Bandar Seri Begawan

Photographer's Note

My last upload consisted of three photos from the water village, Kampong Ayer, in Bandar Seri Begawan, capital of Brunei. Today I show you three more, all scanned from Kodachrome slides. The photos were taken in 1976, and since then this village has been pulled down and a park has been laid out where houses used to stand on stilts in the water. There is still a much larger water village slightly further away from the city.

For the main photo I chose this one showing a woman paddling a canoe with a load of bananas. I would have preferred to use WS #1, but...

I warn you NOT TO LOOK AT WS #1 if you are a sensitive and easily upset person.

WS #2 is converted to black & white.

ikeharel, Royaldevon, pajaran, PaulVDV, jean113, pierrefonds, jhm, Fis2, ChrisJ, mcmtanyel, COSTANTINO, fotka, aliabazari ha contrassegnato questa nota come utile

Critiques | Translate

ikeharel (112391) 2021-08-29 0:34

Three pictures from 45 years ago, and superbly chosen the main post, Gert, it has beautiful colors - did not think at first it was a scanned photo.
Vividly presented that moment over water.
Have a nice sunday,
Ike

Royaldevon (85576) 2021-08-29 1:20

Hello Gert,

These photographs have scanned very well, maybe a sign that you are increasingly skilled at scanning old slides.

I really like to see these water villages, so different from our own life styles.
The lady in the canoe was a great inclusion, creating a focal point and a sense of movement amid the many reflections.
The w/s is delightful.
Those children are cheerful and innocent in their youth, certainly worth seeing.

Have a good day,
Bev :-)

lousat (138521) 2021-08-29 1:29

Hi Gert,interesting post also today from this village in your memories from Brunei, beautiful classic view in the main photo and indeed a great contrast between the richness of the mosque and the poverty of the houses in the WS in black and white. I also like smiling childrens in the other WS, perhaps a tourist photographer was not a very common thing in those years. Have a nice Sunday and thanks,Luciano

pajaran (114781) 2021-08-29 1:38

Pozdrav.

Lep pogled i trenutak, dobar tekst ...
Lep deo naselja na vodi, dobro pokazano sa lepim bojama, kontrastom i uhvacenim trenutkom sa camcem koji prolazi.
Dobar rad sa lepom fotografijom u radionici.
Interesantan refleks na vodi, lepa fotografija i secanje.

Zelim vam lep dan za odmro, sve najbolje.
Paja

Silvio1953 (220443) 2021-08-29 1:39

Ciao Gert, great view of lovely floating houses, wonderful colors, fine details, splendid light and excellent clarity, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

jmdias (114150) 2021-08-29 2:31

gert

in the main post the big hat call attention. we can see the houses were well painted and renewed, probably this was the first level of improvements and at second one these houses were removed to make the town more modern and fit it in a modern design. nice a country that has enough money to spend.
nice the images of WS. curious as in these last decades nude children became a symbol of perverted desires. nowadays there is a kind of political puritanism, everything is exploration of women, children or racism. I like of an ancient roman saying "virtue is located in the middle" never in the extremities.

take care

jorge

dedee (2931) 2021-08-29 3:41

Hi Gert
A lovely image telling us of past times. Very well scanned from a slide. Colours are really good.
I like the WS shots, especially the children with their lovely smiles so easily returned. Sad that such images seem taboo these days.
David

PaulVDV (62746) 2021-08-29 3:55

Hello Gert,
In WS2 we find the photo that can upset us the most. In that way I no longer saw the water village. I have some pictures of houses in Kampong Ayer with the great mosque in the distance, but in 2020 I couldn't find that contrast so close together anymore.
Strange that not more people have uploaded such contrasting pictures. There's a photo from 2007 from Muhammad Malik (anakbrunei) showing the mosque and the roofs of that part of Kampong Ayer.
And then there'a a truly magnificent photo of Marlene Fegan (mafegan) from 2010. In that photo you can better orientate where the disappeared part of Kampong Ayer was located compared to the mosque, I think.
It's indeed a pity you couldn't get the colours right anymore. But still, the photo speaks volumes.
In your main photo, the large headgear stands out. It's more like the hats that Vietnamese people wear. At first I thought the person in the boat had an open umbrella.
Strange that you had previously only shown two photos of Brunei. You actually have very nice pictures of this small, relatively unknown country.
Best regards, Paul

jean113 (27585) 2021-08-29 4:19

Hello Gert, an excellent sharp main post, and scanned, I wouldn’t have known if you hadn’t said.
A colourful scene with the turquoise and orange houses, creating lovely reflections on the rippled water.
That hat is so big! No need for a hand held parasol then.
The two workshop pictures are equally as interesting, all top quality.
Lovely to see these shots from 1976.
Kind regards, Jean.

pierrefonds (113474) 2021-08-29 4:33

Hi Gert,

You have capture well the ripples on the water. The point of view is showing the details of the moving boat and of the house s of the water village. The light is bringing out the colors. Have a nice day.

Pierre

jhm (211734) 2021-08-29 5:01

Hello Gert,

The pole village remain always a spectacular see.
You know, I known not this type village, but extraordinarily fascinate.
Nice panorama and depth image.
Lovely photographed
Nice presentation too.

Have a good day,
John

Fis2 (169589) 2021-08-29 5:06

Witaj Gert!
Avery curious set of photos.
Interesting presentation.
This place makes impression.
I like scene from daily life.
Amazing houses, I like it.
Have a nice sunday afternoon.
Krzysztof

foxy (3423) 2021-08-29 8:05

Hello Gert,
It's so true why it's called 'Venice of Borneo'.
Or Kampong Terapung , I shall call it.
I see two same style of houses with different windows. I would think that the orange one is more up-to-date and slightly modern.
I also see a child playing or fishing in the blue house and nobody in sight , watching over the child ... Hmmm !
I must say , it's a beautiful scene. A lady with a big hat , paddling 'unhurried' along the floating houses with a small 'sampan' in the calm muddy river.
Ha!ha!ha! I like the warning NOT TO LOOK ... to me , that's sound encouraging :-)
Oh my! It's so Sweet and Playful. Esp the little cheeky kampong 'Adam' ( reminder me of myself when I was his age ).
Well, if you can show the small bananas ( main pic ) ... it's no different if you use this WS1 as main too :-)
That's what I called ... an OLD looking picture when it's converted to B&W.
Thanks for sharing this 'childhood' memory ( WS1 ).
Loong

ChrisJ (171146) 2021-08-29 8:08

Hello Gert,

Good timing to catch the small sampan like boat traversing the frame. The person with their broad hat adds a focal point. Excellent sharpness, colour and saturation with nice reflections. Tfs!

Tue (91450) 2021-08-29 10:53

Hej Gert,
Et godt billede med husene på den anden side af floden. De røde og blå farver er meget iøjnefaldende (sammen med vasketøjets farver) og de blev spejlet meget godt i vandet. Timingen var perfekt med båden i forgrunden lidt til venstre af midten.
Lars

mcmtanyel (67507) 2021-08-29 17:46

Hello Gert,
What an interesting way to live. I like the bright colors of the houses.
Regards,
MT

ifege (46851) 2021-08-29 21:39

Hi Gert
3 very different photos today! More good ones from around the water village. The second WS is of the style that village photos were usually like when I lived in New Guinea. Don't think I've ever posted one of them.
cheers
Ian

COSTANTINO (115407) 2021-08-29 22:36

Hello dear Gert and have a nice day
and a happy new week
great contrast between the red
and green houses from the water
villages...photo taken in 1976 so many
years ago...thanks for your useful
notes about the village...
I also like the woman padding a canoe
nice timing for you...and the bananas???
for whom????
regards
Costantino

jemaflor (146168) 2021-08-29 23:34

Hi Gert,
interesing photo with colorful mood, nice POV and composition with wooden houses and boat, charming water reflections, tfs.

fotka (8895) 2021-08-30 5:27

Hello Gert,
I see that like Paul (paulvdv) you post the photo from Brunei only with the difference between the time which pictures was taken. The outflow of 45 years but I don't see big changes.
Great daily life picture as well as the quality of so an old photo.
Best regards,
Zbigniew

GyurMaster (24668) 2021-09-01 12:49

Dear Gert,

No doubt, that this photo is excellently taken. The main figure is excellently positioned against the vivid orange and blue houses. The drying clothes are a nice addition. On the other hand both WS photos are excellent even if WS one would qualify as child pornography these days. On the other hand, the BW shot moves my heart as a big BW fan.

Best Wishes,
Gy.

kasianowak (17648) 2021-10-06 1:33

Hi Gert
I love the main image, the colours are wonderful and the boat is the icing on the cake. You captured so many delightful details in just this one shot: the hat, the stilts, the colourful washing. I would love to have taken an image like this.
As for WS #1, it's a brilliant group portrait, it would make a great main upload in its own right, except, as you realise yourself, it would be received with mixed feelings (to say the least) by some people. Even I, who doesn't mind at all, wasn't brave enough to enlarge it on my laptop screen while checking it in Schiphol Airport just in case someone may be looking at my screen over my shoulder! Annoyingly, there is nothing wrong with the photo per se, but there is something wrong with the people judging photos in this day and age!
The black and white image of the village is also amazing (and also deserves a main upload of its own) and I'm not surprised why it upset Paul!
Anyway, I'm adding it to my fav theme (I've run out of spaces in my favs folder).

aliabazari (21139) 2022-04-03 22:05

Hello Gert
A beautiful view of these wooden houses built on the water. Lovely shot. Clarity and lighting done well. The workshop pictures show well.