Bicycle repairboy, a photo from Kabul, East

Photographer's Note

Many children in Afghanistan don’t get to go to school, and instead have to start work at an early age. Here this bicycle repairboy (he is too young to be called a repairman) seems to be happy doing his job, despite the lack of facilities that he has to work with. As I took this shot on one of Kabul’s main streets, I noted that the apple seller sitting on his cart in the top left of the picture suddenly reached into his tunic as if to pull out a gun (in 2003 when I was in Kabul, there were still a lot of people on the streets carrying guns). The thought that flashed through my mind at that moment was that he was a member of the Taliban and was going to pull out a gun and shoot me because I was taking a photograph (the Taliban had banned photography before they were ousted from Kabul) but fortunately it was only my imagination running wild. Maybe he’d gotten a sudden itch ;)

Not much more that I can say about this shot, except that it is a typical Kabul street scene, and you can’t stop people in the street looking at you, because a foreigner with a camera is still a fairly unusual sight in Afghanistan.

No PP on this except some sharpening.

sam224, leonorkuhn, touristdidi heeft deze opmerking als nuttig gemarkeerd

Critiques | Translate

sam224 (6215) 2005-08-09 9:18

Very nice and crowdy shot. I like the smile of the kid in front. Good scene of daily life. Maybe a couple of steps behind would have made it even better.
Well seen and composed!

leonorkuhn (16237) 2005-08-09 9:32

Hi David,
Very interesting capture of this daily life's scene. This is the best of photojournalism. Good colours. Thanks for sharing.
Leonor

erdna (5713) 2005-08-09 10:13

The activities on the street, the flavor of the country, the faces of the people make this a very nice interesting photograph and you have composed it very nicely.

Andre'

wishnugaruda (1305) 2005-08-09 12:47

Hi David,
thats a photo full of life - I can hear the loud traffic and smell it together with the rubbish - a complete other world than mine in Germany. But I like to see, how other people live and this shows perfect.
Thanks and bye
Sabine - wishnugaruda

ndb1958 (9289) 2005-08-09 13:58

Hi David,
great daily life scenery from an interesting part of the world. Indeed, this picture is full of life. I like it very much.
Nino

touristdidi (8583) 2005-08-10 6:45 [Comment]

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pnphan (3957) 2005-08-10 22:23

I didn't get to goto school when i was young on my own country. Your capture of this scene of daily life is great.

davey590 (271) 2005-08-14 16:13

very good shot
photo journal
describes the scene
kid poor but happy
good framing colour and composition
TFS
Dave R

Luan (12971) 2005-08-15 5:35

Hello David,
I like this srteet scene, what a mess...people are everywhere...very nice catch.
Luan

maciekda (19895) 2005-08-17 7:27

nice complex scene, lots of things to look at, but at the same moment it is not messy, everything is kept in order. good quality - colors, sharpness. interesting scene

kensimage (8563) 2005-08-21 23:15

This is very vivid, David, there are so many things going on! That's a heck of a lot of daily life in one frame! But yet it's not cluttered, because of the central focus on the boy with the pump. Great shot! Regards, Ken.

pitai (3985) 2005-11-13 16:17

Hello David,

A well composed picture: nice colors, very sharp and clear... also showing us an awful reality.

Best regards,

Gabriel

roconnell (327) 2005-12-29 9:54

What a busy and social street. The composition reveals the use of the street as not only a transportation route, but also a gathering place for business and some laughter. Fantastic color and clarity. Well done.

wolf38 (30) 2006-09-15 6:37

Hello David. A photo fully from the daily (roads -) life. In this picture everything meets: People, broken bicycles, cars, puddles and dirt. Nevertheless seem all good mood to have. One arranged oneself with the life. The photo is well taken and pleases me very well. Many greetings, Wolfgang.

ramthakur (1559) 2007-02-20 12:47

What vibrant life you have captured in this war devastated country in 2003, David!
Good thing, lige goes on despite everything.
I enjoyed looking at this picture and reading your amusing note.
Ram

zips (1958) 2007-08-05 21:47

A great look at a country in the news. I would also like to see this one shot with a low POV but it is a wonderful document.

Great Job.
Aloha, JB