Brunch with Battutah
Camel jockeys
Posted by Michael Skorulski (Cigel, Slovakia) on 26 January 2008 in People & Portrait and Portfolio.
According to Slavery International, boys as young as four in Africa or Asia are kidnapped by criminal gangs or sold by parents for $3,000 to work as camel jockeys in the Middle East. Consequently some Gulf countries like Qatar and the UAE have banned the use of riders under 16 years old and weighing less than 45 kg. Instead, light remote-controlled robots dressed in racing silks, goggles and helmets guide the animals around the track. Owners spray the artificial drivers with a special scent to trick camels into believing the machines are human.
rags from Plano, United States
It is sad that slavery goes on. I loved the comments which you put under the image.
26 Jan 2008 6:21am
@rags: Thanks, Rags. It seems even worse when small children are the victims.
Tali from Serendipity, United States
I did not know that!! Thank you for the information!! The picture is very well captured though!
26 Jan 2008 7:51am
@Tali: Thank you, Tali. Glad to offer something new.
Japanalia from Yokohama, Japan
Very interesting information under the image, Michael! I did not know about the use of robots for such an activity!As long as there is poverty on the planet, there's always going to be slavery. I recently watched a documentary on TV about the life of a bedouin boy in Sahara. He was not a slave, but the life of dire poverty he was living together with his family was heart rending! The father was a camel caravan leader and the boy was making his debut in the same job, though there are very few left caravans by now....they favour the trucks.So he had to give up going to school in order to start training for the job. You look, you try hard to understand, but in the end there are so many question marks left.It's painful!
26 Jan 2008 9:06am
@Japanalia: What you write is very insightful, Gabriela. Many thanks.
@Brites: I appreciate that. Thank you, Brites.
Natalia from Louisville, United States
That is superb shot; very compassionate image! Thanks for sharing it!
26 Jan 2008 9:57am
@Natalia: Thank you for such a lovely comment, Natalia.
@Steven: Thank you, Steven. I appreciate that.
Illuci from Hurdegaryp, Netherlands
Are these boys real or puppets? I read before about these practices and I'm glad the sheiks ordered the rules to ban them. The camel owners have enough money to pay for robots. Maybe also a good idea for horse races? If the boys are real: again a good journalist photo about a weird-sounding story (in Western ears)! If the boys are puppets: the same, showing how good the robot-imitations are!
26 Jan 2008 11:27am
@Illuci: Thanks, Erik. These boys are definitely real. The robots aren't very advanced looking. You can see a pic of a camel-riding robot at the following link: www.theage.com.au/news/Breaking/Qatar-to-use-robots-as-camel-jockeys/2005/04/20/1113854221996.html
@10cré: Merci beaucoup.
@badala: That's very kind. Thank you.
martie from Okinawa, Japan
Oh my God, Michael. I did not know this! How horrific. You image is perfect to represent this story - and I love that you did it in B&W with only a bit of red on the camel. You have brought this to the forefront of our minds with this imagery. Thank you!
26 Jan 2008 11:48am
@martie: Thank you, Martie. I'm so glad the image and story have had a positive effect. Trafficking of children is a world-wide problem.
Lorraine from Gatineau, Canada
I wish I understood how some people's conscience can sleep so deeply...fantastic photo, it's important to know these things, so thanks very much!
26 Jan 2008 12:46pm
@Lorraine: Thank you, Lorraine. Conscience sleeps when there are huge profits to be made from trafficking of people for all sorts of purposes equally as bizarre.
@Craiger: Thank you, Craiger.
Ina from Krugersdorp, South Africa
Awesome capture and interesting information! Nice selective color... it works great!
26 Jan 2008 1:16pm
@Ina: I appreciate that, Ina. Thank you.
Jen from Alpharetta, United States
Great shot, love the selective saturation!
Thank you for the history too...very interesting I never knew that!
26 Jan 2008 1:21pm
@Jen: You're very kind. Thank you, Jen.
Viewfinder from Bradenton, United States
Excellent illustration of a terrible wrong being done in today's world.
26 Jan 2008 1:35pm
@Viewfinder: Great comment, VF. Thank you.
Judy from Brooksville-Florida,, Afghanistan
Thank you, Michael for your photo, and I also thank Gabriela for her comment, as well as others.
Such injustices are the crimes of our present generations. Oh how we pray they may stop!!!
26 Jan 2008 3:34pm
@Judy: Thank you for your superb sentiment, Judy.
tyan from Singapore, Singapore
thank you very much for sharing,i really love the selective colouring here,and it is heart rending to see the hard reality that is happening,esp now that i have young boys myself.
26 Jan 2008 3:38pm
@tyan: You're so right. It really hits home when you have kids of your own. Thank you, Tyan.
Light Cottage from Tehran, Iran
Read the info, sad! many thanks, maybe photographers show this cruelties to world. God help!
nice B&W, but a question, please give information whay there is a color spot in your shot? what you want to say by that? just attraction? or words behind it?
26 Jan 2008 4:48pm
@Light Cottage: Thanks, Hossein, for your comment and question.That spot of color is symbolic of the very small amount of joy these camel riders have in their lives of slavery.
amy from Rocky Mountain House, Canada
It's an incredible image even without the commentary... with the commentary it becomes a sadly poignant image that moves you in a different direction. Outstanding, Michael!! (your journalistic calling shines through) Oh, and that selective colouring is just a perfectly subtle piece de' resistance (sorry my french is beyond rusty)
26 Jan 2008 4:51pm
@amy: I thank you so much, Amy, for your complimentary assessment and excellent insight. I'm so glad you saw the subtle significance in the selective color.
bm from Budapest, Hungary
Wow, not only is it an interesting shot but the back story if possible is even more fascinating!
26 Jan 2008 6:30pm
@bm: You're kind. Thank you very much.
Toño from Estella, Spain
That`s horrible.It shouldn`t exist in this world but if someone can inform the rest of us maybe something could be done.Thank you for sharing this with us.
26 Jan 2008 6:39pm
@Toño: I'm happy to do it. Thank you for your remark.
Wolfgang Prigge from Canada
Very interesting photo with selective coloring. As for the info, it was not new to me...
26 Jan 2008 6:56pm
@Wolfgang Prigge: Many thanks, Wolfgang. Glad you have heard about the problem.
DaveB from Exeter, United Kingdom
Lovely shot, although I think it would've been even better without the selective colouring, just pure grainy B&W!
26 Jan 2008 7:09pm
@DaveB: Thanks, Dave. That's a fair suggestion.
Richard_Irwin from Belper, United Kingdom
Interesting info, and I like the grainy shot.
I have never seen a camel race - well except the time I chased a camel down a beach in the Sinai after it ran off with my shoes when I was in the sea......
26 Jan 2008 7:16pm
@Richard_Irwin: Great story, Richard. I hope you got the shoe back. The camel was probably hungry. In Oman, I once had a camel stick its head in my car and chew on a cup, then bite a hole in my deck chair. When I tried to chase it away with a rolled up newspaper, it thought the paper was food and came toward me rather than run away. A friend had a camel sit on his car putting a huge dent in it.
Michael Rawluk from Prince George, Canada
First of all, it is a wonderful shot. I love what seems almost harsh grain.
Second, check child slavery in chocolate plantations. Try to buy only Fair Trade chocolate. It is a little more expensive but the extra pennies are worth it.
26 Jan 2008 8:26pm
@Michael Rawluk: Thanks for your assessment, Michael. And that's a fair suggestion you make.
Frankie from Boxmeer, Netherlands
Informative story. This image is great; nice composition and processing.
26 Jan 2008 8:34pm
@Frankie: I appreciate that, Frankie. Thanks so much.
standley from brou-sur-chantereine, France
Sad but so true Michael! You illustrated it very well
26 Jan 2008 8:46pm
@standley: I appreciate that, Standley. Thank you.
@Earnest: Many thanks, Earnest.
@Porcsin: Thank you so much.
