Child's Play: Canadian Adventure reader J.M. Leger's photograph of a Tanzanian youth transforms the simple into the sublime.

"This photo was taken in a Masai village a few hours outside of Arusha, Tanzania. Apparently, this child was content with a bicycle wheel for a toy. She was at least 400 feet (122 meters) away running in full stride towards her father (not in view) who was the village chief. I don't think this shot is particularly good technically speaking. However, I like it because it makes me realize that no matter where you are in the world, children are content with such simple pleasures. Why should life be any more complicated?"

Photography Notes

• Camera: Olympus 720
• Film: 128MB Smart Card
• Lens: Set to approx. 16 times digital zoom
• Shutter speed: N/A
• ISO: 200
• Aperture: N/A
• Time of day: 4:30 p.m.

Critique
"Obviously the universal draw of this photo is its subject matter: Who does not like pictures of children? In this shot, the appeal lies in the way the light perfectly strikes the girl's tire. She is enveloped in a cloud of golden dust and, even though we can only see a very slight profile of her face, she seems to be smiling. This photo captures a perfect moment: The girl's leg is just off the ground—the motion's grace is preserved—and the dry, otherwise unappealing dust turns to gold.

"With this particular image, it would have been great to see more of the girl's face, which may have been impossible given the distance from which the photographer was shooting, but a face always adds another layer to the story an image tells. Also, blurring the image a bit would have made the photo all the more painterly."