Body, Soul and Me - The Fusion
I'm continuing from where I left..
The place was fixed and it was Varanasi. My plan was to get there before the new year. At first, I had no company in mind (actually had one!) but then I found a friend of mine also had the same plans as mine! Later we started booking tickets and the thing is we were left with one choice to reach Varanasi which is Chennai-Agra-Lucknow-Varanasi.
Yet it was a terrible idea, we didn't mind because we cared only about the destination. That really helped us to understand about the people, landscape, whether as such. The plan was to stay in Varanasi for 3 days. The first day we walked all day along the ghats of the river Ganges and shot some pictures. The next day we explored the other ghats we didn't explore the first day. During the night time, we shared our knowledge of photography and music.
Though I had shot some 600 pictures from the past days I wasn't satisfied.
Though I had shot some 600 pictures from the past days I wasn't satisfied.
My friend told me that I have to work on my perspectives and to get closer to subjects. That helped me in a way but still, i was shooting pictures which I knew I'd delete it later.
I felt completely lost.
I thought I'd be okay on the 2nd day; my mind would be clear but actually didn't. But my friend stayed cool all day long even though all he did was observing more than capturing. His reason to travel and doing this whole thing given me some fresh thoughts.
I thought I'd be okay on the 2nd day; my mind would be clear but actually didn't. But my friend stayed cool all day long even though all he did was observing more than capturing. His reason to travel and doing this whole thing given me some fresh thoughts.
On the second day night, i decided to carry only my analog camera for the next day.
A Stop here!!
Actually, that's not exactly the same camera I owned a year before. I went to my mentor's (The one who taught me photography basics) home on the day we supposed to start from Chennai to get some lenses for the film camera. He checked my cam and said that it has some winding issues and gave his Cosina CT 1 Super with the 35-70 film on it.I gladly accepted it and asked him to load the soul on the body - film(The Tri X) on the camera !!
Films are like the souls in which moments/memories are to be written, and the Camera body does the technical stuff to ensure it stores the fraction of time forever in the soul.
I know It could've been explained in a better. But my vocabularies are limited.
Back to Varanasi, The 3rd Day...
The plan was to take a boat to reach the other side of the river Ganges. I measured the light using my DSLR (because the Cosina's light meter wasn't given me the right readings) and left it under the deck of the boat.
Now I can't fool around with film as I do sometimes with digital. Unless I know what I'm shooting it becomes useless. So I called ARR for help and he came in handy.
As I said I felt lost what I meant is I was there in the middle of thousand people but couldn't connect with them or with the environment.That must not be continued so I thought to put a headset into my ears and filling it with some beats. I started with Maahi ve from Highway.
That was the moment where I found my self again. While floating on the river Ganges, that was the moment I felt myself in the midst of all the chaos and calmness as river Ganges exists between the two extremes. That is how I always wanted to feel; feeling as one, as myself. There was me, music, camera, and the Ganges. And a lot of birds. I was able to see clearer than before and I could see what I wanted to record in the soul (film).
Unlike in digital, i had to wait for 'the' moment while seeing inside the viewfinder. And the best part is while shooting I'm observing more than ever so I'm living in it too. That's the best thing can happen to any photographer, to capture and live the moment. I know digital works for most people but practicing film open doors to some new thoughts which really works for me.
I made some exposures on the way to the shore and once we reached we saw stunning something like Bonneville Speedway of California.We walked along the shore at that time I was listening to this Tu Khuja..Man Khuja.. from the same movie. For the rest of the day that's how it went. We didn't talk to each other for the rest of the day and continued clicking till I finished 36 exposures. At the end, I wish I had another roll in my hand that time.
The 3rd day made me feel complete about the trip. I felt what Ryan said about shooting film.It really slowed me down, made me think better, connect with the environment rather than the back LCD screen.
Other than all these things to get inspired, there I had this one all along the journey.
I have this freedom to wander places and click pictures.
Which is most of em don't have if even they wanted to...
Living one's dream is a great thing but compromising it or living for one's family demands sacrifices.
Women go through this a lot than men.
So unlike them, i have the time to think and do stuff.
And I should do better. I must do better.
--------------
I'll update the next blog with the pictures I shot on film.
--------------------------------------***-----------------------------------------------
I know It could've been explained in a better. But my vocabularies are limited.
Back to Varanasi, The 3rd Day...
The plan was to take a boat to reach the other side of the river Ganges. I measured the light using my DSLR (because the Cosina's light meter wasn't given me the right readings) and left it under the deck of the boat.
Now I can't fool around with film as I do sometimes with digital. Unless I know what I'm shooting it becomes useless. So I called ARR for help and he came in handy.
As I said I felt lost what I meant is I was there in the middle of thousand people but couldn't connect with them or with the environment.That must not be continued so I thought to put a headset into my ears and filling it with some beats. I started with Maahi ve from Highway.
That was the moment where I found my self again. While floating on the river Ganges, that was the moment I felt myself in the midst of all the chaos and calmness as river Ganges exists between the two extremes. That is how I always wanted to feel; feeling as one, as myself. There was me, music, camera, and the Ganges. And a lot of birds. I was able to see clearer than before and I could see what I wanted to record in the soul (film).
Unlike in digital, i had to wait for 'the' moment while seeing inside the viewfinder. And the best part is while shooting I'm observing more than ever so I'm living in it too. That's the best thing can happen to any photographer, to capture and live the moment. I know digital works for most people but practicing film open doors to some new thoughts which really works for me.
I made some exposures on the way to the shore and once we reached we saw stunning something like Bonneville Speedway of California.We walked along the shore at that time I was listening to this Tu Khuja..Man Khuja.. from the same movie. For the rest of the day that's how it went. We didn't talk to each other for the rest of the day and continued clicking till I finished 36 exposures. At the end, I wish I had another roll in my hand that time.
The 3rd day made me feel complete about the trip. I felt what Ryan said about shooting film.It really slowed me down, made me think better, connect with the environment rather than the back LCD screen.
Other than all these things to get inspired, there I had this one all along the journey.
I have this freedom to wander places and click pictures.
Which is most of em don't have if even they wanted to...
Living one's dream is a great thing but compromising it or living for one's family demands sacrifices.
Women go through this a lot than men.
So unlike them, i have the time to think and do stuff.
And I should do better. I must do better.
--------------
I'll update the next blog with the pictures I shot on film.
--------------------------------------***-----------------------------------------------
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