Photographer's Note
H'mong Village
Nan, Thailand
Society always impose a gender straightjacketing: boys must be strong, boys must be aggressive, boys must not cry, etc. The result is what William Pollack (Harvard Psychiatry professor) calls the ever-present "boy code" - 'a stoic, uncommunicative, invulnerable stance that does not allow boys to be warm, emphatic human beings they are.'(Time Magazine)
If it is indeed true, then we must learn a lesson or two from the H'mong boys. They hang out with each other like a bunch of bananas BUT they also maintain strong connections with their family (especially with their younger siblings). This picture is a common sight in H'mong. They are physically and figuratively close to each other. Such a display of community spirit and unity exhibited even by the younger generation.
The world is going to be a better place...
(Converted to sepia, auto-adjusted, unsharp-masked, cropped tighter)
Critiques | Translate
henrye
(3500) 2004-03-26 1:34
Fantastic photo, and a great, inspiring note. It works very well in black and white! Great composition, I really like the placement of all the faces and the expressions on them. Well done!
eelliott305
(776) 2004-03-26 1:45
A nice shot of a happy group of boys. Interesting that you chose to show it in B&W. As you say they are obviously very close. I like your expression "like a bunch of bananas." Good description.
CVTJan
(1244) 2004-03-26 2:30
Dear Manny, when I see those very good people shots on TE I wonder if there is a way to give the models a printout of that picture. Wouldn't it be great to have such a picture as one of the boys in 20, 30 or more years ?
When I saw the title I was wondering and on the wrong track. I thought boy code means you are supposed not to have good teeth and the one in the middle has them ;-) (more or less). Composition is very good with the one on top giving space.
Thanks for sharing. Yours, Jan
summer89
(5422) 2004-03-26 3:54
Excelent photo, Manuel.
They great expression. I like the choise of Black & White.
Very well done.
bgladman
(1153) 2004-03-26 4:13
What a awesome group shot Manny. It's not easy to get these right but for you childs play! I love the expression, the emotion and the free spirit that this photo evokes. Thanks!
papagolf21
(152607) 2004-03-26 4:19
Nous retrouvons avec plaisir Maξtre Manuel pour ces trθs jolis portraits de groupe. Leurs rires communiquent notre joie ΰ les regarder.
Trθs bien fait Manny.
Merci pour ce moment prιcieux.
We find with pleasure Maξtre Manuel for these very pretty portraits of group. Their laughter communicates our joy to look at them. Very well done Manny. Thank you for this invaluable moment.
cool_s15
(4050) 2004-03-26 4:20
wow a very beautiful B&W shot, I like the tone of it. How long have you been in Nan? You must got lots of photos from there... Great expression of those children, having fun while you're taking. Nice shot.
olli
(2091) 2004-03-26 4:29
Excellent mix of various faces and expressions.
Beautiful sepia tones. I also like the framing – and the frame. Very-very well captured, manny.
jrj
(34843) 2004-03-26 4:46
A great telling pix. Always the natural fine posing. Just the best Manny..
gmsanchez
(0) 2004-03-26 5:42
Beautiful photograph. Full of human warm , love, solidarity. Congratulations manny.
nwoehnl
(122) 2004-03-26 6:45
I genuinely enjoy your combination of picture and note here, Manny. An uplifting and joyful scene, with an engaging array of different expressions on the faces of the boys. Good choice of b&w. I really think this is excellent work.
avigur_11
(22553) 2004-03-26 6:56
Excellent note, shot, and choic of sepia. When it comes to children photography, you are the master (ah, and with young ladies too...). Yoyu have your great way to have them communicate with you through your lans. It's a great shot, Manny, I like it very very much.
carper
(96) 2004-03-26 11:08
Great one again Manuel,
Great, your compositions with people, realy nice, good that sherpia look. good note well you did it again. Good job. Thanks
eleparc
(24063) 2004-03-26 20:53
I just love that triangle you composed with the kids;-) your usual great DOF and sense of photography. Excellent capture manny! nice to have chosen a sepia color for it. Thks for your mail. It seems we agree on the subject;-) and i will follow your advice.. thank you again manny.
Your note is very thoughtful and again , i must admit, I fully agree. However, in Europe, it seems now that men have learnt slightly better than just be machos and a bunch of unsensitive creatures. One can now express his "feminine" side, ie. tenderness, feelings, warmness,... without being catalogued. This is all the more true with those guys in their early 30's.
for the note and the quality of the shot i am adding it to my list of favorites! manny 10 points!;-)
maciekda
(19895) 2004-03-26 22:16
very nice picture, great expressions - so different! very nice composition too - it is not easy to gather such lively small persons in one frame, nice shot
Jeppe
(18654) 2004-03-27 5:01
Ok I'm one behind ;-)
Very fine composition of these boys - and a good capture. There seams to be every kind of emotions in there faces - good work Manuel.
pascalbene
(1717) 2004-03-27 10:56
A very artistic shot, meaningful, very clever (a lot of ideas in...). This pic let me think about famous photographers in France. Congratulations Manuel !
sunny
(3069) 2004-03-28 8:13
Fantastic composition of so many smiles Manny! :-) I like their different expressions while smiling and the depth of their friendship, demonstrated nicely here. Again B&W works finely to outline the main message in your picture. And of course you are such a bright story teller Manny..:-) Excellent again!
Midnight_sun
(1941) 2004-03-29 4:01
Excellent portrait, it must be hard to get the right shot with so many kids doing different things, but you've succeeded as it seems a natural pose for them; they're comfortable. Great work.
manu_itu
(307) 2004-12-23 1:10
Great picture Manuel, very tight framing and rare moment you have captured sucessfully. It's very difficult to make kids pose in such a picturistic and mature manner. I'm sure you have PHD in blending seamlessly into the subject and surrounding. Excellent job!!
TBasco
(143) 2006-01-17 23:45 [Comment]
Mojgan
(44) 2006-08-26 5:30
This is a cute picture of happy children! Especially I like your explanation with emphasis on human aspect of behaviour. Congradulations!
Mojgan
loufah
(68) 2009-02-24 3:20
Lovely! Works well in sepia. You've caught lots of different personalities in this one.
meor (67) 2009-10-29 4:09
Dear manny,
i like the picture very much!. full of emotional you can see from those kids faces. Thanks for sharing.
-meor-
Goutamendu (109) 2009-10-30 11:30
Hi manny
this a nice photograph.
The mood and the composition both are nice.
keep it up
Goutamendu
Photo Information
-
Copyright: Manuel Librodo (manny)
(22032)
- Genre: Άνθρωποι
- Medium: Μαύρο & Ασπρο
- Date Taken: 2004-03-05
- Categories: Καθημερινότητα
- Camera: Nikon D100
- Έκδοση φωτογραφίας: Πρωτότυπη έκδοση
- Οδοιπορικό: Community Service in Nan, Thailand
- Θέμα(τα): Innocence of Children, Life in Hmong Village (Nan, Thailand), Beautiful Black and White, Human 'performance', The Joys of Childhood, They Have Dreams [view contributor(s)]
- Date Submitted: 2004-03-26 1:22
- Αγαπημένα: 9 [view]