I am Tomorrow
Boys' Traditional Dancer at Sisseton Wahpeton July 4 Powwow.
Boys' Traditional Dancer at Sisseton Wahpeton July 4 Powwow.
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Dec, 2018Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken at the annual July 4 Pow-wow that has been held by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe for over 100 years. The pow-wow, like most, welcomes the public. It is simultaneously a social celebration and a cultural one that recalls the extended family or "tiospaye" as the focal point of Dakota tribal community. This young man was participating in the young men's "traditional" dancing, so his regalia, made by his family members, is typical for that style of men's dancing.Time
Pow-wow's are full-day celebrations, and typically are three days (a weekend) long. For the July 4 "wacipi" (what the tribal members call it), there may be special dances all day and through the long evening, with a "Grand Entry" for all dancers in the early afternoon and in the early evening. This photo was taken in the early afternoon, when the overall lighting was quite bright. Using a zoom lens allowed me to move "out" into the group of dancers unobtrusively. (This young man's family did, of course, agree before I posted this here.)Lighting
Natural lighting at mid-day can be very bright, but being able to zoom in and bring the subject into clear view against a blurred background helped to offset the harsh background brightness and seemed to make the subject stand out.Equipment
Nikon D3000 with a Tamron 70-300 mm Tele-Macro lens. No tripod, no flash- see my note on cultural sensitivity below.Inspiration
The summer this was taken, I was testing the waters doing street portraiture. In a cross-cultural setting where non-tribal members are definitely visitors, though welcome at the pow-wow, I am always extra sensitive to cultural norms. It helped to use a zoom lens and to know that any picture I "use" in any manner, I get the blessing of the person (or the child's family, in this case) to use their image. Sometimes this has meant searching after the fact. In this case, I turned to several colleagues who are tribal members who were able to identify the child and connect me to his mother.Editing
I did no post-processing on this.In my camera bag
I'm a relative newbie and learning as I go. I use a Nikon D3000 with a Tamron 70-300 mm Tele-Macro lens as my go-to lens. That's what I used for this photo, as well as for several series I have done at other pow-wows and rodeos on the reservation where I live. It allows me to stay out of the way and still get close-ups, which require permission for use unless it's truly impossible for someone to say, "Hey, that's my nephew! Why were you taking pictures of him? Did you ask first?"Feedback
Crossing cultural boundaries means it is absolutely essential to be something other than a mere tourist fumbling around taking snapshots. Check to see if there are others "like you" taking photos. Better yet, go to a cultural event with a friend or colleague who can serve as your cultural guide if needed. Don't assume you, because of your own culture or positional authority, have the privilege to just jump in and start photographing. Be aware- you're a guest and, if you're like me- your white privilege is not a free pass to do whatever you think would make a "good shot." Respect, respect, respect.
