For more than 15 years, I’ve been fortunate to photograph countless performances of the renowned drumming group Portland Taiko. The ancient art of Japanese drums and drumming, called taiko, has a history in Japan going back hundreds of years. In the US, taiko has become immensely popular, with taiko groups and players found in many cities, large and small. Portland Taiko is one of the most popular performing groups on the West Coast and is nationally recognized as well.
With years of experience photographing taiko, you would think by now I’d be pretty good at shooting this subject. And, for the most part, you would think wrong. For me, it’s easier to photograph things that don’t move. But when the variable of movement comes into play, things get a little more dicey. Photographing subjects in motion means that timing becomes a critical element. The ubiquitous motor drives in today’s cameras help capture a high percentage of successful photographs. As a non-sports photographer, though, I always forget that my camera can shoot multiple frames per second. Instead, I simply rely on my instincts and reaction time, which are pretty good when photographing things like snails.
Portland Taiko drummer Kelsey Furuta performs at the 2010 Washington Park Summer Festival, Rose Garden Amphitheater, Portland, Oregon
This photo of the talented Kelsey Furuta is from a sequence of shots from Portland Taiko’s recent performance at the Washington Park Summer Festival. This shot comes close to being a favorite, but I’d prefer if it was just a split second later, where the drum sticks are a bit closer to striking. Clearly, precise timing—and a little luck—can make a big difference. But they say that with experience comes more successful photographs, more often. So it looks like I only need to practice a few more years—or learn to use that dang motor drive.