I took this portrait in 1974, using a Nikkormat FTn, 50mm f2, on Kodachrome. The slide was recently scanned into PhotoShop with minor adjustments, to a Mac gamma=1.8

This image remains one of my favorites because it brings back so much history. But does it do the same for you, who do not know the history?

-- Paul Ashton (prashton@focalplane.com), February 21, 2000

Answers

The uploading instructions say it rarely works first time. Here is the link:

http://focalplane.com/images/iban.jpg

-- Paul Ashton (prashton@focalplane.com), February 21, 2000.

What I DO feel is that I'm sitting on the dirt floor across from this man and anticipate him turning to me....to speak. But I'm afraid I won't understand his language - he's so foreign to me. He realizes this and turns once again away to continue his dialogue with his relative on my right. I've missed learning what this man might teach me. I feel gypped.

So that's that!

-- Bill Stengel (Canis61@AOL.com), February 21, 2000.

Where is Sabah? who are the Ibans? I'm a huge fan 'steppe' tribes (though pretty ignorant of them too); does he qualify as one? This man represents something extremely pure to me, something to aspire to, and someone to admire for just being alive. What a wonderful photograph.

-- shawn gibson (SeeInsideForever@yahoo.com), February 21, 2000.

Shawn - you asked, here is my "official" text behind the photograph:

The indigenous Iban people of Sabah still lived in communal longhouses in 1974. Well, a few did, as we found out when we asked directions to one. If one still exists today it is probably in a museum.

The concept of a longhouse community is an early indication of society forming amidst the harshest of environments. I profess to be neither anthropologist nor ecologist, but the simple life of the Iban longhouse community had much to commend it. The head of the village lived in the center of the longhouse, with families occupying rooms to right and left. I assume that the most junior families lived at each end. Each family room opened onto the communal veranda where the village society held sway. Crude ladders carved out of logs served as the entry way up and down from the structure.

In retrospect I feel honored to have stepped up the ladder and visited a vanishing culture - already the trappings of western culture were taking over.

Sitting on the veranda with a bemused expression, the Iban elder barely acknowledged our presence in his community. In times past he would have provided for his people. He would no doubt have fought off trespassers and might even have hunted the heads of other tribes. But now he sat listless on the veranda, still wearing his traditional headdress but with western style trousers and t-shirt. Look into those eyes and you see some of the mysticism that was Borneo

-- Paul Ashton (prashton@focalplane.com), February 21, 2000.

really outstanding work on the exposure. i can't help but wonder if the impact of the image would have been more direct if he was looking into the lens.

wayne harrison

-- wayne harrison (wayno@netmcr.com), February 21, 2000.

Great picture, fantastic exposure! That face speaks volumes....

Love it.

-- Allan Engelhardt (allane@cybaea.com), February 22, 2000.

Thanks Paul. The 'text' brings it home even more for me. Again, amazing...shawn

-- shawn gibson (SeeInsideForever@yahoo.com), February 22, 2000.

Wow, wonderful shot, good subject. I think the fact that he is not looking into the lens makes it a more telling image. though you may be there with your modern photo equipment and your jabbering foreign talk, his dieing world is one he will not share with you. You are allowed to intrude and take pictures only because he can no-longer prevent you.

Nice work, great face.

-- grant groberg (grant@emeraldp.com), February 23, 2000.

Paul, do you mean Sarawak instead of Sabah?

-- Alex Wong (leper77@hotmail.com), March 06, 2000.