Matanzas Girl, a photo from Matanzas, West

Photographer's Note

I took this with a borrowed camera after my Pentax died (see Taxi Driver), and I can抰 remember what it was.

The state of the door and the quality of the "toy" help to illustrate the difference between life in Havana, and in this provincial town, about 100km East. Whereas in Havana living standards range from near shanty town to really very comfortable (largely depending on access to tourist dollars), in Matanzas there seems to more or less one level for the bulk of the population, barely coping. There抯 a lot worth seeing and some interesting buildings, good (really very good) schools and some reasonable restaurants, but domestic housing is generally in a bad way, and the water supply is completely wrecked. Water flows through the gutters on a hot day during a dry spell, and people erect tanks in their yards to catch what little trickles through to their houses.

Some loss of sharpness through scanning.

ianmcall, manny has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

ianmcall (1213) 2004-04-02 4:48

Well, more than "some" loss of sharpness. I'd get a new scanner or use different settings.

Still this is a very nice shot of her everyday life. I like the composition, showing just enough of the rough wall and even rougher door to clearly show her environment, but leaving most of the frame for the sweet girl.

cloverstar (0) 2004-04-02 5:32

I like the story that accompanies this photo. The composition is very good. Like the way you got down low at the child's level, and the inclusion of the broken door is great. The motion in her hands is also very good.
Glad you posted this one.
I've added to a theme.

maciekda (19895) 2004-04-02 6:09

it is a wonderful scene, i love the contast etwenn her blue dress and this old wooden doors. the girl is lovely too. i wish the picture was sharper and better processed. anyway, maybe this way it is more moody ;)

manny (22032) 2004-04-02 12:13

This is a great soft image made very delicate by the addition of noise. The girl is very adorable. Normally, I like sharp images but this doesn't mean I can't appreciate a soft picture. This one is truly a standout.

yesterday (9833) 2004-06-02 5:13

OH I love this photo, she is a beeutiful and charming little girl in a EXCELLENT composition.

I like it so much, I want to do some workshop at it.

[workshop] [compare] +