So you moan about the size of your house, a photo from Jammu and Kashmir, North

Photographer's Note

The Gujjar summer houses, scale is given by the woman that is carrying the drinking water back home. Life is so easy in the western world and we all take it for granted and moan when the electricity is off for more than five minutes or the water supply is interrupted for more than an hour becuase of repairs needed.
What a bunch of miserable selfish people we can be, no thought for those in less well off conditions.

japiey, kiwi_explorer, delic ha contrassegnato questa nota come utile

Critiques | Translate

japiey (10163) 2007-06-15 4:13

Hi Simon.

Very true, your words are.
Look there, and can we say, we have that peace of mind as those living there have?

A BEAUTIFULL COMPOSITION FROM NATURE.
Lovely lights, and exciting colours.

have a great day, dear friend.

jean paul

niknik (112) 2007-06-15 4:13

So true. What a lonely, wild place it looks. Good balance with the diagonal line separating the open pastures from the forest and mountains.

richwm (1215) 2007-06-15 11:26

Hi Simon,

The house may be small but it's got an enormous garden! ;)

Seriously, you've chosen a good title for this photo to emphasise the hardship and the basic lifestyles many in this world live in. This 'home' looks like the sort of shelter we'd keep animals in here in England. We should all look around us once in a while and be thankful for the many luxuries we take for granted these days.

On a technical note: The colours and sharpness are good and having a human subject in the frame for scale is definately a positive feature. Compositionally, I tihnk maybe there's a little too much foreground for my liking. I'd have preferred it if the house was a little nearer the bottom of the frame and we could see more of the trees and mountains in the background.

Best regards,

Rich

kiwi_explorer (12209) 2007-06-16 6:54

Hi Simon,
I agree with your comments ... yes we do take forgranted the basic necessities like drnking fresh water. But one thing going right with this woman is that she is living in a much healthier environment than in the city. Well captured and composed. Well done! tfs
Cheers,
Renier

delic (6735) 2007-06-17 3:57

Hi Simon,
Fine photograph, sharp and in good color. Could move the house a bit off-center perhaps, to the left. As for the message, I agree with you, and I don't even have to travel that far to see the dire conditions others live in. Regards,
Hakan

bhuniatrekearth (764) 2007-06-19 3:04

Dear Simon,
I follow your research work on Gujjars in India and encore you. The lines below I repeat for the informations.
Not only a document but the composition in this capture is really attractive.

Gujjar community is heading the news papers for last 15 days in India and has created a turmoil in Indian politics. I enclose a gist below for you.

Gujjars are partly nomadic community. They are now settled in Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand (Part of the previous Uttar Pradesh).
They can be Hindu or Muslim by religion.

In Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir, Gujjars are largely shepherds and rear livestock. In these two states Gujjars have been accorded “ST” (Scheduled Tribe) status. This is a Governmental decision for which the community is entitled for many benefits in these states like reservation of seats (Quota) in Govt. services and Educational admissions and many others.
In Rajasthan they constitute about 8% of the total population. Here they have been granted only “OBC” (Other Backward Community) status since 1993.

Benefits for OBC are much less than the ST community and there is the issue of clash.
Gujjars in Rajasthan have been demanding that they be included among scheduled tribes. They are demonstrating and protesting for their demands and the Govt. is trying to suppress them by administrative force and political mumbo jumbo techniques.

Unfortunately about 15 deaths (Gujjars) are already there on this issue and the agitation is still on.

Best wishes.
Dr. J.