Tony Au Yeong
January 2025 - Getting Water From The Well
About the Image(s)
I took this image in Madagascar in Sept., 2024. We visited a small village and after passing the entrance there was a small square with a well at the centre. Several locals were collecting water from the well. I shot this young woman pulling up a bucket of water from the perspective of backlighting. it was late in the afternoon. They did not mind being the models and let us shoot at ease. The photo was post processed in PS. I brightened up the subjects because of backlighting and darkened the sky.
6 comments posted
Hi Tony! I think that you have a fine travel/photojournalistic image here. The action concentrates around the well, with the woman pulling up the bucket and the girl waiting for her turn with the canisters. You show just enough background to give the feel of the milieu, and the bright yellows draw attention to the center and the action. I think that you have handled the backlighting beautifully. Posted: 01/06/2025 19:33:55
Considering the difficulty of back lighting, you did a marvelous job of creating this scene. I noticed the boy is clipped on the left, but cropping him puts too much tension on the pump position. However he is a not a major point of distraction. Posted: 01/06/2025 21:33:57
Nice capture with only the one boy "posing" Given the back light I think you pulled it off well although I'd still like to see a little brighter face and the woman at the well. I really get the feel of being there. Posted: 01/06/2025 21:58:46
What a great photojournalistic travel picture. The backlighting is well handled and the rest of the people in the background portrays day to day life in a typical African village.
I also love the reflections in the water in the foreground. Posted: 01/08/2025 21:20:16
I also love the reflections in the water in the foreground. Posted: 01/08/2025 21:20:16
The picture definitely tells an interesting story. At first, I had doubts about the backlighting, but the more I looked into the photo, the more I liked it. However, I would open up the face of the woman a little more, if possible. Getting everything right in such a situation is very difficult, and you have half a child coming into the picture from the left, plus a hand and a knee showing on the right. You can simply clone them out. The boy with the yellow t-shirt behind the woman is also a little distracting, but it might be not so easy to eliminate him. Posted: 01/09/2025 23:28:53
I agree with the cloning and cropping suggested by Jose. This is a great travel image! The backlit situation here is a difficult one. There are some overexposed spots on the well and the woman's face is indeed a bit dark still (in compare with other bright spots probably). I would not darken the sky too much though, as it is a bit unnatural now, and makes a light halo around the buildings and wooden fence. But certainly a nice moment and great travel photo! Posted: 01/22/2025 04:30:05