Take Care
Ciao
Leafy Fractal
Category: Uncategorized
Songspiration
This post has been on my mind since a long time, but i just never got to composing it – the lazy ass that i am. The seed of the idea was sown by this song, that i was and still am impressed by. The photographs you will see below were made at locations sprinkled across India. But via this song i somehow could put them all in one space, in context. This is my interpretation of the song. This post is completely inspired by a song, hence the post name. Plan to tackle this idea in future posts as well. And i know, this idea will either be completely liked, or completely disliked.
Either ways, do let me know:)
Now lets get to the post.
The grass was greener…
The Light was brighter…
The taste was sweeter…
The nights of wonder…
With friends surrounded…
The dawn mist glowing…
The water flowing…
The endless river…
Forever… and ever…..
High Hopes
— Pink Floyd
Do check out the song by clicking on its name, particularly the instrumental section following the lines i have quoted above.
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Next Clearance 8.50am
Three things, in ascending order of stupidity, were going through my mind when i was composing this shot :
Scenario 1 : This guy is probably waiting for his girlfriend, to spend some quality time with her in the Horniman circle garden behind him. He’s had a long work week. In fact, he’s just come straight from his office to this spot. For a change, he has arrived earlier than his girl.
Scenario 2 : This guy had probably come to drop a letter in the box. But in the hurry (probably due to lack of sleep, as explained in scenario 1) ended up dropping the envelope filled with his salary cash. Now starts the wait till NEXT CLEARANCE which according to the letter box is at 8.50 am. 20 minutes to go till then.
Ok, now do not judge my mental well-being on this one.
Scenario 3 : This guy has probably had a fight with Box No 54. He was confused as to which side to put the letter in through. He asked the letter box himself and on not receiving any answer started kicking and abusing him. Box No 54 is probably thinking to himself, “The impatient fool, can’t he see i am forbidden from speaking till 8.50am?” and he goes back to sleep, leaving the stranger looking out for help.
I can’t remember the last time i used a letter box. Probably a decade back. Wonder how many people in the city (barring for official purposes) use the letterbox for personal mails. Hell, even office work happens through courier services these days.
But, it feels good to have these around. Reminds you of simpler times.
Take Care
Ciao
The Blue Caps
This was one of the most privileged tours i had been to while i was interning at The Times of India. It was a journos only tour of the yet-to-be-opened Bandra Worli Sealink. The photographs of the sealink have appeared on the blog before : An Engineering Marvel . It was special because i got the opportunity to explore this link before it would be opened for the public and got to click some photographs, which i cannot imagine clicking today.
This is one photograph i had clicked even before i started snapping the Sealink. It was just a bunch of labourers, taking some time out from their gruelling schedule. Their blue safety helmet is what arrested my attention. It looked just perfect against the dull grey sky. The cloudy atmosphere added to the overall charm.
Today when i read an article on the critically injured labourer who is fighting for his life as a result of the infamous CWG bridge collapse, it made me think how much we take the migrant labourers for granted. I stopped on this photograph for a while and the guy on the extreme right seemed to be asking me, “We build your sealinks, your skywalks, your skyscrapers but do you’ll really give a damn about us if we are injured in the process?” And i realised, we don’t.
I am not going to get into the morality bit as i feel this is not the right platform for such a serious issue. But the least we can do on our individual part, is show some respect to these labourers. It’s a tough life they lead. After all, the collective efforts of these guys creates marvelous things.
Take Care
Ciao
Walking Tall
Millions enter the city after departing from the long distance train at CST station. Many thousands of them are those who have come here to try their luck in this city of gold. This boy crossing the road, reminded me of another boy with whom i had interacted last year. This other boy had run away from his home (in interior Uttar Pradesh) with a one way ticket to Mumbai to fulfill his dream of getting on a talent show on TV!
This is one of those rare instances, when i have patiently waited for the right moment to compose a photograph. Tried juxtaposing the grandeur of the railway building with this humble young man crossing the road.
Take Care
Ciao
Shades of Truth
Was walking around Colaba yesterday outside the Jehangir Art Gallery. I couldn’t find one of my favourite artists from the Pavement Gallery, the footpath outside the art gallery. Maybe it is the rains, i thought. I recalled a profile i had done on him back in my Journalism school days, as a part of our project. This was the very first profile i had ever attempted. The text is pasted below. He has appeared on this blog many times before as The Perfectionist and the unperturbed artist. This is one long post, so don’t blame me if you are bored:P
Shades of Truth
His weapons of choice are quite modest. A clip pad, four clips, Staedtler charcoal pencil, and a blade to sharpen the pencils. The fingers that make such confident strokes are frail, but the spirit is indomitable. At 60, Vijay Balkrishna Parasnaik, is probably the eldest artist around the Pavement Art Plaza.
Having done his Diploma from the esteemed JJ School of Arts in 1978, Parasnaik has been working for nearly 40 years now. He has worked in various capacities ranging from Visualiser to Art Director to Studio Manager. Companies range from newspaper houses like Indian Express to advertising agencies like Age Communication. But his first love has always been sketching portraits. “I had an interest in this art-form since my school days. My father, the late Balkrishna Parasnaik, was also an artist. His artistic genes have really helped me”, adds Parasnaik.
Born on the 2nd of October, 1948, Parasnaik is one person who totally shares the same view of life as the great personality who shares his birthday: Mahatma Gandhi. In fact he resembles Gandhiji even in his food habits, for Parasnaik is a pure vegetarian, surprising considering he comes from the Konkan belt. “I have never had friends who indulge in drinking and smoking. In fact if possible, I even avoid anything that has onion and potato in it”, he adds.
How does an artist find his mood to indulge in his art on a bustling pavement like the Jehangir Art Gallery pavement? “I am not a slave to mood. I can work at any given time and under any given circumstances. My work gives me immense pleasure. I work here from 3pm all the way to 6pm, everyday. Most of my work is done at home, but this atmosphere is ideal for me. I am not affected by the passersby. I hardly ever look up from my portrait”, says Parasnaik, making it sound so very simple. “There was no concept of pavement artists, when I started off. Now this pavement has become a gallery of sorts”, says the lanky artist, conspicuous by his traditional hat and soda bottle glasses.
But isn’t it illegal to display your art here on the pavement? “Displaying art isn’t illegal. Thanks to Cowasjee Jehangir, the owner of the Art Gallery, struggling artists have got a chance to display their work. Since I am the oldest artist here, my place is fixed and no one tries to occupy it. That ways I am respected among the artists here. But even otherwise, I face no problems from the BMC or the police. They are very co-operative and never harass us”, Parasnaik clears the confusion.
Most of Parasnaik’s clients are middle class people who want to get their portraits sketched, for which Parasnaik charges a nominal Rs.500 for an A3 size page. “I work according to orders. Most of my clients come back with more portraits to be sketched. I rarely do live portraits, as I get very little time from the pending orders. But when I do, I charge only Rs.200 for them”, adds Parasnaik.
He avoids charcoal sticks and thinks that Indian branded pencils add a shine to the portraits which is undesirable. Parasnaik uses the expensive Staedtler pencil as it gives the portraits a matte – finish.
Parasnaik has never felt the need to display his works in art galleries. “This pavement is my gallery, and my work does all the talking. I don’t need the crutch of an art gallery for that. My work gives me the motivation that money never can”, says the humble artist, whose students have gone on to having solo shows in the art galleries around town.
Certain things don’t change. For the pavement around the Jehangir Art Gallery, the mob surrounding a lean artist will always be there. “I am 60 now, but that doesn’t mean I will put up my boots. I will continue to go on and on, as this is my only motivation”.
— October 2008
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Ciao
Esse Quam Videri
Relax! That translates into ‘To Be Rather Than To Seem’ and that is the motto my alma mater studiorum ie. my school – St. Peter’s School🙂 This is the photograph of the chapel within my school. The only history i will reveal about my school is that it was founded by Cowley Fathers way back in 1874. (You can get a detailed one from the website)
I am fortunate to be living very close to my school, I pass by it atleast once a week, but rarely drop in. It is not easy. It’s like stepping into a time – machine. Afterall, I had spent 12 of my most cherished years here. Mind is still searching for those long lost friends when i step in. Many of them are probably married by now and who knows, their kids will be studying in St. Peter’s now:)
These photographs were made around four years back when i was still using Canon A400. It was for my personal collection, as i was moving to another city, thanks to my job back then. I wanted to keep some special photographs with me. I also uploaded them on Flickr and distributed the link in my school’s Orkut group (yeah back then there was no Facebook on my intellectual map:P) and forgot about it.
Today when i opened my school’s Facebook page, i was pleasantly surprised to see one of my photographs being used as the display pic of the group. I went through the photo album, and one of my seniors had uploaded photographs from the Flickr stream onto Facebook. Most of the photographs had large number of comments, some from seniors who were from batches even before i was born. And what’s more, these are the only school-related photographs found on any of my school’s groups across the web.
My happiness knew no bounds!! I mean it was just my personal collection of photographs, but i did not realise that many ex-students, who aren’t in the same city, state or have probably left the country or haven’t been to school in decades, got a chance to relive the golden days. I don’t know many of the commentators personally, but it feels wonderful to know that i touched them emotionally at some level.
I think i need to fix a photography date with my school again soon. Probably plan to cover the senior section as well this time around:)
Take Care
Ciao
PS : This is the complete Flickr stream for those interested : St. Peter’s School
Down the street…
“Sixty years ago, on such a shiny day, a little boy, holding the hand of his father, walked this street. And as the years passed by, father was replaced by friends and eventually by a woman.
But through the twists and turns of this straight road, everyone seemed to vanish, one by one.
Rain poured, floods rushed in, sun burst, still, the windows remain silent and kept the secrets, till it hurts.
And for the days to come, the tired old man, will walk the same old street, with mind full of unsettling thoughts about lost world, lost hope and death.”
Saurabh, 21, Mumbai.
This was the interpretation given by a cousin when he saw this photograph which was completely different from what was going through my mind while making the composition. This is my maiden attempt at just clicking the photograph and letting someone fill in the words. On the occassion of World Photography Day, would like to add this new dimension to the blog:)
Happy World Photography Day to all the shutterbugs:)
Take Care
Ciao
PS: Please do visit Saurabh’s blog here : Scattered Pieces
Gossip Girls
There are very few moments in a zoo which are as joyous as watching two elephants basking in the mid-afternoon sun, without any metallic chains gripping their pillar like legs. It was a pleasant sight to see Laxmi and Anarkali, out on the ground swinging their trunks and stomping their feet, uprooting the overgrown grass and slapping it against their back and legs to keep the birds or flies at bay. I have rarely seen this kind of spectacle in Rani baug in the last many years. Needless to say, i was rooted to the place for quite a while.
As i entered the zoo, i was apalled at the sight of the lioness, which had frustration written all over her face. I was not expecting much from the elephant section as well, because not very long ago an incident had occured in the elephant’s enclosure which led to the death of a trespasser who had provoked Laxmi, the elephant. In 2007, a male elephant named Rajkumar had killed his mahout, which had resulted in him being sent to Kerala. Some years back the tigress had passed away, thus letting only squirrels scampering in the tiger’s den.
Rani Baug is not just a zoo for me, but it is a place that has countless memories. Back when i was in school, i remember taking rides on the elephant, feeding the deers, watching the tigress walk back and forth for hours. Now more than half of the animals are either dead or have been shifted to other zoos, and the ones who are there are in a pitiable condition. Talks have been on to spruce up the zoo, but its been over 5 years since i have been hearing that.
Anyways, i wasn’t thinking about all that when i was in front of the pachyderms. Here are the girls gossiping some more.
Okay enough of talking and playing around. Let’s just end the post with a nice shake of hands err trunks:)
Take Care
Ciao
PS : These photographs were clicked courtesy the absolutely wonderful Canon 550D. Will write a post dedicated solely to the camera soon.
Wanna Race?
Gothic architecture in South Mumbai is quite abundant. David Sasson Library, one of the oldest functioning Reading room and Library in Mumbai, is one structure that i have photographed countless times. My association with the library grew due to the annual Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, which organises its Literature talks in the garden within the library compound.
Anyways, as i said i have photographed the library many times before so whenever i come to this part of town, i am always on the look out for new ways to photograph this magnificent structure. Couple of weeks back i got a chance to test one DSLR – Canon 1000D – for official purposes. I decided to take it for a spin to the part of Mumbai which i feel is quite photogenic.
The initial idea was to capture the moving vehicles against the backdrop of the Library. So i went in search for a surface to keep the camera steady. While looking for it, i came across these two cars, which were parked in a way that it gave a clear view of the library. So the first plan was canned and thought of composing the photograph using the two cars. Result is as above.
Had a wonderful time shooting with 1000D. That week was one of the most thrilling week at work in terms of the cameras i got to use. I clicked more photographs in three days than i have in the entire year so far. Felt really good to re-connect with my passion which had taken a back seat for quite a while.
Take Care,
Ciao
Shutterbugged 
