Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2022/12/27
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Sonny, Thanks for looking and the thumbs up! Cheers Jayanand On Tue, Dec 27, 2022 at 9:57 AM Sonny Carter via LUG <lug at leica-users.org> wrote: > Technology is amazing, Jay. However, showing the camera where to look is > more amazing, and you're a master of that. > > Regards, > > Sonny > http://sonc.com <http://sonc.com/look/> > Natchitoches, Louisiana > 1714 > Oldest Permanent Settlement in the Louisiana Purchase > > USA > > > On Mon, Dec 26, 2022 at 9:13 PM Jayanand Govindaraj via LUG < > lug at leica-users.org> wrote: > > > Bob, Douglas > > Thanks for looking. > > > > The important aspect of this trip is that I was on a boat most of the > time, > > facing the ghats, so you capture the overall mood/atmosphere and > photograph > > people facing you. If I was on foot on the ghats, all I would get is > > photographs of the backsides of people, one of my pet hates, because the > > action is usually at the congruence of land and water! Of course, the > > excellent stabilization built into equipment today also helps a lot with > > night/low light photography in general. I got sharp images using a Nikon > > Z9/Nikkor Z70-200mm f2.8 combo, which is pretty heavy in aggregate, with > > shutter speeds as low as 1/5s. Technology is absolutely amazing. > > > > Cheers > > Jayanand > > > > On Tue, Dec 27, 2022 at 6:40 AM Douglas Barry <imra at iol.ie> wrote: > > > > > Impressive place, Jayanand, with equally impressive images, however, > the > > > stand out for me in the collection is "Cremation at Night". I'd regard > > > it as probably the photograph of the year on the LUG. > > > > > > Douglas > > > > > > On 23/12/2022 03:03, Jayanand Govindaraj via LUG wrote: > > > > Neela & I had gone on a trip to Bandhavgarh National Park, followed > by > > > the > > > > temple town of Khajuraho, and finally Varanasi on the River Ganges, > one > > > of > > > > the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and the high > > seat > > > of > > > > Hinduism. To start with a few impressions of Varanasi, mostly seen > from > > > > boats on the river, as the hotel we were staying was situated on the > > > river, > > > > and not accessible by vehicles - only by boat, or on foot - so a lot > of > > > our > > > > movement was on boats: > > > > > > > > Ghats are access points on any river/water body. There are 84 ghats > in > > > all > > > > on this stretch of the Ganges - some a few years years old, and some > > > > thousands of years old. This is a view from the terrace of our hotel, > > > which > > > > was situated on the river at Darbhanga Ghat: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221206-050-Edit.jpg.html > > > > > > > > The ghats are interconnected, so it is possible to walk from one end > to > > > > anther on the rivers edge, taking in sights like this one - shaving > of > > > > one's hair is a common act of piety and penance in Hinduism: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/untitled-20221209-896-Edit.jpg.html > > > > > > > > Varanasi is probably the holiest city in Hinduism, and the main > temple > > > here > > > > is the Kasi Viswanath Mandir (the tower of which is visible just to > the > > > > left of the central lamp post in the photograph). As it is also Prime > > > > Minister Narendra Modi's parliamentary constituency, it is getting a > > much > > > > overdue facelift, including this modern, clean and efficient access > to > > > the > > > > temple from the river: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221206-184-Edit.jpg.html > > > > > > > > The Ganga Aarti is a photogenic, daily tourist spectacle of a > tradition > > > > thousands of years old, offering prayers to the goddess Ganga, after > > whom > > > > the river is named, on the banks of the river, at Dasashwamedha Ghat, > > by > > > a > > > > dozen priests. It is about an hour long, and these are some views of > > the > > > > ceremony from the river - a variety of props are used - conchs, lamps > > of > > > > different types and sizes, incense, fans made of reeds as well as > > peacock > > > > feathers, among others: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221206-199-Edit.jpg.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-151-Edit.jpg.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-181-Edit.jpg.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-185-NEF_DxO_DeepPRIME-2-Edit.jpg.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-591-NEF_DxO_DeepPRIME-Edit.jpg.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-732-NEF_DxO_DeepPRIME-Edit.jpg.html > > > > > > > > These two young men seem to be more interested in their smartphones > > > rather > > > > in the spectacle going on: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221206-206-NEF_DxO_DeepPRIME-Edit.jpg.html > > > > > > > > The floating of small lamps in the Ganges is a ritual done to pray > for > > > good > > > > health and well being of your loved ones: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-104-NEF_DxO_DeepPRIME-Edit.jpg.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-095-NEF_DxO_DeepPRIME-Edit.jpg.html > > > > > > > > In Hinduism, the belief is that all your sins are washed away by > dying > > in > > > > Varanasi, and being cremated on the banks of the River Ganges, so > this > > > is a > > > > constant activity. The main location is Manikarnika Ghat, where > > multiple > > > > cremations happen 24/7 through the year - here are impressions taken > at > > > > sunset, and at night: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/untitled-20221208-881-Edit.jpg.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-780-Edit.jpg.html > > > > > > > > Finally , a portrait of a young man I caught while disembarking from > a > > > boat > > > > at night, both in B&W and Colour: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-087-NEF_DxO_DeepPRIME-Edit+B_amp_W.jpg.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/Varanasi/varanasi/Varanasi-20221207-087-NEF_DxO_DeepPRIME-Edit.jpg.html > > > > > > > > Please see LARGE. > > > > > > > > Comments and criticism, as ever, welcome > > > > > > > > Cheers > > > > Jayanand > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Leica Users Group. > > > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Leica Users Group. > > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >