Thursday, April 21, 2011

Day 40- Friday April 22 – curve balls and rain


You know yesterday was kind of a funny day, it was weird because all day I had this feeling of sadness as it dawned on me that the trip would soon be over, the friends I’ve made here all don’t want me to leave, there is still much to do and yet it’s time to head home, to consolidate my thousands of images, sort them out, finish my MFA and prepare for the next phase of my life and yes, of course: hug my wife and kids who I do miss terribly.

cows and goats can't read but people can - dah
I wandered the back roads of Fraser town yesterday morning, camera in hand for what I thought would be the last time as my schedule over the next two days is very hectic, what with packing and washing clothes, buying last minute gifts for the kids, burning DVDs, checking tickets and taking part in with a major show and workshop series for NICC. So I took the opportunity to say goodbye to my principal subject – Moore Road, Fraser Town, Bangalore, India.
What is happening here now is that all the people who didn’t want their photo taken when Raj and I wandered the streets last Saturday shooting portraits, they are now rushing up to me demanding  that I shoot them in front of their shops, all because I printed out the portraits and gave them to the subjects. In a way it’s kinda funny and I will miss it, but it did allow me to shoot some more street portraits and also to watch a man be shaved with a cut throat razor in the barbers shop – scary ah- hahaha.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
the workers are progressing fast with the foundations next door


rat anyone - yuk

 

Moore Road has been a very therapeutic experience for me, focusing my attentions for so long on just one subject was what I set out to do here and also with my studies, learning ways to make it all happen- the key I have found is just to spend time with your subjects and don’t rush in and out of their lives as I used to in the past with my assignments. Now it is all about time.

But this is India and things change in an instant here so they tell me, so never be totally sure of your plans and be very flexible as last night the southern monsoons finally took up residence over Karnataka. I awoke this morning to the same drizzly rain that had started falling late yesterday afternoon just as we had planned to go to another area to shoot modern but the rain stopped all that and we instead stayed indoors in Vinos little flat, having a small party with friends and other photographers who braved the rains and treacherous road conditions to join us.
Jacques , Anita, John and John
But when I woke this morning I decided that I needed to shoot the rain so I once again wandered those same and very familiar streets looking for the Brian Brakesque atypical monsoon pictures. Sadly it’s only started raining here and there are no beautiful models/actresses on hand in the neighbourhood for me to pour water over their faces, but however, this is India and even though today is Good Friday, it is also a major Hindu festival that I am told has been happening in various parts of the town for the past three days, so nearby I stumbled across a bunch of very happy devotees, all banging their drums and singing in the light rain as they lit candles, smashed coconuts and rejoiced etc . Lots of laughs and some good photos I hope. Today is all about prep for the workshops as I have to prepare my own and to also help Vino with his sports workshop so it should be fun I guess.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Jacques, the South African photographer, is fun to watch as he is just like me when I first got here, shooting everything that moves. He’s lucky as he has an Mk 3 and a 400 2.8 on hand but he’s a good keen bloke with an eye for detail. 
Him and Vino are off on Monday morning by car to Chennai and then on to Kochin for an extended stay between IPL matches there so they and Ron – the boss- are all planning to experience the state of Kerala and sample its delights and see its wonderful countryside. I’ve been there before and it really is a nice place to visit and shoot pictures in so I am so jealous as I will be stuck in an aluminium tube heading east and south to the middle of winter in Dunedin. LOL as I expect that seeing how Jacque doesn’t really like the Tequila VJ has so I wonder how he will go with the very potent Toddy they serve up over there in the backwaters of Kerala.

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