BULL RACE
Participating among the audience in the race in Tanah Datar, West Sumatra, Indonesia, I noticed that this pair of bulls were the fittest among all. Reigning over them was a rider with an auspicious red headband, so fearless that he could easily overpower all the other contestants in the race.
Capturing the energy and dynamism of that climatic moment, accentuated by his strong facial expression, with his mouth wide open and eyes laser focused on the ultimate goal, and the splash of the muddy waters, brought into force by the power and speed of the raging bulls, one can observe several “V” shapes-the inverted “V” between his arms and head; the shape between legs; and thirdly, the “V” formed by the rope connecting the two bulls adding a dramatic, sharp geometry to the shot, displaying the rider’s energy and skills in reigning over the heavyweight duo, running in perfect symmetry.
Within 8 seconds, the race was over and the mud splashed most powerfully at about 4.5 seconds. At this point, I pressed the shutter non-stop with the focus length at 450mm handheld for about 1.5 seconds, leaving barely 2 seconds to escape. No one in the audience-except me-dared to shoot right in front of the bulls charging at full speed. It was such an exciting, definitely dangerous shot, but worth it!
DATUK SIMON KY SHIM, Malaysia, Tawau
