The Market of Djenne
Djenne Market, Mali 1998
Market day at Djenne is a day for the women to see and be seen. Wearing long dresses of colorful cottons with head wraps that would make a Parisian milliner envious, they throng the area in front ot the mosque. As they crouch over bubbling cookpots filled with fried grubs, arrange piles of yams, kola nuts or lumps of shea butter, they keep a constant eye on their children and a constant chatter with their friends and neighbors.
This woman was actually bending over examining some yams. There was something about the sleeping boy nestled into her back that attracted me to the image. I printed this black and white negative in the darkroom but was never satisfied. There was too much going on in the background and it didn’t contrast with my woman and child. I tried printing it horizontal and also vertical, cropping out as much of the background as I could. It never worked until I went digital.
I deleted everything except the woman and her child. Then added a sepia tone which gave it the brown/gold look. I added some blue just in the corner using one of my ‘prisms’ and then printed the word ‘Mali’ in blue to balance the colors. I enlarged her earring and brightened it. (I am sure she would have liked that touch.) I darkened her face to make a silhouette and I emphasized her features such as her eyelashes to give her profile more interest. Now I’m happy with this photo.
One more thing: her head is just slightly turned and it gives a sense of motion. That feeling that she is just about to turn toward the camera is what gives the image life. I know I always get the sense that she is going to look at me.