The photograph was taken by the ethnographer during a field visit. What struck me was the play with light, creating a contrast between powerplant, fishermen and their catch. I wondered whether it was a phone snapshot or more intentionally composed photograph, or both, but it certainly seemed very artistic to me (in all the good ways!). Attention is focused on the fishermen, going about their work in an almost clandestine way.
The caption builds nicely on the thoughts of the fisherman -- imagining how the place changed with the presence of a toxic facility. His statement gets at the heart of what we are trying to do in our own project, asking how a place becomes toxic, through which kind of dynamics. The image of the men at work contrasts slightly with the longer caption that describes how fishermen sit and reflect on their surroundings, providing the ethnographer with commentary. The daydreaming of a toxic-free place creates a nostalgic sentiment.
The image does a great job hinting at the fraught relation between fishermen and powerplant. The image could be contrasted with other shots at daylight, or with activities at the plant, to start including more perspectives.
The caption succeeds to guide the reader from the moment the image was taken beyond the fishermen's activities we can see. What we see and don't see is also what the caption hones in on -- suggesting that the viewers imagine what is left of a place after it has 'become toxic'. The caption could maybe give more context about the powerplant -- who operates it, what is the significance for local economies, etc.
I like this image. The picture and the caption capture ethnographically two different yet related practices: they are in the same toxic landscape, albeit their relation to toxicity and toxic materials is different.
I would like the author to unfold her interlocutor’s affective reference to a “scary” landscape before the arrival of the plant —is no longer scare a prevalent emotion in this place? Aren’t people scared of the toxicity that the plant brings about?
This is a picture taken by the author. As I have already mentioned, I like the light and the composition of this picture (more than the first one). It is captivating but also very telling —there are two stories in it —front ground and background —fishermen and power plant.
I like it as it is. Perhaps I would try to combine this picture with a different one, not the “bodies in the water picture.” Both photos are great and make sense together. However, I think the author can be more playful with visibility and “focal points” and use a picture where the thermal power plant is in the front and fishing practices are in the background… out of focus, in the dark.
