Life on the streets, a photo from Tamil Nadu, South

Photographer's Note

One of the many faces you can see in Chennai living their life on the pavement, surviving on what people hand out to them. the rings on her toes and the yellow thread on her neck indicates that she is married and her husband is alive. Her blouse with the border made of golden threads shows that she was well to do a while back but who knows what hardships she had to endure. A lot of people come from the villages to earn a living in the city and get lost in the fast paced life where no one has any time for anyone else.
She was drinking tea that a local teashop guy would have given out of pity or that she would have bought with her meagre earnings to quench the thirst of a hot summer day. Just one more to the millions lost in the crowd of a city...

Luan, Galmeida, bnallama, moxon, john_c, Fixfocus, weswang, summersun, gaby, elihesamian, Emile, sarju, rabani, capthaddock, Cricri ha puntuado esta nota como útil.

Critiques | Translate

Luan (12971) 2005-11-15 4:11

We miss your daily life picture Ranjith, we could think she is a beggar but, in Asia, many people are often sitten like this. I like the opposition here between, sit and upright, the ;otion over the foot gives dynamism to your shoot.
Bests Wishes
Luan

Galmeida (12559) 2005-11-15 4:11

Hi Ranjith,
Glad to see you again and your posts. A daily life street picture so very well captured. The reality of life and one moment in millon moments. I like the enquadrement you did and the motion man croosing this place. Fine colors, light and a nice picture in this thematic area.

Very well seen and done. Congratulations and best Regards.
Fernando

devimeuxbe (58557) 2005-11-15 5:29

Hi Ranjith
NIce picture for the frame with this old woman on the left of the composition. I also like the contrst with the man walking.
Well done
Bertrand

bnallama (3763) 2005-11-15 7:06

Adey Ranjith!!! Nalama??? Have been ages since you posted.. Hope e'thing is OK...

Yep nice but sad daily shot... I might have opted to have a bit more blur on the guy walking.. She doesn't seem to be very comfortable you talking the photo.. did you talk to her after?

Take care. Bal

moxon (78) 2005-11-15 10:18

Hello Ranjith, This is a nice daily life shot. I like the contrast of the woman with the anonymouse figures around her, particularly the blurred the man, perhaps walking fast, ignoring her.

john_c (24666) 2005-11-15 12:39

Hi Ranjith,
How are you, my friend? Its good to see you back on TE. What a tearful scene. Very well composed, its amazing the details you have gleaned as to the woman's background and situation through careful observation. I like the POV, the colour, and the way that just the legs of the passerby are predominant, as if to emphasize how lost this woman is in the abyss of the city. Great capture and fine note.
John

Fixfocus (9385) 2005-11-15 13:35

Hello Ranjith,
It´s nice to see a new picture from you.
You clicked in the right moment to capture the man passing her.It´s an excellent but somehow also sad daily life picture.I like it.
Greetings,
Hermann

PJE (20758) 2005-11-15 17:34

So ther Ranjith where hae you been???? On a really long coffee break? Must be a pretty strong union over there. LOL Its nice to see you back on TE. Cheers to you!

Well this photo sure shows an expression of poverty. Seems like quite the place where some have to live. Good point of view with the lady at your eye level. Good work!

cam (9043) 2005-11-15 22:49

Hello Ranjith
Welcome back,guess you were quite busy to be away for such a long time.
Thanks for the note and the explication for the numerous messages that are written on her body and dress,we surely need a guide for that.
Your composition is excellent,to put forward her isolation amid the indifference of the crowd,which is only suggested.
Even the slight tilt draws us to the lady
Charles

summersun (4978) 2005-11-16 4:57

I was thinking while watching her, that her sari must have been really beautiful back then, so she has probably not been a beggar all her life. sad look in her eyes while people are passing by. good framing with the legs of this man and the foot movement.
Vanessa

jhm (211738) 2005-11-16 7:18

Hi Ranjith,
Thanks for posting after a long time, again a daily life picture of a lady with a strong face, perhaps through the beggary, also it different between without shoes and shoes of the passer-by make you picture attractive.
Best regards,
John.

weswang (18247) 2005-11-16 9:23

Hi Ranjith, What a scene. It is a quite a pity expression.
You have well captured the situation she is at. The quick walking-by foot show that she may not be noticed by the society. Good shot with nice details and sharpness.

gaby (19819) 2005-11-16 10:07

Hi Ranjith - nice to see one of your new shot on TE - they are too infrequent because I like your daily life pics -
again a great one - splendid compo and sad note -
Thanks
Rgs
Gaby

aros (0) 2005-11-17 3:44

You have a knack for interesting social commentaries. the person walking past is an interesting element, it gives credibility to the notion that for these people on the street, life passes them by without a second glance. And what is our role in this picture? Would we walk on by, pretending not to see?

Hardship is one of those things that we prefer not to think about or be confronted with... Thanks for posting this.

elihesamian (26149) 2005-11-22 8:18

Hello Ranjith,
How are you, dear?!
Very glad to see you with this post which is a deep realistic factography that shows the same subject in many many cities,and you captured it with a very fine suitable POV,great note,agree with you,and I underestand it,...and those legs of a man that is passing near her,is symbolize of the poeple in the cities who most of them don't see this matter as well as some poeple like you !
Very well worked and Thanks for sharing,Ranjith,

All the Best
M

Emile (20352) 2005-11-22 23:07

Hola Ranjith.
Impressive daily life picture, very well captured, the man walking by her side shows lack of interest on her. Very good composition. The colours contrasts are great. Very well done.

sarju (5324) 2005-11-23 0:12

Hi Ranjith
You have highlighted very good readings from the photo (impressive) ... and good composition to emphasize what you have written.
Only suggestion i can make is that I would have liked to see a bit more the chai walla stall that seems to be obscured by the pedestrian .. but besides that it is a very good photo indeed ... I loved this street scene
tfs ... cheers ... sarju
PS: This looks like so much like this place where I used to go for a tea break while working in Chandigarh.

arindam_thokder (3987) 2005-11-23 8:03

Hello Ranjith,

I like this picture a lot, her expression and attitude.
And those moving legs of the man made this picture dynamic.
TFS

Arindam

rabani (9645) 2005-11-24 21:29

Hi Apache. I was tweaking my WASP server just now and remembered you. And I learnt something more today about certain lives in the fastlane. The next time I see a Bollywood movie, those rings and yellow thread you wrote about, tells me whether I can ogle or not certain Indian moviestars :) Anyway...she shouldn't be sitting life like that. If only our worries and concerns could bring something better for her.

capthaddock (28790) 2005-11-25 13:35

Hi Ranjith - very nice but depressing street scene, I like the way the right part is dynamic and the left part still.

Cricri (176) 2006-02-16 14:06

Hi Ranjith,
Welcome sur T.E
Jolie capture de cette femme, une image bien triste
et réaliste, note interressante, beau travail
Amitiés
cricri

Goutham (147) 2009-03-17 6:03

Hi Ranjith,

From your images i see you are into people photography, which in itself is fairly challenging, and you are also successful in capturing not just the expression of the preson, but also the mood. thansk for sharing and keep them coming :)

Regards,
Goutham

polpo56 (15146) 2009-03-18 14:19

Hi Ranjith,
a very interesting shot, where the face expression of the woman is the focal point of the inmage.
A good note, too.
A drammatic moment of daily life.
Ciao
Ludo