Marevi Denaxa, PPSA
October 2026 - Ethiopian Soldiers
About the Image(s)
During the long drive through Ethiopian roads, among others, we met soldiers, young, very polite boys, willing to share some photos with me. Once more, I felt that language is never a problem; feelings do all the work -good or bad. I set a shallow depth of field to emphasize his face while keeping the surroundings to show where I met him. I also included another soldier in the background to convey the calm atmosphere and the mood of the moment they shared with me. Tech stuff: f/10, 1/640 sec., ISO 400, 70mm focal length, pattern metering.
4 comments posted
Marevi, I read ruthlessness in the face of the soldier and a lot of "hatred". You have captured it ,! Posted: 10/18/2026 06:21:40
Good work, Marevi. You captured the intense indifference in the expressions of the young soldiers. Also, a feeling of hopelessness and emptiness.
I like the contrast between the natural site and the soldiers. Posted: 10/19/2026 08:49:32
I like the contrast between the natural site and the soldiers. Posted: 10/19/2026 08:49:32
Marevi, what a great image.
It is almost an environmental portrait.
The youthful exterior of the faces probably hides their anger and potential violence... and the eyes staring straight down the camera lens creates a very engaging image.
It reminds me of the lyrics of the Finbar Furey song, Jimmy boy, soldier - "There's a boy out there, he's just half your age. Wants to fight you to be free."
A wonderful image. It is tack sharp and nicely composed.
Well done!
Posted: 10/20/2026 23:14:42
It is almost an environmental portrait.
The youthful exterior of the faces probably hides their anger and potential violence... and the eyes staring straight down the camera lens creates a very engaging image.
It reminds me of the lyrics of the Finbar Furey song, Jimmy boy, soldier - "There's a boy out there, he's just half your age. Wants to fight you to be free."
A wonderful image. It is tack sharp and nicely composed.
Well done!
Posted: 10/20/2026 23:14:42
I think the photograph achieved its goal perfectly. Three viewers, three different emotions. each person interprets the emotion in the soldiers' expressions based on their own psychological backround. As I have already said, they were very polite. especially to a woman (me) who I wanted to photograph them. At the same time, we must take into account their tradition. the belief that a photograph captures one's soul. as well as how they might feel about a white female photographer. Don't go thinking that racism is a mindset exclusive to Europeans! *also a journalism photo. Posted: 10/21/2026 17:31:21