It takes two to Tango! Photo

Photographer’s Note

Last summer I had the chance to experience a very interesting feast at Pigi Village, Lesvos island. The feast that lasted 3 whole days, is called "Feast of the Bull" and took place from 11th to the 13th of July. A similar feast had taken place, a week earlier, at a nearby village called, Agia Paraskevi.

The people of Lesvos, hace a deep love for horses that dates back many centuries ago. One of the spectacles that you can see in the feast is the "Horse Dance" that takes place on the first day! The programm contains a horse parade, with participants from all over Lesvos (even some from outside the island) and then a dance of the rider and the horse, with traditional music. They pass in front of a comitee and they mark the performance. This years winner was a young man from Samos island (the one in the photo) whose performance was really spectacular!

Short info about the "programm" of the feast (more info will follow in some future posts):

1st DAY
Horse parade and horse dance

2nd DAY
(Morning) Procession of the Bull around the village. People offer "gifts" to the bull, children touch the bull and his horns, to take some of his power and "fecundity".

(Evening)People gather at a mountain called "Tavros" (means "Bull" in greek), and start eating and singing with traditional music bands in the heart of the forest. That lasts till next morning. Meanwhile, throughout the night, hundreds of horses and riders, take the narrow stone path that goes to the top of mountain, where there is a small chapel and a priest that blesses the riders and the horses.

(Midnight). Sacrifice of the bull. Then the animal is cut to pieces and goes to more than 15 huge cauldrons where it boils all night long. More than 20 men are supervising the cauldrons. around sunrise, they throw into the cauldrons wheat and barley and the men start pounding with big piles the cauldrons for a couple of hours, until this "blend" of bull meat, wheat and barley, becomes fibrous. This traditional food is called "kisketch".

3rd DAY
(Morning)The priest comes down from the chapel and blesses the "kisketch", which later is distributed to the believers and visitos. The bands keep playing all day long.

(Afternoon). Horseraces at a local "hippodrome".

***WORKSHOP-THE START OF "TANGO"***

***MORE PHOTOS FROM LESVOS***

suzzz, argycon, Royaldevon, andante, ngk, vasilpro, dip, COSTANTINO, stelli, syrus_persia, Gerrit, Dyerco, diomed, pablominto, Yves-triga has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

dim (2389) 2009-03-06 3:10 [Comment]

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MiguelP (14324) 2009-03-06 3:17

Hola Hércules... Excelente fotografía, llenísima de fuerza compañero, muy bien encuadrada, bien resuelta, llena de interés. Muy bonita...
Miguel
PD: ¿Te atreverías a salir hablando en españo por un programa de radio que tengo sobre viajes?

suzzz (399) 2009-03-06 3:58

different and really superbe! so much action and exciting and glory written all over this photo!

best and TFS Hercules

bema (8760) 2009-03-06 4:07

Kalimera Hercules,

really a spelendid an some kind of unusual capture here, but very interessting (great note) and spectacular..

have a fine weekend, Jassu Bernd

argycon (2749) 2009-03-06 4:21

Kalispera Irakli,
Poly wraia stigmi apo8anatises edw. Mou aresei pou exeis symperilavei to plithos prosilwmeno sto zevgari twn xoreftwn.
Se xairetw
Kostas

Royaldevon (5934) 2009-03-06 5:28

Hello Hercules,

I have some wonderful memories of Lesvos, sadly, before I was bitten by the photography bug, so my memories are not pictorial!

I love this!
The concentration on the man's face is well captured. He has a great rapport with his horse. Vibrant details and nice composition.
Your dof allows us to appreciate the atmosphere, yet blurs the b/g enough for it not to be too distracting.

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

andante (7092) 2009-03-06 6:09

Awesome! siempre me ha llamado a la atencion como ciertas personas tienen afinidad con los caballos de la misma manera que otras personas somos afines con gatos y perros. Bella postal.
Saludos,
enrique

ngk (1010) 2009-03-06 6:14

Γεια σου Ηρακλή!
Φοβερό στιγμιότυπο !!
Καλό σκ.
nasos k

atha2pan (3407) 2009-03-06 6:34

Maresei kai o titlos alla kai to bukeh effect pou edoses edo.
Ti poiotita mana mou!
Xaire file
Sakis

vasilpro (8760) 2009-03-06 9:14

Γεια σου Ηρακλή,
έπιασες μια ωραία στιγμή με αυτή τη σκηνή, από τα Ελληνικά εορταστικά έθιμα.
Μπράβο, Βασίλης.

dip (12584) 2009-03-06 9:53

Geia sou Irakli,
oraia kai endiaferousa skini pou den tin vlepei kaneis kathe mera,sigoura mias fotografias aksia,poli kali!
xaireto,
Dimitris.

COSTANTINO (22709) 2009-03-06 11:57

Gia sou Irakli
Kat arhas o titlos ine poli petihimenos..
Kata defteron i skini ine epissis entipossiaki ke ise tiheros pou tin apathanatisses..Mia fotografia olozontani,me kinissi ke prototipia opos panta
Prohoras akathektos..b r a v o
Costnatino

TGULUMSER (12512) 2009-03-06 12:41

Hello Hercules,
Very interesting view from the village life, very nice,
Best regards, have a nice weekend,
Tulay

stelli (2945) 2009-03-06 13:43

Great timing, unique capture, creative title! Thank you for sharing! ΦΙΛΙΚΑ Στέλλα

jonathan_hart (22576) 2009-03-06 15:41

not easy to dance tango with a horse (or with a human for a horse^^) but why not ? well framed funny/attractive moment
jc

syrus_persia (2164) 2009-03-06 22:10

Salam Doste Man Hercules
Great action shot of the man and horse.
I realy like this shot.
Thanks and many regards
MAMNOOOOOOOOON
cyrus

Gerrit (35733) 2009-03-06 23:17

Intersting dacing couple, Hercukles.
That sure looks like a daring thing.
Good composition and fine vivid colors.
Regards, Gerrit

Angelillo (9065) 2009-03-07 0:25

Buenos días Hercules,

Siempre me ha sorprendido la complicidad que se puede encontrar entre el hombre y algunos animales. El caballo es uno de ellos y aquí no sé qué me gusta más: la composición, el momento, la mirada misma del "entrenador", la concentración y la comunicación que supone. En cualquier caso, un muy buen momento, buen ojo, buena foto!

Un saludo,
Angel.

Dyerco (9092) 2009-03-07 6:13

Hi Hercules
It's amazing what these creatures can do and will do if we ask it of them. A good capture of this chap interacting with his horse.
Phil

diomed (4043) 2009-03-07 15:38

Hi Hiraklis,
you captured a decisive moment of this feast. Your pic is very dynamic and interesting. Your note is very usefull. I did not know nothing at all about.
I'll try to have occasion to see personally this fest in Lesvos.
Thanks for sharing.
Nice WE
Antonio

kroupis (664) 2009-03-08 1:18

Καλημέρα Ηρακλή,
Η στιγμή που έπισασες είναι εξαιρετική,
άλογο και άνθρωπος σε αρμονία και
πλήρη εμπιστοσύνη! Μπράβο σου,
όμορφα τα χρώματα των Ελλήνων . . .
ιλίασ

pablominto (40732) 2009-03-09 0:33

Hello Hercules,

This is a funny scene, and the moment is well captured!
Good details in horse and man, pleasant composition where the audience makes a natural background...
Good sharpness and colour reproduction!

Greetings,
Pablo -

coco (27864) 2009-03-09 4:06

Kalispera Hercules.

¿Has desenfocado algo más el fondo de la foto? ¿Has hecho algo sobre la cara del "bailarín"?
No hace falta decir si me gusta o no la foto, sólo déjame añadir que el rostro del hombre en el WS es increíble.

Un saludo.

Yves-triga (3467) 2009-03-24 4:51

Hello Hercules,
What nice decisif moment.
It took a long time to make this horse to the show.
a beautiful moment.
thank you for the explanations.
Well job
yves