36 Pictures – Lalbagh and City Market

Saturday 5th May, 2012 Lalbagh, Bangalore

Today was crazy. We decided to go to Lalbagh and as always, I was apprehensive. It’s a park. Street life is busy and crazy but what are we going to photograph in Lalbagh? And as always, my expectations were waaaaay exceeded. At Lalbagh we met some seriously yellow people. Not due to jaundice, but due to haldi (turmeric) smeared all over themselves. Yellow people. Head to toe. Now how could I pass up the opportunity to photograph that?

So I went up to them and asked if I could take a few snaps and they graciously agreed. I then asked them why they were… um… so yellow? Of course, I didn’t ask it like that but that’s what I was thinking. They explained that they were on their way to this big Puja that happens every year at a temple about 2kms away from Lalbagh. There, as a part of the ritual, they walk barefoot on hot coals. Yeah. I was thinking what you’re thinking. Hot coals?!  Now how could we pass up the opportunity to see that? Sharan and I hung around Lalbagh for a while and then we made our way to this temple and wow, it was insane. The energy was just bubbling over in this area. More on that later…

For now, here’s a little sneak peek from this week’s edition of 36 Pictures.

Photographer in the making?

Friday 4th May, 2012 Krishnappa Garden Bangalore

It was just before 6pm. I left the office and headed out on the main road to get an auto home. As I walked on the road, I turned back to see the brilliant sun just starting to set. A few days ago, I was complaining to my boss how the crazy development in our cities make it hard to actually see the setting sun, much less be able to get it in your frame. Today, I realised that while this is true to a certain extent, the fact is that I’ve just been getting out of the office too late! There it was, this fiery ball of beauty, taking its leave for the day. It would have made such a brilliant bokeh effect. I wanted to kick myself for not having my camera on me.

Anyway, I rushed home as fast as my auto would take me. I wanted to get my camera and try a few experimental shots (using this new technique I’ve been reading up on called free-lensing) before the sun had completely set.

I tried a few shots of these brilliant pink flowers that I’d noticed while I was power-walking back home. And then I found a new subject. This strapping young man who’d been cycling around me for a while. I’ve met him before. His sister and him said ‘bye’ to me this morning as I was leaving for work. He smiles at me whenever he sees me. We can’t communicate very well. He speaks only Kannada and I can manage a fair number of languages but unfortunately not Kannada (note to self: FIX THAT!) I motion to him through sign language that I’d like to take a picture of him. He agrees. I tell him to sit and wow did he work my camera! I think he liked the pictures. We tried a couple of different angles and then I thanked him and told him I’d give him the pictures and said ‘bye’. I stopped on the way back to try a few more shots at free-lensing and he hung around, peering over my shoulders, so I stood up, put my camera strap around his neck, fixed the settings and let him press down on the shutter a couple of times. You should have seen how his face lit up as his picture showed up on the LCD screen. Ladies and gentlemen, I think I might have created a monster :P Perhaps another crazy photographer in the making. Here he is.

Bhuleshwar Market, Mumbai

Um, hello. I LOVE these shots! 

I’ve been going through some of my archives and have realised that there are many pictures that I simply haven’t had the time to cull, edit, upload. It’s been all go! go! go! since last October, with helping with Horse and Rider, traveling and then taking up a job in Bangalore. 

I am grateful to finally have time to do this so watch this space! LOTS more coming!

Shooting Behind the Scenes for Horse and Rider

November, Bhuleshwar Market,

Mumbai