Lillian Roberts, APSA, GMPSA/B  

Drinking Goat Blood Nalepo Village by Lillian Roberts, APSA, GMPSA/B

November 2024 - Drinking Goat Blood Nalepo Village

About the Image(s)

During my visit to Kenya, we were privileged to observe a Masai coming-of-age ritual. The young men who are entering their next stage of maturity (which involves marital eligibility in addition to a change in village responsibilities) must drink the blood of an entire goat, directly from the severed jugular. This is accompanied by some fairly off-putting sounds as you might imagine, but fortunately this isn’t video!

Related images have done well in competition so far. I feel that some judges are looking for a change away from the ubiquitous images of the Sydney Opera House and the Egg etc. I can’t claim that animals were not harmed to create the scene, but I submit that the animals were killed to become food (and there wasn’t much left at the end – they make incredibly efficient use of the animals they sacrifice, as it is their tribal wealth). And the scene wasn’t created FOR photography, rather we were allowed to photograph the scene in exchange for a price that covered the cost of the goats.

Sony a1
Shutter speed: 1/400 sec
Aperture: 11
Exposure mode: Manual
Flash: Off
Metering mode: Multi-segment
ISO: 1000
Lens: FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS
Focal length: 59mm

5 comments posted

Richard Distlerath   Richard Distlerath
That is a blood curdling story! I prefer blood sausage and blood pudding to the raw blood. I love the colorful clothing of the Masai. Clearly the tribe is fulling engaged to witness the rite of passage for this young man. This is the story that I see from your image. You took the image in the sweet spot of your lens and it is tack sharp. I do not see a single shadow in the image. The photo was taken from a low vantage point. I wonder if you could have captured even more of the main subject and the people observing from even a lower vantage point and slightly wider angle.
Super image!
  Posted: 11/11/2024 17:14:25
Gloria Grandolini   Gloria Grandolini
Bloody indeed! I see what you mean .. it is so hard to provide a different take or energy in images from places that have been photographed infinite times... You did it!
The image is quite fascinating and colorful, and very sharp. Given the intensity of the focus of the image - the young man and the goat, I wonder if having blurred a bit the rest of the crowd would have enhanced the image even more. Or as Richard says, maybe have taken it lower so that the other tribe members could be seen more fully.   Posted: 11/13/2024 17:01:39
Lillian Roberts   Lillian Roberts
I appreciate what both of you are saying, and I have many images from various vantage points. If you really look at the image, it's clear that at a lower vantage point there would be more sky, more of the people behind the action, but probably not their heads or faces unless the angle were considerably wider. So then you lose the focal point on the action, and it becomes more of a wide-angle scenic that loses track of the action.

Personally, I feel that this perspective of this scene shows the main subject clearly, and indicates that there is a small crowd observing. IMHO the faces of the observers don't matter, the sky doesn't matter. What matters is the young warrior drinking the blood and his "brothers" holding the goat to enable the drinking in a controlled manner.

If I could include one thing it would be the face of the second assistant, holding the feet of the goat.

Lillian   Posted: 11/13/2024 22:27:46
Lillian Roberts   Lillian Roberts
I appreciate what both of you are saying, and I have many images from various vantage points. If you really look at the image, it's clear that at a lower vantage point there would be more sky, more of the people behind the action, but probably not their heads or faces unless the angle were considerably wider. So then you lose the focal point on the action, and it becomes more of a wide-angle scenic that loses track of the action.

Personally, I feel that this perspective of this scene shows the main subject clearly, and indicates that there is a small crowd observing. IMHO the faces of the observers don't matter, the sky doesn't matter. What matters is the young warrior drinking the blood and his "brothers" holding the goat to enable the drinking in a controlled manner.

If I could include one thing it would be the face of the second assistant, holding the feet of the goat.

Lillian   Posted: 11/15/2024 08:52:55
Karen Sharpe   Karen Sharpe
Great shot! I love the color and vibrancy, the lighting, the action. I see what others are saying about the crop and although I'm curious what they look like and their facial expressions, I agree that you have captured the focal point. Well done.   Posted: 11/17/2024 20:05:18

 

Please log in to post a comment