My vreugdes en frustrasies

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WPC Focus: Poi

Poi out of focus

The above image shows my daughter practicing poi patterns on Margate beach after dark, using a pair of inexpensive LED sticks bought from one of the street vendors.

Poi is a style of performing art where participants swing tethered weights through a variety of rhythmical and geometric patterns, usually to the beat of music and dancing at the same time. This art originated with the Maori people of New Zealand, but the modern performance is only loosely based on the traditional Maori poi.

My son was trying to capture the “performance” on film, but he was still struggling to master the complicated settings of his new camera when the poi sticks accidentally touched and shattered. We decided to hang onto this image, for the very reason that it reflects such a charming mixture of in-focus and out-of-focus elements.

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15 Comments

  1. O poi daar breek dit! Jy het my iets geleer Hester, nie vir die eerste keer nie en bepaald ook nie vir die laaste keer nie.

    • Comment by post author

      Dat cheap LED stokkies breek? Haha, trek jou been. Hierdie twee het albei op ‘n stadium gepoi van die oggend tot die aand, maar nou hang die poi-balle hier agter die kamerdeur. Dis eintlik ‘n pratige skouspel – jy moet op google gaan kyk by poi images.

  2. Jy sien, I rest my case! Kyk wat vang julle nou weer aan!!!!!!

    • Comment by post author

      Die foto is drie jaar gelede geneem 😀 Ek het nog steeds verkoue en is nie baie energiek nie. Ek het darem die afgelope twee dae my blog se tema verander en dis nogal baie werk, want die temas werk nie almal dieselfde nie. Gaan kyk gerus as jy tyd het en laat weet my wat jy dink!

  3. Die lesing het my gepootjie …
    Mooi foto

  4. Awesome photos. I also had to look up the word Poi. They still use it in their traditional dances and singing. Flax is used for many things too.

    • Comment by post author

      Thank you. Yes, poi can be made from almost anything. The ones Karen used here were LED sticks tied with a piece of string – not the ideal weight really. We love the fire poi, but only to watch the performances.

      • Mooi man. Hoe meer dae hoe meer dinge! Hul het nou al Haka kompetisies. Wonder hou sal dit werk in SA as skole tradisionele “dans” kompetisies invoer in plek van bv kunswedstryde!

  5. This is an excellent with a strong impact. The blurring and focus issues just add to the power of the image…

    Galen

  6. Dis mooi!