BW photography – Page 2

Intl Saturdays 50: Make a wish…

July 13, 2013August 26, 2018Posted in UncategorizedTagged BW photography, customs, International Saturdays, Japan, Japanese culture, Omikuji, Shinto shrines, Shinto temples, symbolism, Temple complex, TokyoLeave a comment

While visiting the Shinto temples in Tokyo, I came across a lot of such paper strips located just outside the temples. I noticed a lot of people, selecting some bamboo stick which had some characters based on which they would select a strip of paper from a box – which had the same initials as those found on the bamboo stick. This strip of paper just like the strip of paper found inside a fortune cookie, would then tell the person of his fortune. The technical term for this custom is Omikuji.

Luck is classified into dai-ichi (great luck), kicki (good fortune), sho-kichi (middle good fortune) and kyo (bad luck). If you like your fortune you can keep it. If you don’t like it you can tie it to a branch on a tree on the shrine grounds. (Source: Shinto Shrines)

If you may have noted, the International Saturdays series completes a half-century today. Two more and it will complete a year. I would also like to make a mental wish and tie it on that string:)

Take Care,
Ciao

Auto parts NOT

July 3, 2013August 26, 2018Posted in UncategorizedTagged auto parts, BW photography, contrast juxtaposition, Daily Life, juxtaposition, street abstracts, street life, street photographyLeave a comment

Take Care,
Ciao

Siesta time

May 1, 2013August 26, 2018Posted in UncategorizedTagged BW photography, lazy sunday afternoon, Masjid bunder, South Mumbai, street photography, street portraitLeave a comment

Take care,
Ciao

Intl Saturdays 37: Harajuku GIrl 2

April 13, 2013August 26, 2018Posted in UncategorizedTagged BW photography, Harajuku, International Saturdays, Japan, Japanese culture, street photography, street portrait, Takeshita Dori, Tokyo1 Comment

Finding a girl wearing normal clothes on Takeshita Dori off the Harajuku metro station is quite a task, where everyone is in their cosplay best with insanely garish getups and makeups. Some of these girls can carry it off really well, but some of them can actually make your eyes bleed.

When i came across this girl, even before i could raise my camera to my eye, she gave me this brilliant smile. I didn’t even have to ask her if i could take her photograph. And it was a welcome change to see a normally dressed girl in that cosplay heaven.

Take Care,

Ciao

Intl Saturdays 36: Airport reflections

April 5, 2013August 26, 2018Posted in UncategorizedTagged BW photography, candid moment, couple, Daily Life, International Saturdays, Japan, Japan Airlines, Narita airport, reflections, street photography, TokyoLeave a comment

While waiting at the Narita airport to take me and my group to Oita, I was having a blast making photographs of aeroplanes landing and taking off. But after a while it started to get boring.

While composing a picture of the zebra crossing, i noticed that the couple sitting on the bench bang opposite the glass wall, was being reflected and decided to make them the subject instead. While the woman was fidgety, i really liked the almost zen-like expression on the man’s face. He may as well have been bored for all i care.

Take Care,
Ciao

Intl Saturdays 33: Monk Crossing

March 16, 2013August 26, 2018Posted in UncategorizedTagged abstract photography, BW photography, Ginza, Ginza shopping district, Japan, monk, Moriyama inspired, street abstracts, street photography, TokyoLeave a comment

Take Care,
Ciao

Intl Saturdays 16: Juxtaposition in Tokyo

November 17, 2012August 26, 2018Posted in UncategorizedTagged BW photography, contrast juxtaposition, Daily Life, Imperial palace, International Saturdays, Japan, Japanese culture, Old world, street, Tokyo, urban spaces, urbanscapesLeave a comment

Barring the Imperial Palace, there are very few places left in Tokyo which are reminiscent of an old era. (Let’s add the Yakotori alley to that list (will put up its picture some other day)). Most of old Tokyo was wiped out during the WWII. What you get to see in Tokyo now are structures which are not older than say 40-50 years (at least in the major part of Tokyo AFAIK).

Although Japan still has the King and the Queen, they are just that in name. They do not have any say in political matters as such. They still live in a palace, which is in the middle of Tokyo surrounded by lovely open spaces and greenery. I just loved the sound while walking on the pebbly, gravel-ly path that lead upto the Imperial palace gates.

This is the only frame where i could manage to capture the contrast of the old against the new (one of my favourite things whenever i am in any city. There is just something about the era gone past. The Golden Age syndrome some call it, of which i am a surefire victim).

Take Care,
Ciao

Portraits 7: The nameless baba

November 7, 2012August 26, 2018Posted in UncategorizedTagged BW photography, chillum, Daily Life, nomadic lifestyle, portraits, religion, rishikesh, spirituality, street portrait, Uttarakhand5 Comments

I was shooting along the banks of the Ganga at Rishikesh, when i heard someone calling me. I turned around to find this dreadlocks-sporting baba. He first made the sign of a chillum, asking if i had any. I smiled and said no. He smiled back.

I then went ahead and started talking to him. He seemed to be sober, for a change. We had a good 15-minute conversation and to date i can’t remember his name, but i still remember the conversation. This was probably my first ever attempt at a street portrait as i had just bought my Canon S5 IS back then.
He told me that he along with a group of other Shiv-bhakt babas stayed around the banks of the Ganga in Rishikesh and their main aim in life was to practise Shaivism, meditate and lead a nomadic life. He said he had lead this kind of lifestyle for close to 15 years.

“How do you manage your meals then?” i asked. He replied that they completely relied on bhiksha. In a tourist-friendly town such as Rishikesh, there is an abundance of bhiksha and food for people like him. They have very few belongings and would sleep, bathe and smoke chillum along the ghats of the Ganga. There are some sort of open quarters around the Ganga at Rishikesh where a lot of these godmen stay and sleep.
I asked him if he only stayed in Rishikesh or does he move around, to which he said, “Jab garmi badh jaati hai, to hum pahadon me jaate hai. Uttarakhand ya Himachal. Ek hi jagah nahi rehte.” (When the heat increases, we take off to the hills. We keep moving around in Uttarakhand or Himachal but do not stay fixed at any one place).

I did not have the heart to ask him anything about his past or his family. So i took my leave and requested if i could click his picture. He agreed.

Whenever i look at those peering eyes, i am instantly transferred back to Rishikesh. What a lovely place that is!

Take Care,
Ciao

A cabbie race

November 5, 2012August 26, 2018Posted in UncategorizedTagged BW photography, candid moment, Daily Life, girgaum chowpatty, layers, South Mumbai, street photographyLeave a comment

Take Care,
Ciao

BMC building at dusk

October 31, 2012August 26, 2018Posted in UncategorizedTagged architechtural marvel, architechture photogaphy, BMC building, British architechture, BW photography, nostalgia, South MumbaiLeave a comment

Ok i agree, i have shot this building a hell lot of times. Guilty as charged. But there is just something about its architecture that makes me go all starry eyed, whenever i am in the vicinity. This time around i had shot it at dusk and i really loved the dark blue cloudless sky which gave a perfect backdrop to the structure.

And here are some Black and Whites of the same building.