These poor kids

Actually it's a set up shot I did with my friend's kids. They really enjoyed the "getting dirty part" and they are such good actors. It was done with available light and my pocket camera (G11), I wish I had my 5D2 for that, but it came out not too bad with the G11.

C&C welcome and appreciated.

It looks too contrived to me. Even homeless kids don't have a bucket of mud on their faces, like this little girl does. Not a bad concept, just a bit over executed perhaps? As for the technical side, it is fine, sharp focus, lighting etc.

i do like everything about this picture

suecassidy wrote in post #10160553
It looks too contrived to me. Even homeless kids don't have a bucket of mud on their faces, like this little girl does. Not a bad concept, just a bit over executed perhaps? As for the technical side, it is fine, sharp focus, lighting etc.

take a trip to a 3rd world country, depending on where you go, you will find more and a "bucket" of mud on their faces.

great pic

Hi Dozer, I think you've captured the feeling, the expression on the faces...

I don't care about the bucket of mud, I just care about the sensation and feeling I have looking at the picture.

RafiSawaf wrote in post #10160753
take a trip to a 3rd world country, depending on where you go, you will find more and a "bucket" of mud on their faces.

great pic

but that's just it, I have travelled all over the world and have been to many poverty stricken countries and have seen not just urban poverty, but street children in Mexico, beggar children in India, bedouin cave dwelling children in Petra etc. It is from my personal travel observations that I say that. As a matter of fact, you typically see children in impoverished areas, photographed as sad and dirty, for the purposes of raising money for a given charity. I've always been amazed, as have other people I speak to who travel extensively to such places, that the children APPEAR to be remarkably and inexplicably happy. I say "appear" because I can't imagine that they ARE happy, but they appear that way, as they run and play and kick rocks around and laugh, just like children anywhere. And while they might be unbathed, they don't look like THAT. They don't usually look like the children we see depicted in charity brochures etc, the purpose of which is to make the viewer feel sad and want to help.

My comment seems to have ruffled some feathers, and that wasn't my intent. The OP asked for feedback and that was mine. I apologize if it came off sounding ? negative instead of constructive. It was meant to be constructive.

no feathers have been ruffled! i think you are correct for the most part around the world, and I am envious of your travels. But the few places i have been i have seen what you are talking about, and things like those commercials you see trying to raise money, and like the photo above.

head over to Somalia, the Congo, or Zimbabwe. its traumatizing. either way. You comment was well put, and did not come off negative! it could go either way depending on perspective

Pretty fantastic. Even with a G11?

Well done sir. I usually look at the photos before the descriptions and I will say I really thought they were homeless.

Hello dozer! Wow I really like the shot here. The story being told is obvious and composition is great. I am having a little prob with lighting, the cup, his pants and her ankle seem to be a little over exposed on my monitor. Great concept! I love it!

Keeo it up and always ....... enjoy your work.

Tat

Thanks to all the great comments, and no ruffled feathers here

suecassidy wrote in post #10160553
It looks too contrived to me. Even homeless kids don't have a bucket of mud on their faces, like this little girl does. Not a bad concept, just a bit over executed perhaps? As for the technical side, it is fine, sharp focus, lighting etc.

I also wish I would of been traveling like you do. You made a good point about kids not being so dirty, but my lack of travel let me think the kids in those money raisers was what they really look like But it was all good fun, I let the kids get dirty the way they wanted and that's the way they came out. I just tried to clean her up a little.

tatunka2135 wrote in post #10163196
Hello dozer! Wow I really like the shot here. The story being told is obvious and composition is great. I am having a little prob with lighting, the cup, his pants and her ankle seem to be a little over exposed on my monitor. Great concept! I love it!

Keeo it up and always ....... enjoy your work.

Tat

Thanks for pointing out the hot spots. I didn't have any of them on the original. I used Silver effect pro to convert to B/W using the High Structure to cam up with this look and I over look the highlights. I fixed it by repossessing a new layer using the same software with Pull process N -1 with a mask revealing only where the hot spots were and it came out better, I think.

What you all think?

Very nice shot!
Just for the record, I have also traveled all over the world (am in Egypt right now), and I have saw kids that make these look good. Some of the kids I have saw wish they just had a little dirt on their face. Heck, I have saw kids look not much better than this picture in Mexico.

The pic came out excelent! .....I love the G11...the kids are doing some great "acting" there.

I disagree bit with Sue here, they do look like this when they are asking for money. That is how they "work". I lived among gypsies on Balkans for years and this is how it works...I lived and travel in many other countries in poverty in Asia, Central America, Middle East, and these people are actually happy. It doesn't only "appear". Happines does not come from material, it comes from positivie thinking and they all have it...They don't miss something they never had. Maybe they wish to have more, same as we all do...
All in all, great photojournalist image! Well done Dozer.
cheers