Canon EOS R10 Mark II with Sigma 16-300mm F3.5-6.7 DC OS Contemporary
Setting: F4.5, 1/500 sec, ISO 6400, @ 31mm
Photo Date: Feb 22, 2026
Lion dances are traditionally performed during Lunar New Year to bring good luck and drive away evil spirits. For adults, the spectacle is a celebration — a vibrant expression of heritage and continuity. For a child, especially at close range, the lion’s oversized eyes, sudden movements, and pounding drumbeats can feel overwhelming. During a Lunar New Year lion dance performance inside a shopping mall; I turned my lens away from the performers to highlight this emotional contrast within its cultural context. Amid the festive rhythm and bright colors meant to usher in prosperity, a small family stood together — the grandparents, as I presumed, beaming with delight, their expressions shaped by years of tradition and memory. Between them stood a young girl, her body language revealing a mix of curiosity and quiet fear. In that brief moment, the celebration became more than a public festivity; it became a study of how tradition is experienced differently across generations.
3 comments posted
Jen Fawkes
Hi Christine, I agree that Lunar New Year is a great time to capture PJ images, with lots of color, joy and fun all around. I do like how you have focused on the culture and tradition of the occasion, and this might become a portfolio theme for you. As a stand alone image, while it meets the HI criteria, I do find the image busy, and while I want to focus on the little girl's interaction with the lion (and her grandfather) I am somewhat distracted by the other person in the image and the background details of the store. I know how hard these images are to take when the lion runs around a shopping centre and sometimes you just have to find a background that works and wait for the moment to come to you. Posted: 03/07/2026 19:04:30
Richard Goldenberg
Hi Christine - Lot of cool stuff going on in this photo. I've uploaded a different crop for your consideration. Posted: 03/12/2026 10:59:44
Tom Brott
I too find this image a little too busy and hard to find a main focal point when viewing the image. I agree with Richard that a crop may help but I would do it from the other side so most of the lion and child are in the image. The expression of the person in the back still adds to the emotion of the celebration time and the impact of the image. Posted: 03/14/2026 16:48:45
