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Johannesburg

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Wasteland
Photograph by Tomasz Tomaszewski

Children play in garbage near Johannesburg's city center in a former park that deteriorated into a dump with the demise of apartheid in the early 1990s. Since 2001, when this photo was taken, the city has launched a cleanup campaign and built the Nelson Mandela bridge over the spot. Elsewhere, black vendors—who have turned the formerly neat and tightly controlled downtown into a chaotic but vibrant open market—still toss garbage in the streets. Apartheid's end brought new freedoms and opportunities for blacks in South Africa's largest and wealthiest city, but also crime, an increasing gap between rich and poor, and a certain amount of chaos.

Camera: Leica M6
Film Type: Fujichrome Velvia 50
Lens: 21mm
Speed and F-Stop: 1/125 @ f/8

Weather Conditions: Sunny
Time of Day: Afternoon
Lighting Techniques: Natural light