***RELIGION***, a photo from Uttar Pradesh, North

Photographer's Note

It may be said that there are as many religions as there are people in India, but cricket, one has to admit, is one single religion to millions of indians.

And it has its God too, Sachin Tendulkar!

These kids added good form to their batting practice as i shot them amidst the splendor of Benares river sights, not far from the Great Mosque of the Panchaganga ghat, of which we can see the minarets. They are the same who posed with me in my introduction portrait.

torben, KevRyan, geist_21, oochappan, eleparc, jjbach, AmiBe, manu_itu, ChrisJ, Chaga, rabani, lestans, mafan, Timmok, rajnish, touristdidi, ramesh_lalwani, david, catherinetodd, axiotea, marek1984, thawaitrajkumar has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

torben (3098) 2005-07-12 14:56

Oh - he makes a great curve through the image space and his all black dress underscores the graphic qualities of the posture, nice. The rest of the picture makes a fine backdrop, adds to the story without being intrusive. Good and interesting work.

KevRyan (22924) 2005-07-12 14:58

Beautifully observed in your picture and your words - a great perspective!

I think this is a great shot!

best wishes Kev

seanf (246) 2005-07-12 15:01

did you have wicket keepers gloves on for this one lol? great position, great capture.

maciekda (19861) 2005-07-12 15:02

this is very nice, excellent timing - that flying ball, foot touching the ground, bat in the air - all very nice. the light was very good as well, nice colors. I think you had a small problem with this photo - there is sth strange on the edge of his sole. anyway, very nice work Herve

slarnold (156) 2005-07-12 15:15

Great idea, and very well executed. Certainly a good religion too ;-)

clement (352) 2005-07-12 15:18

Excellent shot.
The position of the camera is well chosen, and the player had also a very good stature.
I can feel the movement.
Clément

Homerhomer (4069) 2005-07-12 15:30

Herve, a nice one, cricket seem quite a fotogenic sport, did you were a helmet when taking this, you must have been very close to the action, good colours, action and debth.
What happened to the right of his leg, looks like alot of mouse clicking.
Peter

sarju (5324) 2005-07-12 15:35

Excellent shot by you Herve ... awesome
and it looks like a pretty decent shot by the batsman also (seems like he executed a cover drive)
you are so right about cricket, India and Sachin
but I wonder what would have happend to you and your camera had the dude missed the ball
cheers ... sarju

rajhema (1901) 2005-07-12 15:49

Herve, You triggered my childhood memories. I remember those long days we try to stay outside and keep playing cricket. Although I like Kapil Dev most and admire Mohammed Azharuddin (before the scandal), I guess my interest stayed right there. Sachin Tendulkar is a legend and I've seen right from his first international game. Its a gift
Your comments pretty well blended with the picture and I'm stumped.

oochappan (22043) 2005-07-12 16:16

Indeed and most important is the subject as cricked is on television the streets become empty certainly with an important game and there are several cricket-Gods, it became a real cult and young people on the street mirror themself to their god, a fine photo to illusstrate this culture element with a marvellous pose of the batman in counterlight, the small adjustment easily to correct, perfect POV to include a good colored background with the catcher and the other players to the houses and the blue sky. I think the ball is going into the water ?
Congratulations with this excellent shot you trespass average a long way by content.

bbs (149) 2005-07-12 18:57

Great action image. Love the composition.

mimi (2325) 2005-07-12 19:08

Wow! That's a beauty. At first glance, the cricket player looked like a statue. The perspective is great and I love how the guy is mostly sillouhetted, while the background is clear. I only wish there was just a tiny bit more space between the top of the bat and teh frame.

geist_21 (664) 2005-07-12 22:28

The photo called my attention in the thumbnail, and I was wondering what it has to do with religion... after reading your note I got it!

I like the way you just show the shilhouette over the subject and make light over the background. You caught the subject on a good moment and it is quite revealing what he is doing. Besides it, the background is full of details and quite interesting

michel_r (1118) 2005-07-12 23:18

excellent hervé. point de vue, timing, attitude du joueur. Très réussi. Ce qui est améliorable à mon sens: le flou à coté du pied du joueur et l'élimination de la surface blanche à gauche, qui détonne et détourne le regard
amicalement, michel

CliffW (2359) 2005-07-13 0:11

Holy cow Herve, awesome shot. How someone can be in silhoutte and still convey so much action is something I'd like the master. Everything in context works with the people, the buildings and then you come to the cricket action and it's like two photos. I like this a lot.

nerve (10231) 2005-07-13 4:50

This is really a great shot Herve, your compo, your POV your DOF, everything is right and beautifully done here.. one of your best shots imho.. i just love it,,
Very good work,
cheers. (green later)

eleparc (24063) 2005-07-13 13:09

génial ce coup de cricket hervé! j'adore ce plan pris du dessous et si pres de ton sujet! l'effet est assurément tres fort! Bravo! un portrait comme je les aime et comme j'aimerais en voir beaucoup sur TE;-)

Eric

Zepi (22848) 2005-07-13 16:55

Hello Hervé !
Oh !!!! C’est bon ça !
J’adore ce cadrage et le côté hyper dynamique qu’il donne à l’image !
C’est très impressionnant cette vue au raz du sol !
On ressent vraiment bien le mouvement !
Une vue très originale, superbe maîtrise technique
J’adore
Beau travail
Amicalement
Sébastien

cessy (13647) 2005-07-13 22:11

whowww !!! this is really cool shot, Herve
great angle and very nice catch of the moment
I like it very much

christina (2040) 2005-07-14 0:10

Great shot! I like the silouhetted figure framed by the ghats. An interesting and different point of view.

Thanks!
Christina

flydragon (0) 2005-07-14 2:19

LA CLASSE HERVE !!
quel puissance dans cette photo
et quel composition ;o)
j'aime bcp cette angle de vue
une ouverture ;o)
un grand bravo une belle photo
••simon••

;o) depart dans 4 heures
je tourne en rond

jjbach (9322) 2005-07-14 10:00

Excellent action shot, very dymamic!!
The point of view is great and the lighting perfect!! Wonderful picture, very original!!

Regards John

AmiBe (6042) 2005-07-14 15:48

Hello Hervé,
comment ai-je pu la manquer celle-ci ?
Ton point de vue est excellent, une contre plongée de dos c'est pas courant.
C'est super dynamique, en plus la ville au fond est joliment éclairée par une belle lumière du soir.
1000 x bravo

kevinos (7349) 2005-07-16 8:05

This is a wonderfully dramatic and interesting comosition, Herve. The position of the figure is amazing and I love the way the movement of the ball is blurred, suggesting movement against the unmoving buildings behind. Regards Kevin

manu_itu (305) 2005-07-18 2:41

One excellent picture Herve.your timing and POV is much better than what I have tried in the past. Wooden look at backdrop is adding to it's beauty.

sengir (4956) 2005-07-19 19:20 [Comment]

Show Comment

Luan (12971) 2005-07-21 3:42

Bonjour Herve,
oui une religion, c'est ce que j'ai decouvert lors de mon passage en Inde...cette annee la, le pays etatit en finale de la coupe du monde, je te laisse imaginer l'effervescence.
Concernant ta photo, je peux dire que le l'angle de shoot est des plus acrobatique, cela nous permet non seulemenent de suivre la trajectoire de la balle (qui va partir a l'eau) mais egalement apprecier les ghats.
BOn timming
Luan

bnallama (3763) 2005-07-25 18:07

Salut Hervé.. I have mised your india photos!! This is a very nice one. I like your POV and the blury boy and the ball. Nice note as well. Chapeau..

ineoo (0) 2005-07-26 12:15

c est un carton cte photo !!!!
tres bonne arriere plan et j aime bcp le joueur de criquet en ombre
une vue tres original et qui depayse de la ou j suis hihi
mail moi pour le livre
@+

ineou

nygus (8178) 2005-07-30 2:09

wow. perfect compo, dynamism, black silhouette, light on the background. I wonder how many times you shot to get final right effect ( oh, joys of digital )

devimeuxbe (58557) 2005-08-02 6:06

Bonsoir Hervé
J'avais raté cette extraordinaire image avec un cadrage splendide et une perspective à couper le soufle.
UUne très très belle prise. (mais comment as tu fait !...)
Dans mes favoris
Amicalement
Bertrand

apache (1426) 2005-08-05 12:56

A perfect shot....! I meant both yours and the kid's...:) I like the way you placed yourself behind the kid and pulled it off. Nice view of the "cricket ground".
You are very right about the cricket craze in India. You ask any kid in school and he will want to be a Sachin...!
Ranjith

Bennett (764) 2005-08-09 1:47

Of course this is a striking image, so obvious nothing much needs to be said. Looks like Varanasi. Could be a cover shot for any 'horizontal' mag! Or a cricket centerfold...

ChrisJ (86932) 2005-08-09 5:15

Hi Herve

I like the low pov, & distant bridge in the haze, which adds depth. The silhouette of the cricketer, is marvellous. Tres bon!

crickontour (70) 2005-08-10 22:22

Tones, colors, shadows all work together to form this perfect moment in time. Beautiful shot, great perspective.

I found the commentary to be extremely informative as well.

banyanman (7772) 2005-08-20 11:35

A fabulous photograph, Herve, from a perfect POV, but unfortunately spoilt by the PP gone wrong to the right of the leg. But still worth two points for concept and execution ;) Cheers . . . David

Furachan (0) 2005-08-25 3:22

Super photo, Herve, une des plus spectaculaires dans tout TE. J'aime beaucoup le rendement en silhouette sans perdre pour autant ce dynamisme ineffable. Bravo!
Francis

rabani (9645) 2005-08-28 21:15

Herve, this has to be one of your strongest impactful shot of a particular religion, in action. An almost totally black silhouette subject in motion with a clear and descriptive background. Seeing you get this with the kit lens just goes to show,a picture starts with an idea in the mind of the photographer. It is not from the lens.

Luko (13978) 2005-08-29 12:36

Pour moi sans aucun doute, la plus belle réalisation de ta gallerie...la courbe du joueur est simplement parfaite! Une vraie photo de cricket voilà ce qu'il manquait à l'Inde (et qui manque toujours au Sri Lanka, religion d'état avec jours férié à la clé lorsqu'ils remportent le championnat du Monde, et où les joueurs sont surnommés "les magiciens").

Bien que je ne l'avais pas commentée (mais toutefois remarquée) je me suis rappelé de ta photo et servi de ce point de vue sur plusieurs de mes tentatives en Birmanie malheureusement sans trop de succès (je viens de réaliser en écrivant cette critique que j'aurais dû le faire pour un match de Chinlon... mais que je ne l'ai pas fait...) peut être que ça marche bien avec des joueurs de cricket, moins pour des éleveurs de chèvres.

Sinon la Birmanie, c'était vraiment extraordinaire.. j'y retourne dès que possible!

recepyuksel (17808) 2005-08-29 18:28

This is a great photo.
Perfect decisive moment.
Bravo

clodreno (0) 2005-09-01 15:41

celle ci ;, elle est superbe. j'ai essayé sur les ghats, l'après midi d'en faire, je n'ai jamais atteint ce niveau. elle est vraiment prise au bon moment.
combien en as-tu prises pour ce résultat?

lestans (16772) 2005-09-11 10:48

Wonderful shot! Perfect in time, the ball is just flying... the foot is in a particular attitude to launch the ball... people are looking. Background is fantastic, in contrast with the happening: Varanasi Ghats are places for death, not for sport. Really a great pic, thank you!
Livia

gary91 (15345) 2005-09-29 2:52

Bonjour Hervé,
Quelle image !!!
La composition, le mouvement, le profondeur de champ et la lumière, tout y est !!!
J'ai honte d'une critique si peu constructive mais je n'ai qu'un mot à dire : BRAVO et donnes nous encore beaucoup d'images de la sorte. Merci.
Amicalement. Christian

mafan (290) 2005-10-12 15:18

the quintessential indian photo. everything about this picture is perfect - the frame, the background, the movement, the foot, the light. it's all perfect. and yet, this photo makes me really mad. i walked past these kids in varanasi earlier this year. i know i did, i remember dodging the ball...and i didn't even take one photo of them. thanks for making me see a missed opportunity. i'll write in my journal tonight 'must try harder'! jenny

Timmok (802) 2005-10-13 4:21

Salut Hervé,

Joli point de vue et photo originale de Varanasi. J'aime beaucoup le fait que le batteur soit aussi sombre par rapport au reste de la composition.

Bien vu !

frozenjazz (303) 2005-10-27 3:25

Cette photo est puissante ! L'angle de vue est parfait, l'action est prise sur le vif, au bon moment, le personnage est sombre ce qui permet à l'arrière plan de bien se détacher, avec une jolie lumière.
Vraiment, bravo.
Seule ombre au tableau pour moi: juste à droite du pied droit, on dirait qu'il y a eu une retouche, il y a un magma un peu flou dans le ciel, c'est étrange. Peut-etre aussi aurait-je redressé la perspective des batiments à gauche.

Farmer (24) 2005-11-25 12:11

Great POV. I like the fact that he's just a form, so it could be any one of the millions!
Farmer

Mistral (15396) 2005-12-25 14:34

HI Herve!
It's a beautiful pov for a great photo!
Everyone who knows India agree on what you wrote in your note.
A smile
Luca

Darren (6823) 2006-04-11 23:26

Hi Herve. I just came across this shot by chance today and I must say I really like it a lot. I tried to take the same shot myself when I was in Varanasi (probably even the same guys), but it just didn't work for me. Your timing was perfect and the framing is excellent too. Really a nice shot.

partha (13775) 2006-04-13 14:43

So creative composition.
Nicely balanced and lot of thrust in it.
An Excellent portfolio,compelled me to add a favourite.
come again to my country any time u must get something is going on.
Partha

Polonaise (5796) 2006-04-24 23:24

This is how the legends are born.
You an go all your life photographing the people of the world and never been able to produce something so extraordinary as this masterpiece.
Describing the virtues of it?
Oh, yeah...And my name is William S.
Historical achievement,Herve
George

AnimeshRay (9073) 2006-04-27 15:32

Absolutely superb shot, Herve! What an anachronistic juxtaposition, but does make sense through your able narrative. Wonderful timing. And, yes, this little guy has pretty good form.

Mansi (543) 2006-05-04 12:24

Love the POV... beautiful moment.. well captured :)
tfs
Mansi

francad (248) 2006-05-06 6:20

Salut Herve
cette photo je l'aime beaucoup car elle est comme un message d'espoir: le geste de ce gamin qui va vers le haut et l'avant quand on connait la pauvreté de Benares...
Bravo
François

david (3992) 2006-05-08 3:09

great shot herve ... it's your bst one and i like it a lot.

to me, cricket is a religion. i was born in australia. i grew up watching, playing and living cricket. i still love the game to this day.

sport is a religion. we have our churches (stadiums), gods (players), and myths (sporting history). we even have our bible (rule book) and the faithful (supporters).

awesome shot ... and you've done cricket proud!

cyril (2748) 2006-05-24 5:25

Salut Hervé,
J'adore cette photo avec son bel arriere plan et ce gamin en train de frapper au premier plan.
la mise au point ayant du etre faite sur l'arriere plan, le premier plan est donc noir et j'aime beaucoup l'effet qu'il en ressort.

Superbe

langaloo (489) 2006-05-29 7:59

Good picture, what else can I say, nothing, you said it all with the right click at the right time.

lelet (106) 2006-07-21 0:16

I love pictures of exotic countries.
The different light between the place and the guys is wonderful

thank you for sharing with us!

darrasin (2860) 2006-08-08 15:30

Very catching. It really draws you in to ponder the scene. Great POV.

regards,
Doug

m_s_s (1687) 2006-10-10 8:15

Hello Herve.
Again great shot, excellent work. The moment that you've captured this guy is just amazing, especially that he's in the shadow makes it more mystical. great colours as well. beautiful background with bridge and people on left side. great work. well done.
regards

sabyasachi1212 (19739) 2006-11-07 3:46

Hi Herve,
Thanks to your visit and a very constructive critique I was able to discover your gallery today. As the saying goes, better late than never. I couldn't resist this post. This is not only one of the finest cricket action I have seen here on TE but it also reminded me that I had shot a game of cricket on what seems the exact spot some six years ago on a chilly December morning. The low POV to bring the Varanasi skyline, the Ganga and also the rail bridge into play is an excellent idea. The silhoutted boy, a Sachin Tendulkar wannabe really seems to complete this shot.
With Greetings from India
Sabyasachi

vanmidd (148) 2007-01-06 2:43

"Got him!" in the imortal words of Bill Lawry. I'm assuming this ball went through to slips and that he got a nick. Then again it could have been a sharp leggie that beat the bat. Judging by the action of the bowler thats entirely possible. If thats the case the guy will do well to avoid a stumping - I think I can make out the crease just on the inside of his trailing foot. Had he connected I imagine it would have been a big six. At least he wasn't trying to square cut into the river. Fielder's don't look too interested.

Did I mention it's a great shot?

bwiti (402) 2007-01-26 19:08

Tres belle composition...

axiotea (21647) 2007-03-09 2:25

Bonjour Hervé,
Je sais que cette photo n est pas toute récente, mais lorsque je l ai vue dans ton intro je n ai pas pu m empêcher de l ouvrir.
Le titre de la compo est parfaitement trouvé! Car c est vrai qu en Inde, le cricket c est comme une religion! Et Sachin est toujours un dieu! Ici tu as bien saisi la gesture du 'batter', bien positionné dans la photo. Excellente la vue sur les maisons et minarets, ainsi qu au loin la vue sur le pont qui donne de la profondeur a l image. Les couleurs sont bien rendues et le cadrage bien fait.
Amicalement,
Marilyn

Brian (3) 2007-09-02 0:13

Hey Herve,
I know I'm a little late on this one, but this is really fine stuff. Ground level, ground breaking decisive moment stuff. Between the position of the swinger, who is captured in perfection, with the ball and pitching/receiving crew, I'm not so sure he hit this one.

Wonderful capture,
-Brian

droop13400 (113) 2007-10-24 13:33

Hi,

Cadrage et emotion au top ... comme tout tes portraits.
La technique au service de l'emotion

Bravo

iainsp (2626) 2010-09-12 10:01

Hi Herve,

What a fantastic shot - Varanasi was one of my favourite cities when I visited India and it is so easy to get carried away focussing on what is truly ancient there. But this is a brilliant Indian shot - as you say, dealing with the obsession/religion of cricket. The batsman is perfectly composed and you have produced a real little masteriece here. Congratulations, Iain

marek1984 (39) 2010-09-13 13:19 [Comment]

Show Comment

yquem46 (32323) 2010-10-01 10:57

Me again Herve
As a lover of India and especially Varanasi I could not miss this one
A superb action shot at the right instant (not afraid for your camera with the ball coming on you ?), the batting man as a silhouette and as the BG the so characteristic Varanasi ghats and bridge
This one goes to my favorites
Bravo
Best regards
Patrick

vapours (8258) 2010-10-03 19:51

Real nice shot this one, combining both a nice landscape photo which would be not too bad on its own, with a silhouette of the batsman. Great positioning as well.

Photo Information

Copyright: Herve Blandin (kinginexile) (2598)
Genre: People
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2005-02-02
Categories: Decisive Moment
Camera: Canon Rebel EOS 300D, Canon 18-55mm/3.5-5.6
Exposure: f/10.0, 1/250 seconds
More Photo Info: view
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Sports anyone?, Cricket.. what a wonderful game. [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2005-07-12 14:51
Favorites: 8 [view]