Rythm and energy Photo

Photographer’s Note

"The word carnival comes from the Latin word-carnelevarium, which means 'putting away the flesh'. Carn meant flesh, and leavare meant to remove. But levare, could also mean to raise, perhaps the Brazilians wanted to interpret it as raising a gala storm. Brazil was the first country to play host to the carnival. Carnival is a festival of revelry and fun observed in many countries around the world, though its actual form varies from country to country. The exact reason behind the carnival is not known but it appears the carnival had its genesis in a human necessity-that of giving itself a complete holiday from the mundane cares and problems of the daily world.

The joy returns every year for less than a week-five days- (in Paraguay, Argentina,) Brazil, and others, before Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent which was once a dreary season of penance and abstinence-40 long week days preceding Easter Sunday."

Info taken from: http://www.dalmiaresorts.com/history%20of%20carnival.htm

It is a tradition here in Paraguay, specially in some cities like Encarnacion and Villarrica to celebrate the joy of carnival with a big parade every year.

Today (a few hours ago) we had an avant premier of this gala, a parade on Palma street, downtown Asuncion.

I like carnival a lot, people having fun and using customes that are really nice to see. The women are so beautiful and the men dance and play the instruments, bombastic rythms accompanying the whole parade.

These type of events are a challenge for photographers, everything happens so fast, you are inmersed in a sea of dancers, an explosion of colors and subjects, the light conditions are not always on our side...The autofocus gets uselees due to too many brilliant distracting points...not easy to choose among so many beautiful women, ahhh what a challenge!

This is more an experiment to me, I wanted to show the energy of this dancer with a daring crop, I hope you do not get upset or bothered (thanks for the correction!) due to it.

I will be posting a few shots related with the carnival. I hope you like them.
It is interesting how carnival has spread around the world, many many countries celebrate it.

I cropped, run NI and adjusted levels.

File Name
sabad150105 072.jpg
Camera Model Name
Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL
Shooting Date/Time
15/01/2005 8:59:52
Shooting Mode
Manual
Tv( Shutter Speed )
1/250
Av( Aperture Value )
5.6
Metering Mode
Center-weighted averaging
ISO Speed
200
Lens
28.0 - 200.0 mm
Focal Length
135.0 mm
Image Size
2048x1360
Image Quality
Fine
Flash
Off
White Balance
Auto
AF Mode
AI Focus AF
Parameters
Contrast +1
Sharpness +1
Color saturation +1
Color tone Normal
Color Space
sRGB
File Size
828KB
Drive Mode
Single-frame shooting
Owner's Name
Cesar Enrique Velazquez

jdurbas, Ramonven, Jeppe, elihesamian, paulspain, nwoehnl, ishai, peco85 has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

jdurbas (1759) 2005-01-15 11:21

great photo, and very good title :)

khmelins (960) 2005-01-15 11:24

The capture is very nice. Good colours. The compo is nice but i think the overall picture is just a bit too dark, although with enough details to feel the energy.

regards,
anton

tongapup (1574) 2005-01-15 11:25

Lovely picture. My only complaint is about the image quality: on her shoulder, at the right, the pixels look funny, kind of blotchy in patches of colour. Maybe it's noise?

Anyway, I love this crop. It's got a real mood. I'd love to see a series of these crops. I'd love to see some jawlines or napes of the neck.

One note about your note: "This is more an experiment to me, I wanted to show the energy of this dancer with a daring crop, I hope you do not get upset or molested due to it." In English, "molested" has quite a different meaning from Spanish. The word in English is "bothered." "Molested" is more like "violar." ;)

RGatward (19751) 2005-01-15 11:38

Good title and complimentary note, very well illustrated by this one. Nice work all round.

Ramonven (126) 2005-01-15 14:58

Full of life!! Saludos de Olanda! Ramon

Jeppe (18623) 2005-01-15 15:42

Oh - When I hear carneval am I first thinking of Brazil - but of course this a tradition of most countries in South America. Thanks Cesar for a very sensitive photo and informative note to follow. Actually do we celebrate the same way in Denmark (in some cities) but we wait until spring and warmer weather.

avigur_11 (21307) 2005-01-15 18:04

Indeeed, a lot of rythm and a lot of energy in this close-up shot, Cesar. Colors are great and the cropping is very smart. Beautiful job.

Kenny10pin (19301) 2005-01-16 7:26

Great shot, I like the lady, the movement and the focus, all in one, well done

elihesamian (26091) 2005-01-16 8:46

Unique,great work,full of energy,dynamic and very strong,Cesar,nicely done.
colors,contrast,and warm tonality are great and very well captured and also with this cropping a fine playing with forms and atmosphere you had,very well done,Cesar.
I like it.
Yours
M

flydragon (0) 2005-01-16 9:42

Hello Cesar
wonderfull i love this close up
this red is so beautifull
also the light. verry sensual also
for me this is a great picture
well done Cesar
••simon••

manny (21378) 2005-01-16 10:59

VERY nice perspective. There sure is rhythm in this shot. The glitters in the body communicvates the pomp and splendour of this extravagant festival !

Rockyboy (20582) 2005-01-16 12:56

Indeed, it's very different from the Carnival in my country, Cesar... and this very nice photo make me think at the Rio carnival which I'd like to see one day... Also, I know it's very difficult to take a picture of something moving in the dark. Here you succeed very well.
If you want more information about the gilles, you can also have a look on UNESCO website. The carnival of Binche, where are coming from the gilles is recognize as "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity"...

paulspain (625) 2005-01-16 13:03

Hola. Una foto muy bella , original y llena de energía . Los colores son fantásticos. Excelente y bellísima foto.
Saludos. Pablo

nwoehnl (120) 2005-01-16 13:44

Hola Kike. A beautiful close-up of the dancer, in which the pearls of sweat and the glittering décor sure convey the festive mood and the energy very well. Excellent cropping - I might have brightened it up just a tiny bit but it also looks very nice the way you show it here. Looking forward to the upcoming ones.

alimo3 (6826) 2005-01-16 13:56

hello Cesar,
a nice an sexy picture today my friend !
i like the tones and how you stoped the moment.
unusual composition and beautiful light.
Bravo.

Tom

Isabelle (9020) 2005-01-16 14:19

Cesar, I guess you photographed the very core of carnival - a least for us, brazilians - hehehehe
even though the image is a bit dark (and so is the lady´s skin tone), you did it sucessfully by bringing all the energy carnival has in a delightiful composition.
kiss to you and a great 2005 to you and to your family and to Fabrizio.

maphoto (8076) 2005-01-16 19:33

Very nice Cesar, excellent cropping and interesting picture of the dancer, the pearls are definitively good elements, original, well done.

URKO (101) 2005-01-17 10:03

Realmente esta buenísima la model…....digo la foto, trasmite ese calor, esa energía que hay en el carnaval, al mirar la foto fijamente me transmite una sensación de realismo algo así como haber estado presente en ese momento hasta casi pude escuchar la música brasilera con la que zamban. Gracias por hacernos empezar bien el lunes.

jrzufferey (7249) 2005-01-17 17:27

Beau travail, la maîtrise de la lumière est parfaite. Amicalement/jr

ishai (4093) 2005-01-19 17:07

Rhythms and energy
You got it for sure in this shot, Cesar
Beautiful moment
Very good cropping and details
The sparks are jumping out

pridel (233) 2005-01-20 3:28

Hola Cesar !!
great shot !!
I like much the movement and the clearness of the photograph. the red color of the jewels is superb !!
in my them "red is beautiful"
Pascal

IanSewell (567) 2005-01-21 1:35

A great shot. I like the sweat glistening off her body. Well done! Thanks!

philip_coggan (11) 2005-02-05 16:57