Little Ballerina, a photo from Dushanbe, West

Photographer's Note

I spent my last evening in Tajikistan in Rudaki Park, one of a few green spaces in Dushanbe. It's full of attractions, especially after dark, when all the lights get switched on. The city feels far removed from the pristine landscapes of Fann Mountains as well as the remoteness of the Opium Highway that leads to the Afghan border.

As I was taking photos of the colourful fountains, this little girl appeared. She was dressed like a ballerina and started twirling like one. Then she disappeared as suddenly as she had turned up leaving me to wonder if she had been just a dream...

,,,of course not, you can see her in the photo! ;-)

This is the last post from my October 2019 trip to Central Asia. Two more images in WS.

ikeharel, pajaran, holmertz, jean113, jhm, Royaldevon, ChrisJ, PaulVDV, ktanska, COSTANTINO has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

vjmite (6706) 2021-03-28 22:23

Hi Kasia,
You were there at just the right time, catching this little ballerina performing for you. The scene is wonderful with the coloured fountains and the lights receding into the distance. There is a dream-like quality to the photo, with the little girl being the only person in what looks like a deserted city.
Vince

Silvio1953 (223069) 2021-03-28 22:45

Ciao Kasia, fascinating nocturne shoot, nice scene with fantastic danceur, beautiful reflections, excellent exposure, splendid light and wonderful colors, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

jemaflor (148334) 2021-03-28 22:53

Hi Kasia,
Lovely view with these colorful fountains and the ballerina dancing, good dynamic result, nice perspective with the view of the BG, nice composition, well managed, tfs.

ifege (49573) 2021-03-28 23:16

Hi Kasia
A beautiful dream, well captured. Great night photo and you've caught the girl's movement perfectly.
cheers
Ian

lousat (140058) 2021-03-29 0:43

Hi Kasia,3 "modern" pics after a lot of landscapes and people form rural zones. A nice report from the night of Duashambe,the main pic is my prefered too,the effect of girl dancing in the long exposure is amaxing,very well done! Have a nice week and thanks,Luciano

holmertz (103710) 2021-03-29 0:59

Hello Kasia,
It would have been a bright and attractive photo, like those in the WS, even without this girl, but she certainly helped you to a shot with a great atmosphere. I am sure good opportunities like this come to good photographers who know to press the button at the right moment. This makes me think of the man dancing alone at a railway station somewhere in Uzbekistan, another favourite of mine in your well stocked gallery.
Have a nice week, and thank you for your comments on my Zimbabwe photos.
Kind regards,
Gert

jean113 (28325) 2021-03-29 2:17

Hello Kasia, it was the pink lights that caught my eye in the thumbnails, so I had to find out more. How fortunate that the little girl appeared at just the right time for you.
A quite unique capture.
Three delightful pictures, and so different from your lovely pictures when you have been out in the wild countryside that you love to explore.
Kind regards, Jean.

jhm (211738) 2021-03-29 6:20

Hello Kasia,

It are the little girls that later become great ladies as ballerina.
I find your picture very nice with a lovely enlightenment
Also the garden makes your picture wonderful
Nice depth and perspective too.
Very well done, TFS.

Best regards,
John

GyurMaster (25055) 2021-03-29 9:59

Hello Kasia,

At first I thought the title was referring to the illuminated fountains, than I saw the little girl dancing. She is the cherry on the cake. I like the motion blur of the girl, which makes us feel the movement. The bg. is a nice addition. It goes to my favourites.

Best Wishes,
Gy.

PS: Thank you very much for your kind words on my latest photo! Especially for this line: 'You are a master of creating whatever atmosphere you choose for your photos.' It made my day! :)

Tue (93556) 2021-03-29 10:54

Hello Kasia,
The many lights throughout the photo are very appealing here, both the many white star-shaped ones in the background as well as the purple fountains in the foreground. The sharpness and clarity are superb. That little ballerina in the middle is very well included. Good timing.
Lars

Royaldevon (86526) 2021-03-30 7:08

Hello Kasia,

I cannot believe the difference between these photographs and those that you have shared with us on your journey. The differences really are massive!

The illuminations are quite spectacular, not just for their artistic appearance and their colours but from their abundance.

You were there just at the right moment to see and capture this fleeting ballerina, mush like a shy animal you may have encountered on your travels!

My warm regards,
Bev :-)

abmdsudi (95869) 2021-03-31 20:59

Hi Kasia
A festive like night capture and a very elegant subject! The poise is simply superb and I love your fairly slow shutter speed to get some motion blur in this image. Excellent piece
Best regards

ChrisJ (172440) 2021-04-04 23:57

Hi Kasia,

A superb night shot and a nice capture of the aspiring young ballerina. The purple illumination of the 3 fountain jets adds a nice splash of colour. The bg lights resemble daisies! Tfs!

PaulVDV (63546) 2021-04-05 11:21

Hello Kasia,
A beautifully maintained park where a lot of attention was also paid to colourful fountains and lighting in special shapes.
I also like your first picture in the WS where the lighting takes the form of narrow spiral staircases.
The little angel is a beautiful appearance in your main photo.
With these photos I would get the impression that life in Dushanbe is fairly carefree. Presumably a wrong impression.
Best regards, Paul

ktanska (45116) 2021-04-07 10:24

Hi Kasia,
Charming little girl dancing on her pure white dress. That is quite nice stage, and I'm glad she took the opportunity. Those fountains have quite special look. Flow of water is very steady, giving those streams quite solid appearance.
Kari

mkamionka (75217) 2021-04-08 11:26

Czesc Kasiu,
dzieci sa tak wdziecznym tematem do fotografii, hmm moze poza moja corka ktora oczywiscie na zlosc nie cierpi byc fotografowana i zawsze odwraca sie tylem.
Latwiej mi czasem fotografowac obce dzieci.
Bardzo ciekawe miejsce mnostwo swiatel i ciekawych dekoracji, swietne miejsce do nocnych spacerow z aparatem.
Pozdrawiam serdecznie,
M

jmdias (116601) 2021-06-09 9:14

kasia

I liked a lot these sculptures made of lights. they created a magical view in the park. the girl added a special touch of magic in the scenery.it was difficult to take a personage with a minimal of sharp while in movement at night. excellent result.

take care
jorge

COSTANTINO (117908) 2021-06-10 22:42

Hello dear friend and have a nice day
and a happy evening
what a beautiful photo
with a great originality!!!
there is a dream quality in this
photo with the small girl
as a ballerina...
well done
regards
Costantino