Donna Sturla  


Sikh Swordsman by Donna Sturla

January 2022 - Sikh Swordsman

About the Image(s)

We (before Covid) have an annual Sikh Festival in Marysville, about 45 minutes from here. Up to 80,000 people attend, and the Sikhs provide free food, demonstrations, a parade, and it's quite an event. This one was in 2017, I was sitting on the ground and amazed at these men in bare feet jumping high into the air -- incredible !
Taken with my OLD Nikon D70, 17-70 F2.8 lens, F 8, 1/1000 sec., at 26 mm. I developed it in Lightroom and then Photoshop, because his face was in shadow and I wanted to lighten it up. Please critique. Thank you !


This round’s discussion is now closed!
11 comments posted




Bev Caine   Bev Caine
(Groups 24 & 48 & 58)
Great shot...reminds me of the ones I missed when I was in Turkey and trying to shoot the whirling dervishes. This one is very well done.   Posted: 01/13/2022 19:48:54
Donna Sturla   Donna Sturla
Thank you, Bev.   Posted: 01/13/2022 21:13:58



Rich Krebs   Rich Krebs
A really nice image of the guy jumping. I like all the colors in the background. His facial expression is interesting. I should have been on the ground when I took Maasi Warriors jumping.   Posted: 01/14/2022 13:50:23



Diana Duffey   Diana Duffey
Great capture, Donna! Impressive point of view. Great focus and clarity.   Posted: 01/16/2022 19:44:51
Donna Sturla   Donna Sturla
Thanks, Diana.
I got some really great comments from Kathleen this week. I'll send you a few of my pix via email.   Posted: 01/16/2022 22:22:03
Donna Sturla   Donna Sturla
Thanks, Diana.
I got some really great comments from Kathleen this week. I'll send you a few of my pix via email.   Posted: 01/16/2022 22:22:03



Mark Aksoy   Mark Aksoy
Donna, the jumping Sikh is perfectly captured! His posed hands and feet, facial expression and the detailed folds in his costume all dramatize his "jump". Though not a major detraction, I find the background crowd a bit distracting. Albeit colorful, it is also sharply detailed, and some of the people are cut off by the swordsman's body. If you had shot at a sufficiently wider aperture than f8, you could have blurred this background and still frozen the action. In this image, you might consider toning down the background (by burning).   Posted: 01/23/2022 15:27:27
Donna Sturla   Donna Sturla
HI Mark,
Yes, I agree about the background. I could have tried a larger aperture, and if we ever have this event again I will do that. I thought the kids in the right background were a problem because they weren't even looking at him. There was a lot going on.
I'll try burning in the background and see how that goes . Thanks !!   Posted: 01/23/2022 15:59:39



Doug Wolters   Doug Wolters
Great shot of the Sikh. Pity we can't chose our backgrounds. Would it possible to cut him out & put him on another background?   Posted: 01/24/2022 19:57:36
Donna Sturla   Donna Sturla
I thought about doing that, but I think it would take away from the fact that it was at an event that's traditional around here. And I wouldn't want him floating in space, because I wouldn't know what kind of background to put him on. What would you suggest?   Posted: 01/25/2022 15:28:42
Doug Wolters   Doug Wolters
I am not really experienced in pasting things on backgrounds. I would be tempted not to make it look natural, since I could not make it look natural & is very hard to do anyway.   Posted: 01/25/2022 15:45:28