Happiness is... a bottle! Photo

Photographer’s Note

Happiness is... (an empty) bottle!

My life is hard
I live on the Simien mountain
at about 3000mt high
nights are very cold
and I don't have other clothes
than the one I'm wearing
and I wear no shoes.
I can share with you
my wonderful smile
and follow you
everywhere
if you promise me
an empty bottle.

Life conditions are extreme in the Simien mountains
but it happens that people from there can teach us that happiness is made of simple things.

leo61, bostankorkulugu, Bien, Angshu, BennyV, flory, Dpbours, scyntilla trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

bostankorkulugu (33734) 2009-03-02 14:21

cant decide which one is better... the shot or the note... loved them both... loved the smile the most...

leo61 (43448) 2009-03-02 14:22

Dear Luca!
I love your note,
your wonderful image
and his smile,
for recieving an empty bottle,
worth a few cents.....but happy!!!!
These honest and spontanous smiles and happy people like him are the main reason Why I like to travel to places,where life is totally different to what we are used to....
Thanks for sharing this great symbolic photo with us.I know soooo many people who should think about ,what they see here and read.
No green left,But A very big smile and thanks for a new favourite photo.
Best regards,Leo

rhino (302) 2009-03-02 16:51

cool - people smiling universal

faubry (32369) 2009-03-02 17:40

important note! superb smile! really a good lesson for us;
thansk for this portrait
francine

Morac (20649) 2009-03-02 22:36

Bonjour Luca,
C'est une belle scène bien coloriée et un superbe sourire.
Bonne journée
Amicalement
Marc

amazon (10735) 2009-03-02 23:14

good moorning luca,
child smile in the face, low pov and frame very nice
congratulations,
iffet

Angshu (33891) 2009-03-02 23:21

Ciao Luca
For me this picture exudes effervescence...bubbly spirit of happiness which cannot be accounted for by wealth. You have that knack of getting below the surface of areas you visit & bring to us pictures like this. A treasure really & my respects to you for that.
Best Regards
Angshu

BennyV (4817) 2009-03-03 2:47

Hi Luca,

Wonderful bright smiling portrait. I like the pov here, because you force us to look up to this little fellow, whereas lesser souls would look down upon him! That's very humane, very empathic photography. You got his best smile in return.

Benny

Polonaise (5638) 2009-03-03 4:49

Happiness is to see the photograph made with the use of head.

Camera's optional.

.......................

marietom (32046) 2009-03-03 8:32

hello Luca,

magnifique, ce portrait. Il est souriant, et j'aime beaucoup le point de vue !
Bonne soirée
marie

yaya13baut (2331) 2009-03-03 10:41

Hi Luca,
nice portrait of the boy, his smile is infectious and can also question us : these poor people find the way to be happy, in opposition, we in Occident are often in a bad moon, sad or angry for insignificant things, in comparison. We have a lot to learn !
Yannis

rikko77 (6290) 2009-03-03 10:45

Ciao Luca,bello il titolo, la nota e la foto che racconta forse più e meglio delle parole le mille sofferenze di questi popoli. Una foto importante, bravo!
Rikk

cyrrhus (2878) 2009-03-03 13:57

Hi Luca,
I am not very active on TE anymore. But it is always a pleasure to see one of your images. I consider your gallery as one of the most inspiring on this site.
Congratulations for sharing this wonderful and optimistic smile. A lesson for us all!
Eric /.

flory (4804) 2009-03-04 3:37

dear Luca:another wonderful portrait from you:)Kant said that happiness is an ideal.something that we,people,don't know to look where it is..:)
but in this image,can see happiness..
two smiles,
Flori:)

Dpbours (220) 2009-03-04 17:21

Hello Luca,

Well, not just one bottle! Happiness is two bottles!!
Just a great point of view, this low. And I love the little touch of land and the blue behind it. Nice, very nice!

Greetings,
Dennis

vincz (19043) 2009-03-04 23:38

Light on the face is everywhere. From within emerging with the smile, from outside with such a a great capture of the light on the face. I love it. Great work. Back to Te after a long break, this is one of the best discovered so far.

smarcell (14437) 2009-03-22 13:58

La tua capacita' di metttere a proprio agio i soggetto che fotografi e' veramente straordinaria.
Complimenti. Tutte le tue foto sono spontanee, mai in posa.
Bravissimo
Ciao Stefano

kschanna (6) 2009-03-24 4:21

Ciao Luca

Great PoV, the boy's skin tones against the blue sky look striking and the details in the picture are great.

Thanks for sharing
Kamran

ben4321 (9807) 2009-03-24 11:41

I've been looking at photos of Ethiopia as I'm going there next week. Your shots from the country are excellent, a real inspiration.
This is one of my favourites - a real happy shot, and I like the simplicity of your composition. Just the boy and the sky (and that patch of earth at bottom right which we could do without, but never mind!)
Excellent shot Luca.

Cheers,
Ben

scyntilla (1197) 2009-03-28 4:16

Hi Luca,
Beautiful portrait, such a warm smile. I loved the note too. It takes a person of good and caring heart to brign back photos that pass beyond the simple tourist snapshots. TFS.
Best,
Petek

everlasting (10934) 2009-05-17 2:34

I like the low POV of course but his smile, it just explodes from the screen and your note, so many times this has happened that someone follows for the empty bottle :)