This January I had gone out for the kind of street photography that professionals and highly skilled ameatures go out for. But I did with little experience and gadgets. I had chosen Joydev Mela - a huge religious and village fair held at Kenduli - as my assignment. In the midst of lakhs of rural people and pilgrims, I was carrying out my street photography. And believe me, it was a brilliant experience. I realised how hard and enjoying photography is.
Out of the many pictures that I had taken, here is one of a few village children. I like the different expressions. The shyness of one is an interesting element in this picture where the rest of the children are comfortable with my camera.
Taking pictures of the children was a very enjoyable experience. First you need to have the courage to approach them although their parents are present over there. It is very important to make friendship with them and make them feel comfortable with your presence. Communication, as all intellectuals have said, and as Suvro Sir (whom some of you know and many have turned a deaf ear to) repeatedly says, is the key to success in whatever one does. I had built up a friendship with these children and their parents by giving a great smile to them, by taking many pictures of them, and by showing them their pictures. On seeing their pictures they not only felt happy but allowed me to many more pictures. There was joy in the environment and I was enjoying my work more than ever. It is important that you become sensitive to your subject and laugh and cry with them. You are bound to have good pictures. As all mediums of art, photography too is all about your heart and mind. It is all about the world, its people, and you.
For almost four years I had not seen the sea. So as soon as I landed at the Chennai airport, I simply could not wait to feel the splash of salty waves on my feet. After checking into my hotel, I took my camera and made my way to the Marina Beach. Marina Beach, to many, is ‘dirty’ and ‘too long to cross’. But to me, and to many other photographers too, it is a spectacular and colourful area. The aroma of cooked fish, the colourful and variant shells sold at the shops, large number of people engaged in bargaining, the softness of sand, and the roaring of waves make Marina Beach one of the many interesting places on earth where one can have hundreds of frames to be photographed. When I saw the waves for the first time, I was so much overwhelmed with profound bliss that I stood still and kept on gazing at the huge expanse of the deep blue sea. I managed to keep a short record of my joy. The picture above shows myself waiting for the cool waves, and then fortuned with a nice soft wave splashing on my feet. As you go from picture 1 to 4, you can see my feet being surrounded by the wave coming in and then flowing out gently.
That day I took several pictures on the beach. For the first time I had managed to take quite a good number of pictures on a trip. I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of frames that passed before my eyes. Though I was unable to take all of them, I did manage to take many. Children buying toys and hats, children playing on sand and in water, boys and girls chatting and laughing in groups, shops displaying variant things made of shells found on sea shores, women making flower necklaces, fishermen coming in with their boats loaded with fish, families standing on the beach and waiting for the waves to come in and wet their feet. It was such a joyous environment that I had almost grown fatigued of it.
The beach that I liked most was the Kovalam beach. The sea over there was relatively calm and thus gave a very pleasant and soothing feeling – much different from the dynamic attitude one sees in the sea along the Marina and Golden beach. The waves were short and even tiny tots could dip their legs in the water without having any worry or fear. I took many interesting pictures there. This little boy (above) caught my attention, and I quickly took his picture. I hope you like it.
(click to see larger version)
The Golden Beach had a different appeal altogether. It is a beach cum amusement park. You have the roller coaster, the merry-go-round, the toy-train, the time machine, the food court, and a beautiful beach. Waves come with good force and give you a lot of scope for enjoyment. I had many good shots there too. I tried some panning too, and was lucky enough to have a few good pans.
As I am sitting here and typing these words, my mind is refusing to accept that I will not see the sea again for a long time.
When I was leaving Chennai, I was looking down on the sea from the sky like a prisoner being taken away from the world of true bliss. I could see the string like waves from high above and wondering how far-fetched human wishes are. And if at all they are fulfilled, God gives temporary satisfactions, and then takes them away from you. May be because you will feel happier the next time you find that joy.
