A Queen mother, can be identified by different things in different cultures. The Akan Tribe in Ghana is by far one of the major tribes with a distinct cultural dressing which is portait in the photographs below. Nana Esi, the nurse who wishes to change the world into a better place dressed as queen mother with a big grin on her Cheek. Portraiture is one of the most loving photographies in this world as on can capture such candid moments otherwise will be lost forever in the memories of those who had them.
A queen mother in Akan tribe is the one who installs a new Chief. Here responsibility is paramount in the traditional setting and her authority is only second to an installed Chief. In respect he rules the tribe when the chief is no more. As the queen mother has such authority, one may ask who installs the Queen mother then? The Queen mother comes from a royal family. It is the heads and elders of the family that chooses a new queen mother in the Akan tribe. Enough of Culture, lets concentrate on the art.
A queen mother often at times has several colorful beads on the arms and legs and around the neck as portrayed in this picture. I love this picture due to the confidence in the eye of Nana Esi. She posed as a good Queen mother.
One of the most important aspect of black and white photography that i have realised is contrast and complements. I had quite a good contrast creating drama in the picture with the texture of the beads complementing the background.
Straight Out Of Camera Shots:
Camera Details
Camera : Canon 6D
ISO : 250
Lens : 50mm
Aperture: F/3.5
Shutterspeed: Variable
NB: These Pictures were shot with an off Camera Soft box at a 60 degrees angle facing the subject.
You can check up on my previous post on the #monomad challenge and get up to date story of my photography.