Sunset Over the Arabian Sea
Kochi, India 2009
These are called “Chinese Fishing Nets”. I was looking forward to photographing them. Despite their large size, their catch is usually only enough for a small dinner. The nice thing is that you can ask the fisherman to cook it for you right then and there. We didn’t do that, and right now, I’m wondering why. Most likely, we were too busy trying to get the perfect shot of these artifacts brought from China…maybe by the Chinese and maybe by the Portuguese.
I met some young men who told me that they were dancers. They helped me over the uneven rocks and I sat near them for a time waiting for the sun to set. They were charming. Later, when I got home, after I had emailed them a photo, I received an email asking for money. I don’t blame them. We look so rich, well, we are rich, to other people. (If you earn $35,000 USD per year, you are in the top 1% of earners world wide.) I didn’t send him any money. I didn’t know anything about him…yet I feel a twinge of sadness when I think of his request.
I like this shot best of all my shots of the Chinese Fishing Nets. You can bet I shot plenty. Some were vertical, because I wanted to emphasize the reflection of the sun on the water and the wet sand. These don’t seem to work out. The nets call for space. I like the rope that cuts through the photo in a stark black stroke. It adds strength. I think it is because the lines are diagonal. Diagonal lines are dynamic. They frame the nets. It’s a good thing!