°Rice fields around Timmanatham Photo

Photographer’s Note

I was a bit disapointed after this shot ...
I passed here with my bike on the way to Ochappan in Timmanatham and I returned seeing this wide view. Walking a few meters on the small path between the rice fields I kneeled down to shoot. The farmer noticed me from far and walked slowly towards me. Great, I thought, one more pleasant encounter and I clicked ...
But my wishful thinking was swapped away when he came close.
Without even greeting he started immediately asking money, incredible, I was surprised. Maybe he thought that Anand, accompanying me, was a guide. That had happened more then once that he was harrased as such, so it was not always pleasant for him those awkward situations where again he tried to explain, but often Tamils don't believe other Tamils, they are supposed to lie always while a foreigner is considered to speak the truth as he is seen too naive to know how to lie.
Sure, if I would have been alone, he wouldn't dare to ask me money, even when he would hear that I speak Tamil too.

Shot taken at 14:12 while behind me the sky was still heavy clouded covering the sun. The air was rather clear after the rains from the day before.

oochappan ©®

Jeronimo, lukas, Izobretenik, kevinos, sicily198x, jhm, lestans, cherryripe, Gerrit, postvikram, sabyasachi1212, ramthakur, stefi, veronika, christlagat, weswang, s10001in, coco, ivo, Cuba-Junky, Floydian, Tue, balatrek, Dragonheart, elihesamian, kajspice, tinamunk3, Manamo, cuneyt-sb trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

DarkoG (2284) 2006-06-15 13:00

Like this shot very much. Beautifull, clear, well composed, angry determined man walking forward.
Great job
Darko

sicily198x (1998) 2006-06-15 13:01

Everything is perfect except the tree behind the man.

lestans (15486) 2006-06-15 13:12

I never saw with my own eyes such a clear air in India! Because I never went there during rain season. In this pic colors are so brilliant, so strong, it seems nearly false!
Livia

westernisles (736) 2006-06-15 13:16

Really nice shot.
Colours are incredible.
Good copostion.
Christian

erdna (5358) 2006-06-15 13:26

If you removed this man from the picture, I would say this is in the Philippines. Beautiful picture Henk!

Andre'

kabo (356) 2006-06-15 13:40

Hi Henk :)
I like this colours, they are beautiful:) I also like composition, especially that man there :)
very good, have a nice evening:)
KaBO

sam224 (5851) 2006-06-15 13:41

Excellent shot. Lovely low perspectivce and grat composition with the inclusion of the farmer coming closer. Well saturated colours.
Thanks for sharing.

p_ozyilmaz (123) 2006-06-15 13:41

IT's like whole of environment. sky, nature and human. only an animal absent:)wonderful shot.

arnabchat (7052) 2006-06-15 13:43

blue sky, structured clouds and green paddy fields --- what else does characterise the rural beauty around Madurai? a sharp and well composed shot.

cherryripe (19151) 2006-06-15 14:01

Hi Henk
Pity about the guy but at least you got a great shot. It's very dynamic how he's striding on the thin ledge borded by greenery. The background is stunning with the mountain rising up. Great clouds too. I like the green colour.
Regards
Nikki

adrost (2366) 2006-06-15 14:31

Hi Henk.

This look like beautifull painting.
This green and blue its amazing.
Old man like pilgrim walkig to camera.

Nice work.

Regards
a.

Gerrit (36127) 2006-06-15 14:38

Dag Henk,
een mooi plaatje bij een mooi verhaal. Prachtig vlak landschap met bergen ver weg en door de lage POV steken de bomen en de man hoog boven de horizon. Ook de lucht is prachtig.
Dank en groeten van Gerrit

postvikram (1199) 2006-06-15 14:45

Excellent Image Henk,
Very nicely done.the colors are just amazing.After reading your note, the farmer's look really seems to be agressively coming towards you for money.

I have had a discussion with Andre about something very similar. If you are interested you can read here.

Great shot again - vikram

Framboisilla (5402) 2006-06-15 14:50

Hello Henk,

A beautiful composition with a fantastic landscape in the background, beautiful colors and cloudy sky and the man on the left...

Regards,
Stéphanie.

ramthakur (1501) 2006-06-15 16:00

Notwithstanding you experience of a greedy farmer, this is a beautiful landscape, Henk. I love the composition with the best aspects of earth and sky combined here into a great image.
TFS.

veronika (6022) 2006-06-15 16:26

Hi Henk,
crazy Tamils, BUT you got this perfect shot and thats the main thing :) I like it very much, the sky makes wonedrful contrast to the rest of the shot and the old man also.
Great one :)
Vero

goodwill (4033) 2006-06-15 16:56

A simple requesr Sir.
Kindly shoot for me a similar portrait but with dark black clouds in the backgroundand and a streak of milk white cranes flying in the foreground.
Please keep all other deails intact. The picture I want from you has got the value, and you are the personI can make a request.
But why?
Only later Sir.
Yours sincerely,
Rajeev

gilou530 (35568) 2006-06-15 17:19

salur henk
magnifique prise de vue aux couleurs superbes ou le ciel domine ce paysage de riziére,trés belle photo, bravo
amitiés
gilbert

gibbsy (1425) 2006-06-15 17:27

Good shot with great depth of field, the figure gives a very real human touch.

Burnham (2426) 2006-06-15 17:38

Who can blame him, you still don't look completely Tamil, but when your beard goes white you're very close ;o)
I love the simplicity of the compo., the reflection broken by the rice, the sky and the foggy mountain in the background, and as always it is crisp, sharp and great :o)
Cheers
Line

robiuk (10763) 2006-06-15 18:09

Oh!
The guy really seem to be appearing from nowhere - moreover, I thought he was walking on water! (like that guy from the Bible)
Such a lovely day and contrast between the blue sky and water filled with green rice.
Very good, Henk, very good!
Robi

faubry (32405) 2006-06-15 18:57

très belle photo, avec une superbe lumière, cela arrive en effet que des gens nous réclament de l'argent pour une photo,dommage, à nous de na pas insister
à très bientot
francine

weswang (18223) 2006-06-15 20:06

Hi Henk, An impressive shot to the beautiful rice paddy. The scenery like a well designed painting. The guy walking along the path between the field brought us to the reality and to the culture of this place the people who take care of the field.

jmdaoudal (82) 2006-06-16 1:48

L'image est très bien construite, et la solitude de l'homme pourtant dans un espace restreint apparaît immense. Cette image a quelque chose de particulier avec cet espace bien meublé par les lignes des rizières et par son background ou la montagne surgit de l'horizon.
Splendide
Jean Michel

coco (28040) 2006-06-16 1:59

Hi Hank.
What story. Is really curious.
Anyway, only about the photo, the rich colours and the wide composition are good, and the man walking to us gives a nice and good touch.

Well seen.

ivo (376) 2006-06-16 2:17

Hallo Henk, u bent een groot fotograaf en zeker over India, ik zou denken dat u een Indiër was maar dit blijkt niet zo te zijn.
Deze foto is van hoog kwaliteit prachtig met dit rijstveld in de voorgrond, en d landbouwer links op het aanleg pad.
Goede camera deze 5D, te duur voor mij!
Emma

Dragonheart (8393) 2006-06-16 2:42

Hi Henk,
Outstanding shot and excellent composition, very well framed too. The man walking towards the camera makes this shot amazing and add motion to this shot. I love the colour contrast of blue and green. Very rich colours. Very well done!
Thansk for sharing,
Best regards,
Vivek

carper (65448) 2006-06-16 3:26

prachtige foto Henk,
niet eenvoudig met dit licht maar het geeft een prachtig effect, zeer goed genomen compositie, goed werk.
gr. jaap

Angshu (33995) 2006-06-16 3:30

Hello Henk
The pathway along the green paddy fields, the beautiful blue sky, this characterises the beauty of our rural India. The compo. is great with the farmer (surprised after eading your note about the money thing)...I also like the jagged peak in the BG & the excellent clouds. Another superb capture from you
Regards
Angshu

Cuba-Junky (2795) 2006-06-16 3:38

Hoi Henk,
Wat een prachtige diepte door de lucht en de man links geplaatst.
An

Floydian (30970) 2006-06-16 3:38

Hallo Henk,
Het verhaal is erg mooi om te lezen, handje ophouden is toch bijna een dagelijkse bezigheid heb ik altijd het idee zodra je in dit soort landen komt.
zoals de man komt aanlopen is op het juiste moment afgedrukt, mooi links in het frame. Veder zoals altijd hoog detail volop kleur...erg mooi..!!!
Groet, Henk

sabyasachi1212 (19546) 2006-06-16 4:21

Hi Henk,
Moving out of the city has done you a world of good. We are getting to see a different Henk. Another superb landscape with a human story as well. The whole ambience is so beautiful.
Best wishes
Sabyasachi

s10001in (1485) 2006-06-16 4:43

Henk,

How can I greet you for this shot!!!!
It is so beautiful. So natural & so live & special..
Just just just perfect.
Amazing Supurb

TFS,
Shailendra

partha (13667) 2006-06-16 5:02

terrific shot. great composition and wonderful colour tone. I am discovering India differently through your eye. Congratulation.
Into my favourites.
Partha

kevinos (6927) 2006-06-16 7:23

So your monsoon, in Southern India, has come already, Henk. I have just come back from the rice fields of Roi Et, where the rain is late, and people are worried. This capture is wonderful! It would have been a nice rice-field shot, with good light and colour anyway, but the man placed in such a dramatic, prefect position makes it a masterpiece. (He looks like the noble peasant. What a pity we know that he was not!) Being asked for money is the price we have to pay for being foreign. Here it is a matter of faith that we are all incredibly rich and just a little naïf. As they would say in England ‘a soft touch’. (I will hit the right button this time) Regards Kevin

jhm (83161) 2006-06-16 7:44

Dag Henk,

Als ik goed uw tekst begrijp zij ze daarwel gappig om aan centen te geraken, en ook nogal achterdochtig. Maar dit doet niets af van de kwaliteit van uw foto, een school voorbeeld kwestie van indeling, zeer goede samenstelling, de kleuren zijn absoluut niet te fel, ik hou zeker van deze stijl, komt dicht bij mij in de beurt!

Groeten,
John.

Izobretenik (1264) 2006-06-16 8:52

Incredible shot OOchappan. I am just stunned by the composition : the lines created by the trees, the rice fields very well delimited. The sky is full of light and colors, with a lot of tones that gives the whole composition a nice contrast. And the best detail to me is certainly this old guy half naked walking peacefully along the rice field. Impressive !

Izo

Kenny10pin (19301) 2006-06-16 9:21

very nice colours and the man in the picture makes this picture, the daily life theme is nice

lukas (2027) 2006-06-16 10:47

Mooie foto, vooral met het verhaal erbij is het interessant. Je ziet inderdaad de man recht op je afkomen. De lucht en omgeving is heel mooi.
Knappe foto.
Luc

kensimage (8543) 2006-06-16 11:03

This is a beautiful scene, Henk, with the mountain in the distance (which you have arranged to not be blocked by the trees.) The calm serenity and the beautiful clouds contrast with the man's weathered body. I had exactly the same experience in India--I asked a taxi driver to stop so I could take a photo of a farmer in his rice field, and after the shot he came and asked for money! I gave a little, it's never much that they ask for (maybe that's changed...) Very well done (but is the sky just a little oversaturated?) Regards, Ken.

Tue (25608) 2006-06-16 18:37

Hej Henk,
Een mooi plaatje! De vrij lage POV werkt goed en de kleuren zijn erg prettig hier. De compositie is ook uitstekend. Prima werk!
Groeten,
Lars

balatrek (7419) 2006-06-16 18:42

Saludos Henk,

Increible fotografía, gran composición y espectaculares colores, interesante la pequeña historia de la nota, buen trabajo.

José

avigur_11 (21301) 2006-06-17 1:20

Invreddible shot, HEnk, although worth to pay for it..
You should be glad that he came towards you, I think that he made your shot here, he is placed perfectly in the frame, and he also adds color to this image.
Beautiful.

delkoo (34588) 2006-06-17 7:11

hio henk
tres belle composition avec cet homme judicieusement placé. le ciel est tres beau aussi.

superbe

didier

elihesamian (26091) 2006-06-17 13:01

This is fantastic one in the rice field category indeed Henk !
What a picture!
all things well worked and in a fine way you composed it with a dynamic aspect fromn the man who is coming toward us,a superb colors,look at the sky !
nicely composed and I like it a lot,Henk,

All the Best
M

kajspice (4534) 2006-06-17 17:00

beautiful Henk, really really beautiful. I do feel that you have over-saturated the sky a little and it destracts my attention away from the powerful presence of the man. I like your note very much - I even made it to the end...I dont have all that much patience for lots of notes these days.

Do you speak fluent Tamil?

Luan (15935) 2006-06-19 6:16

Henk,
WoooooW awesome shot, ou est la pollution, ou est le traffic dense, qu'elle bonheur et quel bol d'air frais que de regarder cette image. Les couleurs nous fons croire qu'il existe un printemps en Inde, les coulrus sont magnifiques et la scene superbement cadree.
Amities
Luan

thaprem (2498) 2006-06-19 7:57

One more from my favourites of your gallery!...
I lilked the proud strides of the elderly gentleman, saying "நாங்கள் சேற்றில் கால் வைத்தால்தான்,
நீங்கள் சோற்றில் கை வைக்க முடியும்.." If we don`t wet our feet, you cannot wet your stomach!...
Splendid.
Prem.

tinamunk3 (6382) 2006-06-21 16:32

Hi Henk,

Beside the beautiful landscape (I love ricefields) that you have composed so well with the man to the left, it's as always your amazing colours that appeal to me.

What does RAW and ISO-400 mean under the camera info....you know where you write which camera and lens you use....is it just to show that you shoot in raw and that you have shot at 400 iso? I just wonder why you (and others) write it there.

:) Tina

ALSOM (6616) 2006-06-22 11:17

Nice snapshot ;o) ! great sky and green field.
I have to reckon that I always refuse when people ask money for a photo. I just don't take the photo;

Jeronimo (1377) 2006-06-23 4:16

Very nice composition Henk,
This old man wolking in the rice field remember me Madagascar. I enjoy the blue sky, it contrast perfect with the green rice plant and the orange short of the man.A very nice composition.

Mikos (4324) 2006-06-23 9:43

I am very impressed about the story you tell us in your profile, and I am very impressed in the same way or more, about your pictures, they all are so gorgeous. I liked specially this one, because of the perfect composition, the light is simply stunnig, and the human element introduced in the picture, even though the magnificent landscape, takes almost the biggest part of the prominence, to the rest of the elements in your shot. This is one of the most beautiful pictures I´ve ever seen :-)

Manamo (3474) 2006-06-26 21:48

Whoaaaa!! This one is truly out of this world! all is there: colors, compo, story, sky, straight horizon.
nothing to add, it is just so great!
Marc

sebinho342 (18744) 2006-07-17 15:53

Shame on me Henk, considering the number of times i've already seen this one, i never stoped to let few words ... This is the kind of picture that make you falli in love for photography, everything is excellent here, certainly one of the best shot here on TE, in my humble opinion of course .... something more, something deep, something strong, awesome this picture, really.
12mm, yes that creates so particular pictures, i love the result
All my congratulations for this shot Henk, a master piece

peterpaul (57) 2006-08-13 15:31

What to say - perfect sky:)
Greetings
PM

cuneyt-sb (6559) 2006-12-25 10:50

Hi Henk
If you ask me which one i must choose from ur album, i can say this one is the best , i know u have such a nice pictures but this one is something else
Thanks for share
Regards

monstruo (314) 2007-02-28 6:18

Hola Henk Jacobs
Bravo explendida fotografia y perfectos colores
adios

andrewstaszok (110) 2007-11-28 14:13

Hmmm, no comments, very good job