In the Grey.

In the Grey., a set on Flickr.

My New Photostory.

From Absolut Negative to Absolut Positive.

Today's session on Artifical Lighting was rather interesting. I entered the studio and there he was , My Sensei, standing with a tiny box in his hand. He told me to setup one single light with a  16 degrees medium grid (it is a light shaper), which I did. Then he told me to open the box. I open that tiny Ilford box and was taken aback. It has been on my bucket list to learn analogue photography. But to shoot a completely exposed roll of negative film (as the main subject by the way) was something that I hadn't even thought of. So there it was a tiny roll of negative film containing 12 years old 36 negatives from Sir's Absolut Vodka collection (one of my favourites) 

His next words gave a different kind of a high. He said, " You have 4 hours to shoot this keeping in mind the long shadows. I have to finish the Sherlock series and then clear my post production. So do not disturb me over silly things." 

Believe me, when I say this. My Sensei has never behaved in such a cool and a casual manner. It took me atleast 20 minutes to realise that he is actually going to watch a freaking T.V. series (that too Sherlock!! hmpf!!) while I slog my ass off. 

Since I didn't have any other option left, I started setting up the background and camera. I focused on two types of angles with the help of tripod. One was around 45 degrees and another was 90 degrees. In the end I had to shoot handheld as I was using a 105mm Macro lens. 

For the first time, Nrupen sir left me on my own in the studio. And in the end (after slogging and experimenting for 2 hours with the light) I started getting decent results. By the time it was 6:30 pm I had taken some really good shots and developed a clear idea about the post production. 

These are the best 7 photographs. (Also, the first seven to be showcased from the White Cube Zone series, as promised!)

Absolut Diptych (1)

Absolut Vintage 

Drown

Absolut Polyptych

Absolut Triptych

Absolut Diptych(2)

From the streets.

The work schedule these days keeps me really busy and by the time I am back home, it is pretty late to finish the draft and blog it out. But today was a different day altogether. Apart from being on an emotional rollercoaster, I was also honing my lighting skills in the Studio. We call our studio a White Cube Zone. My Sensei, Mr. Nrupen Madhvani always suggests that a photographer will be a true artist when he/she considers his/her white cube zone as a blank canvas. These words actually make a lot of sense when I am working in that zone, where I have all the resources to create a masterpiece.

Being a candid and street photographer that I am, these few months have been really difficult for me. Working in a studio is really not a piece of cake. More than the hard work and the technical knowledge, your creativity is faced by insurmountable challenges. And it is a feeling of ecstasy when you actually produce something beautiful in that challenging environment. I would love to share my studio shots, but, they are under post production. So may be in the next blog, you will get to see what was I really upto when I had taken this long hiatus from blogging. Soon!

Though I haven't shot much on the streets, yet there are a few shots which I would like to share.

Mangla. 

Shut.

Questions.

Untitled.

The Panwala near Rhythm House, Kala Ghoda

Trade of the hour. (Seen near Bombay Stock Exchange)

Espíritu Libre: The French Lieutenant's Woman

Espíritu Libre: The French Lieutenant's Woman: Given the veneer of a lady, she was made the perfect victim of a caste society. Her father had forced her out of her own class, but could ...

The French Lieutenant's Woman

Given the veneer of a lady, she was made the perfect victim of a caste society. Her father had forced her out of her own class, but could not raise her to the next. To the young men of the one she had left she had become too select to marry; to those of the one she aspired to, she remained too banal.

Maheshwar...land of the Holkars.

"For thirty years her reign of peace,

The land in blessing did increase;

And she was blessed by every tongue,

By stern and gentle, old and young.

Yea, even the children at their mothers feet

Are taught such homely rhyming to repeat

"In latter days from Brahma came,

To rule our land, a noble Dame,

Kind was her heart, and bright her fame,

And Ahilya was her honoured name."

- Joanna Baillie (1849)

The majestic Fort of Maheshwar ..the residence of Rani Ahilya Devi on the banks of pious river  Narmada

Shimmering sun...waiting to set...

Candid...In conversation

Lightly, O lightly we bear her along,
She sways like  a flower in the wind   of our song; 

~ Palanquin Bearers by Sarojini Naidu

I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity.

Faith brings you to the home of Gods

The majestic fort..from the inside

Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat.
~ Mother Teresa

The Homecoming

The Ghats of Maheshwar

For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith, But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting.
-T. S. Eliot
(Waiting for the Sun to Set..at the ghats)

Sunset at Narmada...reflecting peace n tranquility

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.
~ Rabindranath Tagore

                             

Evening Aarti ceremony

Blessings from Narmada...

illuminated silhouettes of the worshipers...

May the wish come true..

Priest in preparation...

Reflection in Narmada River

Faith or Trust

The finest clothing made is a person's skin, but, of course, society demands something more than this.    ~Mark Twain
( Making of the traditional Handloom Maheshwari Saree)

Idols are not the idle fancies of sculptors but are shining channels through which the heart of the devotee is attracted to God and flows towards Him.

The various Gaps....

One of the towers of the fort

At Guard

Carrier of our wishes to HIM