Salt mining in Danakil

Atom Ant wrote: Sometimes getting down in the dirt seems like a lot of effort but it was definitely worthwhile. Did you use a high pass filter in post? FWIW some of the blacks are a bit "closed" on my monitor but it may be my monitor that's at fault.

Thank you Tony, you caught the first point: dirtyness...there is no toilet in the whole Danakil...! (I'm not joking) anyway that was really worthwile. A pity that we spent only about 15 minutes in visiting the proper salt mining...and it was very hot.
About the post, every picture is processed in LR5 with normal regulations, no filters, in this case contrast and clarity added plus minor colour reguation.

travelshots wrote: a tad of highlight recovery and lifting the dark tones in some of the images would have looked more natural, but might not have transported the harsh environmental and work conditions that well. But I would have removed the magenta blobs caused by lens reflections in Image 22.

Yes right, PP in this case was attempting to emphasize the extreme working conditions, trust me it was really hot, and I was suffering just taking some pictures for 15 minutes.
magenta blobs are quite evident but IMHO in this case they emphasize again the power of the sun...

I'll add this consideration, about shooting in different social contexts.
It's not simple to get in touch with people so distant, and some of them are shy or just don't want to be portrayed, or even hostile. So I usually tried with this technique, I say I work in local hospital and begin to say some phrases I learned to work, like "what's your name", "be quiet", "don't move, it cames a little puncture" "do you feel pain", "ok good boy it's finished"...and so on; as you can figure it's quite humouristic, they ask where I come from and in what hospital I work and so on... and usually after this I ask permission to take some photos.
But in this case an old man (fig #26) was pretty "unmoved", he asked for money; and only after I promise to give him my bottle of water, he accepted to be portrayed (see below). But as I and he returned to the car trying to take the water, our guide firmly protested that it was not possible. after a brief quarrel the guide (a young Amharic man, that is of a different ethnicity, not an Afar) allowed me to give only a bottle half-filled ... that the old master disdainfully refused going back to his work and showing great dignity, and making me feel so small and sorry. Not knowing what to do I even went back on my feet, I tried to apologize and gave him the money I had in my pocket.
This story means that we were not in a zoo, we are all humans and much similar in feelings, but so different in our behaving "rules" (culture) and maybe this encounters (that are developing more and more in the future) can bring both good, evil, and strange consequences.

Good shots & a fascinating subject. (You really have got off the beaten track!)

Of this last set I particularly like #22. Sometimes getting down in the dirt seems like a lot of effort but it was definitely worthwhile. Did you use a high pass filter in post?

FWIW some of the blacks are a bit "closed" on my monitor but it may be my monitor that's at fault.

TFS

Some fantastic photos!
Congrats.

So pleased these were spotted for the exhibition as I had missed them. the POTW (6) is stunning, though I'd be tempted to prefer 9 and 10. Fantastic images and great use of the fisheye.

travelshots wrote: Danakil is a place I would love to go, but safety and a few other reasons prevented me from doing so until now.

But I felt safe in Danakil exactly as in the northern Tigray region, Ethiopia is in my experience a safe country for foreigners; I have been three times there for work. And I must add this Danakil trips are getting very well organized and regulated by locals, an official military escort is mandatory, even if you are going by yourself; and tourism is nonetheless increasing.

addy landzaat wrote: I was wondering if a B&W conversion of #10 wouldn't be great.

That's what I thought when at home I was checking the pictures, especially that ones taken in the dusk - the following are the ones that give more the idea of "travelling" in my opinion.

11. On top


12. Through the salt lake


13. Riflesso


14. Linked


14. Salt world


15. A newly built road for an old journey




The ethiopian government has committed to chinese companies the building of an asphalt road to connect the country to Djibouti, its important commercial seaport. This road has been completed last year, thus you can see here the impact of globalization to the human activities. It's easy to predict that within a few years the caravans will cease, but who knows?

16. An uncertain future for salt caravans


...next series will be the last, regarding the very process of salt carving under the desert sun.

An exceptional set with #9 my favorite - the slight bowing adding to and not distracting from the overall image.

Great series, I really like 5, 6, 7, 8 and 10. Danakil is a place I would love to go, but safety and a few other reasons prevented me from doing so until now.