Documenting a Taoism Event
4-5 READING TIME · UPDATED 30 JAN 2026
This is not religion preaching
Not a tourist guide
Just being there to document still and motion
Taoism ritual: A documentary perspective
I photographed and video this series during a Taoist god’s birthday celebration, whose name is Marshal Zhongshan. The event was held under a temporary dome tentage set up for the temple needs. An annual event accordingly to the Chinese calender. Temporary yet elaborate effort. Each end there are altars set-up. One side is the birthday of the deity, the other end is the Jaded Emperor altar. They exist only for a few days, built for devotion, ritual, and community, then dismantled and gone. As a documentary photographer, this naturally drew me in.
My shooting and recording were done day and night. The atmosphere was different from temples visit during the day. It was a little noisy, smoky, and chaotic, yet orderly manner — devotees continuously building in as the late goes on, incense smoke filling the air, ritual music playing in the background, performance of Lion Dance to pay respect to the deities. Yet strangely, I felt calm and curious throughout the process. It may look busy on the outside for most people, stillness on the inside.
Check out these three images (below) that were shot during the day, the first picture is altar of the Jaded Emperor , the second picture is Marshal Zhongtan deity, which is his birthday event, the third picture is the Lion dance act honoring the supreme rule of heaven.
Night photography during the ritual
I am quietly observing the whole ritual. Using a documentary style photography. Perfection isn’t necessary. What matters is authenticity. Faith doesn’t require permanence or grand architecture — it simply needs space, intention, and belief.(old)
Shooting at night added another layer of complexity. Lighting was unpredictable — fluorescent bulbs, spotlights, candle flames, and incense embers all competing within the same frame. Shadows fell unevenly across faces and statues. Smoke softened details. Sharpness wasn’t always perfect, and I was completely fine with that.
Below are two images showing the medium is getting ready to be possessed by the deity.
90% video 10% still
My main focus was on the motion throughout the event. I wanted to record the entire process as much as possible, as I wanted to edit and put it up on Youtube to share with anyone. 10% still images is upload to stock library, Alamy, also I have never capture still for a taoism event before, it was a great learning experience.
Below are two images of Marshal Zhongshan busy “working” on earth.
Stamp chopping / Taoist seal - a seal that symbolizes the authority of heaven and immortals.
Deity writing on talisman
Devotees, deities, and respectful distance
There were many deities present in the evening, each with their own symbolism, offerings, and followers. Devotees also came from all walks of life, some came right after work too. Few people were deeply focused in prayers, others casually chatting while waiting their turn to have a talk or asked for advice with the deity. Plenty were here for the lion and dragon dance show.
As a photographer, I’m always conscious of respect. I don’t step into ritual paths or block devotees. For this type of live event, I don’t ask people to repeat actions. Instead, I let moments come to me. If I miss a shot, I miss it — and that’s part of the process. Documentary photography isn’t about control the situation, or getting as many images possible all the time; it’s about awareness and understanding of the subject. Less is always more.
Below are four shots of the deities portrait while they are enjoying the lion dance performance.
Tools that documented the moment
For still photography, I used my DSLR. I always prefer an optical viewfinder in environments like this — it helps me stay focused and composed.
Even though the venue is well lit in the night, but is still consider low light condition from photography perspective, My camera ISO set to 3200, that allows me to have sufficient shutter speed to freeze the moment. The way of holding the camera have to be firm as well which is a basic skill for photography. No flashlight was utilize.
For the type of lenses I am using, I carried along a 70-200mm, 50mm prime and 17-35mm lenses, my usual coverage for most of my corporate event work. This allows me to have a wide range of coverage, but it doesn’t mean I need to use it equally. For this series I was using 70-200mm and 50mm most of the time.
For video, I used my iPhone 13 Pro Max to record the motion, edited on Adobe Premier Rush, then upload to my YouTube channel. Make sure you check it out.
