Karl Leck
July 2026 - Girl Playing St Mary
About the Image(s)
The Holy Week processions in Sicily have been held for hundreds of years. In this photograph, a girl plays the part of Saint Mary of Valveda and leads the Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament into the streets of Enna, Sicily, on Good Friday. Nikon Z7 with Nikkor Z 14-30 mm S lens at 29 mm. Late afternoon exposure was ISO 400, f/9, 1/80 second.
5 comments posted
Karl. I suspect that the background could have been in better focus by increasing the f stop Posted: 07/02/2026 19:42:05
Karl Leck
Hi Ed, The light was fading and this small plaza was in shadow. The soft background gives context and separates the girl a little. It was a tough situation as I was backed to a stone wall by security. Karl Posted: 07/18/2026 12:48:17
Cropping the top of the photo would focus more around the girl walking across the plaza.
Side note: not sure how I feel about white hoods on during a religious re-enactment. I absolutely acknowledge that this is a bias. Posted: 07/12/2026 14:56:29
Side note: not sure how I feel about white hoods on during a religious re-enactment. I absolutely acknowledge that this is a bias. Posted: 07/12/2026 14:56:29
Karl Leck
Hi Birgit, Sicilian confraternities originated from ascetic penitents in the mid-12th century. These brotherhoods developed into the 16 spiritual confraternities in this procession which preserve traditions and do charitable work. Each confraternity has its own dressing and hood dating back hundreds of years. The idea of the hood is to disguise the wearer so that rich and poor participants are equal. The Sicilian hoods have nothing to do with 20th century hooded white people in parts of the USA. In my daring youth (1970's), I photographed a hooded American event, but I rarely show those images. Karl Posted: 07/18/2026 13:11:30
Laurie Bergner
I like the idea of what you were trying to do, with the colorful girl surrounded by the white clothed group behind her. I think the balance is a little off, with too much above her, and the focus on her is a little soft. I know how hard it is to get what you really want when the situation is so limited. Posted: 07/18/2026 15:26:31