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Phil Douglis | all galleries >> Galleries >> Gallery Fifty Two: implying motion by using expressive blur > Tribal dance, outside Dalat, Vietnam, 2007
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28-DEC-2007

Tribal dance, outside Dalat, Vietnam, 2007

We visited the village of a hill tribe known as the Lat people in Vietnam’s mountainous central highlands. The highlight of the visit was a rousing series of tribal dances, performed by firelight. Once again, all of my fellow photographers used flash to record the appearance of the dancers. But their images will not replicate what their own eyes saw. Instead, they will show the dance stopped in time and bathed in artificial light. I chose to not to describe what I saw, but rather express what I felt. I made hundreds of images of these moving subjects by the light of a distant fire. This one best defined the essence of the dance – mysterious, energetic, primitive, and flowing over with energy. I shot the dancers at a third of a second. This particular image was a pan – I moved the camera while the shutter was open in the direction of the dancers. As a result, the figure in the center of the image seems to lunge directly at us, while his fellow dancers, both before and after him, dissolve into tendrils of flowing fiery light.

Leica V-Lux 1
1s f/3.2 at 11.6mm iso200 hide exif
Full EXIF Info
Date/Time28-Dec-2007 05:09:59
MakeLeica
ModelV-LUX 1
Flash UsedNo
Focal Length11.6 mm
Exposure Time1.00 sec
Aperturef/3.2
ISO Equivalent200
Exposure Bias-0.33
White Balance
Metering Modemulti spot (3)
JPEG Quality
Exposure Programprogram (2)
Focus Distance

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Phil Douglis29-Jan-2008 23:30
You are right -- this image was made by the red light of a fire, a color that goes back to the dawn of man. I think that is what we are seeing here -- a primal, spiritual color that takes us back about as far as we can go, Kal.
Phil Douglis20-Jan-2008 02:24
The person in the background is a member of the tribe, beating on a drum, Vera. I am glad you would like to hang this image somewhere. If you would like a print, let me know. It would be an honor to make you one. As for touristy photographs, those are not for me. I am not interested, as many people are, in making a record of what I see, or showing others where I've been. My mission is to express my feelings about what I see, and trigger the minds, emotions, and imaginations of my viewers in the process. And of course, in the case of the images in this cyberbook, provide a learning resource as well. And yes, expression is certainly an art form -- modern or otherwise.
Guest 20-Jan-2008 01:26
I love this type of photo. I would love to have it blown up huge and hanging somewhere. It radiates energy. It draws me into it. I notice in the background what looks like a tourist but it is not distracting. You have created a picture once again that is not a touristy photo. One that anyone could look at and feel the mystery. I guess it is like modern art.
V.
Phil Douglis19-Jan-2008 20:53
Firelight is a wonderful light source, All those who used flash to make their pictures of these dances passed up an opportunity to make use of it.
monique jansen19-Jan-2008 09:56
Beautiful! Not only because of the suggestion of dance, but because of the rich and warm glow of the fire colors too
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