffer, bon travail
amitiés
gilbert

Michael_Gan (2772) 2006-03-01 17:27

Owww... what a beautiful portrait again. The way she looks through her braids of hair is very intriguing; I wonder what she is thinking. I think it's very nice that her eye is in the shadow, it makes this picture different than the obvious choice to have it in the sunlight. Very well done!

ptibelo (2966) 2006-03-01 17:33

Trés beau portrait..rien à dire , juste regarder.

razanoor (466) 2006-03-01 17:43

Hi Attila,

Perfect capture...the colors are amazing...its nice how only the red color is apparent in the photo so it draws your attention to the subject. nice work...

regards, Raza

Rossignol (2289) 2006-03-01 17:46

Hi Attila,
Superb character study, lovely expression and fascinating hair. Good close cropped composition.
Good work
Peter

Mistral (13694) 2006-03-01 17:49

Congratulazioni Attila!
L'immagine è assai bella e di una definizione sorprendente! Davvero un buon lavoro che approfondirò presto con più tempo.
A mio avviso la cornice è un po' pesante e distrae un po' dall'immagine. Comunque ancora bravo!
Luca

maximage (13480) 2006-03-01 18:07

Hello Attila,
Un portrait fantastic! les détails, et le regard de cette jeune femme sont exceptionnels.
Toutes mes félicitations.
max

TeresaT (10733) 2006-03-01 18:24

Hi Attila
Great portrait of this young woman.
Good colours and details.
Well done
regards
Teresa

AmiBe (6042) 2006-03-01 18:44

Hi Attila,
superbe himba wowan portrait, nothing more to say because it's perfect !
Very well done

faubry (32361) 2006-03-01 18:50

hello Szili, very beautiful portrait, red color is nice, and regard to you extraordinary!!
bravo
well done
francine

emjleclercq (14370) 2006-03-01 18:55

Very nice piture and well written note. Unusual and perfectly in the TE spirit.

All the best,

Emmanuel

benkrut (3395) 2006-03-01 19:53

Hi
Your pictures get more and more interesting.
Especially the photos of married and unmarried women are worth to remember - thanks for teaching us how to distinguish them.
Technically are perfect - nothing to change or improve here. Great portrait in fantastic red&brown tones - congratulations.
Take care
HS

MartaW (703) 2006-03-01 23:39

Hello!
This is really profesional portrait, great photo and fantastic, very useful note.
Regards,
Marta

Rev (1782) 2006-03-01 23:43

Hi Attila
A beautifully presented portrait.
The colour and light is natural and well done.
Thanks
Regards
Peter

Angshu (33863) 2006-03-02 0:56

Hi Attila
An extremely good portrait shot. That apart, thanks for sharing the wonderful images of the relatively unknown regions,people and culture of the world. How better, than through great images and comprehensive notes like this.
Regards
Angshu

jjcordier (24888) 2006-03-02 0:59

Very fascinating portrait! All is perfect,Attila!
JJ

entrelec (8342) 2006-03-02 2:50

Nice portrait, dynamic and playing with light and shade.

joel

papagolf21 (56483) 2006-03-02 4:10

Bonsoir Szili,
Vous avez du talent, c'est indéniable, ce portrait en est un parfait exemple.
Je ne puis que vous adresser mes félicitations et vous remercier également pour la note très intéressante.
Amitiés.
Philippe

Gerrit (35883) 2006-03-02 4:35

Hi Attila,
a beautiful portrait. The girl shows that she's shy by her pose and expression.
Great focus and definition.
My compliments.
thanks and regards, Gerrit

andante (7092) 2006-03-02 6:54

C L A S S I C. This is the kind of image that makes cover in National Geographic. Superb!!

AiresSantos (42374) 2006-03-02 7:08

Excellent portrait, Attila.
Lovely cature with very good focus, sharpness and colors. I also like the light, details and frame.
Best wishes,
Aires dos Santos

Niara78 (0) 2006-03-02 7:23

Must be quite uncomfortable, this erhm...fashionable hairstyle :} Great portrait, Attila, nice colours and good lighting. I like her pose :)

Best regards,

Nath

Graal (58209) 2006-03-02 11:22

Hi Attila,
unusual portrait and fantastic quality of photo. Friends all told You. I like it work a lot.
Rgs, Aleksander

pitai (3925) 2006-03-02 11:30

Szili, I do remember your previous Picture. Nice to see there is a continuation. Well what can I tell you about this portrait. Just superb. Very dramatic. I never seen a hair do like that ever. The colors and use of light are just brilliant. Thanks for teaching us some tips about the himba human and for unforgettable images. Ciao, Gabriel

turkamerikali (4772) 2006-03-02 12:27

Hi Attila,
Another excellent portrait my friend.
It looks awesome.I am speechless.
Excellent pov,dof,colors,blurred bg,focus,sharpness,lighting,pose and note.Bravo:)
Cheers,
Tolga

jhm (82793) 2006-03-02 13:13

Hello Szili,
Congratulation with these splendid picture, a perfect portrait, the details and the sharpness is fantastic of this unmarried Himba girl. You did splendid job.
Best rgards,
John

Fis2 (46011) 2006-03-02 14:28

Witaj Attila!
Fantastic portrait! Super colours, and frame. I like the light and depth. Congratulations!
Regards
Krzysztof

gaby (19793) 2006-03-02 14:29

Attila bonsoir - superb portrait and very interesting note - great art and perfect art, my friend - very nice - congratulations -
Merci et bonne soirée
Gaby

CRATEOS (7274) 2006-03-02 16:58

Astonish!!!!! No any comments.
Nikiforos

devimeuxbe (55936) 2006-03-02 17:01

Hi Szili
It's an incredible portrait.
Very very beautifull !
Perfect for the frame, the light, the colors ...
Congratulation
Bertrnd

Tubularek (325) 2006-03-02 18:42

Do I really have to say - AMAZING? You certainly know that the photo as such , and the model - are perfect.
Masterpiece in the art of photography.

efigesta (12181) 2006-03-03 4:58

Hi Attila

Interesting portrait here, great pov and colors, i like see diferent cultures in the pics and that portrait is an example of that

tks
manuel

ramesh_lalwani (3209) 2006-03-03 7:15

Very informative note.portrait is sharp and light well managed.TFS
Ramesh

ktanska (16639) 2006-03-03 7:22

Hi Szili,
Again lovely himba portrait. I like the eye in the shadow. Pleasant pastel colours and low DOF concentrating on the girl. And an interesting note.
Kari

barrufeto_77 (25845) 2006-03-03 8:25

Hi Szili.

Excellent picture & note. The face of the girl is impressive!!!

Regards, Oscar

Cricri (43270) 2006-03-03 10:21

Bonjour Szili,
Magnifique portrait, couleurs et détails,
belle expressiont de fierté dans son regard, SUPERBE image, note interressante.
Amitiés
cricri

Buin (37854) 2006-03-03 11:29

Hallo Attila,
it's incredible which facets human culture has produced all over this world. A hairstyle - for me - like a cage! Thank you for showing this. Once more: TE at it's best!
Frank

cjmm (4019) 2006-03-03 13:28

Ciao Attila,

Great photo, both regarding the technical aspect and the content of the image.

Really could very well be in National Geographic.

Best regards,
Carlos

Deepforest (8813) 2006-03-03 18:38

Hi Attila,
this is fantastic portrait of the Himba girl. Perfect sharpness, excellent colours and details. You have done an excellent job here.
Regards,
Andrzej

PixelTerror (86334) 2006-03-04 5:16

Hi Attila,
Quite a powerful portrait, shot probably using a long focal to get this DoF and bokeh, excellent and different because of this particular hair style, excellent note to back as well.
Have a nice week end,
Jean-Yves

xavshot (62707) 2006-03-04 8:28

Hello Attila,
très beau portrait avec une excellente lumière.
c'est une excellente photo avec une belle expression sur le visage de cette fille
Bravo
Xavier

lestans (15462) 2006-03-04 8:45

Formidabile lo sguardo della ragazza in mezzo ai capelli così stranamente acconciati! Bellissima foto, splendido ritratto, colori e nitidezza perfetti.
Bravissimo!
Livia

rakeshgupta (2670) 2006-03-04 21:36

Hello Attila,
This is a beautiful portrait of himba woman. The colors and sharpness is perfect. The blurred background is giving real enhancement to the woman.
Thanks for sharing.

Tristan-z (1031) 2006-03-05 4:02

Magnifique portrait !

Stepan (27175) 2006-03-05 4:30

Impressive, interesting, useful and rare !
That's simply a great shot, with a pertinent note.
TFS.
Stéphane

riclopes (33035) 2006-03-05 5:23

Hi Attila,
A superb close up portrait of this Himba girl. The quality of the image is excellent but also the note is so very interesting. Her expressive hair is beautifuly captured and the smoothness of her skin is amazing. Congratulations for this outstanding work and thanks a lot for sharing!
Friendly regards,
Ricardo

nwoehnl (120) 2006-03-05 15:09

Well, this sure is a standout in your fine portfolio, Attila. Not only a photographic piece of art in which you got everything right - from the framing, the shallow DOF all the way to the technicals - but also a true TE posting in terms of learning about the world. Excellent stuff.

rosaline (0) 2006-03-05 20:10

Hi Szili
This is a fantastic shot. The colour and exposure are brilliant. I like the copper brown tone on the lady as it has delviered excellent exposure. Well done and thanks for sharing this. It's a gem.
Aubrey

Giorgio (8730) 2006-03-06 2:46

- Un très joli portrait pour cette non-moins jolie jeune-fille, la couleur est excellente, beau flou de l'arrière plan, bravo !
giorgio

elmec (12194) 2006-03-08 13:04

Hello Szili!
That's amazing portait!
I like the idea and you great done this!
Best greetings!

marjan (6085) 2006-03-13 2:35

Hi Szili, wonderful shot. Pure exotic and goo documentary photo. Coloures are fantastic. TFS
Marjan

alekpet (4659) 2006-03-14 3:56

Serwus, Attila.

She is so beautiful.
Great ochre colouring and very fine focus.

all the best, Aleks

centurion (0) 2006-03-19 2:19

I have no words to appreciate this portrait Attila. It perfection by all the standards. Szervus, Radu.

sufi (9568) 2006-03-21 8:55

Merhaba Attila...
It's a wonderful portrait photograph... The colors and clarity are perfect... The girls look and smile are beautiful.. And great shot as usual...
TFS...
Stay well..
Salim.

nika (0) 2006-05-15 11:18

Szia Attila!!!

Ez egy csodalatos portre es nagyon erdekes az is, amit ezekrol a hmba nokrol meselsz. A fotodat nagyon is eltudnam kepzelni a National Geographic cimlapjan!
Gratulalok!
my best regards es udvozlet!
Anette

gsimon (387) 2006-06-07 9:17

Extremely well done portrait.
Nice colors and lighting
Excellent sharpness
TFS
Greg

vagabondtravels (6115) 2006-06-08 1:28

Excellent protrait. Very sharp, great color and dof. Well done.

Ben

MmK (79) 2006-06-17 10:45

Hi,
quite nice portrait, useful note, unordinary picture...

Thanks for sharing and explanations..

Regards,

Mustafa

kittyhawk (1687) 2006-07-04 6:27

Hello Szili,

Very nice portrait, I really like your attention to detail, and light. You portray the woman with what seems to me a little sence of quriousness. Very nice work. TFS

- Halgeir

sergio1 (12150) 2006-07-20 5:29

Hi Szili

Magnific portrait to this woman. I like very much the expression and eyes,. Your hair es original too.
Thanks for share
Sergio

balatrek (7419) 2006-07-21 18:09

Hola Attila,

Impresionante retrato, la técnica es perfecta, el fondo borroso acentúa la belleza del primer plano, me gustan los colores, gran trabajo, felicidades.

Saludos, José

vhemmati (616) 2006-08-15 13:48

Hi,

This is just awesome, watching and enjoying

TFS

-Varahram

t0mmm1 (5434) 2006-08-19 4:39

Ciao Szili,
bellissimo ritratto, per questa ragazza non ancora sposata... devo confessarti che mi piace piu' quell'altra, ma siccome e' gia' sposata... ;)))
... vedi che non so cosa scriverti, che non hai ancora letto dai altri...

Ciao e ci vediamo,
Tomi

jafadabret (39861) 2006-08-21 15:10

Un portrait, Attila, très beau de cette jeune femme avec le regard saisi à travers cette coiffure étrange. Les couleurs sont en harmonie. La note est très intéressante.
Jacques

chrisnet (20376) 2006-08-22 7:37

Hello Attila,
Wonderful portrait Attila!The colors and sharpness are perfect,I like his expression.Very well done,congratulations.
Greetings from France
Christian

Lore007 (211) 2006-08-24 9:28

All your Namibia photos are very impressive Attila, but to me, this one is the very best!!
Congratz!

lukas (2027) 2006-08-24 15:14

This is absolute top quality!!
One for my favorites
Congratulations!
Luc

bigric (2873) 2006-09-01 2:39

This is something out of mid evil times.I have never seen before.tfs Richard.

jaja1970 (1286) 2006-10-16 7:08

Hi Attila,
Very nice job. The colors and originality are PERFECT.
Well done.
TFS and also for nice comments.
Javad.

TManiac (122) 2006-10-17 10:03

Hi Attila,
I love the sense of clay that this body and face gives! Congrats!

Thanks for posting!
Konstantina

asadi-s (108) 2006-10-17 21:34

such a nice set of colors on her hair and body. nice shot

fjufju (335) 2006-10-24 3:56

Hi Atilla,
your pictures are really amazing. And thanks to your notes I can really learn how to trek the earth:)
Regards,
Jan

rafid76 (2611) 2006-11-04 1:47

one of hte best portriats on TE ive seen. you captured her features and her emotions with her noticing.
great!!!

paura (38670) 2006-11-18 15:36

Attila,
Superb expression on this portrait. The hair treatment is really interesting.

Abraços do Brasil.

Paulo

scalerman (25755) 2006-11-18 15:50

Attila: simply wonderful. You've done well with the harsh lighting conditions to make this the perfect portrait. regards, c

nico80 (624) 2006-11-29 17:06

excellent portrait! Light model, look, and uniform colors.

Pitoncle (3743) 2006-11-30 15:23

Bonjour Attila,
Lorsque tu as publié cette photo je n'étais pas encore menmbre de TE et je l'ai découverte en même temps que ta galerie.
C'est un magnifique portrait bien détaillé, très expressif et aux splendides couleurs.
A bientôt sur TE pour de nouvelles aventures.
Gérard

jackart (5564) 2006-12-03 12:14

Hi Attila!

I like this photo for its monochromatic tonation of colors. Thank You for excellent portrait, and very useful note.

Regards

uccia84 (720) 2006-12-16 19:54

un bellissimo primo piano.

danos (32736) 2007-01-05 13:19

Hi Attila,
exceptional your photograph with good lighting and sharpness.Wonderful portrait with details and usefull note about the married and unmarried women,
Greetings,Danos

Giis (258) 2007-01-20 1:16

Hi Attila, Great colors, I liked the look with this paste on
her hair. She looks pretty.
Very well done!

MarieAnge (524) 2007-02-04 3:37

Interesting and aesthetic... Thanks.

lu_muratori (618) 2007-02-21 1:18

Hi Attila,
This image is just great. The way she is positioned and the fact that she is not looking to the camera are just ++ points. Also the story behind the hairdo is very interesting. And the shot is soooo sharp.
Great job,
Luci

MichaelTrezzi (3170) 2007-03-05 15:58

Hi Attila, as usual, an excellent portrait of a vanishing World. Very nice color composition. Thanks for sharing. Cheers, Michael

pinakie_slg (835) 2007-03-07 5:54

A good portrait, the details and the sharpness is fine. Thanks for showing us a rare documentary picture.

sowhat (981) 2007-03-17 13:59

A really powerful image, almost shocking! The cultural differences in this world are amazing...
The expression of this girl is catching the eye, and we can feel the ochre paste in the colors and texture.
Extraordinary image showing another face of the world.
Thanks for making us part of your travel experiences,
Ioana

captainsgirl (3448) 2007-05-07 7:12

Hello Attila,
How interesting our world. Amazing photo that teaches us so much. Great details and beautiful color. Thanks very much.
Donna :o)

Bruno40 (6440) 2007-05-07 7:48

Attila
Perfect portrait. Congratulations
TFS
Jorge

Albrecht (11147) 2007-05-16 16:15

Hi Atilla
The world must be a small place for you; your pictures are so beautiful and this one is also special and tells a story of history stil alive....lovely shot!
greetings Albrecht

edal (6571) 2007-07-14 3:02

Hello Attila!
It's miraculous portrait of this brick painted young lady.
Anton

AnaFrantz (624) 2007-07-23 5:57

Amazing work- the cultural lenght you share here is priceless! First you a great eye for the perfect picture and then the amazing oportunity to be face to face of such experience!

jaywalker (12190) 2007-07-26 15:40

Hi Attila, What an amazing portrait, her hair is stunning & you have captured beautiful light, & razor sharp focus, this is one of the best portraits I have ever seen, only being able to see one eye adds a little mystery to the shot, TFS, kind regards Wilson.

brevbrev14 (372) 2007-07-27 1:19

ciao Attila, splendido questo ritratto!
fantastici i capelli...ma il dettaglio dell' occhio è stupendo!!
molto bella!
bravissimo!
ciao!
Valeria

edytungkal (4519) 2007-07-30 22:56

It's your best portrait from the Himba series, the sharpness and colours are amazing. A perfect one, my friend..

best wishes
daniel

utkue (3420) 2007-08-02 14:36

Hello Attila,
Super portrait and nice shot.
Sunlight, contrast and composition are all excellent in this photo.
Congratulations.
Best regards from Ankara.

giorgimer (21322) 2007-08-07 0:46

Hi Attile,

absolutely wonderful portrait! I was impressed by the thumbnail and more by the large image! Beautiful colors. Very interesting note.

TFS

Gio

ocskaymarci (2508) 2007-08-09 7:13

Lenyűgöző portré, egy igazi mestermű!
A fények varázslatosak, ahogy egy tincs árnyéka rávetül a szemre, ám így is az marad a kép közepe és legmeghatározóbb pontja! Gratulálok!
Marci

Jakab (3470) 2007-08-15 7:56

Szia Attila!
Itt is meg kell jegyeznem a néprajzi igényességet, a fölényes technikát (pl. a gondosan belőtt mélységélesség, az árnyékból kivillanó - ezért nem hunyorgó és nagyobb kontrasztú szem), de ezen túl van valami naív báj is ebben a lányban, ami olyan kedvessé teszi a képet. Gratulálok!
Laci

MarcT (21103) 2007-09-11 20:54

Hi Attila,
this is an incredible picture. Just unique and very different from what I saw.
Marc

Karmenu (1384) 2007-12-10 7:21

Interesting and nice. it draws my attention.
It's like made of choclate.
Greetings
Charles

bizsu (1011) 2007-12-11 16:42

Szia Attila!
Hát levagyok nyűgőzve, és nem csak mint fotós, hanem mint fodrász is. Egy bemutatón Etióp lány volt a modellem, aki megtanított egy-két afrikai fonásra. Hát tiszteletemet tenném a fodrásznál is. Bocs, hogy nem dícsértem a szakmai részét, de már mindent elmondtak helyettem.
Üdv, Zsú

Vasa (5778) 2008-02-16 17:41

Hi Attila, I like very much many of your photos from Namibia. This one is wonderful and you know that already. Best regards from Belgrade....Branko

Rafer (4397) 2009-03-30 21:45

Exraordinaria imagen llena de vida y de color..fantástico momento y expresión...saludos

my_journey (36) 2009-05-29 11:27

It's really fantastic. It's like a magic. Her skin color and hairs are not like others. It's excellent. well done! :)