Chầu Bà | Exposure

Featured on Exposure, here is the Chầu Bà gallery.

The ‘Ladies’ (chầu bà) are the most photogenic divinities of the Mother Goddesses Religion of Vietnam. There are twelve ‘ladies’ in the Mother Goddesses pantheon who are reincarnations of the mothers. The first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and the youngest of the ‘ladies’ are the most frequently incarnated by the spirit mediums. While experienced mediums can incarnate up to 36 spirits over the course of a single Hầu Đồng ceremony, it is the incarnations of the ‘ladies’ that are the most atmospheric.

Mediums enjoy incarnating the ‘Ladies’ because the audiences’ participation is much more vocal when they make their appearance, and the ceremonies become more relaxed, playful and even raucous at times.

To illustrate this Chầu Bà gallery, I chose photographs of a Hầu Đồng ceremony performed by Ms Le Trang ; an attractive and experienced bà đồng (female medium) whose ceremony was held at Đền Tam Phủ, a temple near Hanoi.

Another gallery featuring the Mother Goddesses ceremonies is also on Exposure: Hầu Đồng

Tú Trần Thanh | Ca trù

I am very pleased to feature the work of Hanoi-based photographer Tú Trần Thanh who recently published her Ca Tru: Vietnamese Traditional Music photo gallery on Exposure.

Followers of my own photography and this blog will know that Ca Tru is a complex form of sung poetry found in the north of Viet Nam using lyrics written in traditional Vietnamese poetic forms. It flourished in the 15th century when it was popular with the royal palace, and was a favorite activity of aristocrats and scholars. It was later performed in communal houses, inns and private homes.

Ca trù singing was added in 2009 on UNESCO's List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

Although Ca trù artists have made great efforts to transmit the old repertoire to younger generations, it is still under threat of being lost due to the diminishing number and age of practitioners. It is  photographers like Tú Trần Thanh who recognize the value of such cultural patrimony, and who document the photographers' performances in an effort to enhance the art's popularity amongst Vietnamese and non Vietnamese alike.

I was very fortunate to have met Tú Trần Thanh, who shares my interest in the Lên đồng and Hầu đồng rituals and who, in spite of having a demanding non-photographic full time job, assisted and facilitated my self-assignment of documenting these rituals during my trip to Hanoi in March 2015.

Vlad Sokhin | The Nyau Brotherhood

Photo © Vlad Sokhin - All Rights Reserved- Courtesy CNN

CNN occasionally features interesting photo essays and photojournalistic works on its website, and has introduced me to the initiation rituals and practices of the Nyau brotherhood, which is a secret society of the Chewa, an ethnic group of the Bantu peoples from Central and Southern Africa.

The Nyau secret society includes coded language, riddles, metaphor, and satire.

Primarily the Nyau perform their masked dances at funerals, memorial services and initiations, but prior to the dances,  the dancers observe a series of secret rituals which are associated with their a secret brotherhood. Each dancer represents a special character relating to the mask or animal constructions worn. The animals are large constructions that cover the entire body while the masks worn over the face are primarily ancestral spirits. 

Nyau masks are constructed of wood and straw. and are divided into three styles; a feathered net mask, a wooden mask and  a large basketry structure that envelops the entire body of the dancer.

CNN's Behind The Scenes of an African Society includes over a dozen photographs by Vlad Sokhin; who actually had to join the Nyau secret society, by going through the initiation rituals and thus infiltrating it.

Vlad lived in Mozambique from 2010-2011, and although the ritualistic dance in recognized by the UNESCO since 2005, it's a largely hidden and feared activity. To gain access and be allowed to photograph it, he had to befriend one of its members and go through a rough initiation ceremony.

Vlad Sokhin is a documentary photographer, videographer and multimedia producer. He covers social, cultural, environmental, health and human rights issues around the world, including post-conflict and natural disaster zones. He worked on photo, video and radio projects, collaborating with various international media and with the United Nations and international NGOs. Vlad’s work has been exhibited and published internationally, including at Visa Pour L’Image and Head On photo festivals and in the International Herald Tribune, BBC World Service, the Guardian, National Geographic Traveler, GEO, ABC, NPR, The Atlantic, Stern, Le Monde, Paris Match, Esquire, Das Magazin, WIRE Amnesty International, Sydney Morning Herald, Marie Claire, The Global Mail, Russian Reporter and others.

He is fluent in English, Russian and Portuguese and also speaks Spanish and Tok Pisin (Papua New Guinea). He is currently also learning French and Arabic.

Matjaz Krivic | Earth Temples | Maptia

Photo © Matjaz Krivic

"On my quest to find the world's silent spaces, I was drawn to places of worship and to vast natural spaces..." and so starts Matjaz Krivic's Earth Temples, a gallery of stunning panoramic photographs made almost all over the world, from the Hari Mandir in Amritsar to Christ in Corcovado, Brazil.

It is in these places or spaces that one can sometimes experience absolute and utter silence; a rare commodity in our modern world that is besieged by constant cacophony, noise 'pollution' and the like.

Matjaz's panoramas are rendered justice on MAPTIA; a wonderful storytelling platform for photographers.

Matjaz Krivic is a globe-trotting photographer from Slovenia specializing in capturing the personality of indigenous people and places. He has covered the face of the earth in his intense, personal and aesthetically moving style that has won him several awards. For 20 years, he has made the road his home and most of the time you can find him traveling with his camera somewhere between the Sahara and the Himalayan region.

POV: A Synthesis of Ethno & Fashion Photography?

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

A recent off-the-cuff tongue-in-cheek post on my Facebook page set off quite a large number of "Like" as well as supportive commentary from other photographers, friends and followers. I was surprised that there was so many reactions to such a light-hearted post, and it made me reflect as to the reason behind the reactions.

First off, to paraphrase the well-known figure of speech referring to Helen of Troy, below is the face that launched a "thousand" reactions. It's a photograph of the South Korean model Kim Sung Hee, which I found on a random Tumblr blog. No photographer's name was given so I wasn't able to credit it properly as I always do to any photograph appearing on this blog.

Model: Kim Sung Hee-Source: http://koreanmodel.tumblr.com/

On the Facebook post, I said this: "When I Grow Up, I'm Going To Photograph Like This"...a self-deprecating comment that -in combination with the absolutely gorgeous portrait- garnered sympathetic attention.

Yes, I wouldn't mind having the opportunity of photographing models (after all, who wouldn't?) and I suppose I could if I were really serious and determined about it. There are many studios in New York City where I could get involved with in some capacity, and do some similar work.

But that's not really what I see myself doing. A controlled work environment, a studio, strobes, box diffusers, capricious models, make up artists... no, that's not my thing at all.

No, one of my visual interests is in ethno-photography, perhaps melded with a little ethnic-traditional fashion. 

I suppose the best way of defining this particular visual interest of mine is through the portrait I made of Ms Hường Đặng (top photograph) at Hanoi's Ngoc Son Temple. A Ca Tru musician, she wears the dress and headband in the style of the royals courts of Vietnam. To me, this photograph (and others of Ms Hường at the same location and elsewhere) exemplifies what I'm also interested in photographing while I travel. It's distinct from the environmental portraiture I normally do, because it relies on subjects wearing traditional and fashionable attire as fashion models do... in photogenic settings (such as temples, old houses, etc) but not at the locations where they normally live or work... or in the streets.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Having recently witnessed a number of hầu đồng ceremonies performed by attractive practitioners last month, I (unsuccessfully so far) tried to persuade some to be photographed in their costumes fashion model style. However, as these costumes are considered religious attire, and can only to be worn during ceremonies by the mediums when they are "visited' by the spirits, this will be probably impossible.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Here's another example of what I mean by ethno-photography I'm interested in. The photograph was made in the ancient Chinese Assembly Hall which was transformed into a temple dedicated to the Fujian deity named Thien Hau, the goddess of the sea, with the assistance of Ms Hiền Trang.

Is this fashion? Is it travel photography or is it ethno-photography in the classical sense? Is a synthesis of ethno and fashion photography? Perhaps. I don't know for sure, but it's a style that I certainly like doing.

Travel Photographer Asia Contest | Top Five

Photo © Sugiarto Sugiarto- Courtesy Travel Photographer Asia

Photo © Chee Keong Lim-Courtesy Travel Photographer Asia

Photo © Achmad zet Zaeni-Courtesy Travel Photographer Asia

Photo © Deba Prasad Roy-Courtesy Travel Photographer Asia

Photo © Magnus Brynestam-Courtesy of Travel Photographer Asia

Eric Beecroft, Rahman Roslan, Khaula Jamil and myself juried the Travel Photographer Asia* contest which has just announced its top five winners.

The top winner of the contest is Sugiarto Sugiarto with his monochrome image of a Pacu Jawi racer with his buffalos during a traditional bull race in Sumatra. However, the remaining 4 photographs are equally impressive, and all five are well deserved wins for their photographers.

I was glad to have been chosen to the panel of judges, and view the over 2000 submissions of travel photographs from both professional and amateur photographers who travelled in Asia. Many of the submissions were enormously inspiring and will certainly inspire many photographers to expand their geographical explorations within that unique continent, with its myriad of cultures and traditions.

My thanks to Ahsan Qureshi in Kuala Lumpur for having invited me to join the jury panel, and for his continuing involvement in enhancing photography in Asia.

Aaron Joel Santos | Christs of Cutud

Photo © Aaron Joel Santos-All Rights Reserved

Catholics around the Philippines re-enact the crucifixion of Jesus during Holy Week, and these events draw thousands of people annually who attend them to witness actual crucifixions. The Catholic Church does not approve the crucifixions, and does not endorse them. The media in the Philippines has also turned against the rites, calling them "pagan and barbaric" but still cover them to satisfy the public's interest.

One of the most graphic is the Holy Week re-enactment of Christ’s passion and death in San Pedro Cutud which includes a Passion Play culminating with the actual nailing of at least three penitents to a wooden cross. The Passion Play is a dramatic presentation depicting the Passion of Jesus Christ: his trial, suffering and death, and is a traditional part of Lent in the Catholic tradition.
Christs of Cutud is a photo gallery by Aaron Joel Santos, which depicts one of these gory events. Many of the photographs also show penitents self-flagellating; as a re-enactment of the Flagellation of Christ, an episode in the Passion of Christ prior to Jesus' crucifixion.

I was struck by the similarities with the Day of Ashura that is observed by Shi'a communities worldwide to commemorate the Battle of Karbala and the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, and who self-mortify by flogging themselves on the chest.

Aaron Joel Santos is a  documentary and travel photographer working on assignments across Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and all of Southeast Asia. He is represented by Novus Select in the United States and Noi Pictures in Vietnam. He is also part of the Wonderful Machine roster, and sells his stock photography through Aurora Photos and Glasshouse Images.

His clients include The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, The Wall Street Journal, The Globe & Mail, The Boston Globe, The Telegraph, Ink Publishing, the International Labor Organization, and numerous others. He also works for commercial and corporate clients such as Vespa, Apple, M Gallery Hotels, Six Senses Resorts, Hyatt, and Indochina Capital.

POV: The Women Mediums of Hầu Đồng

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

During the past few months reading up on Đạo Mẫu (Mother Goddess worship), the syncretic religious tradition that mixes elements of traditional goddess worship of Vietnam, along with Hầu Đồng as one of its one of the main rituals, I realized that it's not only one of the oldest religions in Vietnamese history, but that its mediums and spiritual shamans -irrespective of their gender- were the linchpins of this divine feminine worship.

Surprisingly, the more well-known mediums are not women but males, who impersonate (or are reincarnated in) female goddesses during these lengthy rituals. These men "cross-dress" as divine female deities within the Vietnamese Buddhist pantheon of goddesses.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

For centuries, Đạo Mẫu temples have been the one place where gays and bisexual men were able to practice their religiosity, artistry and spirituality as mediums in this predominantly conservative country. In such traditional temples, they were able to express their sexuality and femininity, blurring the distinctions between genders. Consequently, male mediums (known as ông đồng) have attained a well earned reputation to be some of the best in their community.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

That said, I have witnessed many Hầu Đồng ceremonies during the weeks of my stay in Hanoi that were entirely conducted by women (female mediums are known as bà đồng). Although I expected their ceremonies would be more authentic than those by their male counterparts since they incarnated female spirits, both were equally captivating; at least to my uncritical eyes.

Setting the ceremonial and 'technical' aspects aside, I thought that the female mediums were much more photogenic than the men. However, it seemed to me the male mediums had more of a following, had more "stage" presence...and were quicker in getting the audience in the right state of mind.

I was struck at how young and attractive these bà đồng were. Very well groomed, professionally manicured, with fingers frequently covered in jewelry, these women were answering a calling to become mediums. Some were full time professionals, and earned a living from it, while others were part-timers. Most were also fortune-tellers (cô đồng) and had other careers.

For instance, Ms. Dương Trà My (middle photograph) is a 22 years old who started a career in cosmetics, but exhibited a spirituality conducive to become a medium and answered the call. Training under other male mediums, she recently conducted a ceremony and was profiled on a Vietnamese newspaper.

Chai Wallahs of India | Zach Marks & Resham Gellatly

Photo © Chai Wallahs of India-All Rights Reserved

"In Hindi, a wallah is someone makes or sells a certain good. Chai means tea. A chai wallah is person who makes or sells tea—or both! But in India, chai isn’t simply tea, a hot drink made with water and leaves."

Chai is the word for tea in many countries of the world, and is an ancient beverage which has played an important role in many cultures. The chai from India is a spiced milk tea that is increasingly popular throughout the world, and is made of black tea, milk, various spices and a sweetener. The most common spices added to it are cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and pepper. 

I recall the first time I drank masala chai was while I was photographing the 2001 Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad. Fourteen years ago, and I still remember the taste of my first cup. It was on the grounds of the Kumbh Mela encampments, and was served in a small clay cup which one threw away to break it when done. Nowadays, chai is usually served in small plastic cup...another sign of "modernity".

Zach Marks and Resham Gellatly are collecting stories of chai wallahs from India’s many distinct regions, highlighting the variations in chai culture and the role chai wallahs play in different communities. By documenting how chai is woven into the daily fabric of India, they seek to depict a culture that epitomizes India’s diversity and unity.

Their stories can be found on Chai Wallahs of India. 

Ashok Sinha | The Last Jews of Calcutta

Photo © Ashok Sinha-All Rights Reserved

Some years ago I had an interest in documenting the very few Jews still living in Egypt at that time, after many thousands of them left the country in 1956 and in subsequent years. I researched its feasibility, and determined that there were so few of them left that the project would fail. I also expected that they, mostly elderly and poor, would be hardly inclined to be photographed and talk about their lives, fearing the Egyptian government would take umbrage. So I let the project go.

While on my 2011 photo expedition-workshop The Cult of Durga in Kolkata, my group and I dropped by the Magen David Synagogue to see if there was anything worthwhile to photograph. It was coincidentally Yom Kippur (which we didn't know), but the synagogue was almost empty. The Muslim guard, who stood watch at its gate, called one of the congregants, and she agreed to let us in and photograph. With an estimated 25 Jews remaining in this city of 14 million people, the synagogue is now rarely used.

Ashok has featured 28 photographs in a photo essay titled The Last Jews of Calcutta, which showcases the synagogue and the remnants of the congregation that remain. The Jews in Kolkata were Baghdadi (Iraqi) Jews who had emigrated from Baghdad and elsewhere in Iraq to large commercial Indian cities, including Mumbai and Madras as well.

Ashok Sinha was born in Kolkata, and has been living and working in New York City for the past two decades. He's been a professional photographer since 2008, shooting portraits, travel, and architecture, and traveled  to over 40 countries, photographing remote tribes, vast landscapes, local culture, food, and faces. He was educated at Columbia, NYU, and the International Center of Photography, and garnered acknowledgments from American Society of Media Photographers, Lucie Foundation, Photo District News, Association of Photographers UK, World Photographic Arts, and the BBC.