The 1950s is the peak of Lin Chuan-tsu’s creativity. The business of the “Lin Photo Studio”, the local photojournalist works in Taichung, or even his personal creations of rural scenery all left a huge amount of photographic works. In the early 1950s, Lin begins to record the living conditions and unique cultural festivals of the indigenous in central Taiwan and Lanyu.
The Tao is a marine ethnic group living on Lanyu, off the southeastern coast of Taiwan, who make a living mainly by fishing. As a special spiritual symbol, the boat is an important tool for the tribe. Praying for New Boat features the figure and the new boat, highlighting the importance of the boat and its details. The feathers at the bow and stern fluttering in the breeze form a contrast with the black-and-white of the ocean waves in the background, creating dynamics full of details. Placing the figure in the center of the picture were relatively rare in outdoor front portraits. The calm expression carries a steady energy while the headscarf, necklace and traditional costumes are all presented faithfully. The oars and boats are arranged vertically to the characters, creating a balance while strengthening the three-dimensional space in the photo. The change of light and shadow as well as the color scale makes the simple boat appear more three-dimensional. The distant mountains are faintly discernible on the sea level, forming the clear and vast vision.
Sun Wei-xuan, “2021 Compilation and Research Project of Metadata in Photography.”