Tomas van Houtryve January 30, 2009
Posted by Geoffrey Hiller in North Korea.Tags: North Korea
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Shooting Pool, North Korea
Photographer Tomas van Houtryve has reported from dozens of countries and received numerous international awards for his coverage of global contemporary issues. After initiating his career as an Associated Press photographer in Latin America, Tomas began working independently in 2003 to pursue stories that go beyond headline news coverage. Whether photographing communist guerrillas in the Himalayas or social unrest in France, he chooses themes that examine the paradoxes of our times. His work regularly appears in leading international publications including TIME Magazine, Newsweek, The New York Times Magazine, GEO, Stern, The Independent on Sunday, Foreign Policy, National Geographic, Le Monde and Le Figaro Magazine.
About the Photograph:
“North Korea is the most closed society in the world. Information entering or leaving the country is strictly controlled by the state including a ban on mobile phones and the internet. Constant propaganda urges citizens to hate their enemies and revere the Great Leader. Since 1997, Kim Jung-Il has successfully implemented his “Army-First” ideology which “calls for giving priority to military issues over everything.”
Wonderful photograph, as is the rest of Tomas’ work.
The uniformity of both pool players gives the viewer a sense of the totalitarianism of North Korean society. The colors and contrast of the photo give it great depth. As well as, the use of depth of field.