Photographer Ingetje Tadros (1959) left her tiny hometown in The Netherlands at seventeen to travel the planet and never left her camera at home. Impressed by impressions she was always looking for the right shot to let the people speak their stories by her photographs. She was employed by the famous Amsterdam World Museum and a popular travel planner for Nouvelles Frontières. Ingetje is married with and Egyptian chef and craftsman and relocated to New Zealand with her six weeks old baby. Here she started planning traveling and improving her photographs. India became her new destination in life. After another tour around the world with her family she finalized the tour with a twelve months off road across Australia where they settled in Broome.

A new restaurant became a permanent exposition of good food and excellent tastes of the world illustrated by extra large prints and productions. Getting compliments finally pushed her to publish when she came home again after a survey on Mali and later Ethiopia where her passion for people was underlined again. Ingetje does not use Photoshop and only uses little technical support or additions to make things better. She probably is the best to describe as organic, nothing else than natural ingredients are used. What you see is still what it is and what is was when she turned the impression into eternity.

Ingetje is free lancing for Dutch based World Portraits and The Western Australian Newspaper in Australia and is contributing to a leading creator and distributor of still imagery, footage, music and other premium content, Getty Images is a well respected, world renouned digital media provider and Ingetje is proud to be a part of a global group of award-winning Contributors who create inspiring work that appears every day in the world’s most influential newspapers, magazines, advertising campaigns, films, television programs, books and websites. Ingetje is one of the handful of photographers in Australia assigned to a local art director. They work together to update the Getty Images creative stills library shooting local, relevant content based on quarterly trend reports and customer feedback.  Ingetje has travelled over 45 countries and  is interested to work as a photographer for Non Profits , documentary and Tribal issues.

AYR PHOTOS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW:

Your works are born from a specific project or emotion in the moment?
I work very impulsive, if i see something that i REALLY like i get a special feeling in me, a sort of a rush, i have learned that i have to react to this ‘emotion’ , now i listen to this feeling all the time , even if it is a difficult situation i mostly get the result i want. It has happened quit a lot that i even did not know what was going to happen or what i was going to see, but that rush still came, in the beginning i thought it was a strange feeling now i know that this is my strength and i have to listen to it.

What is the creative element that you feel stronger and recurrent in your photos and what you think will never have the space?
I feel very drawn to people, especially indigenous, sometimes when a situation is difficult and i get really challenged i feel i create the best and i feel in my best element! i connect easily to people and with a lot of smile and jokes and respect you can go a long way!and what you think will never have the space , i’m not sure if i understand this question, but for example a wedding or landscapes doesn’t really do it for me, even i like some works of great wedding photographers or landscape photographers i don’t have that emotion to create. i need people and the unknown

What are three characteristics that must have a good photographer?
I believe passion is the biggest characteristic, also a drive is very important and a personality to easy connect ( passion, drive,personality)

I believe that intervention in post-production is crucial to the success of the photo story, or think is best without the photo retouching?
I do not like personally a lot of post-production, till this stage i’ve never used Photoshop, and only use Aperture (3) , i only do a little as i believe if you change to much, it becomes more an Art form and you loose that ‘moment” and the feel of it. (I want the photo how it was at that moment)

What are the people, places or events you most like to capture in the future:
I will endeavour to capture more tribal people and their culture, i hope to retire from my Restaurant business as soon as i have a change and travel to remote places and even stay and live their if needed, make books about it, i have many plans and also my Personal project is Indigenous Aboriginal Australia, i hope in the near future to document Aboriginal communities but even more important their “Stories”

Ingetje Tadros
AWARD:
Ingetje Self Published her first Photo Book TRIBAL ETHIOPIA and is now for sale at Amazon www.amazon.com/Tribal-Ethiopia-Ingetje-Tadros/dp/09870841…

New work and personal project::
Carved Boab nuts

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© Copyright all photos by the author

Interview by
AYR Photos – Andrea Costa

AYR PHOTOS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW:

When did you first discover your passion for photography and travel?
The two passions were born separately for me, first came photography and much later in my life came travel. From an early age I was surrounded by some of the world’s most beautiful cameras as my family owned a specialist camera shop, therefore taking photographs was always part of my life. In terms of becoming a professional it happened by accident in all honesty, people were always telling me how much they liked my photographs and so after a few years I decided to turn my hobby into a full time job.

My love for travel came from my honeymoon, my husband and I decided to travel around Asia and Australia for 6 weeks and within that period we were both very much taken with the allure of seeing the world. When we returned to the UK we sold our house and all of our belongings and left for 18 months. It was during this trip that I feel our path in life totally changed, and since then we have mainly been on the road. Luckily for me, the two, photography and travel, work perfectly together and my career as a travel photographer was born.

Once I got to the place, a terrible summer heat  force me to stay in the car and drive most of the way. Suddenly I find myself at a crossroads.

A road sign indicates the Eremo of S.Maria della Provvidenza on the left.
The big  mansion is visible not far away so I drive in that direction.

Once there a signboard tells the following: “Eremo S. Maria della Provvidenza” (sec. XVIII)

Founded in 1709 by a young priest to perpetuate with the festive Mess the remembrance of the victims of the earthquake of 1693, it was entrusted to a community of hermits.

The present church was built in the middle of the century in place of the previous one.

Despite the outside look I realize that the building is quite recent. But somethig urge me to enter inside. Everything inside is neglected and abandoned.  Looking in front of me I catch sight of  a crack, not quite visible as covered by plants, but I am in the right perspective.

I decide to enter and as soon as inside I realize that this is the right place where I can pickup some good clicks.

I can see that the interior is the favourite place for dogs. It’s  a good shelter from the burning sun. Surely an attractive place where stairs, cells and  corridors unravel along the way. Few graffiti on the walls show that the place is popular amongst some peculiar gang in contrast with the meaning of this place I imagine.

I get to a point where it’s very difficult to walk through and right there I find another crack.

Should I enter or not? Impossible! Curiosity is too high. Previous clicks were only a few…. So I decide to enter and ……I find myself in  the main Church.  A large structure with a destroyed alter. The whole church is completely damaged on the lower side with rubble and pieces of wood but the walls and the ceiling still have decorations in good condition.  An absolute contrast; looking up and down caused me a strange impression.

It’s a pity that this as many other buildings are doomed to disappear.

Tölt is a very smooth four-beat gait which, while reaching speeds similar to fast trotting, is much less jolting to the rider.

Averaging 13 to 14 hands tall, the Icelandic Horse is a versatile family riding horse, bred to carry adults at a fast pleasing gait over long distances. It is distinctive for its thick and often double-sided mane and long tail, and remarkable for its wide range of colors.
One of the most fascinationg feature of the Icelandic horse is it’s extreme genetic purity. No infusions of outside blod has propably happened to the icelandic horses for over 800 years, and there is only one breed of horses in Iceland. It is sometimes said on websites that the old Althing, the world’s oldest parliament, passed more than a millennium ago laws prohibiting the importation of foreign horses into the country.
This is not true, but the truth is that there are really no documents about anybody seeing any reason to import horses in this long time. And, 1882 import was forbidden by law, and such a law is still in effect today (to stop diseases coming to Iceland), so no horse that leaves Iceland can ever return.

If a horse leaves Iceland for a competition, it can never return.
Virtually all contagious diseases, from which horses on the European continent or in the USA suffer, are unknown in Iceland. The breed has also kept the gaits and the versatility of its forefathers.
This law has recently been appealed by some people, but at that same time a disease came in to Iceland on a bit.
The law was changed, now used bits, bridles, health products, brushes etc. are included in the list of things that cannot re-enter the island, and many other used things have to be disinfected by proper authorities.

In Icelandic mythology, Loki the Trickster god, once became a breeding mare to lure away a giant’s stallion and so prevent the giant from winning the hand of Freyja, goddess of beauty.
The result of that union was Sleipnir, the supreme god Odin’s eight-legged steed. “Amongst gods and men, that horse is the best,” says the 13th-century Prose Edda written by Snorri Sturluson.
Sleipnir is shown in one famous image with its eight legs extended in the ultimate flying pace. Other gods also owned horses.
The goddess Gna the messenger had a horse that ran “through the air and over the sea.” Called Hoof Flourisher, it was sired by Breaker-of-Fences on Skinny Sides.

The gods of Day and Night drove chariots drawn by Shining Mane and Frosty Mane: The brightness of the sun was the glowing of the day-horse’s mane, while dew was the saliva dripping from Frosty Mane’s bit. Horses were also associated with Freyr, god of plenty, and sacrificed in his honor.
Other medieval Icelandic works depict racehorses, saddle horses, packhorses, and fighting horses.
The first Icelandic Horse known by name, the mare Skalm, appears in the 12th-century Book of Settlements. The chieftain Seal-Thorir settled where Skalm lay down under her load.
Horses play key roles in some of the most famous Icelandic Sagas, including Hrafnkel’s Saga, Njal’s Saga, and Grettir’s Saga. The sagas, written anonymously in the 13th century.

Anna Guðmundsdóttir

If you ask me what are my passions I will answer : travelling, photography and writing.

I was a little girl when my father gave me for my birthday a Polaroid camera. I was so happy and proud. My love for photography began in that moment. I remember that all my pocket money was for the expensive Polaroid’s films with wich I tried to emulate my father and his wonderful Rollei Flex.

This passion grew year by year and began a big part of my life along with the travels.

Why I love to travel so much? Because visiting new countries, new places, new landscapes is culture, joy, emotion. Because, observing other people and other traditions, you understand that your problems are relative. And, most of all, because it’s so nice to feel at home everywhere you are.

The last trip that i had is Argentina and Patagonia.

I was dreaming about these places for a long time. The word “Patagonia” for me was the synonymous of wild Nature, stunning landscapes, exciting scenography.

The reality was better than the imagination.

When I arrived to El Calafate, a tourist and crowded city, I was a little disappointed. But when I got to the Perito Moreno Park, after a 85 km in the middle of nowhere, the frustation disapperead. This is an incredible glacier that is completely different from the others. It advances every day 2 metres and it’s fantastic to lean on the balconies’s balustrades and admire the breathtaking show of the ice’s giant pieces that fall in the water. The sound is spine chilling and the ice’s  dimensions are astonishing, sometimes like a five floors buildings.

This is not the only way I admired this surprising glacier. I went by a boat to a lenga ( a tipical tree ) wood and after a short walk I arrived to the glacier. With a small group, wearing crampons, I walked on this astounding giant, admiring the several blue’s tones and hearing the irreal silences of this magical place.

This was a really unbelievable experience. Step by step we reached the top and we had a 360° vision that will stay impress in my memory for ever. When I came back reluctantly, waiting for  the boat, I was sitting on a rock, the light was wonderful and I saw this young man in front of the glacier. I took immediately my camera and I began to take pictures of this scene. The smallness of the humankind and the immensity of the Nature. What an emotion…

This is, for me, a picture. Doesn’t matter where I am, doesn’t matter the place, the person, the moment that I want to immortalize. The most important thing is the ability of giving an emotion. And transmit the fascination that I lived.

The city exceeded all our expectations.  Below is but one slice of the story.

Joe McNally is an internationally renowned photographer and Anne Cahill is Professional Markets Director for Adorama.com in New York City.  Anne organized the trip to Prague and Joe arranged the photo session with the principal dancers of the Prague National Ballet Company.

All that we knew was that we were going to the Municipal House for a photo shoot.  We were met at the Mayor’s office by Alexander Katsapov and Nikola Marova, Principal Dancers for the National Ballet Company. The initial shoot was done in the Mayor’s Office of the Municipal House where the proclamation of the independent state of Czechoslovakia was signed.  This is an incredibly important historic site for the people of the Czech Republic.

The Mayor’s Office was set up in a formal manner as if the original signers to the proclamation were sitting in a circle of chairs.  It became very apparent that we could not shoot these extremely gifted dancers without moving all the furniture so that they would dance and strike poses.  I must admit, I was a little intimidated as we rolled up the large persian carpet and moved the desk and the chairs to the side of the large office.  I fully expected the security guards to burst into the room at any moment and have us arrested.  Joe had secured all the permissions from New York City, which must have been very difficult to arrange.  Everything was carefully put back in place after the shoot.

Alexander and Nikola, who are husband and wife, were extremely generous of their time, including costume changes and multiple settings.  We are very grateful to them for making that evening the highlight of our visit to Prague.

We then moved onto the balcony of the Smetana Hall, which is a striking example of the Art Nouveau period of the early 1900′s for the final lighting session.  The balcony was about 100 feet above the main floor of the concert hall.  It was very steep and we were carefully climbing over the seating around the professional lighting equipment to photograph this rare opportunity while trying not to knock anything over the balcony.

Afterward, we all retired to a local Czech restaurant and celebrated an amazing evening.
The Municipal House (in Czech, Obecní dům) is a major civic landmark and concert hall in Prague, and an important building in architectural and political history in the Czech Republic. It stands on the Náměstí Republiky. Construction started in 1905 and it opened in 1912.
The Art Nouveau structure is an artifact of the Czech nationalism of the time and carries a wealth of ornament by some of the leading Czech artists of its day. The main facade features a large ceramic half-dome mosaic above the entry, Homage to Prague, by Karel Špillar.

On either side are allegorical sculpture groups representing The Degradation of the People and The Resurrection of the People by Ladislav Šaloun, while the remainder of the rich decoration was done by Josef Mařatka, František Úprka and others, with light stands designed by Karel Novák. Inside there are murals by the famous Alfons Mucha, Jan Preisler and Max Švabinský and others, all of this on nationalist themes.

The main space within the Municipal House is the concert space, Smetana Hall, named in honor of Bedřich Smetana. On October 28, 1918, Smetana Hall was the scene of the proclamation of the independent state of Czechoslovakia.

Avevi modo non solo di fotografare ma di ascoltare anche le loro storie di vita vissuta,come quella del mitico Mazzetti uno degli ultimi ramai esistenti in Italia autore,tra l’altro, del restauro del tetto del Duomo di Siena.Ascoltando le sue parole dal sapore di novella antica,mi colpì il racconto della scoperta di una cassa contenente tutti i lavori da lui stesso realizzati in tenera età e dei quali aveva perso il ricordo.

Il padre li aveva gelosamente custoditi e catalogati e attraverso quelle che oggi sono vere e proprie opere d’arte ha potuto ricostruire tutto il suo percorso e non solo lavorativo.

Oggi il suo sogno nel cassetto è realizzare un museo del rame attraverso l’esposizione di tutti i suoi pezzi unici e sono convinto che ci riuscirà.

Quello che invece andrà perduto per sempre sarà la sua arte manuale perchè nonostante tutti i tentativi fatti nel corso degli anni nessuno vuol più imparare questo mestiere,e ad uno ad uno tutti i suoi apprendisti lo hanno sistematicamente abbandonato.

Oppure la Signora Franca,affittacamere di una locanda sul Monte Amiata che ha visto via via nel tempo ridurre la sua clientela,fatta di commessi viaggiatori e trasfertisti impiegati nelle miniere dell’allume.

Oggi più delle camere sono ambite le finestre della vecchia locanda che si affacciano sulla piazza principale del paese,dove ogni anno si svolge un piccolo ma importante palio cittadino di cui la Signora Franca è gelosa testimone.

Poi l’orologiaio Luciano,titolare di una attività ereditata dal padre,ma musicista jazz nell’animo e nel tempo libero.Di giorno a regolar il tempo per gli altri e la notte padrone del proprio tempo tra locali fumosi e note in libertà.

O Daniele,ex siderurgico riciclatosi biciclettaio,con la passione per il restauro di vecchie moto,perennemente in giro per mercatini dell’usato alla ricerca dei pezzi originali con cui ridare nuova vita a vecchie carrette abbandonate nei sottoscala.

E che dire delle vecchie barberie,odorose di borotalco e brillantina,patinate di storie amorose vere o presunte.

Nel disinteresse piu’ totale queste piccole realtà artigianali,queste piccole storie,stanno lentamente ma inesorabilmente scomparendo e con essi quel patrimonio di capacità manuali e sociali frutto di generazioni di alacri lavoratori.

C’è,ovviamente,chi ancora resiste ma ormai come testimonianza di un glorioso passato più che uno speranzoso futuro.La cultura ormai vincente dell’usa e getta,degli ipermercati,dei centri commerciali,nuove agorà moderne,ha eroso non solo le capacità manuali ma anche la loro storia che tramandata di padre in figlio definiva la bellezza del lavoro.

Da qui la mia decisione di provare a fotografare i resistenti,gli ultimi sopravvissuti,da un lato per conservare la loro memoria e dall’altro per far comprendere alle generazioni che seguiranno l’importanza e la bellezza dell’abilità di costruirsi un destino proprio e di realizzare le proprie aspirazioni.

Little, poor or almost nothing light: a challenging situation to take an exciting photo.

In this  article we introduce you some of the Artists present in our group “Travelling & Advenure”.

Photographers that faced the challenge and won the dark.

Thanks to a correct exposure, a skilful arrangement and an excellent processing they were able to create  pictures that let imagination run wild, carrying us away into a magic world made of light and emotions.

It is very hard to take such photos.

Patience is a must! You need to try and try again until the photo is perfect. An eternal fight against a blurred photo that can frustrate your efforts.

But when the photo comes out well….it’s a real masterpiece!

Select the right spot is important. The poetic quality of the environment is key to realize a photo that “tells and attracts”. In our photogallery there are photos with different subjects:

from wild nature to towns or architectural spots. In our opinion they all have the right artistic/technical flair.

AYR starts with this first article a set of  thematic articles to introduce you the artists present in our group. Top photos that show the correct union  between inventiveness and skill.

Have a nice overview  and keep tuned to AYR Photos, Feel the World!

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Artists:

Johnny
風景獵人Ladaga
Theodevil
gbatistini
piterart
bobrizz1
dipta nandana
Tayser
Coole Photography
Silversldr

© Copyright all photos by the author

Andrea Costa
Group admin “Ayr photos – Are you ready?”

There are many ways to shoot people. The most common one is to have the main subject in the centre of my frame, space on the right, left and… above the head.
Just perfect for a passport.

.. we can go further.

To make what we like (face, eyes, body, etc.) stand out in a photo we don’t necessary need to show exactly everything of the subject. We are not selling an item so that we need to show more details than we can.

As i said, to go further we can try to walk our second step (the first one is to have at least a person in the lens-view) and that is to try to crop the image even if losing some parts of the subject that will not be shown.

If you are shooting an headshot go closer with your framing cropping the upper part of the head/hair. That doesn’t take away anything from the image (unless you are at an hair style contest) but instead it puts a deeper attention on the eyelook and face lines.
You can see it in every media showing images of people. Movies, fashion campaign and editorials, professional portraits and so on.

Try to take the same shot including the whole head and then a second one trying some crops like i said. You can even try it working with photoshop or another program that lets you crop your shots.

You’ll see the difference. Cropping heads IS NOT A MISTAKE. It is a PLUS.
If somebody will tell you that you have done an error with your crops, absolutely don’t feel like you have really done it.

When you crop you can do it in headshots but also in any other way. Just try to find your taste best result.

Another way to help you compose your people-photo is to try to shake the balance of the image.
Here again… subject in the centre. To start.
Let’s try to move our subject a little more on the left or right, and then totally on the left or right. Sometimes this can help to make the photo stronger.

Both rules are not something mechanical. You have to try. Maybe not with all subjects and situation they can be good. But remember to try.

© Copyright all photos by the author

LIVIO MOIANA
Professional Photographer

Ogni anno partecipare alla festa è un’emozione grandissima.
Un momento di riunione di parenti e amici in un tripudio di piatti tipici Catanesi e di mille dolcetti.
Tutte le case sono illuminate e festanti; i balconi sono adornati con fiori freschi e l’ effigie della Santa. I locali pubblici sono strapieni sia di giorno che di notte.
Le vetrine dei bar sono addobbate con mille leccornie e con artistici modelli delle “Candelore”.
Per le strade si susseguono ininterrottamente bancarelle con torrone, calia, e barbecue mobili per arrostire carne di cavallo e salsiccia. Sono tre giorni di culto, di devozione, di folclore, di tradizioni che non hanno riscontro nel mondo. Soltanto la Settimana Santa di Siviglia in Spagna e la festa del Corpus Domini a Guzco in Perù possono paragonarsi, quanto a popolarità, ai festeggiamenti Agatini, da cinque secoli sempre uguali.
Per tre giorni la gente sciama nelle vie e nelle piazze.
Devoti o curiosi si contano a centinaia e centinaia di migliaia,quest’ ultimo anno si e’ arrivati al milione di presenze.

La prima giornata, il 3 Febbraio , inizia con la lunga e solenne processione del mezzogiorno per l’Offerta della cera, a cui partecipano le più alte autorità cittadine civili, religiose e militari con i gonfaloni del Comune, della Provincia e dell’Università. Dalla Chiesa di Sant’Agata alla Fornace alla Basilica Cattedrale la processione “taglia” due ali di folla incredibile.

Chiudono le undici candelore, espressioni delle corporazioni dei mestieri cittadinIe e le due carrozze del Senato catanese.
La seconda parte di questa prima giornata di festa si conclude in serata, in piazza del Duomo, davanti alla Cattedrale, con un concerto di canti dedicati a sant’Agata, eseguiti da corali cittadine.
Davanti ad una folla festante questo rappresenta un momento di omaggio alla vergine catanese.

Alla fine del concerto ha luogo un grandioso spettacolo piromusicale che per durata e bellezza non ha eguali.. I fuochi artificiali durante la festa di sant’Agata, oltre a esprimere la grande gioia dei fedeli, assumono un significato particolare, perché ricordano che la patrona, martirizzata sulla brace, vigila sempre sul fuoco dell’Etna e di tutti gli incendi.

Poche ore dopo questo primo giorno di festa, siamo gia’all’ alba del 4 Febbraio, i Catanesi si riuniscono nella cattedrale per il primo incontro con la Santa. I devoti di S. Agata indossano un particolare costume, il “sacco”: una tunica bianca legata in vita da un cordone, un copricapo nero (la “scuzzetta”), un paio di guanti ed un fazzoletto entrambi bianchi. Sull’origine del “sacco” sono state avanzate nel corso dei secoli numerose ipotesi, alcune delle quali molto fantasiose.

Infatti il “sacco” non rappresenta né la tunica bianca che indossavano i sacerdoti della Dea Iside, come ritenuto da alcuni, né la camicia da notte indossata dai catanesi la notte del 17 agosto 1126, durante la quale le Reliquie della Santa furono riportate a Catania da Costantinopoli.
Con maggiore probabilità il “sacco” è un saio penitenziale, in cui il colore bianco della tunica rappresenta la purezza, il copricapo scuro simboleggia il capo cosparso di cenere in segno di umiltà e sottomissione, i guanti bianchi sono un segno di rispetto per la purezza della Santa, il cordone rappresenta la castità e il fazzoletto è un simbolo dell’esultanza con la quale la Santa viene accolta dai fedeli.

Sia fuori che dentro la Cattedrale La ressa è inimmaginabile, questo è forse il momento più emotivo e toccante della festa. il mezzobusto contenente le reliquie lascia la camera blindata nella quale e’ custodito e viene portato sull’altare maggiore ed ha inizio la messa detta dell’Aurora.
Alla fine della messa Il busto reliquiario, coperto di gioielli donati da re ed imperatori passa tra battimani e sventolii di fazzoletti per arrivare sul fercolo.

Uno dei momenti più intensi e caratteristici della festa è proprio questo, tutti i devoti vestiti di bianco, sono circa 700 , che portano il fercolo, tirato grazie a due cordoni lunghissimi in giro per la citta’. Uno spettacolo a dir poco unico che commuove proprio tutti .

In questa giornata la Santa passerà nei luoghi più cari ai catanesi, luoghi del culto, perché tra queste mura antiche Sant’Agata subì il carcere e il martirio, e dove, dopo atroci sofferenze, morì. Le migliaia di devoti tirano di corsa il pesante fercolo per tutta la salita dei Cappuccini, fermandosi a metà per fare omaggio al Sacro Carcere.

La sera il percorso nella Catania più antica e popolare. A notte fonda grandi fuochi di artificio accompagnano il rientro in cattedrale del fercolo.

Il terzo giorno, al tramonto la Patrona inizia il giro per il centro di Catania, il fercolo procede con molta lentezza, come se i devoti non volessero far rientrare la Santa troppo presto. Per via Etnea, il “salotto “ di Catania, le 11 candelore aprono la processione, davanti ad un migliaio circa di devoti che tirano la “vara”.
Le grida che inneggiano alla Santa riecheggiano per la via “cittadini semu tutti devoti tutti…?..cettu!! cettu!! Viva San Agata”.

L’atmosfera diventa magica la devozione, la preghiera di tutti ti coinvolge e ti avvolge in un momento di assoluta intimità.
Migliaia di persone circondano la Santa porgendogli offerte di ogni tipo.
Centinaia di devoti portano in spalla pesantissimi ceri accesi che illuminano la notte, come voto alla Santa.

Verso la fine la processione scende, lungo la via Etnea, verso la cattedrale fino ai Quattro canti dove gira a destra per effettuare di corsa a “cchianata ‘i Sangiulianu”.
Questo è il momento topico dal punto di vista spettacolare. Il fercolo trainato di corsa dai cittadini raggiunge la sommità della salita fra due ali di folla plaudente. Per via dei Crociferi, la più bella strada barocca di Catania, il fercolo si avvia verso la cattedrale.

Viene effettuata l’ultima sosta davanti al convento delle suore di clausura benedettine che, da dietro le grate del loro monastero, intonano dei canti a Sant’Agata.
Quindi, quando il sole sta per sorgere (o, più spesso, quando è già sorto da molte ore), Sant’Agata fa rientro in cattedrale salutata da un nutrito spettacolo pirotecnico. nel 2011 è stato registrato il record di durata dei festeggiamenti.
Il busto della Santa è rientrato in Cattedrale alle 12.45 circa del 6 febbraio, con largo ritardo rispetto alle previsioni.
Inoltre per motivi di sicurezza e per la prima volta nella storia il busto è stato posizionato sopra una cattedra all’interno del sacello, anziché nella sua cappella, in occasione di una messa straordinaria.

Ho voluto, con i miei scatti, far rivivere non solo la festa in se, ma l’emozione, il calore e la devozione riflessa negli sguardi dei Catanesi.