WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? Photo

Photographer’s Note

You had probably seen this Khmer kid in two of my previous posts, as he was climbing up the steep stairs of Bakong. This is a more conventional portrait of the young boy against the temple ruins. The look of suspicion I had first noticed was yet to change. I see something strange here in his eyes, not only suspicion, fear perhaps. I don't know what he was afraid of (surely not me) but I wish I could do something to reassure him. But he ran away to his own world soon after.
Bakong is the most impressive member of the Roluos Group, sitting at the center of Hariharalaya, the first major capital of the Angkorian era Khmer Empire. Bakong stands 15 meters tall and was constructed by the third Angkorian-era king as his state-temple. Bakong represents the first application of the temple-mountain architectural formula on a grand scale and set the architectural tone for the next 400 years. The temple displays a very early use of stone rather than brick.

singuanti, steveryan2006, CeccoPhoto, anjan, lucasdasilva, richwm, delic, lasscor, jhm, giorgimer, syd1946, sayan, cunejo200, Partha_c, ALIRIZA, medio, Floydian, albertopiubello, Wanda1, tehanu_f, eza1701, Flavia, enedimd, faubry, Budapestman, riclopes, Henryk_Bilor, leo61, luiscar, Xalkida, josepmarin, Silvio1953, VeeJayCee, axiotea, Cricri, siolaw, Mikos, Emile, keribar, besnard, jmcl, patdeph, pranab, TravelerNL, sude25, asival, kiwi_explorer, pat0500, adores, Photo65Net, AiresSantos, kevinos, Vato_Law, jlynx, fanoo, ewasting, German74, andante, banyanman, subhendu_bagchi trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

steveryan2006 (439) 2007-05-28 6:30

Yes, I remember seeing this kid in your earlier post and as trightly said the look here is more fearful than anything else. That apart, against the rocks he stands out well.
S.

CeccoPhoto (2711) 2007-05-28 6:32

Hi Sabyasachi,
This photo is wonderful the details are excellent.
The child look is lovely, is full of feeling.
(i like also the wall behind)

Compliments for this Work.

CeccoPhoto.

anjan (1086) 2007-05-28 6:33

This is your trademark, the rich colours, the sharpness and apart from that the mood and the look and your thoughts behind it, narates a whole story, very journalistic.
Anjan

lucasdasilva (557) 2007-05-28 6:36

Olá Sabyasachi
Strong photo shows maybe how difficult world is for some, he is like a veteran not showing his true age.
Abraço,
Lucas

mesutilgim (37200) 2007-05-28 6:44

Hello Sabyasachi
Another great capture from your camera ! Wonderfull compo and great influences from this kids face.
TFS
MESUT ILGIM

delic (6735) 2007-05-28 6:44

Suspicion, fear, and perhaps also sorrow? He does seem to have gone through a lot. You have captured the mood very well including what appears to be a fitting backdrop to the expression in his eyes. Powerful image. Regards,
Hakan

richwm (1209) 2007-05-28 6:45

Hi Sabyasachi,

Another wonderful photo of this child at Bakong. A tremendous composition and beautiful colours and, yes, a strange, nervous look on the child's face. Good note too and well framed. My only criticism is that the image seems over-sharpened, most noticeable in the wall on the far left and also in the child's hair where there seems to be lots of pixelated strands. Good skin tones though.

Regards,

Rich

Across_Asia (306) 2007-05-28 6:49

Hi Sabyasachi
As usual, another well captured shot from you. Perhaps, you can share your techniques in shooting photos of such sharpness, clarity and colour saturation.

Cheers / Steven

jasmis (50901) 2007-05-28 6:49

It is always a great pleasure to watch your photos. This portrait is superb, too. Amazing face-talking. And highest quality, as usual.
Regards!

lasscor (7637) 2007-05-28 6:59

Hi Sabyasachi,
Lovely expresive portrait.
Lovely cute child.
I like much the texture of the wall in FG.
TFS,
Corinne

newtintin (1872) 2007-05-28 7:05

Hello,
very pretty portrait,
the colors are splendid.,
cheer for framing and the glance.
greeting
R.A.F

giorgimer (21468) 2007-05-28 7:21

Hi Sabyasachi,

really impressive shot.
The kid's eyes let us think a lot about his situation.
Excelent composition and colors.

A lot of compliments to you!

Giorgio

jhm (83193) 2007-05-28 7:25

Hello Sabyasachi,

The eyes are wonderful, what his our children here coddled, this photograph is wonderful the details are excellent, perhaps I should the rocks give a blur, and the face of the small girl more effect give, this personal Saby.

Regards,
John.

syd1946 (17953) 2007-05-28 7:37

Hi Sabyasachi,
Another lovely and interesting portrait!
With so interesting vivid colours all over the frame...

Cheers,
Thomas

sayan (2609) 2007-05-28 7:55

Hello Sabyasachi da,

Wonderful post again. The colours and the sharpness are awesome. The look is beautiful. Also I like the way how you framed this pic. Very nice work.
regards

sayan

cunejo200 (7235) 2007-05-28 7:58

Hello Sabyasachi,
What a terrified and suspicious look on his big eyes. Terrific portrait. The b/g provides good contrast. With cordial greetings, Danilo

barrufeto_77 (25923) 2007-05-28 8:06

Hi Sabyasachi.

Again, another great picture of this "model" jejejejeje.

Nice compo with a great background. The colours are, as usuall, excellent...

Rgs, OScar

partha (13667) 2007-05-28 8:39

Hi dada,
It seems u took this shot in Chrome film, The skin tone is just brilliant as well as the subtle expression.Amazing way of portraiture of people.
Regards.
partha

hay_kes (28562) 2007-05-28 8:39

Hi Sabyasachi,
Very nice portrait.Great POV and details.Wonderfull compo.TFS.
Best wishes.

hAyAti

Partha_c (1985) 2007-05-28 8:45

Dear Sabyasachi. A complete package. Exhaustive and exquisite. The mood, the looks, the tonality, the sharpness and the details of ruins reflected through the magical colour of the stony wall on the left made me wonder to call you as Dr. Portrait. Marvellous and superb presentation. I did see your previous shot on climbing stairs. Speechless. Regards.
Partha

zig (2450) 2007-05-28 9:01

Hi Sabyasachi. Super clear photo. You captured everything in there, his worried face, the texture of the stones, the humidity in the air.. It looks so real. The background adds good atmosphere to it too. If that was just a cloudy sky or green leaves, he wouldn't look the same, I guess.

lucasgalodoido (16751) 2007-05-28 9:43

Hello Sabyasachi!
I find that it is of the suffering that all this population lives... The photo was very good, well clear!
Congratulations my friend!

ALIRIZA (16197) 2007-05-28 9:55

Hi Sabyasachi,
Wonderful shot, excellent portrait with expression of kids and stone wall. Great work my friend...
All the best...
Ali Rıza

batalay (21140) 2007-05-28 10:01

My dear "Mr. P"
This is a genuinely incisive portrait of the young boy, capturing his soul. The colors and composition are flawless. The short note is written by a master publisher/author, and complements the photo.
Warm regards,
"Prof. A"

medio (466) 2007-05-28 10:01

hola pedro.
impresionante enhorabuena por la foto, un (10)
saludos jose.

Cormac (26455) 2007-05-28 10:19

Another excellent portrait from you - you are really becoming the master of the portrait! The expression is great, as is the lighting, but what is different in this is the way you used that wall. It gives an incredible sense of texture and contrasts nicely with the smooth skin of the boy. Great idea and a beautiful result!

janink (1038) 2007-05-28 10:58

great shot! Great expression, wonderful light!
Ingrid

Floydian (30970) 2007-05-28 11:07

Hi Sabyasachi,
Again you present us a beautiful child with big staring eyes. You should consider a pro camera with perfect glass, you have the style and talent for that.
Colours are perfectly in balance, just as the composition.
A wonderful picture.
Regards, Henk

albertopiubello (2591) 2007-05-28 11:31

Hi Sabyasachi,
another great portrait very very impressive.
I'm agree with you about the look of Angkor children!
Great and very impressive composition.
Alberto

photographer123 (5803) 2007-05-28 12:18

hi..
wonderful portraits..detail is very good...composition too...r ki bolbo...best wishes..subir

devimeuxbe (56266) 2007-05-28 12:50

Hi sabyasachi
the glance of this child is imprssive. Sad or scare ?
Excelent touch of humanity in the stone of Angkor.
Well done
Bertrand

melmcree (2261) 2007-05-28 13:04

Excellent capture. He does seem a little afraid but also so innocent. Great color and light once again. You are absolutely a master of it!

carper (65524) 2007-05-28 13:26

fantastic photo Sabyasachi.
thelook of this child is an afraid one, the povis good an d the quality has your signature, very good photojob, well done.
gr. jaap

Wanda1 (11015) 2007-05-28 14:11

Hi Sabyasachi,
A expressive portrait, there is indeed a look of worry in his eyes. Colour is wonderful and saturated and the off centre composition is great. The ruins make for a perfect background.
Regards
Wanda

tehanu_f (6874) 2007-05-28 15:55

Dear Sabyasachi, I am once again amazed at your skill to capture such expressions on people's faces. It is really sad to see small children suffering, growing up with fear and insecurity; it's embarrassing to witness how the world fails them and how insensitive we actually are. We just look at the photo, feel moved and then forget about it. Thanks for your perfect and meaningful shots.
fusun

eza1701 (3343) 2007-05-28 17:02

Hi Sabyasachi,

A great portrait shot with an excellent level of detail, the off-centre composition works really well.

Best regards,
Paul.

Flavia (10202) 2007-05-28 20:02

Hi Sabyasachi,

Ideed there's something on his eyes I also could not identify. Suspicion for sure, but this something else is quite enigmatic. Lovelly framing catching some of the walls.

Cheers,

Flavia

singuanti (15240) 2007-05-28 22:06

Hi Sabyasachi. I must say I'm impressed with the post-processing you did on this. I very much like the high sharpness in certain areas and more importantly you didn't take it too far. I'm glad you left this in color and not try b/w. Awesome shot Sabyasachi!

bantonbuju (48796) 2007-05-29 1:08

hi sabyasachi,
classically beautful portrait...excellent use of pp techniques on the wall adds some drama to this already strongly nervous, sad, angry face...
most amazing photo,
best, j.

markstaples (15670) 2007-05-29 3:02

Nice framing, nice sharpness, excellent expression captured. A nice portrait.
Best wishes
Mark

anducina (8131) 2007-05-29 3:27

Very impressive portrait, I like a lot his sad expression and big eyes. Nice stone textures and tones, excellent framing.

TFS,

Andreea

vincz (19045) 2007-05-29 4:10

You did really very well in Angkor, taking best advantage of the old stones, of their beautiful textures, to do what you do best with these wonderful portarits. Excellent textures, details and general quality on the small girl as well, her skin, her hair. Excellent work.

enedimd (1528) 2007-05-29 4:15

Hi Sabyasachi,
Great and wonderful portrait....
Superb colors, details and background rocks are excellent..
Little girl face and her looks are very impressive really...
Title is also in harmony and so powerful with your frame...
Congrats,
TFS,
Have a nice day with my best wishes from Turkey.
Emir Nedim

sothy81 (8540) 2007-05-29 4:38

Hi Sabyasachi,

THis is a very nie portrait of this little girl. I love her facinal expression. She is very curious on something. Very nice shot indeed with the great exposure here.

Sothy

faubry (32407) 2007-05-29 5:01

wonderful portrait..... superbe contrast and details stones,,,, i think also he was afraid..... very difficult life for a great number children in the crazy world..... really impressionnant of quality, great work
warm
francine

Budapestman (42694) 2007-05-29 7:15

Dear Sabyasachi,
This is a very expressive and suggestive photo. What a talkative eyes. Its an excellent composition and superb clarity. Very fine image, Congratulations. Have a nice day, thank you
George

Xalkida (11740) 2007-05-29 8:24

Another masterpiece portrait from you! Excellent color tones and fine lighting. Well done (another time)!

Angshu (34027) 2007-05-29 10:02

Dear Sabyasachi
Kono chhobi nei deoar moton! tarpor jhola theke berolo arekta masterpiece! What eyes, it says more than a thousand words. Everything works superbly here...the framing,the BG of the old stones. Are kichhu bolar urdhe
Best wishes
Angshuman

riclopes (33119) 2007-05-29 12:21

Olá Sabyasachi, you really know how to tell a good story ;-) Good use of the several portraits that you made of this kid and problably this is the one with best quality. Excellent sharpness and fantastic textures on that wall to add some dramatism. Love the connection you made bettween the three facial expressions: Suspiciousness, Curiousity and finally Fear. Very impressive work, as usual!
With greetings from Lisbon,
ricardo

Henryk_Bilor (20371) 2007-05-29 12:49

Hi Sabyasachi
Beautiful portrait of the kid. Great composition and quality and good moment of capture.
Regards

Gustaw (21670) 2007-05-29 13:00

Hi, my friend!
it is next very beautiful photo in your colection. Good quality. Nice composition and good idea. Beautiful colours. I like your small children. Nice frame. Well done.
Marek

leo61 (43650) 2007-05-29 13:49

Hi Sabyasachi!
Wonderful portrait again,perfect placement,great expression at the kid`s face and a nice background with this old wall.Amazing contrast and great colorcontrast,too.
Regards,Leo

luiscar (3282) 2007-05-29 14:12

hola sabyasachi, excelente retrato de este niño de alta gama con definicion y enfoque perfectos.
felicidades, un saludo
luiscar.

Graal (58616) 2007-05-30 4:47

Hi Sabyasachi,
great portrait, nice colours and saturation. Good composed image. Friends all told You. I like this work also.
Gr., Aleksander

delkoo (34652) 2007-05-30 5:20

hi sabyasachi
this is absolutely great shot, full of energy and colors. Excellent composition and perfect moment to capture this scene.
Well done.
best regards
didier

-:)))

pablominto (41200) 2007-05-30 7:53

Hello Sabyasachi,
Seems like this kid is carrying all the trouble of the world on his shoulders...
A well composed image with emotional tones, excellent composition on this rugged background!
Greetings,
Pablo -

josepmarin (34017) 2007-05-30 13:10

Hi Sabyasachi,
It is an excellent portrait, the look of this young boy is emotive, has very much feeling, as you say in your note, probably it is a fear, but fear of what?
I also see sadness in his face, in a very well caught image. The stones in the wall have a texture very impressive.
You have made a great photographic work here, my friend, I like it and affect me too.
Best regards,
Josep

jaywalker (12276) 2007-05-31 3:49

Hi Sabyasachi, A stunningly sharp & detailed portrait of this little boy, the composition is amazing with him looking across the shot, you have captured his hair so well the viewer can almost count every strand, excellent colours & light & against that brilliant wall he stands out so perfectly, just drawn by his eyes, kind regards Wilson.

Silvio1953 (42617) 2007-05-31 8:38

Hi Sabyasachi, fascinatng portrait of this lovely child with great expression, splendid light and colors, excellent focus and sharpness, very well done, greetings from Italy, ciao Silvio

grattounet (0) 2007-05-31 11:24

Slt ...
le portrait de cet enfant et magnifique, par l'expression qu'il dégage ... belle compo bravo...
amitié A+

Rosa (4147) 2007-05-31 14:09

Bonsoir Sabyasachi,
Magnifique ce portrait aux multiples facette les yeux de cet enfant sont déroutant ,est il triste, inquiet ou à t’il peur !
Excellente composition et belle note.
Amitiés ,
Rosa.

claire526 (1261) 2007-05-31 21:29

Hi Sabyasachi,
Wonderful portrait shot. Great mood along with your note. Very clear and sharp image. Good POV and composition.
All the best,
Claire

axiotea (16235) 2007-06-01 0:21

Hi Sabyasachi
Maybe the little boy was sick and that's why he looked suspicious or unhappy...
The color of his hair match the one of the textured wall which created a kind of diagonal in your image. Good you included the tree on the right top corner, giving another touch of color.
Have a nice day
Marilyn

Polonaise (5638) 2007-06-01 14:20

Hey !!!
Mowgli is back !!!
What can I say...Better than ever...
his eyes ? His sad eyes ?
Did he loose his best friend, Bagheera ?

All the best, Sabyasachi.
Greetings from hot, hazy, humid, smoggy Toronto

george

Cricri (43616) 2007-06-01 15:05

Hi Sabyasachi,
Trés belle image, joli portrait de ce petit garçon avec une expression de doute, de méfiance, le rendu des couleurs et détails du mur, splendide
have a nice week end
cricri

siolaw (25802) 2007-06-02 6:44

Hi Sabyasachi,
Conventional? I just find it nice, with off centered framing, telling expression, well saturated colors, Bg wall is nicely textured ad gives depth and perspective..
Laurent

toto (18755) 2007-06-02 7:32

Belle photo de cet enfant, vous avez une âme de reporter, car vos photo sont d' un réalisme superbe et nous montre le monde comme il est. Je trouve, bien sur cela est un avis personnel et non une mise de pommade. Amitiés Thomas

mpdre (1587) 2007-06-03 11:49

Hi Sabyasachi,
The eyes of this child staring with such intensity are very impressive. The quality of the image is also terrific: light, sharpness, and the texture...One can almost feel the roughness of the wall behind the kid. Congratulations.
Andre

brevbrev14 (372) 2007-06-04 4:24

HI SABYA,
what a great expression this beautiful little girl!....yes probably fear in her eyes..and a bit of sadness..
Excellent work again!
ciao!
Valeria

sevman13 (553) 2007-06-05 16:11

hi,
very strong impression you have captured.

well done.

Serdar

jrj (34779) 2007-06-06 9:40

Strong portrait S. well disposed compo and of course the capture of his facial expression is essential here for the result. Impressive work.

ben4321 (9807) 2007-06-09 6:02

This is really well taken Sabyasachi, and the expression you captured is priceless!
Only the bright triangle of sky in the top right corner disturbs this otherwise excellent piece of work.
Good stuff!

Cheers,
Ben

Bluejeans (32945) 2007-06-09 6:49

Ola Sabyasachi fantastico este retrato deste rapaz , tem uma expressão bastante triste !!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

Mikos (4324) 2007-06-09 10:14

Hi Sabyasachi!

Excellent result as usual, in this case I am very impressed about the kid´s expression, the placing on the left corner, has been a good choice too!

Cheers! Have a great weekend!

Miguel

Emile (20085) 2007-06-10 0:24

Hola Sabyasachi.
Very good shot with the lovely boy and the amazing wall in the back. Good point of view and your composition is great. Good colors and sharpness. Very well done.
Best regards.

keribar (42760) 2007-06-12 0:20

Hello my friend Sabyasachi
Another example of your outstanding portfolio. I find no words to describe the quality of this one, like many others - You are a champion - Izzet

besnard (31022) 2007-06-12 4:39

Bonjour Sabyasachi
Je découvre avec retard un magnifique portrait de cet enfant au regard chargé d'interrogation et plutôt triste. C'est d'une grande netteté et le cliché provoque une grande émotion.
Bravo - merci pour le partage et bonne journée.
Nicole

jmcl (14097) 2007-06-12 12:39

Hi Sabyasachi,

His fear and poverty are hard to look at ... it certainly puts my world in perspective .. his hair and the stone really amplify his expression.

take care,

John

patdeph (18270) 2007-06-12 13:02

hello Sabyasachi
a wonderful portrait with a nice expression.This boy is really lovely.I like very much the colors and the details of the wall.Superb!
Best regards.
Pascale

Zelanda (5692) 2007-06-12 16:12

Hola Sabyasachi,
Preciosa cara que parece un poco preocupada o asustada por la expresión de su cara.
Excelente color y muy buenos detalles.
Cordialmente
Ros

pranab (5354) 2007-06-14 3:46

sabyasachi,
great expressive moment you have captured here. excellent pov and the details are great. you have used the light very well to blend the colors.

ps:got your e-mail.

TravelerNL (2967) 2007-06-16 6:10

Hi Sabyasachi,
A very good portrait of this boy. The natural stone background works very good as contrast.
The expression of the boy you have captured is difficult to just exactly. It's obvious though that he is not that happy with the situation.
Well done,
Harko

bhuniatrekearth (764) 2007-06-16 10:38

Dear Sabyasachi.
Perfect skin colour and the surrounding you have chosen.

Best wishes.
Dr. J.

prezntime (3945) 2007-06-16 14:27

Hello Sabyasachi.
He is a star of yours...I think I might like this photo the most out of your series containing this young man. Very simple, yet his face betrays some deep emotions. Those big eyes seem to be searching...longing so to speak. I could be projecting, but that is the great thing about good photography...it gets the viewer thinking.
Regards,
Chris.

asival (4285) 2007-06-18 2:03

Hi Sabyasachi

This kid seems to be your No.1 model; I think that you’re very lucky to have her. Every frame of her is a charm.

She’s got this soul penetrating gaze and she’s beautiful

TFS

Assi

kiwi_explorer (12195) 2007-06-18 4:44

Greetings Sabyasachi,
The somber background and the haunting look from the child makes this photo very special. It is sad to see such an innocent child harbouring such fear and suspicion. Perfectly captured and composed. This is another masterpiece from you. Excellent work! tfs
Regards,
Renier

pat0500 (21513) 2007-06-18 12:20

Hi Saby,
Another excellent portrait as you can realise them so well..!
I like the framing very much, very good light and beautiful colours, very good sharpness too...!
Very good shot my friend...!..;o)
Well done,
Patrick

adores (15727) 2007-06-18 19:36

Hi Sabyasachi!
Great and impressive photo! You really captured the expression of fear and sadness on the kid's face and I guess that's even enhanced by the wall in the background.
An excellent capture!
Regards, Anabela

Photo65Net (43096) 2007-06-19 13:22

Sabyasachi,
You caught here a great attitude on this child face.
Colors and tones are superb, I like this one a lot.
Regards,
JB.

Scharan (13955) 2007-06-19 23:28

Olá Sabyasachi

Ótima foto, você conseguiu captar muito bem a expressão do rosto da criança.
Boas cores e textura. Bom trabalho.

Grande abraço,
Vera.

AiresSantos (42760) 2007-06-21 4:49

Hi Sabyasachi,
Amazing portrait with this sad kid. I like the perpective, the expression catured and how you framed the picture.
Very well done. Greetings from Portugal
Aires

kevinos (6927) 2007-06-21 11:23

A very human and moving portrait against an interesting background. It has a feel to it, similar to Manny's pp work.The pp work is very skilled. regards kevin

anesugur (16970) 2007-06-25 16:24

Hi Sabyasachi,
Another superb portrait.
I like it so much.
Congratulations. Uğur

rbcy1974 (20746) 2007-06-27 5:54

Hello Saba
Very beautiful portrait, the angle is excellent as is the use of the stone wall as a background
well done
Regards
Daniel

amazon (10835) 2007-06-28 3:48

Another lovely and dramatic close-up!
beautiful details....
regards,
iffet

Vato_Law (11686) 2007-06-30 12:47

Hello Sabyasachi,
Another wonderful portrait of this child and her innocent and rather scary look.
I saw today a rather disturbing post from fellow member Battousai and sincerely I hope it isn't related to that story or something similar.
Once again your skills of photography and post processing elevated the quality to the most high standards.
Cheers.
Paulo

lelson (275) 2007-07-05 2:34

Another example of your superb portrait technique. You catch the feeling of the subjects perfectly and your refined technique do the rest. Excelent.

Green_Beret (10) 2007-08-02 4:33

Nice portrait of the girl. And it's a nice picture of the local society.

jlynx (11380) 2007-08-02 5:03

Hello Sabyasachi,
Very good picture, strongly replete with excitements. Splendid colours, good and strong contrasts and the excellent sharpness.
Best regards of Poznan,
Jurek

German74 (771) 2007-10-25 9:04

Hola Sabyasachi, extraordinario el retrato, precios, te felicito...

Un abrazo.

Infamous (78) 2008-01-17 6:48 [Comment]

Show Comment

banyanman (7737) 2008-01-26 19:04

A haunting portrait, Sabyasachi, in your usual bold style. I like the contrast that you have created, through the heavy sharpening, between the boy's soft skin tones and the hard texture of the wall. I see more apprehension than fear or suspicion in his eyes - but then you were there so you are better able to judge. Cheers . . . David

vmukherjee (395) 2009-02-17 0:54

Amazing shot!! The colours of the bg rhyme well with the skin tone of the boy. Also the expression on his face is superb, Thanks for sharing.

andywo (2971) 2009-05-15 11:36

Hello Sabyasachi
Fantastic,very expresive portrait!
Great shot!
TFS
Andy

subhendu_bagchi (3452) 2009-07-28 23:14

Hello Sabyasachi, what a portrait! Great shot. The face of child says how much feared he is. His eyes are as if suspicious about everything of the world. Composition is fantastic. Have a nice day.
Subhendu.