Prayers six times a day Photo

Photographer’s Note

Six times a day and night, the faithful gather to pray. They dress, and sit according to their status in the church. Every ten years, they may progress to a seat closer to the altar. They are a stop on many tourist buses. They are spotlessly clean, polite, and smile sweetly at the tourists cameras. The religion is a mixture of many religions, including Catholic, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu. Most of their land is now government controlled, before they had an entire city. The church has the same brillant colors, southern Indian Hindu temples. Dragons climb the poles, a giant globe with an all seeing painted eye inside a pyramid sits in the front of the church.

sAner, Dionysos, bantonbuju, fooeleen, carper, robiuk, Elise_d, bertolucci, xuaxo has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

sAner (112) 2005-01-27 6:52

Really good note and very interesting photo. Maybe you should have placed yourself more in the middle? On the other hand; this angle is interesting too. Thanks for sharing.

Dionysos (1234) 2005-01-27 6:55

Very good one. The light is very well balanced in that conditions. I think centering the hole in the middle would be better for composition. However it is great. Your note is also very useful. I haven't heard before about that mixed religion. Thanks.

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bantonbuju (48626) 2005-01-27 7:07

very good pic, i like it, six time a day i will watch the pic from now on :-); seriously - very interesting, very well seen photo full of colours; like it a lot

fooeleen (713) 2005-01-27 12:52

wonderful composition and details....six times a day? all religions together? thanks for the informative note.

scalerman (25733) 2005-01-27 13:08

Hi Gloria, Maciek did some nice work here too. I missed this place, but I'm headin' back someday. Nice wide shot.

carper (64804) 2005-01-27 13:20

Hello Gloria nice to see you again,
This is a very nice photo, I like the good lines of the prayers, the other good lines and colours are nice, even as the point of view, very good job I like the shot

jrzufferey (7249) 2005-01-27 14:24

Quelle étrange ambiance dans ce sanctuaire ou les prieures se retrouvent. Merci denous la partager Gloria. Amitié/jr

NgocSon (282) 2005-01-27 15:13

If the author are correct, then North Vietnamese after 60 years under socialism have converted to Caodaism in large group. I don't know how the Vietnam authorities think about this "breaking news", or how the TE members could trust the info given by author?

robiuk (10763) 2005-01-27 15:34

Wooow,
Great image, Gloria! Even though it's a religious settings withing a huge colourful hall, it looks to me also like a setup for a strategic board-game.
So many details to look at and admire and everything is so crisp and sharp!
Bravo,
Robi

Elise_d (1943) 2005-01-27 19:03

How could I have missed this picture before ? Beautiful shot, nice colors and amazing subject. Wow. Delightful Gloria !

bertolucci (11976) 2005-01-28 5:37

What a colourful richness in cultureal details, practices and meaning you captured here, Gloria. Love the way how the faithful are separated from the tourist - its adds a curious touch to this wonderful capture.
I like the astounding depth and the graphic aspect of the congregation also very much. Xcellent.

ngythanh (8492) 2005-01-28 8:09

After years in "re-education school" I lost my stupidity to mention about politic. But I want to help this discussion helpful:

Gloria: I admire your photo with your talent. But the critiques that NgocSon first brought up was that you misinformed viewers on location. Both you and NgocSon are in the US, so let imagine a picture I took of Golden Gate Bridge with the location listed as "on my way from Washington DC, crossing the Potomac River, to visit Arlington Cemetery".

What he tried to correct was, in Vietnam there is only one Cao Dai temple in TAY NINH Province (on your way from Saigon to Phnom Pehn, near Moc Bai Border Crossing). When you confirmed the Red River Delta and the Province as HUNG YEN, you didn't care about geography and history of this country.

I think, once you admit the error, return to your photo and change the province from HUNG YEN to TAY NINH, it will be fine. Had I corrected a mistake by a next mistake (create a location name as CAO DAI which is the name of a religion), I reveal more of my carelessness to the country, rather than the wisdom.

Peace!

yesterday (9787) 2005-02-01 2:23 [Comment]

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xuaxo (5719) 2007-07-02 5:05

Hi Gloria,
This is an outstanding picture. Perhaps the most interesting I've seen inside a temple or church.
Regards,
F