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Watching over the dead
Watching over the dead
Nicht


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Match II (Advanced Editing VII)
Camera: Nikon D3100
Lens: Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6G IF-ED VR
Date: Dec 7, 2013
Aperture: ? fully open
ISO: 100
Shutter: 12.8s
Date Uploaded: Dec 8, 2013

 Not what I originally had in mind, but I liked it more.

I have been experimenting with my 55-200 reverse mounted. It has a fixed focal length of around 135mm and acts like a macro lens. It has bad edge quality and it's not fast at all, but for this photo I liked the characteristics of it.

The photo is a match on a tray. The tray has an interesting story - my wife's grandfather owned a farm and one of his workers was grateful to him for something and must have spent hours and hours building a tray out of dead matches. The tray has an edge also made of matches and a glass top. It's a beautiful work of art done from the kindness of the worker's heart.

It is one more thing which makes me think about apartheid. South Africa was a better place for all during apartheid. Now after apartheid the government steals billions of rands from the people of South Africa. Poverty is far worse and crime is also far worse. The average happiness of the people in the country is much lower. But the masses of people have been brainwashed and kept from education so that they keep voting for the ruling party. It's very sad.

The violence during apartheid was caused by black people and was mostly black on black. The apartheid government killed a few hundred people during violent protests where other lives were at stake. Black people killed thousands of their own people (and brutally too). The government tried their best to keep the cameras away because this only made the violence worse (people love to make a bigger performance on camera). The restrictions on black people were because a right wing group of black people was plotting violence and war, and the government made the restrictions to protect the people of South Africa (black and white).

Nelson Mandela (remembered for the good person he was) was imprisoned because he was educating himself on guerilla warfare and was a big player in the planning of the violence and war. While imprisoned, he was offered freedom if he renounced his violent ways. He refused. 6 years later (27 years of imprisonment and many meetings with the prime minister), he was released a peaceful man. Due to his "rehabilitation" in prison, look at the great person he became.

The point is not that he was violent, the point is that the government was correct. The average person in South Africa had more then than now. Now 20 years later this is obvious and the country is just about in ruins. The only hope is for the opposition parties to win more of the vote next year. But there is still hope - and I hold onto that and continue to live in this beautiful country!

Statistics
Place: 24 out of 50
Avg (all users): 5.4762
Avg (commenters): 8.0000
Avg (participants): 5.4375
Avg (non-participants): 5.4932
Views since voting: 315
Views during voting: 188
Votes: 105
Comments: 2
Favorites: 0

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AuthorThread
 12/18/2013 02:09:27 AM
Beautiful story on the origins of the tray.
Apartheid, even here in Belgium it keeps having a bitter tone and taste and the events will never be forgotten.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
12/15/2013 10:50:07 PM
I found this very interesting - liked!


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