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Norm Dulak
08-28-2012, 03:23 PM
Canon PowerShot S90
ISO 250; f/6.3, 1/60 sec; w/flash

Shamans use faith, mystical powers, incantations, and plant extracts to cure illness. Here, the Shaman of the village of Nuevo York in the Peruvian Amazon displays some of his curative concoctions.

I was fascinated by this man, and by the story of what he does.

Norm

Norm Dulak
08-29-2012, 03:00 PM
Thanks to everyone who has viewed my image of the Shaman. And if anyone would like to comment on it, that would be nice.

As one who is educated in science, I'm not entirely certain of the validity of the Shaman's art. I have some doubts. Still, two things I know are true.

First, there is tremendous power in faith. The placebo effect is very real, if one believes.

Secondly, powerful medicaments have been derived from natural, botanical sources. While I would be reluctant to ingest the crude concoctions of the Shaman (I smelled a couple of them!), there may well be something curative in them.

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this practitioner of ancient medical arts.

Norm

Rachel Hollander
08-29-2012, 05:46 PM
Norm - while it is a travel snapshot that has obvious meaning to you, without your explanation I would not have known that this was a Shaman. I think the modern attire and plastic bottles, though filled with his concoctions, detract from the image.

TFS,
Rachel

Ian Cassell
09-01-2012, 04:11 PM
I actually find the modern dress and plastic bottles somewhat appealing. It's sort of a juxtaposition of the ancient (shaman) and the modern. I find the table edge in the FG a bit detracting and would crop just above it. Lighting on the portrait is good, IMO (although I'm no portrait photographer). The name of the village is really Nuevo York? This sounds like something from a post-apocalyptic story!

Norm Dulak
09-01-2012, 04:34 PM
I actually find the modern dress and plastic bottles somewhat appealing. It's sort of a juxtaposition of the ancient (shaman) and the modern. I find the table edge in the FG a bit detracting and would crop just above it. Lighting on the portrait is good, IMO (although I'm no portrait photographer). The name of the village is really Nuevo York? This sounds like something from a post-apocalyptic story!

Hi Ian.

I agree with you about the unusual combination in one image of the ancient and the new. And yes, the name of the village is correct.

Just a little further down the river there is a Peruvian village that is actually called Manhattan. And across the river from it is Nuevo Jersey!

Our guides told us that missionaries to the region named the villages after their home locations in the United States.

Thanks for your interesting observations!

Norm

Ian Cassell
09-01-2012, 04:38 PM
I'm OK with all that as long as there is no Atlantic City :)

Robert Amoruso
09-02-2012, 12:49 PM
Norm,

I find the far off, disinterested glaze distracting. The man's face and the wooden BG is quite interesting and a more tight portrait of that with a better pose or facial expression would have elevated this subject.

Norm Dulak
09-02-2012, 02:14 PM
Norm,

I find the far off, disinterested glaze distracting. The man's face and the wooden BG is quite interesting and a more tight portrait of that with a better pose or facial expression would have elevated this subject.

Thanks, Robert.

A gaze somewhat more directed toward his visitors would have been better, although I'm not certain it reflected disinterest. The episode seemed very strange to me. One of our guides queried the man, and then translated his replies. Eventually, the Shaman demonstrated his work to members of our group. He did so by uttering a weird incantation and blowing smoke at them. At that point, I retreated to a safer vantage point!

I appreciate your comments.

Norm