Homeward Bound Photo

Photographer’s Note

Orchha – A medieval town in Central India, where grandeur has been captured in stone & frozen in time, a rich legacy to the ages. This is where time has stood still from the 16th century. Nestled along the Betwa River, Orchha houses an incredible complex of abandoned Palaces & Hindu temples.

A narrow road bridge, which can be seen running down the centre of the frame, leads to Orchha over the Betwa. The road from the bridge, on the other side, goes right through the dense Tikamgarh Forest. This bridge provides a fantastic vantage point for photographers. But beware, without any railings on either side, bus or truck tyres would pass barely a couple of inches from your toes as one stands hanging on the very edge, even risking a fall to the river & boulders below.

The magnificent structure seen in the background, bathed in warm sunset colours, is Orchha's single most admired palace, the Jehangir Mahal, was built by Bir Singh Deo as a monumental welcome present for the Mughal emperor Jehangir when he paid a state visit in the 17th century. The palace has been built using a blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture, symbolising the harmony in which the two rulers could reign. The bastions at the corners and the projections in the middle of each side are topped by domes.

On the bridge, a face of the smaller towns of India, which we still can witness at times...the day spent in collecting dead wood....the evening in burning it.

Dedicated to Elaine, whose photographs of Orchha were my inspiration & made me visit the magical place.

leo61, zmey, Jeppo, saylan-cb, tomescuc, jhm, carper, siolaw, Jonas_Schmitt, emjleclercq, papagolf21, feather, ramesh_lalwani, Vato_Law, trotter4ever, hispic, kiwi_explorer, pierrefonds, robob, John_F_Kennedy, josepmarin, avene, Stepan, bakes888, Budapestman, adores, plimrn, Didi, noborders, edytungkal, Dpbours, sabyasachi1212 has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

aadilj (17950) 2008-05-03 6:40

Seems like heaven. Absolutely Angshu. Your images, specially like this one are a lesson to people like me. The way you have used light and the textures is something ordinary people cannot even imagine. A masterpiece. Marvellous...I can keep on writing!

leo61 (42704) 2008-05-03 6:44

Hi Angshu!
Wonderful light and fantastic warm brown tones.You composed this image very well with these rocks in the foreground and the few people on the bridge.A nice view at this interesting building.
Regards,Leo

dumbo (4288) 2008-05-03 6:46

Hi Angshuman,
Beautiful soft evening light and nice warm colors.
I like the details of this photo.
Good job!

Best wishes,
Eino

TopGeo (21345) 2008-05-03 7:19

Hi Angshu! excellent shot!-)),,,Have a amazing picture almost alone chromatic, But with splendid composition and very good management of indirect lighting. You I congratulate..
Georgios

Jeppo (11568) 2008-05-03 7:36

ciao Angshu,

I like this sight...sunset light is very particular and provides with a nice warm tone!

tfs
Silvio

saylan-cb (12726) 2008-05-03 7:54

Hi Angshuman
Superb image!Great colours and wonderful light,details,POV,are excellent.
TFS/Regards

tomescuc (2821) 2008-05-03 8:11

Intense tones and good view of this undoubtely very fascinating place.
tfs,
CT

crckt (6961) 2008-05-03 8:21

Hi Angshumanda,
The colors and light here is really awesome! The POV is excellent with the rocks in the FG. I love this.
Regards,
Shaeri
kolkata knightriders der support korcho na delhi daredevils?? :)

jonathan_hart (22564) 2008-05-03 8:24

i like the way you framed, the light and colours are interesting, warm and good looking, a beautiful view
regards
jo

carper (63877) 2008-05-03 9:20

a very good photo here Angshuman
a fantastic low light shot, marvelous atmosphere and a good composition, a good one my friend, have a nice weekend.
gr. jaap

manojtnair (427) 2008-05-03 9:27

hi angshu,
superb shot. nice sunset colours. its really scary on the bridge if a truck or bus is crossing. tfs.
manoj

jasmis (49559) 2008-05-03 9:40

Splendid wide presentation in deep colours. Amazing silhouette of a man with bike.
Regards.

tsvetanar (221) 2008-05-03 11:13

Hello, Angshuman!
This seems to be a marvellous piece of Indian heritage and you've chosen probably a perfect time to present it through a photo. The sunset light makes the stones of the palace shine with the most wonderful colours!
Thanks for sharing!

Regards,
Tsveti

siolaw (25668) 2008-05-03 22:37

Hi Angshu,
You had a very successful photo trip in Orchcha! Great light and colors there and also spectacular sights as this one.... Nice FG with rocks and bridge, daily life on the road and architecture of the fort... Nicely composed.
Laurent

Jonas_Schmitt (3074) 2008-05-03 23:04

Hello Angshu!
Again a very nice daily life shot. I like the atmosphere of the picture very much and you captured the scene brilliantly. Also good colors, nice contrast and fasntastic light!
Regards,
Jonas

partha (13645) 2008-05-03 23:19

Superb shot. The lighting condition looks brilliant and the inclusion of people looks just great.
partha

emjleclercq (14119) 2008-05-03 23:28

Nice and well organized composition with the bridge in the foreground, the very interesting wall with their strange battlements and finally the palace in the background.

All the best,

Emmanuel

gpsony (478) 2008-05-03 23:56

Hi Angshuman ,

I love the warm colours of the evening. The way you have juxtaposed the people and the everyday life into the shot has added to the shot superbly. Good POV.

Overall great atmosphere.

Cheers,
Guru

papagolf21 (55860) 2008-05-04 0:57

Bonjour, mon bon ami Angshu,
Mille mercis de nous offrir des paysages de cette qualité. Appréciant l'architecture, cette réalisation est un pur régal. De plus, vous avez choisi avec soin la mise en image. Les personnages donnent un effet saisissant.
Amitiés.
Philippe

feather (49848) 2008-05-04 3:09

The late light has illuminated the old stones with its golden glow. There is so much depth in the image with the foreground rocks, the bridge, the walls, the trees and then the magnificent palace. The people on the bridge are all perfectly placed; in fact they couldn't be better placed if you had staged it. The lady in red draws the eye first, then the man with the bike is against the lighter wall and the man in white against the darker wall. There is still lots of space in front of them to walk into. Very good work
Kath

jhm (81589) 2008-05-04 3:24

Hello Angshu,

The low sun care for a wonderful gold colour.
Exactly or we be located us in the mediaval with the narrow bridge without handrails and the temple on the background.
You show us a very good image certainly a very good presentation too.
Very welml done.

Have a nice weekend,
John.

zmey (7242) 2008-05-04 7:12

hello angshuman

a very trekearthy shot and a suitable note to accompany it. i like this portrait of Jehanhig Mahal. good light, colors and details.

warm regards,
kristaps

Vato_Law (11628) 2008-05-04 12:51

Hello Angshuman,
Well balanced composition with 3 main layers creating a good example of the rule of thirds.
I like how the big rocks filled the foreground and how the light hits them softly.
Then we have the bridge and agina this light, the persons walking on it are well placed and give life and colour and finally, this great construction on top of the scene.
One thing that amazes me the most is the huge, huge number of palaces in India, each of them more amazing than the other.
Cheers.
Paulo

capthaddock (28640) 2008-05-04 17:57

Awesome light, I like the inclusion of people (especially the cyclist in black against a white background), great architecture, I've been wanting to visit Orchha, seems like the perfoect stop between Agra and the budhhist holy towms in between until Varanasi.

vincz (19037) 2008-05-04 23:07

What a beautiful image my friend. The light is excellent, the colors so warm. Another beauty of your so rich country. I like very much the composition with the people on the bridge in the foreground.

hispic (7399) 2008-05-05 1:23

Hello Angshu,
A red light in the winter evening is very impressive. Marvelous shot with putting the people who hurry home on the pretty bridge against the background of the royal palace.
Have a nice day, Hisashi

kiwi_explorer (12195) 2008-05-05 3:31

Hi Angshuman,
The color cast here is just superb ... it creates a rustic scene complimenting the old structures. These are magnificent buildings ... the architecture is a work of art. Well captured and composed with good resulting image and color quality. Excellent work! tfs
Cheers,
Renier

pierrefonds (25855) 2008-05-05 4:07

Hi Angshuman,

The point of view leads our eyes towards the palace and houses in the background. The presence of people has an effect of scale. The lightbof the end of the day brings out the colors. The photo is clear and precise. Have a nice day.

Pierre

batalay (20654) 2008-05-05 6:06

Hello Mr. B,

A perfect brilliant sunlight has allowed you to present the Orchha complex of palaces and temples. The Mughal emperors of the 16th-early 18th century were obviously great builders. The narrow bridge displays classic semi-circular arches, and as you pointed out, no railing — a bit frightening, considering the trucks that must drive back and forth. But you've caught the three individuals, perfectly spaced, and the what appears to be woman with a brilliant red sari, who lends a vital highlight.

Warm regards,

Bulent

somak_g (463) 2008-05-05 6:58

hi anghshu,

excellent light makes this shot outstanding. and the inclusion of people makes it come alive.

regards
somak

ps : have you been to mandu?

robob (3640) 2008-05-05 7:52

Hello Angshu,
Excellent point de vue ici sur ce temple avec au premier plan un fort joli petit pont,
La présence de ces personnes donne beaucoup de vie à ton image,
La lumière, les couleurs sont superbes,
Bien à toi,
Robert

John_F_Kennedy (30503) 2008-05-05 8:03

Great shot from a historic place. I like the colourful warm atmosphere. Well done.
Best wishes,
Achim

josepmarin (33561) 2008-05-05 8:44

Hi Angshuman,
Excellent capture in which you have caught the whole beauty and the warmth of the sunset light, with its splendid golden and reddish tones, which illuminate these rocks, the bridge and the palace, and at the same time they create a nice effect with its shades.
The people help us to have a reference on the scale of the place, and they add a bit of dynamism to this scene, in a composition elegant and done with good skill.
Beautiful shot my, friend.
Best regards,
Josep

jafadabret (38849) 2008-05-05 11:32

Angshu, c'est une photo qui fourmille de détails tous aussi intéressants les uns que les autres. J'aime cette couleur dorée sur les pierres. Les piétons sir le pont animent bien le cliché.
Jacques

avene (10812) 2008-05-05 19:10

how I wish to go to India again... the red evening light I saw there I have never seen anywhere else, and it is such a pity since NOW I know that BACK THEN I didn't really appreciate how beautiful it is.
great photo, Angshu, I like a lot how you have used the low point of view to build up the photo with sevearl layers, each one different and interesting in its own unique way. there are the rocks in the foreground displaying very nice textures, there's the bridge and the people walking over it, there are the trees, and there's the palace in the backgroung - fascinating composition, I keep looking at it and discovering tiny little details I hadn't noticed before. excellent work, my friend, I like it a lot.

with best regards,
Kristine

rajiv_077 (1353) 2008-05-05 22:58

Hello

As Aadil saying, Lights and color tone is really very impressive in this one, Compo and POV is also looks very unqiue, Presence of peoples is looks nice and completing this picture, A good documentary type shot with note.

kind regards

rajiv

Graal (57156) 2008-05-05 23:27

Hi Angshu,
an interesting view and place, good informations. Well composed image. Great old architecture. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

Stepan (27167) 2008-05-06 0:12

Typically Orchha. Simply lovely...
Especially in that light, with that frame, through that pertinent note...
Need to go back there, but it's a little... north !!
Stéphane

bakes888 (18055) 2008-05-06 1:35

Hi Angshuman. You have captured this in the perfect light. The people on the bridge are a wonderful addition and bring life to the scene. Well composed and thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

Bluejeans (31449) 2008-05-06 5:43

Ola Angshuman,
Magnifica visão em tons de amarelo , capturaste belos planos , o palaçio ficou magnifico com as árvores na frente, bom contraste de cores, parabéns!!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

Budapestman (40808) 2008-05-06 8:08

Dear Angshu,
Amazing shot with splendid composition. The golden lights are beautiful and the architectural details are very spectacular. Excellent POV and clarity, great atnosphere, Congratulations.
Have a nice day
George

adores (15235) 2008-05-06 16:21

Hi Angshu!
I see you have several new ones. This is a really good one! The perfect light, the good composition with the palace in background, the people crossing the bridge and these rocks in foreground. Great work!

plimrn (19524) 2008-05-07 7:42

Hi Angshu,
Your very striking framing makes a ondeful shot with the close-up detail of the rocks, the travellers on the arched bridge and the glowing domes in the sky. Outstanding work!!
HLJ, Pat

Didi (35648) 2008-05-08 7:57

Hello Angshu
Vey nice moment for taking a picture; I appreciate well the warm lights on the subject.
Well done.
Cheers.

wolf38 (12463) 2008-05-08 9:31

Hello Angshuman. Palace and temple. Very impressively. The photo is very worth seeing. Its effect refers it particularly from coloured seeming. Altogether a fantastic photo. Best regards, Wolfgang.

rabdelnoor (2973) 2008-05-09 17:00

Hi Angshu,
Powerful image. The castle is really impressive and show a very untraditional architecture and colors. Very nice compostion and excellent light.
Have a nice weekend.
Ricardo

noborders (14215) 2008-05-11 12:17

Your title is a bit misleading, dear Angshuman ! There is more than dead wood to see on this photo, what an architecture and such splendid setting-POV-timing ! I'll add it to my favorites for India, compliments !
Cath.

sagar (2295) 2008-05-12 9:20

Hi Angshumanda,
Lovely shot. The POV is wonderful, and what I like the most here is the dusk light.
Great composition,
Sagarneel.

edytungkal (4513) 2008-05-14 18:58

Wow...the light bathed this beautiful architetures so well, i love the warm colours effect. Inclusion the people adds point to the picture. Great shot Angshu friend, thanks.

daniel

Dpbours (210) 2008-05-17 13:55

Hi Angshu,

I got to this photograph to a link in one of your notes. Love the point of view you have choosen here, giving us a bit of a bigger picture. Nice!

Greetings,
Dennis

sabyasachi1212 (19528) 2008-06-14 7:28

Hi Angshu,
Nice to be back once in a while:) I was going through your recent gallery and I am particularly impressed with the Rajasthan and Orchha photos, specially the way you have used either the early morning or late evening light.
Best Wishes
Sabyasachi