Taiko drum performer

[John Angulat]

I shot his Taiko drum performer at the Obon Dance Festival in NYC's Bryant Park. The natural lighting was difficult as it was filtered through trees and cast bright highlights and deep shadows all around. That coupled with moving dancers made exposure testy at best.

I liked the isolation of the performer to the instrument and thought the image had merit.
However...once I toss it up for critique I'm sure I'll be putting on my helmet and ducking for cover!

 

[DLibrach]

Unfortunately, I'm having a bit of difficulty with this image. I am instantly trying to figure out what the drummer is looking at and want to see what's happening to the right of the frame. That's a shame because I think the intention was for the focus to be on the drummer himself. His posture makes me feel like his drumming is just sort of inconsequential to the other events around. That he's not really concentrating on things. More interest in what's happing off-frame. It is almost as if he is just carrying on a background beat or rhythm rather than the main attraction.

What has always impressed me about these drummers is their intensity and devotion to the task at hand. I guess that is what I was looking for when I first read the title before viewing the image. Unfortunately it was not there.

Those are only my humble thoughts though and I'm sure others will be able to provide more insightful comments.

Cheers,
D

 

[Asher Kelman]

I shot his Taiko drum performer at the Obon Dance Festival in NYC's Bryant Park.

John,

The subject, as David points out, is potentially a powerful figure. Here there is more difficulty for the picture beyond the drummer "looking away". Wherever he looked would not rescue the picture at this particular moment in time! It's simple, really, nothing is happening newsworthy. No one is being shot! He is not smashing a shop window. He's not beautiful, nor holy. There's no seduction evident. So none of the extra parameters that boost interest are really present.

It's the physicality of the man that should and must hold our interest. However, what he's doing is complex. There are likely only rare moments that everything falls in a place of satisfying and pleasing position with respect to all the diverse components. This may be as difficult as composing the hawk getting its prey!

So it let's examine the form

1. His red headband is the most demanding-of-attention focus point.

2.There is no escape from it and that's an issue. Nothing in the image is as strong.

3. Outside of it, what do we have? Only competing disorder of criss-cross lines, with no sense of either tension or harmony. There's only disorder! So the timing was wrong. I don’t know it could have been right, but I feel pretty certain that here, considering the field of view included in the photograph, the image ends up with no defining form that's of interest. Even the disorder could be of interest if there was some structure to it, but even the disorder has no opposition to contain or balance it.

4. Desaturating the red headband allows some improvement but not enough.

The solution here is to look to see what might be the "essence". It may still be there in a partially desaturated image center strip. It takes in the cross of the drums sticks around which we can see the path he's going in the parade. This would mean cropping away most of the drum to the left, and much of the man to the right. Everything, to the right of where the black straps come together, would go! Although this crop is, I admit, extreme, it does isolate components that work together.

I think there maybe a better composition in adjacent frames. In any case, this may need to be staged or else I'd use a D3 or Canon 1D Mark II or better and at 8 frames a second, you might be lucky.

Good try!

Life can be tough, but this is good work and it pays well!

Asher

 

[John Angulat]

David & Asher,
Thanks so much for taking the time to critique the image. As always, I hope to learn from the comments. It truly helps us amateurs grow.

 

[Ken Tanaka]

John;
There are several strategies one could apply for photographing taiko drummers. Three come to mind immediately.

1. Capturing the essence of synchronized energy bursts.
2. Capturing the visual nature of the whole drum group operating in synchronization.
3. Capturing the momentary physical geometric relationships created by the individual drummers during a performance.

I don't believe that you've followed any such strategy with this image, so I just present the above as ideas for the future.

The image you've presented, however, most closely conforms (perhaps inadvertently) to strategy #3. I created the illustration, below, to help guide your visual thinking. It shows three strong geometries that leap out from the image as potentials to exploit in the future. Photographing the drummer from the rear, as you have, has dehumanized him; he is not really separate from his drum or drumsticks at all (contrary to your remark). He is, in fact, one with them. Since you have, again probably inadvertently, chosen to use a fast shutter speed we are left with only geometry; this guy could be a statue in the park.

You may never photograph taiko drummers again. But the lesson remains the same.

Addendum: Contrary to Asher's opinion, no I would not say that this image "sucks". Although it's not been carefully composed it actually has good stuff going in its favor. It has containment as appropriate for this scene. (There is subject matter and/or tonality in the corners to keep the eye from wandering.) There is not too much to distract us in the background. It is, however, an unfortunate angle and perhaps too tight of a crop.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Ken and John,

The "untoward remark was directed to my good friend Bill who looks at at image analysis as "a futile task" and so I was saying, O.K. that's what you might say, so don't read any more because yes, it's going to be "arts fartsy" and a drag. Sucks just means likely you couldn't sell it! He says that's his only measure of value.

Asher

 

[John Angulat]

Hi Ken,
Thanks for the critique, especially for the pointers on how to approach performers such as these. My toughest task is to remember this post next summer. The troup performs each year, so I'll get another chance (and I'll want your review!)
btw - thanks for the addendum comment. I didn't think the picture "sucks" either. Maybe not pro-quality, but I guess everyone's entitled to their opinion.

 

[Asher Kelman]

John,

Sorry for the unintended impression conveyed. Mea Culpa! Somehow a quip read badly! My positive view is expressed in the time devoted in your interesting picture!

Asher

 

[Doug Kerr]

Well, I have no dog in this fight (or should I better say cat).

But:

1. I think the very "shortcomings" that some have pointed out with regard to this image (and I understand many of them) in fact give it a very "special" impact to me. It's like a play that I liked until I read what the drama critic wrote.

2. It's good to actually see (if only partially) a taiko drum. Previously, my only awareness of it was that it is patch 117 (more precisely, the patch for program 117) in the General MIDI sound set.

 

[John Angulat]

Doug,
Oh my, what a to-do I seem to have caused! I am somewhat embarrased by it all. As a newcomer to this forum it's certainly not the way to start out, eh? Nevertheless, I am truly appreciative of the constructive analysis and help everyone's offered.
I'm equally sorry your only memory of Taiko (other than a Midi piece) will be this image. I have a number of other images shot that day and I promise to post them once the dust settles