kamal and kamal

kamal is a construction worker and he kindly agreed to allow a snap during rest and once again
at his place.





thanks for stopping by.

regards.

Hi Fahim,

What was the setting for the at rest shot? I am not comfortable with the debris left on his face, unless you were specifically going after that look, don't know.
The eyes in the at rest shot are look very tired, what kind of work does he do.
You are obviously using a small f/stop, tell us some more about the picture.
Do you know him? If not, how did you get him to approve the 2nd picture?
How did you come across him?

Your two shots seem to have a good story behind them, they captured my curiosity!

Marshall

Hi Marshall,

Kamal is one of the construction crew doing renovations at my house. His work with me involves the digging up the concrete tiles and marble stairs ( about 300 sq. mts ), leveling the ground and replacing
the tiles and marble with new ones. it is hard, manual labor in 45C heat.

The 1st pic is with the d3oo and zeiss 100mm makro at f2.8 taken while was taking a break.
the 2nd pic. is with a zeiss zf 25mm at f 4. I asked him if he would mind if i came over to his place to
take some pics on Friday ( thursday/friday is our weekend ). he kindly obliged.

I have got to know the entire crew working in our house ( concreate diggers, tile layers, painters, electricians and plumbers ) whenever I can i sit and have tea with them, make sure that their lunch
is properly provided for and that they are transported to their residences after work.

We sit and talk together and of course we go to the mosque together during prayer times. I got to
talk to them about themselves and they tell me stories about their home and family etc.

I have found that all of us ( homo sapiens ) in general desire similar things..food and a decent living
for themselves and their families, desire peace for themselves and their loved ones. Kamal's feelings
are no different than mine. same emotions and similar aspirations. he wants to build a house and
photography is the last thing on his mind..both as an interest and as an expense. He is a tougher
individual than me..different upbringings and enviornments. materially his desires seem much less
and in a way he seems more contented than me ( having been spoilt by materialism and the pursuit
of it ).

I used to live in a tent without any a/c etc and we would hang wet sheets across the entrance
to cool the inside. meat used to be a luxury and i only saw a fridge in a hospital! was way beyond
our means. so i can more easily relate to his lifestyle back home. have been through it and can
understand when he and his collegues talk about wanting things that i take for granted. I thank Allah
for his Blessings and pray that He look after us all.

Take care and best regards.

Thank you Fahim, that is a great story! Where do you live? I can relate to 45C, converts to 113F, which in Phoenix, Arizona is seen during our Summers. Thank goodness for air-conditioning!
I am saving for the D300, currently use a D50 with the standard kit lenses.
Thank you for sharing.

Marshall

Hello Marshall,

I live in Saudi Arabia. 45C..blah..springtime I say. When the dates begin to ripen..then we shall be
in summer. 50c.. and counting! Winters can be treacherous too. the desert temp differential during
daytime and night has got to be experienced. This winter we had snow in the northern areas..not
mountainous, but desert too!

Regards.

kamal's collegue..zahid ( 212kb )

Marshall,

here's another member of the construction team.



regards.

Fahim,

The human side of the stories that go with the pictures helps so much and I think you for sharing. The flecks of cement or marble on Kamal's face are well earned and work well. To remove them is I think, taking away from the honest of the picture. So now going to the last picture, which I also like, the added texture, while definitely finding favor in my eyes, still is removed from the style of the first picture which I admire.

The second Kamal picture, with bare feet, looks very special as he is dressed as a man of a household, not a laborer. I like it. I wish we could see more of the miieu but that is a monor thing since there presentation works well.

I am enjoying this window you are providing. I also identify with the lack of material things. That's how we grew up after the war in 1941 in bombed London!

Asher

Hi Asher,

Thanks for your comments. PSing the first image for grit removal would not be the way I too would
like to view the image.

The PS in the third image was to experiment how it would appear if enlarged.

Regards.

fahim mohammed said:

Hi Asher,

Thanks for your comments. PSing the first image for grit removal would not be the way I too would
like to view the image.

The PS in the third image was to experiment how it would appear if enlarged.

Regards.

Click to expand...

Great faces.

Thanks for sharing Fahim, these are great stories and images. I appreciate you allowing us into your world through these images.

Marshall

Fahim

I've only just managed to see this work and am really grateful for you sharing it. Thank you.

The first two images make a wonderful pair, filling out our understanding of Kamal's character in a beautiful manner.

Also, based on these and one of your earlier posts, the zeiss 100 draws beautifully in your hands.

Mike

My thanks to all you kindly folk for stopping by and posting the encouraging comments.

Best regards.