xanni mcglashan
Digging the Future
People, second prize singles
November 20, 2015
Arzuma Tinado (28) leads an eight-member crew of miners at Djuga, an artisanal gold mine in north-eastern Burkina Faso. Around 15,000 people work in the area, in pits hacked into the ground, some barely wider than a manhole.
As the price of gold fell, people began to dig ever deeper to find enough to make a daily wage. Arzuma works some 20 meters underground. Mining under these conditions is backbreaking labor during which miners are constantly breathing in dust. The subsequent process of extracting the gold exposes them to mercury and cyanide.
My initial response to this photograph is that I really like it because of how the photographer took it and what I mean by that is that I like the fact that the light on his head creates a light that is on his face which illuminates him and makes it clear to see he is the point of view in this photo. I also really like that the photographer decided do a shallow depth of field to blur out the background. This is another aspect of the photo that makes it clear to see the man is the point of view. I like how sharp this photo is because you can see all the detailing on his face and hands which makes the photograph more interesting and successful. I think the photographer captures a sense of relief through this photograph. I think this because the man works as a miner and works in some very stressful and tiring conditions. This photo captures the stress relief from his work by him smoking (because people who smoke often feel relieved and less stressed after having a smoke).
Digging the Future
People, second prize singles
November 20, 2015
Arzuma Tinado (28) leads an eight-member crew of miners at Djuga, an artisanal gold mine in north-eastern Burkina Faso. Around 15,000 people work in the area, in pits hacked into the ground, some barely wider than a manhole.
As the price of gold fell, people began to dig ever deeper to find enough to make a daily wage. Arzuma works some 20 meters underground. Mining under these conditions is backbreaking labor during which miners are constantly breathing in dust. The subsequent process of extracting the gold exposes them to mercury and cyanide.
My initial response to this photograph is that I really like it because of how the photographer took it and what I mean by that is that I like the fact that the light on his head creates a light that is on his face which illuminates him and makes it clear to see he is the point of view in this photo. I also really like that the photographer decided do a shallow depth of field to blur out the background. This is another aspect of the photo that makes it clear to see the man is the point of view. I like how sharp this photo is because you can see all the detailing on his face and hands which makes the photograph more interesting and successful. I think the photographer captures a sense of relief through this photograph. I think this because the man works as a miner and works in some very stressful and tiring conditions. This photo captures the stress relief from his work by him smoking (because people who smoke often feel relieved and less stressed after having a smoke).