This image captured the vibrant atmosphere of a religious festival in Taiwan, specifically during a "temple float parade." In Taiwanese culture, such parades are an integral part of temple festivals, where intricately decorated floats carrying deity statues are showcased as they are paraded through the streets. These processions are often accompanied by lively music, energetic dancers, and other festive elements. One of the most iconic examples is the "Mazu Pilgrimage," during which the goddess Mazu is carried on a palanquin in a grand parade featuring numerous colorful floats alongside her. This tradition, known as "Zhen Tou" in Taiwanese Hokkien, represents the deities' journey through the community to receive worship and bestow blessings.
Participating in a temple float parade is an exhilarating experience. The air is filled with the sound of vibrant music, while dancers perform energetically on the floats. They often throw snacks and small gifts to the crowds, creating a festive and interactive atmosphere that draws everyone into the celebration.
Date: 11/24/24
Gear: Canon R5, 1/250, F6.3, ISO 800 with flashlight
5 comments posted
Alan Lichtenstein
I'm sure you wanted to capture the vibrancy of the festival by including as many of the participants as you could. It's easy to make suggestions after-the-fact, but given your description, I would assume you created the image hand-held, holding a flashlight for additional light as well. But my armchair criticism is that the image is too busy. You might have focused only on the two women and eliminated the background on the sides. With only central figures, that might not have captured the vibrancy of the festival, but IMV, it would have made the image less busy. But the colors are bright, the image sharp, and well-done while holding a flashlight also. Posted: 02/01/2025 05:45:31
Pamela Liu
Alan, I was using a travel lens 24-240 for its lightweight. It was still pretty heavy for me with a Canon R5, a flashlight and a flashlight charger while running with the parade in the heavy rain. I was hoping the flashlight would help me to focus the main objects, without carrying a heavy 70-200 lens. However with the smaller F6.3, the depth was still not too ideal. Posted: 02/01/2025 21:59:01
Tom Tauber
The costumes are great, as are the faces of the two women. The foreground is a bit distracting. but can't be helped. I would crop it to focus on the important subjects. Posted: 02/02/2025 17:36:54
Pamela Liu
Tom, the cropping made a lot of sense, thanks a lot. Posted: 02/02/2025 22:41:36
Pamela Liu
Tom, are we allowed to burn tool the background and foreground in PT definition? Posted: 02/02/2025 22:43:16
