Carpet Seller from Mirzapur Photo

Photographer’s Note

There is probably no city in India whose carpet industry has known a more extraordinary series of ups and downs than has that of Mirzapur in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Situated on the south bank of the Ganges, it is in the center of the richest and arguably most cultured part of India.

Back in 1790, a caravan of Persian carpet weavers, on their way to the Mughal court, was waylaid and injured by dacoits on the Great Deccan Road. When they were rescued and succoured by local villages their master weaver, Sheikh Madarullah, decided to settle here and teach his skills to his benefactors. That is how the famed carpet industry of Mirzapur began.

Mirzapur carpets capture the more sensitive expressions of Mughal art and resemble the tasteful floral patterns of pietra dura - an inlay of semi-precious stones in marble.

The modern Mirzapur carpets show round, floral figures, with dark red as the prevailing color, usually arranged in rows upon a pale yellow or cream colored ground. Dark red, almost maroon, prevails also in the borders, which carry some arrangement of the pear pattern resembling the main borders of the Khorassans, or else a repetition of the floral forms found in the body of the rug, with a connecting vine.

Photo taken at the annual Arts & Crafts Fair held at Surajkund. I used a 300 mm zoom to take the carpet man’s picture. His face looked very dignified & photogenic, yet I did not want him to look at me. So I sent my friend’s wife to his shop as a prospective buyer, as I took this shot :-)

ManuMay, danos, feather, goodwill, carper, adores, Gerrit, jhm, ChrisJ, pierrefonds, siolaw, plimrn, josepmarin, sabyasachi1212, kiwi_explorer, John_F_Kennedy, riclopes, noborders, hispic, jusninasirun, quillo has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Sanderson-Brown (1697) 2008-08-21 1:06

Hi Angshuman,
quite a remarkable expression. The portait wtih the carpet beind really expresses this mans life. Great work. His eyes seem deep and full of wisdom.
tfs
regards
paul

ManuMay (11403) 2008-08-21 1:18

Hello Angshu!!
Very good portrait, I like the way his expression is on it! Different light on every eye gives an special sensation!
Well see and done... nice note too!
Have a nice day.
Best regards.
Manuel.

danos (33272) 2008-08-21 2:37

Hello Angshuman,
what an expressional glance of this vendor is this? Nice your idea to sent yours friend’s wife to take this superb portrait of this man.I like the good management of the fallen light on his face as the vivid colors too.The whole scene have good sharpness and clarity.Well done.

Regards,Danos

jasmis (50995) 2008-08-21 4:09

Interesting portrait. Superb glance, no doubt.
Regards.

dArpAn (490) 2008-08-21 6:03

Hello Angshu,
His full of expression face brings a stability to eyes against such a detailed BG. He looks like a 'Pathan' and I guess he has spotted you :)

Rgds,
Darpan

feather (50144) 2008-08-21 6:46

Your ruse was unsuccessful as he is looking directly at you. I don't think that matters as you have captured a wonderful portrait and, as you say, he looks very dignified indeed. You have composed the image well as his body is facing into the frame. The wonderful carpet has made a good background and places him in his world.
Kath

goodwill (4033) 2008-08-21 9:45

Impressive portrait Angshu.
Whethr you know or not, he knew that you are befoling him.
Ha ha ha..................caught!!!!
See the intensity in his eyes.
He knows the art of composing his feeling snd emotions.
Ha ha ha!!
Cheers,

Rajeev

carper (65646) 2008-08-21 11:03

very good one my friend.
the quality is fantastic, good composition from the portrait with the carpet behind, great photojob I like it, have a nice day.
gr. Jaap

adores (15755) 2008-08-21 17:16

Hi Angshuman!
Very good portrait I like his look, he's well placed and the carpet in background is excellent!Good work!

Gerrit (36269) 2008-08-21 17:22

Hi Angshu,
excellent portrait. The carpet forms a perfect background.
Regards, Gerrit

MarcT (21103) 2008-08-21 21:55

Hi Angshuman,
Strong glance! This man knows what he wants...
Excellent background with his fine carpet.
Cheers
Marc

Graal (58720) 2008-08-21 23:34

Hi Angshuman,
very good portrait and composition with the carpet in BG. An interesting informations in note. Well quality of photo. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

jafadabret (40323) 2008-08-22 0:47

Hi Angshu.
C'est un excellent portrait de ce marchand. Le tapis fait une excellente toile de fond.
Le caractère de l'homme transparait dans cette photo.
Jacques

jhm (83328) 2008-08-22 2:14

Hello Angshu,

I am very surprise that you this wonderful picture could make with F/3.3 and 1/25 exposure, it's fantastic, as well as colour as quality. Eyes and board are excellent of composition.
The portrait wtih the carpet gives more life to this image.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice weekend,
John.

ChrisJ (70443) 2008-08-22 2:22

Hi Angshuman

A good portrait, with excellent sharpness, colour & contrast. The intricate patterns on the bg wall add context. Tfs!

pierrefonds (26645) 2008-08-22 3:38

Hi ANgshuman,

A nice portrait of the carpet seller, you did capture well his serious expression. The details and colors are clear and precise. The subject is well frame. The colors are enhanced by the good light. Have a nice day

Pierre

siolaw (25832) 2008-08-22 8:20

Hi Angshu,
A very interesting story about the Mirzapur carpet weavers! And this guy has something of a Central Asian face! Good placement and framing of the subject, and also a context adding BG!
Greetings
LAurent

DKarine (3852) 2008-08-22 14:22

Hi Angshuman
Magnificent portrait of this man in the piercing, almost worrying glance.
With to enrich your note, a carpet in bottom.

Karine

plimrn (19710) 2008-08-22 16:16

Hi angshu,
you really hqave become a great portrait artist; He is nicely framed against his wares. His sober attitude seems very fitting. The only thing that could be improved is the white in the beard seems off somehow.
HLJ, Pat

Bluejeans (33049) 2008-08-23 3:40

Ola Angshuman ,
Lindo retracto deste vendedor de carpetes ficou com uma expressão bem seria com belos detalhes , gostei muito da textura de fundo ,parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

josepmarin (34099) 2008-08-23 4:02

Hi Angshuman,
Nice graphism in this carpet behind the man, in an excellent portrait with very good details.
The look and the face of this carpet seller are impressive, have a lot of vital strength and a great seriousness.
It is a great work, my friend.
Best regards,
Josep

rodgerg (24973) 2008-08-23 7:11

Hello Angshu,

A wonderful portrait. The expression and the glance of the seller are very well collected. The composition is well balanced with the man well located in the image and a very nice decor with the carpet in the BG. An excellent managment of light too. Congratulations for this very good photowork.
Best regards of Belgium,
Roger

sabyasachi1212 (19546) 2008-08-23 8:48

Dear Angshuman,
I do agree with Pat, you have become an excellent portrait artist. The important thing is the choice of face and this one here oozes character, a very strong one at that.
Two things disturb me though - the bright illuminated patch on the right is a bit distracting and secondly the white thread passing almost across his face and beard.
These are afterall onely minor irritants in an otherwise excellent photograph.
Best Wishes
Sabyasachi

kiwi_explorer (12195) 2008-08-24 1:01

Hi Angshuman,
Very good portrait shot ... you've captured the real essence of this man ... I like the facial expression and proud stature of your subject. Well composed with very good sharpness and skin tone color. Excellent work! tfs
Cheers,
Renier

ajayrawat (268) 2008-08-24 1:19

The face is quite remarkable, and you have framed it so well. With informative details, seems you have out in some efforts on the research

crckt (7094) 2008-08-24 10:52

Hi Angshumanda,
This is such a powerful expression, ideal for a portrait, I like the background too. Seems like taken just out of a history book describing the Mughal empire :) Lovely shot.
Well done,
Shaeri
ei kodin TE site ta khub problem korchilo, thik moto access i korte parchilam na. tomar onekgulo shot miss kore gechi.

John_F_Kennedy (31994) 2008-08-24 23:31

This is a great portrait. Excellent colours, a good light and well composed. Interesting note too.
Best wishes,
Achim

riclopes (33135) 2008-08-25 1:27

Superb background and great use of the 300mm, Angshu. Since he's looking back I would say you were closer...you're story with your friend's wife made me laugh. I try to use Ana sometimes, but she doesn't like to colaborate in such strategies ;-) Anyway, I agree that he's face is photogenic and he's very well placed against the carpet's design. It's not a big deal, but I would try to crop just a bit at right (2 first stripes)...
friendly regards,
ricardo

noborders (14201) 2008-08-29 5:19

A very nice portrait, I like his severe expression and the choice of BG is really excellent !
BTW : hoping that peace will come back soon in Kashmeer, if possible !
Best regards,
Cath.

hispic (7399) 2008-09-01 2:03

Hi Angshuman,
An impressive eye power glaring at your lens. The way of not orthodox technique has made this portrait succeed. Rendering of the face's skin like film is remarkable.
Best wishes, Hisashi

jusninasirun (10213) 2008-09-01 22:57

Hello Angshu. Excellent portrait with sharp detail and well captured expression. Very good framing against the backdrop of the carpet. Thanks for sharing and best regards. Jusni

sayat (2944) 2008-09-03 10:16

A very beautiful and dramatic portrait indeed my friend. The look seems timeless yet very thoughtful. It is just perfect to include all those carpet motifs in the background and that really fortifies the symbolic language of the shot. A great shot, thanks for sharing.

batalay (21193) 2009-01-08 5:07

Hello Mr. B,
I've been exceptionally busy, as most of us are periodically. In looking at others' critiques, I came across the incisive portrait you posted on 21 August (before I returned from Europe). It is a stunningly beautiful photograph, for which I will make some room among my favorites. Although one hears advice againgt providing such detailed background in portraits, lest it detract from the subject, this is one photograph where its inclusion works well. You've penetrated into the carpet seller's soul. His right eye, it appears, is on the centerline, and very effective in its composition, and the note of measured length is highly illuminating.

Warm regards,

Bulent

quillo (7322) 2009-07-13 0:42

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Hola Angshuman:

Marvellous portrait, the details of the carpet
and of the merchant are excellent,
a perfect color and keenness .....
//// - that more can be asked?

Felicidades amigo.

Que tengas un buen día.

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