Caddies

Elisa Haberer

China Chine golf

Un mot sur l'oeuvre

高尔夫
北京伯爵园高尔夫俱乐部
北京

About the image
This photo comes from the in-depth feature on sport in China, « 1,3 billion athletes » by Elisa Haberer. She produced it before the opening of the Beijing Olympic Games in 2007/2008. Elisa travelled all over China for 14 months to tell the story, from a sports point of view, of a country hosting the Olympic Games for the first time. It was an ambitious, long-term project, funded and supported by L’Equipe Magazine, that filled most of a special issue published on 2nd August 2008. In the space of 10 years, nearly 70 golf clubs have flourished in Beijing. A membership card at the Earls Club, the « open sesame » to belonging to one of Beijing’s most prestigious 18-hole courses, costs 50,000 euros, renewable for the obligatory annual fee of 2,000 euros. Between the immaculate greens and the planes from the nearby international airport, three young ladies are waiting. Li Fang (right) is among them. She is a caddy, and 20 years old. She has been working on the immaculate greens of the Earls Club for two years. It is her first job : « Being a caddy is easy, and it allows me to meet lots of people. The clients are more educated than we are, but they don’t look down on us. They are kind and treat us well, really very well. My dream is to stay working here ». Between sky and grass…

Le témoignage d'Elisa Haberer

In pure Oxford English, Henry, a 40-year old Beijing white-collar worker, vaunts the merits of playing this sport : he discovered golf 4 years earlier. « Our foreign friends were the first to come to the club, but now the clientele is mainly Chinese. It is a very popular sport ! And a really great way to meet clients and do business while you are playing golf… » Henry points out, under the watchful eye of the club director’s rght-hand man who has come to watch over the interview with « foreign friends ».

Le choix de Jean-Denis

A moving, funny and light-hearted image. The three women’s pride and awkwardness can be felt, as well as a zest for life that each one expresses differently. All under Elisa Haberer’s curious, respectful and compassionate eye. A simple and graphic image of a changing world.
The portrait is in a square, 6X6 format – and was taken with a camera whose viewfinder is chest high. The photographer has to look down into it. It was used for the whole feature. A conscious choice by the author to be both unintrusive – the photographer doesn’t look at the subject directly – but also more formal. Each spot in the feature is illustrated with a single image, which is where its strength lies.
The image’s esthetic is strengthened by the slight low angle that this type of camera produces.