About the Image(s)

Title: Fire dragon dance-youngster in training

Fire dragon dance has been performed yearly for over 140 years in Tai Hang Village on Hong Kong Island during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Each year, international teams film the three-day performance. The fire on the dragon's head and body is kept alight by burning incense. Because of the risk associated with the energy-demanding performance, youngsters under 18 now carry a smaller dragon lit by LED lights to minimize danger for the inexperienced dancers. In 2026, on-site training will be introduced for the youngsters during the actual performance for the first time.

The image shows a live performance of the fire dragon alongside an LED-lit dragon-in-training.




Equipment: Sony Alpha 1, f/8, 24-70mm at 70mm, 1/15 s
Post-processing: Capture One requiring a slight increase in exposure and brightening
Major cropping was required.