Dance into the Night, a photo from Tahoua, West

Photographer's Note

This photo was taken in Niger during the annual Gerewol celebration which lasted several days and hit the high note at night when over a hundred Wodaabe men in makeup and colorful costumes lined up in front of huge bonfires and danced into the night.

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Critiques | Translate

Miks (1717) 2007-01-17 20:28

Very nicely composed. Especially so given the fact that you did not have a zoom lens available. But you do a very good job of filling the frame. The fact that there are so many figures crammed into it gives us a feel for the intensity of the moment. But the nice organization and the vertical lines makes the pic easy to read. It is a big advantage that all the faces are visible.

Have friends who work in Niger and I've heard about the multiple-day festivals. But this is by far the best depiction of it I've seen. Good work. Thanks for giving me yet a reason to get my ass down there.

Cheers,
Mikkel

SteveH (8220) 2007-01-17 20:37

Hi Linda, Great shot in difficult lighting. Whereas most photos of this event are daylight portraits, I think this shot gives an appreciation of the spirit of the event. Your exposure choice was good, allowing a bit of movement blur but still retaining detail in the costumes. I'm envious. Cheers, Steve