Home » Oxymoron of the moment, Varanasi in low key.
Oxymoron of the moment, Varanasi in low key.
It is no secret that Varanasi is my favorite place on earth. Nowhere is India more thick, more pungent, more vibrant and startling than in the oldest human city on earth. It’s like condensed India syrup, that you really should add a few cups of water to before you drink.
I decided to bring my camera and be ready. But be ready for Varanasi? Not a chance. It always surprises.
I mean, It’s like saying, I’m ready to have my abdomen trampled by four hundred and twelve water buffalo with tap dancing shoes on. Of all the things you would undoubtedly be in that moment, ready is not one of them.
One problem with bringing a camera to Varanasi is that, you’re hardly the only one who thought of it. Everyone needs the obligatorey shot of a sadhu and a guy soaping himself up on the river in the morning. I was trotting down the street, looking for more interesting shots when I came under fire from two dozen canons that swiveled to capture my every move. Oooo look! He’s stepping again! The canons were wielded by a loud raucous flock of middle aged Korean women who, emboldened by superior numbers no doubt, decided to throw all courtesy to the wind and get what shots they could while the spectacle lasted.
After all, its not everyday that you see a 6″2 dread-locked black man striding down the choked streets of India. The rapid fire report of their many shutters sounded like someone snapping armloads of twigs. Not to be outdone, I swung my giant white 70-200 towards them and snapped away like a paparazzi. In the end we all got a bunch of fairly worthless shots.
Enough of that, on with my mission. My own photography mission. Try to shoot the varanasi that people rarely see. Wandering around, I started to see shots I in the gullies at night in low key. If you didn’t know, Low Key is a composition style that favors black and other very dark colors.
They’re not underexposed, you are shooting pictures of things that are dark by nature, and in doing so reveal shape and line over detail and clarity. It’s also a powerful tool for mood. But it is not easy to understand, you have to look at them for a minute to catch the subtlety of it./As an artist, I think its a great tool. Here’s are some of my attempts.
Varanasi is anything but low key, but looking at it this way somehow tames it, let’s it breathe. This time Varanasi surprised me with its softness, the bare feeling that these shots convey. Of course i will post my classic varinasi pics too, but these were part of the vision i had, let me know what you think.
October 8th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
I am not a photography expert, but I the second to last one (man walking on a brown street) gives me shivers. It’s like working life itself stripped down and laid out; a skeletal reminder of trudging uphill through dark alleys all day for the hope of stepping into a warm (or cool) house at night with smiles and hope.
October 8th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
THank you for posting. I miss them. I thought the pictures looked amazing. Your travels sound and look amazing.
Good on you brother..
October 11th, 2009 at 8:22 am
Thank you Asea, that is exactly the kind of response i love, you speak my language. the bag he is carrying makes the shot doesnt it? thanks for the input!
October 12th, 2009 at 8:20 am
Yes, the bag really does turn the shot from great into fantastic, giving us a centering point for everything else to exist around. It really balances the piece well.
I’ve commented on your wife’s blog before, but not here, so short introduction: I am a writer who started university as an art major and can’t keep from creating any more than I can keep from sleeping. I am American, from beautiful rural upstate New York, but now I live in Saint Petersburg, Russia. I teach English to all sorts of amazing people and am trying to learn Russian.
October 15th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Awesome pictures!!
Wonderfully done. And thank you for experiencing countries as they should be.
October 16th, 2009 at 1:56 am
There is also a struggle for the artist who is used to trying to capture light and the technician striving for the perfect exposure. I love the results. The drama is in the image as well as in the formation.
The other “cliché” shots on your Flickr page are amazing too. Gives me a lot of inspiration.
October 16th, 2009 at 3:04 am
well said brad, photography is inherently adventurous, it is hide and seek. i love all the segments of the journey, from the glass and gear, to looking through the viewfinder, to post production anxiety and the rare perfect shot.
i guess we are always harder on ourselves than someone else is ever able to be. thanks for sharing your thoughts!
October 23rd, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Nice pics. I will be visiting Varanasi on 30th of this month. Looking forward for some nice shots!
-Maneesh.
AdmirableIndia.com
October 28th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
Yes! These are the gullies I walk through. The second shot gives me shivers too…in a good way..what’s around the corner? Something unexpected for sure…