A young boy among the monks, for Odie by mtc

Photography • Religious/Spiritual • posted on Jan 24, 2008

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Description

During our travel in Thailand, near Kanchanaburi (central Thailand), we saw this little boy who was selling tickets, sitting in front of a monastery. I asked him if he would allow me to take a picture of him. Immediately he stood up, replaced his cloth to be the most elegant, and posed in front of the lens. He was proud to be the center of interest for the tourist photographer that I am.
Religion is very important in Thailand. 90 percent of the people (60 million inhabitants) are buddhist. Each boy has to spent some weeks among monks before growing adult. During his period, the child learns to wear the safran dress, he participates to the work of the monastery and, more important, he learns the first precepts of Buddha. This stage among the monks is therefore a time of initiation. I dedicate this image to Odie (Jodie Keefe).

Lors de notre voyage en Thaïlande, près de Kanchanaburi (au centre du pays), nous avons vu ce jeune garçon qui vendait des billets à l’entrée d’un monastère. Je lui ai demandé si je pouvais le photographier. Il s’est alors brusquement levé, a replacé son vêtement pour être le plus élégant possible, fier d’être le centre d’intérêt pour la touriste photographe que je suis.
La religion est très importante en Thaïlande. 90 pour cent de la population (60 millions d’habitants) sont bouddhistes. Chaque garçon doit avoir vécu quelques semaines en compagnie des moines avant d’arriver à l’âge adulte. Pendant son séjour, l’enfant apprend à s’habiller de la robe safran. Il prend part aux travaux du monastère et, surtout, il fait connaissance avec les premiers enseignements du Bouddha. Ce passage chez les moines est donc un moment d’initiation. Je dédie cette image à Odie (Jodie Keefe).

You can see another typical image of Thailand here:
"Lotus flowers for Mousson, our great traveller"

Techdata: Nikon D50 with Nikkor 3.5-4.5/18-70 Pro ED at 44mm, f/8 and 1/20s, no flash, ISO 200, auto-white balance. Slight sharpening in Lab mode on the grey (L) channel in Photoshop CS3 Extended.

Comments (27)

eryt

2:34PM | Thu, 24 January 2008

a wonderful photo! Thanks for the info, as well..really enjoyed this! 5+

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pops

3:33PM | Thu, 24 January 2008

Awesome photo and story

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pixelmeister

4:20PM | Thu, 24 January 2008

Great photo! Very nice!

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odie

6:06PM | Thu, 24 January 2008

My dear Marie-Therese, what a wonderful gift you share by making this young boy feel so important. AND what a wonderful thing you do for me. I am honored to be recognized in this fashion with spirituality the motivation for your dedication. God Bless you for this treasure. Jodie

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TomDart

6:17PM | Thu, 24 January 2008

Yes, God Bless you for this image. Very nice and revealing is this photo and your text.

MrsLubner

11:01PM | Thu, 24 January 2008

It amazes me the amount of understanding such a young face can hold. Wonderful portrait.

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mercedestookit

11:29PM | Thu, 24 January 2008

Great picture, it shows history

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durleybeachbum

3:38AM | Fri, 25 January 2008

Perfect portrait!

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Severine

12:40PM | Sat, 26 January 2008

Magnifique, il y a plein de chaleur et d'emotion qui se dégage de cette photo, tu as bien mis en valeur le personnage, j'adore tes photos ! Bisous

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Djavad

5:40AM | Mon, 28 January 2008

C'est en effet un très beau portrait empreint de sérénité

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remail

10:02AM | Mon, 28 January 2008

Certes, le jeune moine a posé sur la photo mais le résultat est un portrait très authentique. Mes félicitations donc pour ce cliché à tirer et à encadrer à mon avis.

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amlondono

10:24PM | Tue, 29 January 2008

Beautiful portrait , Love it , Ana

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rainbows

8:31AM | Wed, 30 January 2008

Nothing to hide in his beautiful face. A superb work and a beautiful dedication. Your notes a joy to read. Diane.

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Janiss

12:25PM | Mon, 04 February 2008

Quelle sérénité dans ce magnifique regard... encore un cliché très émouvant!

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Milouv

1:03AM | Tue, 05 February 2008

Ce n'est pas une photo volée, c'est le moins que l'on puisse dire. Que d'émotion dans le regard de ce garçon qui dégage une extrême gentillesse. La proximité du monastère et de ses occupants à vraiment façonné son 'âme. Bravo pour cette photo qui nous dit quelque chose et cerise sur le gâteau est parfaite sur un plan plus technique. Les voyages forment la jeunesse dis-on, c'est un arrêt sur le temps pour les autres.

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marybelgium

2:45PM | Sun, 10 February 2008

un magnifique portrait !

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lior

7:52PM | Sun, 10 February 2008

Une image superbe et pleine d'emotion!

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Ptitchouette

4:06AM | Wed, 20 February 2008

Un portrait comme je voudrais en faire. Cet enfant dégage une sérénité impressionnante pour son jeune âge. Splendide.

mayuan

4:08AM | Mon, 25 February 2008

I'm new here, and finding this image makes me very happy I joined. Your descriptions are beautiful, m. Many thanks. (The saffron, in case anyone doesn't know, symbolizes flame. The renunciate steps into symbolic flame so he/she can burn the effects of the world, and purify their souls. And the young monk carries little else, to remind him that all things of the world will fade, and that his heart and mind are his only possessions. Your picture captures the precious balance between peace and bewilderment that all such young souls face as they don the path of fire. It is a difficult and visionary path for them. A wonderful, heartful picture.)

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