Pamela Liu, PPSA, EFIAP
May 2024 - Rice Transplanting Festival
About the Image(s)
I had a chance to visit the Rice Transplanting Festival in Guizhou, China last week, which is a vibrant and culturally rich event that celebrates the annual rice planting season. This festival is deeply rooted in the local traditions of various ethnic minority groups in the region, particularly the Miao and Dong communities. During the
festival, participants wore traditional costumes and participated in a series of activities that blended agricultural practices with festive celebrations. The festival typically features singing and dancing, accompanied by traditional music played on indigenous instruments. The Rice Transplanting Festival not only marks the beginning of the rice-growing season but also serves as an occasion for local communities to pray for good weather and bountiful harvests. It is a time of joy and socializing, reinforcing community bonds and celebrating the region's agricultural heritage.
Gear: Canon R5, 24-240, F6.3, 1/3200, ISO 3200
12 comments posted
Pamela, your image surely depicts the description you offer. The group marching to the planting are sharp, color is good and depth-of-field is good. The background appears to have been a cloudy day, but your color is bright. The data you post, coupled with the hazy background leads me to believe that the light was poor, or the image was created in low-light early in the day. Regardless, it's a good image. Posted: 05/04/2024 07:45:26
Pamela, what an interesting image of the villagers coming back from transplanting the rice on the local and cultural festival. I like the mood of the image with the fog in the background. The reflection of the people in one of the rice/water terraces improves the image. Some "judges" may think that this is a staged image because the outfits the people are wearing, being nicely organized and walking in a line at the edge of the terrace. Posted: 05/04/2024 16:56:02
Pamela is right about the costumes these minorities wear. I have been to this area myself. The minority tribes in southern China still have a strong ethnic culture that manifests itself, among other things, in their outfits and festivals. I would assume that this image was part of a photo workshop (Pamela, correct me if I'm wrong). These terraces are very fragile, the paths on them are very narrow and tourists should not wander around on them. If it was a workshop, it would have been a staged image but these people walk among their paddies even if no photographers are there. I wonder about the background - if the fog is real it might point again to being shot as part of a workshop. Pamela, I would be interested in your comments. Posted: 05/06/2024 14:42:04
It was not from the workshop!! Haha!!
I came for the Rice Transplanting Festival, with the event broadcasted by CCTV. All the local farmers came out with their farm animals/tools and paraded in the rice fields. I wish there was a director as the farmers are not lining up for a better image.
The local people said the best scene would be thunderstorms at night and cleared up before sunrise, to have fog in the morning. However, the tour guide said it would be once in the blue moon for the weather like that.
We encountered thunderstorms the whole night and we almost needed to cancel our field trip before breakfast for the heavy rain. Believe it or not, it cleared up and the sun went up. So as the fog!!
Unfortable experiences and I kept my fame being lucky!! Posted: 05/08/2024 07:37:03
I came for the Rice Transplanting Festival, with the event broadcasted by CCTV. All the local farmers came out with their farm animals/tools and paraded in the rice fields. I wish there was a director as the farmers are not lining up for a better image.
The local people said the best scene would be thunderstorms at night and cleared up before sunrise, to have fog in the morning. However, the tour guide said it would be once in the blue moon for the weather like that.
We encountered thunderstorms the whole night and we almost needed to cancel our field trip before breakfast for the heavy rain. Believe it or not, it cleared up and the sun went up. So as the fog!!
Unfortable experiences and I kept my fame being lucky!! Posted: 05/08/2024 07:37:03
Here was the thunderstorm at night. Posted: 05/08/2024 07:39:58
Here was their praying event in the rice field. Posted: 05/08/2024 07:53:23
Pam the image is well shot . My only additional comment is if the image was a tighter crop it would direct the viewers eye to the villagers Posted: 05/12/2024 11:32:01
Dr. Edward, thanks a lot. Posted: 05/15/2024 05:34:21
Pamela, I am sure this is an unforgettable experience. Very nice capture of the villagers and the environment. Incredible eyes to pick the scene from many activities during the festival.
Were you staying in the village before the tour? The image of the lightning is incredible, landscape, fog , windmills and the powerful lightnings. Posted: 05/13/2024 00:35:23
Were you staying in the village before the tour? The image of the lightning is incredible, landscape, fog , windmills and the powerful lightnings. Posted: 05/13/2024 00:35:23
Mandy, we stayed the night before the festival and hiked about 2 hours to the event field, in the rain. But the scenery was pretty and we almost forgot about the rain. Posted: 05/15/2024 05:38:56
(Group 2)
The Rice Transplantation Festival is a local ethnic minority festival and a reproduction of agricultural culture. It is normal to attend it dressed up, with a large audience and media. Posted: 05/14/2024 20:26:26
Zhicai, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge of the Rice Transplantation Festival. It was an unforgettable and interesting memory. Posted: 05/15/2024 05:36:27