Fierce Face

September 11, 2009

Fierce Face Beijing Opera Triptych - Seoul, South Korea- Daily Travel Photos
(Seoul, South Korea)
f/4 ▪ 1/250s ▪ @159mm ▪ ISO200 ▪ Canon 5D ▪ Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8
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A Chinese Opera company came rolling into town, much like a traveling circus, complete with frightening characters in exaggerated makeup sans bulbous red noses. There are only two things I fear in life: A land war in Asia and the unholy grin of a circus clown. Today I add to my list of fears: Chinese opera performers.

Above is a triptych of the lady in red created composed of the images that follow.

chinese opera red
Fierce Face Beijing Opera Chop - Seoul, South Korea - Daily Travel Photos
(Seoul, South Korea)
f/4 ▪ 1/250s ▪ @159mm ▪ ISO200 ▪ Canon 5D ▪ Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8
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and similar images at

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and

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A double language barrier clouded the proceedings of today's events. The players of the opera spoke mandarin. The events announcers spoke another mysterious language: formal Korean. Put me in front of a nightly Korean TV news broadcast and I understand only the "...eem nee da" (???) ends of sentences. However, from what I can piece together, the opera was in town for CHIFFs, the Chungmuro International Film Festival. I was unable to comprehend the marriage of Chinese opera and the film festival but free nightly open air movie screenings made quick work to help me forget my confusion. First night: Slumdog Millionaire!

chinese opera performer red
Fierce Face Beijing Opera 2 seconds - Seoul, South Korea - Daily Travel Photos
(Seoul, South Korea)
f/4 ▪ 1/250s ▪ @159mm ▪ ISO200 ▪ Canon 5D ▪ Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8
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and similar images at

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and

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The woman spewed beautifully incomprehensible mandarin verse into her microphone. I venture a guess, much like me, no one in the audience was listening to her speak but instead mesmerized by her dramatic facial expressions and what they implied.

See a smaller version on Flickr.

chinese opera performer
Fierce Face Beijing Opera Me - Seoul, South Korea - Daily Travel Photos
(Seoul, South Korea)
f/4 ▪ 1/250s ▪ @159mm ▪ ISO200 ▪ Canon 5D ▪ Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8

Red cast is visible on the whiter parts of the photo. The proceedings took place on a stage in front of a monster TV screen emitting a red advertisement that bathed greater metropolitan Seoul in a reddish glow.

Fierce Face Beijing Opera Calm - Seoul, South Korea - Daily Travel Photos
(Seoul, South Korea)
f/4 ▪ 1/250s ▪ @159mm ▪ ISO200 ▪ Canon 5D ▪ Sigma 70-200mm f/2.8

I wanted to leave you with a positive image from the opera in the hopes that you don't lose any sleep after viewing this series of images.