whirling dervishes ceremony IV Photo

Photographer’s Note

Another one of this beautiful ceremony. I hope I'm not beeing to much repetitive...tomorrow I'll post the last one...I just wanted to share and give the proper importance to this amazing experience I had and make sure everyone get to know it.

There are 2 other diferent ones in the workshop for you to see and have a better idea of the whole event.
Today, there are still some dervishes in the left background, in the end of the line, giving respect to the profect before start the whirling.

We were not allowed to use flash while taking photos, which worked for the best: the long exposure gives a sensation of movement that would be gone had I used a flash, and the photos turned out a lot nicer this way.

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And now, the explanation of the ceremony:

While we were in Istanbul, we had the chance to watch a whirling dervishes ceremony, at the Galata Mevlevi Temple. This is not a show, but a religious ceremony of the Mevlana sect of Sufi Muslims. It takes place only every 2 Sundays, and we were incredibly lucky to be there on one of those Sundays. It was without a doubt the most beautiful, and most moving, religious ceremony I’ve ever watched. The whole ceremony is filled with symbolism, most of it having to do with the abandonment of ego, and the surrender to a state of pure love and peace. The dervishes wear white dresses symbolizing the ego’s death shroud (coloured for women), a special hat symbolizing the tombstone and a black cape the grave. While they are whirling they lean their heads, as if they were severed, so their egos are not present. The palm of one of the hands points to the sky and the other one to the ground, so as to say “We receive from God and give to the humanity. We keep nothing for ourselves.” The whirling works as a type of meditation and the dervishes enter a state of abandonment and peace. I thought I was going to see a bizarre and visually interesting religious cult. Nothing prepared me for the incredible beauty and intensity of the ceremony.

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I found out the correct coordenates where this event took place and thanks to the Portuguese member Fernando (nick name Galmeida), I learned how to convert it into the decimal system. Thanks a lot Fernando. Finally, and thanks to you, I hope to have the location map, for the next posts.

ChrisJ, sarju, efigesta, Galmeida, PJE, jmdaoudal, anavazao, Tue, luisafonso has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

rakeshgupta (2670) 2005-12-25 11:45

Artistic shot.
Very nice angle with good idea of shooting this shot.
I like the color & composition. What I learnt from your shot is that the shutter speed of 1/8 seems to be sufficient for shots like this.
Thanks for sharing.

bantonbuju (48856) 2005-12-25 11:51

hola ricardo, this ceremony is not boring at all, it looks to be very important, and very attractive;
and yet another good light handling, good image;
best wishes, jerzy

ChrisJ (70521) 2005-12-25 18:29

Ola Ricardo

Another fine entry in this series. I like the bright red costume in this one. Parabens!

sarju (5308) 2005-12-25 22:22

Hi Ricardo
I can well imagine your hard decision about which photo to post ... I had a hard time to pick one photo for the critiquing ... all of these photos seem to convey a very special and different message. Excellent use of the slow shutter speed in this photo ... it worked great to smoothen the clothes of these people.
Cheers ... sarju
PS: I thought it might be of interest to you know about this another kind of religious music that is played in Indian subcontinent ... It is called Qawaali and "Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan" was the greatest qawaal of the recent times. Qawaali is usually sung at these religious sufi places ... many people go into trance over there this is how charged these ceremonies are.

berek (29115) 2005-12-26 1:38

Hi Ricardo,

your great Mevlana's show go on. Have a nice week.
B.Erek
Sharpness:8 **Light:8**Colour:9 **Compo:10
**Idea:10**POV:9**Note:10
PS:Evaluation rate is max:10

efigesta (12181) 2005-12-26 4:48

Ola Ricardo

mais uma boa foto da sequencia que nos tem mostrado, bom POV e boas cores

abraço e espero que tenha sido bom o natal

Manuel

rosaline (0) 2005-12-26 8:34

Ricardo
Very stylish and dramatic. The costumes are dramatic and unusual. I like the colours too. This is a great picture depicting movement. Good work and a good 2006
Aubrey

BlaiseCendrars (0) 2005-12-26 9:28

Hi Ricardo! I hope you are having great holidays! Excellent photo, it has a wonderful sense of motion as if it has been painted - very artistic effect. Great colours, many interesting details and an excellent note. Thanks and best regards, Chris.

Galmeida (12559) 2005-12-26 13:20

Olá Ricardo,
Penso que teve uma boa Consoada, um feliz Natal e obrigado também pela sua nota introdutória com a minha incliusão de eu poder ter ajudado em alguma coisa no seu excelente trabalho. Se ainda não tem o free Google Earth, deverá fazdr o Download embora que eu saiba para já não tem as coordenadas em decimais. Mas mudando agora de assunto, temos uma visão do local por satelite e num satelite close-up milimetrico e preciso mais uma foto e sequencia desta Serie muito bem realizada e com enquadramentos fabulosos, cheios de cor, luz, vida e movimento.

Parabens e agora avancemos para o proximo ano. Um abraço e ainda nos vamos ver até lá.
Fernando

Graal (59126) 2005-12-26 15:55

Hi Ricardo,
good serie, interesting post as previous. Very nice costumes, I like the stopped motion of dancers. Well done.
Rgs, Aleksander

PJE (19575) 2005-12-26 21:31

Ricardo in this photo I see a lovely balance in the scene. The red dress is such a dominante color but with only one red dress in the distance makes the scene nicely balanced!

jmdaoudal (82) 2005-12-27 13:34

Before going to your last Landscape, I wanted to see again this remakable subject with the "derviches tourneur" it is such an exeptionnal and interesting subject IMO.
Again the mouvement and this red fluo dzncer in a good position.
Compliments
jean Michel

alainh (35391) 2005-12-28 5:12

hello Ricardo
what a god note and a nice shot !
perfect speed .
all my best switches for 2006 for you and your family
regards
alain

anesugur (17114) 2005-12-28 16:47

Hi Ricardo
Excelent view, superb exposure, light and POV.
Good work. Regards. Uğur

jbweasle (9294) 2006-01-07 10:37

Ricardo, another successful shot of these whirling dervishes. Great movement and colour as with your other posts. In this one I particularly like the way the dancer on the right has his head almost motionless and we can see the features in his face.

keribar (42760) 2006-01-07 11:38

Ola Ricardo,

Although it looks a bit like the other SEMAZEN picture I really enjoy it very much.I was always under the impression that it was impossible to get nice pictures from the bottom floor, because of the tourists in the background. Now thanks to your work and to your perfect timing and exposure, I find out I was mistaken.

Friendly regards - Izzet

john_c (24635) 2006-01-13 16:40

Hi Ricardo,
Indeed a whirling, dynamic shot resonating with the cacophany of musical sounds we can imagine as we watch. I love the way you have captured the almost phantom-like skirts of the dancers. The polished and burnished floor had splendid lighting and all is aglow. Very fine work, Ricardo.
John

fverde (1699) 2006-01-17 14:00

Olá Ricardo!
Acho fantástica a forma como captou esta manifestação religiosa que retrata a alma de um povo. Para além da perfeição da exposição, com uma definição extraordinária e balanço exímio da luz e da cor, sente-se a ambiência de festa própria da cerimónia e o lado místico que a acompanha. O efeito de arrastamento das vestes dos bailarinos realça a sensação de movimento. Excelente composição, obrigado por partilhar... Abraço!
Fernando.

anavazao (5592) 2006-02-15 15:13

Olá,
Uma cerimónia bonita com umas cores muito boas!
Gosto da forma como a foto está tirada!
tem uma boa semana!
Ana:)

Tue (25608) 2006-03-26 14:11

Hej Ricardo,
Another great shot of this ceremony! The blur is great and the colours lovely. I like all the looking people, some of them taking photos too, in the background too. Good shot, very well done!
Hilsner,
Lars

Angshu (34243) 2006-05-02 3:54

Excellent use of the slow shutter speed in this photo Ricardo...the smoothness of motion becomes exemplified by this. The red in the centre immediately attracts attention, but then my vision gets glided towards the fluid movement & the purpose for it all. A theme excellently captured
Friendly Regards
Angshu

luisafonso (858) 2006-12-25 15:04

Eh! Eh! Não fosse as duas menções ao Natal de dois dos tugas aqui presentes e ninguém descobriria que esta foto foi postada há uma ano atrás. Estou a ver que tu também não ligas muito à data :) Não há problema, o meu coração tem espaço para todos. E tu tens lá um cantinho especial. Escolhi esta foto para te desejar um Feliz Natal mais pessoal. Os votos para 2007 ficam para depois. Esta foto é realmente uma das melhores da série especialmente pela composição e pela inclusão do dançarino de vermelho na posição certa. Aquele elemento agarra logo o olhar! Estranhamento é a que tem menos pontos... Acho que o pessoal estava a ficar farto... :) Esta dança tem uma beleza realmente incrível e a tua foto é linda! Grande abraço, l.

papatya (55) 2007-07-15 14:45

I know how it feels like to be there... it's very mystic, very touching and very pure experience.
One could feel most of these feelings while looking at your photo. Taken from a nice point of view, simple colors, touching atmosphere and the slow shutter speed gives all the mysticism. I like it a lot!