October 10th, 2009| Stuck In Customs
Here is a wonderful scene from India. I am sure that people here find these women to be rather commonplace and uninteresting, but I thought all their little movements were photo-worthy. I’m sure they thought I was a nut following them around, so I tried to remain fairly clandestine, so as to not to interrupt their natural behavior. I sort of felt like I was tracking wild animals in their native habitat. That sounds strange, I’m sure!
Yes, I used a texture on this one from one of the texture tutorial packages. Note that I won’t do this for everyone, but I wanted to point you to my friend Scotty Graham’s blog in Indonesia, who is re-selling these textures. If you buy from there, he is donating his profits to children that suffered from the earthquakes in Sumatra. Anyway, as you can tell, he’s a nice guy, and his site is certainly worth a visit!
from the categories: Delhi, India, Travel | 6 Comments »
September 13th, 2009| Stuck In Customs
My first impression of romance in India came from Bollywood. I was pretty sure that everyone fell in love then spent a long time dancing around a grapefruit tree. There are other dancers involved, nearby, of course, as well as a series of fountains, slow-motion cattle, Hinduesque yodeling.
But then, after being there, I saw romance was the same as just about everywhere else. I did capture this couple together, exploring Humayun’s Tomb in the middle of Delhi. Enjoy!
from the categories: Delhi, India, Stuck In Customs Textures, Travel | 11 Comments »
August 10th, 2009| Stuck In Customs
When walking around New Delhi and getting lost in the backstreets, I came to an active area where everyone was selling accoutrements for the Diwali festival. I think the ladies knew that I was not a potential buyer, but all of them on the street were very happy to show me what they had to sell. Delhi itself is a very gray and dusty town, so it makes these colorful outfits and flowers stand out even more.
from the categories: Delhi, India, New Delhi, Travel | 8 Comments »
July 13th, 2009| Trey Ratcliff
This is Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi. It’s a wonderful place full of a rich bouquet of textures and light. There isn’t a bad shot of it to be had in this well-preserved Moghul tomb, and these light levels were made for HDR.
I’ve put another image of this tomb in the upcoming book. I talked a little more about the shot and some additional explanation about how it was made. When I go around and give talks, get feedback, and hear all the comments here on the blog, flickr, and facebook, I get a lot of repeat questions. I think the book will be a good chance to get them all in a nice definitive place where almost everything can be addressed. At least, I hope so!
from the categories: Delhi, India, New Delhi, Nikon D2XS, Travel | 19 Comments »
June 13th, 2009| Stuck In Customs
India is full of timeless slices of life like this.
I set up for this shot and then sat there for a while. I had heard some sort of aviary commotion and hoped that creatures would come streaming out at some surprise moment. I kept my finger over the trigger just in case, and then, like magic, they all came ripping out with quite a commotion. After this, I packed up my tripod and decided to head towards this little temple to see what was inside. I’ll be sure to put those up in coming weeks…
from the categories: Delhi, India, Nikon D2XS, Travel | 8 Comments »
January 31st, 2009| Stuck In Customs
Do you recall this tale?
The Persian king Shahryar got somewhat upset with one of his wives, had her killed, then married a fresh virgin each day. Then he had them beheaded the following day, which was generally bad in form. Then, as the kingdom ran out of women, the vizier’s own daughter, Scheherazade, married the king with a plan… She told him such interesting stories and things night after night (1,001, to be exact), he became endlessly enraptured.
from the categories: Delhi, India, LucisArt, Nikon D2XS, Travel | 12 Comments »
January 23rd, 2009| Stuck In Customs
The road between Delhi and Agra is really somthin’ else. If you are not swerving around giant potholes, it could easily be a dead cow, a live cow, or something in between. It’s never good to make fun of the cows with your driver, so that is right out.
I’m adventurous on these things… probably too adventurous. I always like to try new foods, and I’ll eat about anything from street vendors. Usually if it looks thoroughly cooked, it generally won’t get me sick…I’ve developed a tough stomach, although I did end up getting a bit sick in Mumbai… but I think that is because I was dumb and let some mysterious ice melt in my cup.
It was a long drive to Agra, and in little towns, the traffic would slow. I occasionally jumped out of the car to get some little snack (and take photos, of course!). Here is one of an interesting chap that had some food I could not pronounce.
from the categories: Agra, Delhi, India, LucisArt, New Delhi, Nikon D2XS, Travel | 6 Comments »
January 16th, 2009| Stuck In Customs
I sensed a profound sadness in him. He was totally alone, seemingly waiting there for someone or something. I’ll never forget it.
His name was Marzouq. He was nice and solemn. As we talked I certainly felt an emptiness there with him. I’m not sure what it was, but it was like there was something wholly unrealized in his life. While we talked, he looked at me strangely at times, a look of not knowing what to think of me and accepting me at the same time. It was comforting, and he was nice to talk to. He created the distinct impression that he was thinking about my questions before answering.
We were there, totally alone, in an unexpected rear corner of a Moghul monument. I always like to go around the backside and try to see the things that are not obvious.
After sitting to rest and talking a bit, he motioned behind him with a quick glance and raised eyebrows, and said cheerfully, “Want to see the bats?”
I said, “Are you kidding? Let’s go.”
Marzouq ducked down about ten feet from a smallish door with hard black shadows shooting inside. He began a near crab walk even while approaching the tiny door. I ducked my head too, which felt strange in the open air. Maybe he was afraid of bats streaming out, which I suddenly realized, causing me to duck down a little more than him.
He made little grunting sounds and kept waving his hand to the side for me to follow. After entering the door, a short walk, and a few turns, we ended up in what felt like a chamber. It could have been darker in there, but I don’t know how. He grunted in a way like “watch this” and he flipped on a flashlight, shining it up into the half-domed room. There were hundreds of bats hanging there, totally silent. It was eerie as heck. I set up my camera but it was way too dark even with a slow shutter speed… and I didn’t feel like light-painting with the flashlight because I thought it might look stupid and not really capture the mood anyway. We sat in there for a while handing the flashlight back and forth and making little grunt sounds. It was very strange, but entirely delightful.
from the categories: Delhi, India, LucisArt, Nikon D2XS, Travel | 17 Comments »
January 15th, 2009| Stuck In Customs
I feel like I end up walking alone through the epic book of the Bhagavad Gita. These mythical places are made manifest in unexpected ways as I look around. It feels somewhat empty inside, like it needs to be shared with someone. The only devastated remnants I have are these little pictures, which seem a poor substitute.
from the categories: Delhi, India, LucisArt, New Delhi, Nikon D2XS, Travel | 13 Comments »
October 20th, 2008| Stuck In Customs
Khamali sat there smiling at me every time I walked by. I would always smile back at her and nod in a generally friendly way. She didn’t ask me for money or anything, although she seemed to ask others, I noticed.
I passed her a fourth time because I was going back to the temple as the light was changing.
She bobbled her head in a pleasant manner. I stopped to give her some rupees and she quickly secured them in the folds of her saree. I made the international sign for “can I please take your picture”, and she shook excitedly as some nearby boys came over to watch.
from the categories: Delhi, India, New Delhi, Travel | 3 Comments »
September 12th, 2008| Stuck In Customs
I was at a small temple between Agra and Delhi, and spent some time there, walking around and enjoying the sights and the people. Soon, some of these elders came along to make their daily offerings. I nodded to them with the camera, and I got a happy bobble back, so I followed them around a bit with the camera as they glided around the temple.
from the categories: Agra, Delhi, India, Travel | 2 Comments »
September 5th, 2008| Stuck In Customs
The Moghuls really knew how to bury their dead. They never seemed to build anything out of rubber or have nice cushy bean-bag chairs… it was all sharp angles and stone… it reminds me of all the sharp-cornered coffee tables where two-year-olds bump their heads until their parents figure out that it is better to have a round coffee table… okay that has nothing to do with anything in this photo any more…
from the categories: Delhi, India, Travel | 1 Comment »
July 13th, 2008| Stuck In Customs
I went up a narrow passageway to get up here to the roof. The stairway was clearly not meant for a tripod like mine… although I suppose I could have collapsed it before wrestling it the narrow twisting corridors. It reminded me of moving my friend’s stupid sleeper-sofa up a curved stairway in college.
from the categories: Delhi, India, New Delhi, Travel | 3 Comments »
June 21st, 2008| Stuck In Customs
This was found deep inside one of the recesses on the outer periphery of Humayun’s tomb in Delhi. The deep reds and stained walks gave the place an unearthly feeling.
from the categories: Delhi, India, Travel | 4 Comments »
May 9th, 2008| Stuck In Customs
Deep inside one of the temples, I found this secret tiny doorway and arch, stained with a deep red dye.
from the categories: Delhi, India, New Delhi, Travel | 11 Comments »
May 5th, 2008| Stuck In Customs
Here we have another beautiful and exotic temple in Delhi in the height of the afternoon, shot from another nearby beautiful and exotic temple.
from the categories: Delhi, India, New Delhi, Travel | 9 Comments »
May 3rd, 2008| Stuck In Customs
While walking through the streets of Delhi, I spotted this guy soldiering on, carrying just a small load through the packed streets.
from the categories: Delhi, India, Travel | 4 Comments »
April 26th, 2008| Stuck In Customs
I am thankful to my host Anil who was able to set me up with some amazing guides that took me to the most unusual and seemingly secret places. It was just amazing… the only downside is that I am sworn to secrecy on the location. In case anyone else has ever been there, then there is more than one iota of a chance that this crazy place called the internet will soon tell you where this place is. The internet has a habit of finding out such things.
Doesn’t this want to make you pack your bags for a week’s adventure? What’s stoppin’ ya?!! (I mean, other than excuses)
from the categories: Delhi, India, New Delhi, Travel | 6 Comments »
March 15th, 2008| Stuck In Customs
This is the famous India Gate in Delhi. It was a bitter hot and humid day and the water nearby somehow seemed to make everything hotter!
from the categories: Delhi, India, New Delhi | 1 Comment »
March 12th, 2008| Stuck In Customs
Found in the streets of Delhi…
from the categories: Delhi, India, Travel | No Comments »
