View allAll Photos Tagged incense_sticks
the Ganga Aarti happens every evening on the banks of the Ganges River. it's a very powerful and uplifting spiritual ritual that uses fire as an offering to the Goddess Ganga.
The aarti is performed on a stage by a group of young pandits, all draped in saffron colored robes with their puja plates spread out before them. It commences with the blowing of a conch shell, and continues with the waving of incense sticks in elaborate patterns and circling of large flaming lamps that create a bright hue against the darkened sky. The movement of the lamps, held in the pandits' hands, is tightly synchronizing to the rhythmic chants of hymns and clang of cymbals. The heady scent of sandalwood thickly permeates the air.
A maha aarti (great aarti) takes place on a particularly elaborate scale in Varanasi near the end of each year on Kartik Purnima.
Hemis Summer Festival 2011, Ladakh, India.
The Hemis Festival is dedicated to Lord Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) venerated as the Dance Performance at Hemis Monastery representative reincarnate of Buddha. He is believed to have been born on the 10th day of the fifth month of the Monkey year as predicted by the Buddha Shakyamuni. It is also believed that his life mission was, and remains, to improve the spiritual condition of all living beings. And so on this day, which comes once in a cycle of 12 years, Hemis observes a major extravaganza in his memory. The observance of these sacred rituals is believed to give spiritual strength and good health. The Hemis festival takes place in the rectangular courtyard in front of the main door of the monastery. The space is wide and open save two raised square platforms, three feet high with a sacred pole in the center. A raised dais with a richly cushioned seat with a finely painted small Tibetan table is placed with the ceremonial items - cups full of holy water, uncooked rice, tormas made of dough and butter and incense sticks. A number of musicians play the traditional music with four pairs of cymbals, large-pan drums, small trumpets and large size wind instruments. Next to them, a small space is assigned for the lamas to sit.
The ceremonies begin with an early morning ritual atop the Gompa where, to the beat of drums and the resounding clash of cymbals and the spiritual wail of pipes, the portrait of "Dadmokarpo" or "Rygyalsras Rinpoche" is then ceremoniously put on display for all to admire and worship.
The most esoteric of festivities are the mystic mask dances. The Mask Dances of Ladakh are referred collectively as chams Performance. Chams performance is essentially a part of Tantric tradition, performed only in those gompas which follow the Tantric Vajrayana teachings and the monks perform tantric worship.
YET ANOTHER FLICKR BUG........FLICKR IS NOT LETTING ME COMMENT ON ANY PICTURES AT THE MOMENT, I KEEP GETTING AN ERROR MESSAGE. WILL TRY AGAIN LATER. PLENTY OF COMPLAINTS ON THE FORUM ABOUT THIS.
Because of the promise of moksha to every Hindu whose ashes are deposited in its waters, it is considered highly desirable to be cremated on the banks of the sacred river Ganges at one of Varanasi's two burning ghats. (A "ghat" is a set of steps.) Practicalities of time, distance and expense mean that most Hindus will not get the opportunity. Yet over a hundred cremations do occur here each day. Funeral pyres are visible at the burning ghats 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The process of arranging a cremation begins by visiting the Dom Raja, the "king" of the Doms. Doms are considered the lowest of the untouchables in the Hindu caste system yet only they can facilitate a cremation at either of the burning ghats. A cremation here is expensive; not everyone can afford it. The Dom Raja sets a price for access to the "eternal flame" based on the means of each particular family.
The price paid to the Dom Raja does not include the cost of the wood used in the funeral pyre. This requires a separate negotiation with a wood dealer. Ghee, herbs, incense sticks and flowers also represent additional expenses.
A body must be cremated within 24 hours of death so individuals wishing to insure their own cremation at the burning ghats often arrive early. They make their arrangements with the Dom Raja and then wait to die at one of the nearby hospice facilities. Persons with no means to pay for this service may be brought to Varanasi by a family member and left to beg for money to cover the cost of their own cremation.
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The praying tool set includes: a bundle of incense sticks, 3 larger incense joss sticks, a red candle and wrapped in layers of printed joss papers which also acts as scrolls of charms, to be burnt as message notes deliver to heaven
It has been a while since I've last visited grandma at the memorial hall.
The Chinese believes strongly in the after-life where life actually goes on and naturally there are many necessities and material needs at the other side - it's some place between Heaven and Hell, called the Spiritual Realm - despite the direct translation of "Hell Bank" :-)
Joss paper products ranges from clothing to fashion accessories, household utilities as well as modern technologies such as Ipad, Galaxy phones, Xbox etc. Also available are a variety of branded labels, which had recently raised some debatable questions on copyrights issues.
For more colorful Chinese culture, please visit my set:
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Damask Roses, renowned for their fine fragrance, are commercially harvested for rose oil used in perfumery, incense sticks and soaps. It is also used in making temple - garlands and rose-water.
There is the Chinese custom that people like to put the first incense stick (頭柱香) in the temple and make the New Year''s wishes. Then the wishes will come true in the new year.
I am interested to see the crowd and I went to Richmond Buddhist Temple to see people burning the incense sticks and making their wishes.
I also saw the Buddha was laughing and said "I am not the God. Why do you make the prayer to me? Do you still remember my teachings that the fortune, health, well-being and happiness in the life are just temporal? Why are you asking for more? Greed is the source of pain and suffering in life ....
The people are just so excited in praying and burning the incense sticks and nobody hears the laughters of Buddha .....
Have a great Monday and great week ahad!.
For the three nights straddling the Mid-Autumn festival[3], visitors can also see the spectacular Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance. It's a 67-metre-long 'fire dragon' that winds its way with much fanfare and smoke through a collection of streets located in Tai Hang, close to Victoria Park in Causeway Bay. The Tai Hang Fire Dragon Dance started in 1880 when Tai Hang was a small Hakka village of farmers and fishermen on the waterfront of Causeway Bay. This custom has been followed every year since 1880, with the exception of the Japanese Occupation and during the 1967 disturbances.[4]
According to local legend, over a century ago, a few days before the Mid-Autumn Festival, a typhoon and then a plague wreaked havoc on the village. While the villagers were repairing the damage, a python entered the village and ate their livestock. According to some villagers, the python was the son of the Dragon King. A soothsayer decreed the only way to stop the chaos was to stage a fire dance for three days and nights during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. The villagers made a huge dragon of straw and covered it with incense sticks, which they then lit. Accompanied by drummers and erupting firecrackers, they danced for three days and three nights – and the plague disappeared.
© RAMINDER PAL SINGH
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
She is Raseswari Mohanty, an Indian classical dancer from the Indian state of Orissa. I got an opportunity to get this shot when she was preparing for her on stage performance during the 14th National Youth Festival being held in Amritsar these days. As you can see, she is very photogenic and the light provided by the setting Sun, peeping through a window in front of her gave me enough opportunity to capture her pretty face while she was putting on her make up. She was very co-operative to let me shoot as much as I wished.
After getting ready she performed some rituals which I witnessed for the very first time. She lighted up incense sticks and prayed to God and then touched the feet of her Guru or the teacher before she finally went out of the make-shift dressing room for her performance of Odissi dance on the stage.
She was very graceful in her movements and she performed some very difficult steps while she danced. Her expressions were in sync with her dancing style and her performance was excellent. I don’t know much about the Indian classical dances but I am sure she will turn out to be a great dancer in the recent future. I wish her success and happiness.
The Tai Hang Fire Dragon has its origin in 1880 . At that time , Tai Hang was only a small Hakka village and the villagers , most of them farmers and fishermen , Led a simple and peaceful life . The tale started when the villagers once killed a serpent in a stormy night , but in the next morning , the dead body of the serpent had disappeared . A few days later , a plague spread out in Tai Hang and many people died of infection . Meanwhile , a village elder saw Buddha one night in his dream and was told to perform a Fire Dragon Dance and to burn fire crackers in the Mid-Autumn Festival. The sulphur in the fire crackers drove away the disease and the villagers were saved. Since then , every year the Tai Hang residents would perform the Fire Dragon Dance for three nights in the Mid-Autumn Festival in memory of the incident. The Fire Dragon is altogether 220 feet long with its body divided into 32 segments , all of which are stuffed with straw and stuck full of incense sticks , So it is known as the "Fire-Dragon".
In June 2011, the Tai Hang fire dragon dance have been added to the third national intangible cultural heritage list.
www.taihangfiredragon.hk/about.htm
Camera for the photo : Olympus OM-D E-M5
Lens for the photo : M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f/1.8
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Mr New Monk at The Dog Palace.
Street Photography, Jungle Style.
Nikon D300 DX Camera.
Nikkor 17-55 2.8 Lens.
OK, I'll walk you through this as best I can.
This is the second floor at The Dog Palace.
You've all seen it many times in different photos.
Mr New Monk did a quick cleaning, set up two
large candles and 3 incense sticks.
Got down on his pillow and started chanting.
Alright lets set the scene a little better here..
Mr New Monk is a very happy/short/small man.
When he started chanting his voice filled the air
as if it came from a giant of a man.
Echoing throughout the entire Dog Palace as if
the whole world was his audience .
After some time Mama and I went back down to
the first floor dinning area where I just sat in my
blue plastic chair. It was a personal concert
happening for Mama and myself, very enjoyable.
One more thing, the reflection next to his rt knee is
the big Buddha statue up on the monkey mountain.
Little further to his rt is two more Buddha reflections.
Mama is very relaxed while the monk chants and takes a
nap knowing I'm close by.
When I left she was right beside my leg never missing a beat.
..... Enjoy the included youtube monks chanting .....
As a side note, IMHO,
"When one separates themselves from
unconditional love and compassion they
live in a world full of pain and hatred".
"But, a man must always know his limitations".
-Jon-.
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Monks Chanting.
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Long Version Monks Chanting.
Thank you for your comments and donations.
Thank You.
Jon&Crew.
Please help with your donations here.
www.gofundme.com/saving-thai-temple-dogs.
Please,
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Large Logos or Copy/Pastes.
© All rights reserved.
14. Smoke
That's a photograph project and the idea is to hunt 100 photos and match them for given titles. I'm doing the list in random order.
Here's the project list -> Artistic Temperament Scavenger Hunt.
Inverted with gradient.
Der Balinesische Garten spiegelt das Streben der Menschen nach Einklang mit sich selbst, ihrem Umfeld und dem gesamten Universum. Auf Bali heißt es, dass ein harmonisches Miteinander der Dämonen der Erde, der Götter des Himmels und der Menschen auf der Erde unabdingbar ist und Leben erst ermöglicht. Der Balinesische Garten ist so gestaltet, dass alle Elemente miteinander in Einklang kommen können. Darum heißt er „Garten der drei Harmonien“ – auf balinesisch Tri Hita Karana.
Er entstand 2003 im Rahmen der Städtepartnerschaft Berlin-Jakarta, zunächst in einem kleinen, bereits bestehenden Gewächshaqus.. Im Zentrum der Halle steht ein südbalinesischer Wohnhof, der durch eine Lehmziegelmauer von seiner Umgebung abgegrenzt ist. Die baulichen Elemente der Wohnstätte wurden von dem indonesischen Architekten I Putu Edy Semara entworfen und zu großen Teilen auf Bali vorgefertigt. Die „Pura“ gennannte Tempelanlage dient der in Berlin lebenden Bali-Gemeinde als Ort, an dem sie ihre Kultur pflegen und ihre Religion ausüben kann. 2012 wurden zwei zusätzliche Schreine gebaut, die in einer feierlichen Zeremonie von aus Bali eingeflogenen Priestern geweiht wurden. Auf ihnen wirst du stets Opfergaben wie Blumen, Früchte oder Räucherstäbchen finden, die dazu dienen, die Götter gnädig zu stimmen.
Für die IGA 2017 wurde dann eine 1.200 qm große Tropenhalle über dem Gewächshaus errichtet, das nach ihrer Fertigstellung abgebaut wurde. So konnte die bestehende Anlage deutlich erweitert werden. Das energieeffiziente Warmhaus ermöglichte die Kultivierung anspruchsvoller tropischer Pflanzen. Nun endlich konnte sich ein richtiger balinesischer Dschungel entfalten.
In der 14 m hohen Halle sind die Wohnanlage und die Gärten untergebracht. Das feuchtwarme Klima in der Halle stellt im Winter den Fotografen vor große Probleme, weil die Optik immer wieder beschlägt.
Quelle: GrünBerlin GmbH
The Balinese Garden reflects people's striving for harmony with themselves, their environment and the entire universe. In Bali it is said that a harmonious coexistence of the demons of the earth, the gods of heaven and the people on earth is indispensable and makes life possible. The Balinese Garden is designed so that all elements can come into harmony with each other. That is why it is called the "Garden of the Three Harmonies" - Tri Hita Karana in Balinese.
It was created in 2003 as part of the Berlin-Jakarta city partnership, initially in a small, already existing greenhouse. In the centre of the hall is a South Balinese residential courtyard, which is separated from its surroundings by a mud-brick wall. The structural elements of the dwelling were designed by the Indonesian architect I Putu Edy Semara and largely prefabricated in Bali. The temple complex, called "Pura", serves the Bali community living in Berlin as a place where they can cultivate their culture and practise their religion. In 2012, two additional shrines were built and consecrated in a solemn ceremony by priests flown in from Bali. On them, you will always find offerings such as flowers, fruits or incense sticks, which serve to make the gods merciful.
For the IGA 2017, a 1,200-square-metre tropical hall was then built over the greenhouse, which was dismantled after its completion. This allowed the existing facility to be significantly expanded. The energy-efficient warm house enabled the cultivation of demanding tropical plants. Now, finally, a real Balinese jungle could unfold.
The 14 m high hall houses the living quarters and the gardens. The warm and humid climate in the hall poses great problems for photographers in winter because the lens keeps fogging up.
Source: GrünBerlin GmbH
Blue smoke rises from incense sticks outside Huazang Si on the summit of Emei Shan, Sichuan Province
Flames inside these brass lanterns are for visitors to light their incense sticks.
Incense is associated with the yin energies of the dead, ghosts, temples and shrines.
Wong Tai Sin Temple, Hong Kong, China (Wednesday 24 April 2013 @ 3:02pm)
Texture courtesy of Skeletal Mess
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Diwali (also spelled Devali in certain regions) or Deepavali, popularly known as the "festival of lights", is an important five-day festival in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism, occurring between mid-October and mid-November. For Hindus, Diwali is the most important festival of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. Deepavali is an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore, and Fiji.
The name Diwali is itself a contraction of the word "Deepavali" (Sanskrit: दीपावली Dīpāvalī), which translates into "row of lamps". Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps (diyas, or dīpa in Sanskrit: दीप) filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. During Diwali, all the celebrants wear new clothes and share sweets and snacks with family members and friends. Most Indian business communities begin the financial year on the first day of Diwali.
Diwali commemorates the return of Lord Rama along with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen-year-long exile and vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, the Capital of Rama, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (oil lamps) and burst crackers.
In Jainism, Diwali marks the attainment of moksha or nirvana by Mahavira in 527 BC. In Sikhism, Deepavali commemorates the return of Guru Har Gobind Ji to Amritsar after freeing 52 Hindu kings imprisoned in Fort Gwalior by defeating Emperor Jahangir; the people lit candles and diyas to celebrate his return. This is the reason Sikhs also refer to Deepavali as Bandi Chhorh Divas, "the day of release of detainees". Deepavali is widely celebrated in both India and Nepal.
The first day of the festival Naraka Chaturdasi marks the vanquishing of the demon Naraka by Lord Krishna and his wife Satyabhama. Amavasya, the second day of Deepawali, marks the worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth in her most benevolent mood, fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. Amavasya also tells the story of Lord Vishnu, who in his dwarf incarnation vanquished the tyrant Bali, and banished him to hell. Bali was allowed to return to earth once a year, to light millions of lamps to dispel the darkness and ignorance, and spread the radiance of love and wisdom. It is on the third day of Deepawali — Kartika Shudda Padyami - that Bali steps out of hell and rules the earth according to the boon given by Lord Vishnu. The fourth day is referred to as Yama Dvitiya (also called Bhai Dooj) and on this day sisters invite
In each legend, myth and story of Deepawali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each Deepawali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope. From darkness unto light — the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity. During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope. Diwali is celebrated around the globe. Outside India, it is more than a Hindu festival, it's a celebration of South-Asian identities.
While Deepavali is popularly known as the "festival of lights", the most significant spiritual meaning is "the awareness of the inner light". Central to Hindu philosophy is the assertion that there is something beyond the physical body and mind which is pure, infinite, and eternal, called the Atman. The celebration of Deepavali as the "victory of good over evil", refers to the light of higher knowledge dispelling all ignorance, the ignorance that masks one's true nature, not as the body, but as the unchanging, infinite, immanent and transcendent reality. With this awakening comes compassion and the awareness of the oneness of all things (higher knowledge). This brings Ananda (joy or peace). Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Deepavali is the celebration of this Inner Light.
While the story behind Deepavali and the manner of celebration varies from region to region (festive fireworks, worship, lights, sharing of sweets), the essence is the same – to rejoice in the Inner Light (Atman) or the underlying Reality of all things (Brahman).
Source : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diwali
The city of Mysore, in the Southern State of Karnataka, is a major incense production center exporting worldwide. A single worker makes thousands of incense sticks a day, but their working conditions are tough. They (mostly women) have to work long hours in very poorly lit rooms, and the repetitious nature of the work and exposure to chemicals for scenting the dipped incense sticks often causes postural, locomotive system and skin problems.
Karnataka, India. 2011
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Incense sticks in a boutique in Pézenas, Languedoc-Roussillon, France. A great little town to wander round with many small shops and artisans at work. These brightly coloured incense sticks caught my eye and the mixture of colour and lines seemed to work
14. Smoke
That's a photograph project and the idea is to hunt 100 photos and match them for given titles. I'm doing the list in random order.
Here's the project list -> Artistic Temperament Scavenger Hunt.
Inverted with gradient.
ODC - at play
First time photographing smoke for D and I tonight. I went to Tesco to get some incense sticks but they had none so we had to make do by blowing out a candle lol
This is something I would like to come back to..on another wet rainy evening :-)
Also for slider Sunday HSS!
I remember going to the original Kard Bar in Newcastle 's Handy Side Arcade in the early 1970's. It was the place to go for Posters and TieDyed T-shirts incense sticks. The shop had a Wonderfull aroma of Incense and Patchouli oil. When in the arcade was demolished in 1987 the owner of the Kard Bar, Brian Sandells, moved his shop across the city to Cross Street where the shop continued until 2015 when it was destroyed by fire. Brian Sandells, who was living above the shop at the time died in the fire. The remains of the building have now been demolished.
Smoke - Our Daily Challenge
Hints for myself when doing this again (which I will because it was fun) - Manually focus on something 12" high, same spot incense will be. Then remove the focus object and set up incense. I tried shooting at different distances from the black background, and forgot to change the focus The result of this was a lot of deleted shots. If the smoke wants to rise straight upward, wave it with your hand, or put a roof above your set-up. Aperture of /5.0 with exposure of 1/250 seconds worked quite well but the results might be different with better focus or brighter lights. Work quickly because the air fills with smoke, with fuzzy results. Two incense sticks might provide interesting results.
If you want to try photographing smoke, this tutorial was recommended by PhotoStimulus and was very helpful. I found this tutorial helpful as well.
Quang Phu Cau village in Hanoi, Vietnam is famous for its century old craft of making incense. Drying incense sticks in Quang Phu Cau handicraft village. Travel and landscape concept.
#HongKong #HK #Mid-AutumnFestival. #FireDragonDance #DragonDance #PokFuLam #Tradition #Culture
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The city of Mysore, in the Southern State of Karnataka, is a major incense production center exporting worldwide. A single worker makes thousands of incense sticks a day, but their working conditions are tough. They (mostly women) have to work long hours in very poorly lit rooms, and the repetitious nature of the work and exposure to chemicals for scenting the dipped incense sticks often causes postural, locomotive system and skin problems.
Karnataka, India. 2011
Vietnam - Day 6 of 12, 08:22. These incense sticks are burning at the entrance to the Thien Mu temple, close to the Imperial City of Hue.
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My photos may be purchased at: store.alexstoen.com
While planning my trip to Southeast Asia last year I peruse many websites, blogs, forums. I found social media helpful in fine tuning my itinerary. I reached out to many individuals and most recommended the usual destinations and adventures: the beaches in Southern Thailand, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, trekking in Sapa, Vietnam. One thing I had a hard time deciding was to add Malaysia to my itinerary or not. I did not find much in depth information about destinations in Malaysia and was about to skip it when I got a Facebook message that I should definitely visit Penang and its capitol George Town.
George Town, Penang turned out to be the highlight of my Malaysian adventure. It was the perfect place to wander around with my camera and capture the local slice of life.
The best thing about street photography is serendipity. While at the Kuan Yin Teng or Temple of the Goddess of Mercy, I photographed this young girl burning incense sticks and offering prayers. It was only after I downloaded this photo on my computer did I notice the man in the background doing the same thing but in the opposite direction.
This concludes the Malaysian part of my trip and now be prepared to join me on the next part of my Southeast Asian adventure as I travel to the exotic country of Thailand - the “Land of Smiles.”
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Update: I just got back from a quick trip to Mexico and visiting the beautiful cities of Guadalajara and Guanajuato. The city of Guanajuato, like the city of George Town, Penang, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. I was there last October and fell in love with the city’s charm. I booked a room at the same guesthouse I stayed in last year and as I walked in the front door, Jorge the owner, gave me a huge welcoming hug and exclaimed, “Samuel!”
Guanajuato, Mexico...where everybody knows your name. I love this city!
Happy Travels!
Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography
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Loi Krathong takes place on the evening of the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional and they do this all evening on the 12th monthThai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November.
Loi means 'to float', while krathong refers to the (usually) lotus-shaped container which floats on the water. Krathong has no other meaning in Thai besides decorative floats, so Loi Krathong is very hard to translate, requiring a word describing what a Krathong looks like such as Floating Crown, Floating Boat, Floating Decoration. The traditional krathong are made from a slice of the trunk of a banana tree or a spider lily plant. Modern krathongs are more often made of bread or styrofoam. A bread krathong will disintegrate after a few days and can be eaten by fish. Banana stalk krathong are also biodegradable, but styrofoam krathongs are sometimes banned, as they pollute the rivers and may take years to decompose. A krathong is decorated with elaborately-folded banana leaves, incense sticks, and a candle. A small coin is sometimes included as an offering to the river spirits. On the night of the full moon, Thais launch their krathong on a river, canal or a pond, making a wish as they do so. The festival may originate from an ancient ritual paying respect to the water spirits.
Graham Jefferey is the pioneer of smoke photography and started shooting smoke in 2003. I was inspired by his work and followed a few of his techniques which I will briefly mention. First of all the back ground for the snaps was all black. In my case I used smoke from a cigarette and incense sticks. The speed light was placed on the side with a black paper wrapped around it in order to prevent light from coming in to the lens or illuminating the back ground. I wanted as much light as possible on the smoke and nothing but the smoke. I used F/13 as my apperture value in order to get better depth of field. After the image was captured, I opened it in Adobe Photoshop and adjusted the blacks in order to get a perfect and uniformed black as the background color. Then I inverted (ctrl+i) the image and the back ground automatically became white. After that I selected parts of the smoke and feathered them and then adjusted the color level, hue and saturation for each feathered part. Feathering is very important here in order to achieve a gradual gradient transformation between colors. Finally the image was cleaned and cropped in order to get rid of unwanted smoke and particles. Have a good day :)
November 2011,
Nikon D7000, Nikkor 85mm macro F 3.5,
F/13, 1/250s, 200 ISO
SB 700 SpeedLight fired from side