Depth Of (puppet)Field, a photo from Rajasthan, West

Photographer's Note

Rajasthani (from the western Indian state of Rajasthan) string puppetry is one of the most vibrant aspects of Indian culture. These handmade wooden puppets are much more than just plaything or decorative dolls. They are a part of the traditional performance of puppetry – narrating an event from history, myths, folklore or legend, complete with music and speech.

The tradition of handmade string puppets of Rajasthan is more than a thousand years old. It is known as ‘Kaathputli’ (‘kaath’ means wood, and ‘putli’ is puppet, i.e. wooden puppet). The neck, face and head of a puppet figure are carved out of a single piece of wood. Often the head is so carved as to suggest that the puppet is wearing a headgear. The puppet figures have elongated stylized eyes and their faces are usually painted yellow; The torso and the hands are made of stuffed rags. Although the hands have no joints, since they are made of rags and sewn at the shoulders, there is no difficulty in articulating them through manipulation of strings. Kathputlis have no legs but this is not felt to be an inadequacy. They are draped in long trailing skirts and articulated so skilfully as to suggest movement of legs inside the trailing skirt.

I took this shot in Jaisalmer Fort, where these puppets were on display & sale. The Workshop picture shows the wider view of these puppets strung on the wall of the fort. Needless to say I purchased a ‘couple’ of these puppets after a lot of haggling.

Tried this experiment with DOF, to show these puppets differently. Hopefully you may like it...but I am open to harsh critiques as always.

indoka28, edytungkal, robertosalguero, KLB, jhm, Bartleby, danos, bukitgolfb301, Vato_Law, bostankorkulugu, hispic, dip, riclopes, AiresSantos, papagolf21, Budapestman, ChrisJ, pierrefonds, patdeph, emjleclercq, Dpbours, josepmarin, pablominto, avene, Atousa, Bluejeans, siolaw has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

devimeuxbe (58557) 2009-03-04 23:46

Hello Angshuman
this composition is beautifull, full of colors, excellent DOF and sharpness.
The subject also is interesting
Well done
Bertrand

indoka28 (5237) 2009-03-04 23:50

Hello Angshu,

So am your neighbor today..!! wonderful colours and Shallow DOF u have achieved here , i just loved the pattern breaker face looking at you even though his chin is cut off..!! oh well we are even similar in our subjects today..u have given"Kaathputli" and I have given "Kaathgodam" :)

Great shot..!!!

Regards,
Indro

coco (30433) 2009-03-05 0:13

Hi Angshuman.

Very nice picture with a gorgeus subject and composition. Well done with the DOF.

Regards.

edytungkal (4551) 2009-03-05 0:14

And this time you composed a beautiful colour of the puppets, perfect sharpness and i like the way you framed this colourful picture. Very good work Angshu friend, thanks and have a great day....

daniel

robertosalguero (196) 2009-03-05 0:23

Hi Angshuman,

Beautiful and colourful! This image is very nice. The bright colours make my eyes stare nonstop. Nice details and cropping of this scene. Thanks :-)

Roberto

KLB (23673) 2009-03-05 0:55

Hello Angshuman

It's a very interesting, and unusual, subject.
You've achieved here a great picture. All is perfectly managed : colours are great, the light is subtile, and your choice od DOF is excellent.
Very well done.

Regards
Karine

jhm (122366) 2009-03-05 9:02

Hello Angshu,

Nice experimental picture with the focus on the puppet to the right.
You show here a very nice composition.
Collorfully and attractive.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice weekend,
John.

Bartleby (12741) 2009-03-05 9:18

Tight framing, bright colors and well-chosen depth of puppet field. Everything's in place for a very good shot Angshu.

Philippe

danos (73946) 2009-03-05 11:56

Hello Angshuman,
nice presentation of these handmade wooden puppets in a tighten frame.Interesting your note as the tradition is so old.I like the colourful images as their faces are so good painted.Well done.

Regards,danos

bukitgolfb301 (30053) 2009-03-05 12:56

My dear Prof.Anghuman

Compared with your other photos, this one is a little unique, right ? But perfect composition and color management are as usual.

Best regards and many thanks for sharing.
Best regards
Takero

Vato_Law (12718) 2009-03-05 13:39

Hello Angshuman.
Nice approach to these puppets playing with the DOF.
The mixture of colours allong with your play with the DOF created a nice combo here.
The stroong colours are very welcome here.
Cheers.
Paulo

bostankorkulugu (40778) 2009-03-05 16:09

reminds me of the carnaval in venice somehow... a beautiful shot, a colour parade, and a clever title too angshu...

hispic (9619) 2009-03-05 18:33

Hello Angshuman Ji,
I like this soft rendering of a lot of puppets with warm color and decorous composition, though the part of out-of-focus seems to be a little bit double-line blur. This is a nice picture to enjoy beautiful dof.
Regards, Hisashi

balmikib (239) 2009-03-05 21:30

hi angshu!!

i have your new postings set as alerts in my mail and am always keen to look up whenever i get an alert.

good POV and colour,but wondering why the DOF got slightly blurred?

regards

balmiki

Graal (88820) 2009-03-05 23:44

Hi Angshuman,
amazing puppets, unusual palette of colours. Fine composition in perspective. Good show depth of fields. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

Waylim (22349) 2009-03-06 0:13

Angshu,
what a splash of colors here, very beautiful, cheerful, I feel like little kids looking at all the puppets and toys. Very nice details and beautiful colors and light the texture of all these figures are really good. Very nice close up, feel as if they are alive. Thanks
Way

everlasting (13803) 2009-03-06 0:53

I also saw these puppets being sold outside Jodhpur Fort but it was late in the day and I was too tired to haggle the price so I didnt buy, now seeing these so colourful and bright I wish I had, they would have certainly brightened up the grey day here.
Excellent play with the DOF and nicely composed too.

dip (21875) 2009-03-06 1:09

Hello Angshu,
a beautiful multicolored shot! I like the 3D effect,
well seen and captured,
Greetings,
Dimitris.

riclopes (35567) 2009-03-06 1:14

Excellent, Angshu. The shallow dof is the right choice and this result totally works for me. In fact, this shot of yours is now giving me a lot of ideas and I wish to be there right now and put them in practice. My old camera wasn't good with bokeh so this is something I need to explore now. The 'guy' at the bottom center is a bit tight, so I might like to see less at the top and more to the bottom but apart that detail, everything seems good to me.
I know well the place and Ana spent some time here as well, but in the end gave up and bought many of these puppets in the Theatre after the show. And we already had a couple of them from the Fort in Jodhpur...
friendly regards,
ricardo

AiresSantos (56155) 2009-03-06 1:36

Hi Angshu
Fine colourful picture, great low DOF and details. Wonderful light and excellent sharpness
TFs and have a nice weekend
Aires

papagolf21 (76495) 2009-03-06 1:40

Bonjour, cher ami Angshu,
Très intéressante note d'accompagnement nous permettant de mieux comprendre la représentation de ces poupées.
Bel effet d'ensemble avec un feu d'artifice haut en couleur.
Amitiés.
Philippe

Budapestman (82620) 2009-03-06 2:30

Dear Angshu,
Beautiful vivid image with decorative and rich details. The composition is very spectacular, the note is excellent likewise, splendid shot. Have a nice day!
George

ChrisJ (86818) 2009-03-06 4:24

Hi Angshuman

Superb use of s shallow dof on the wayang puppets which are also found in Indonesia. Good sharpness & saturation. Tfs!

carper (96) 2009-03-06 4:27

a very nice photo Anghu.
very good point of view and a nice dof. a well taken shot. good note to, tank you for showing us. have a nice day./
regard jaap

pierrefonds (48321) 2009-03-06 4:37

Good morning Angshuman,

A nice close-up point of view which is allowing us to see the details and colors of puppets, The subject is well frame. The surrounding light is enhancing the colors of the puppets. Have a nice day.

Pierre

patdeph (35738) 2009-03-06 5:31

namaste Angshuman
I always said that next time I will come to India,I will buy a puppet like this!And you show me many of them,I have just to do my choice!I want each of them,this is so beautiful when they are together,with these splendid colours!I like your very close frame,and the dof is perfect!Very nice!
Regards
Pascale

batalay (32846) 2009-03-06 21:08

Hello Mr. B,

A wonderful little lesson! I had no idea that string puppets originated in Rajasthan, or India for that matter. this colorful, busy scene is highly alluring, as it draws the viewer into frame to commune with different puppets. it reminds me a little of the shop window full of dolls in Venice that I submitted a couple of years ago. the colors are vivid, and the resolution extremely sharp.

Have a good weekend,

Bulent

emjleclercq (15778) 2009-03-06 23:26

A very colorfull composition, and a very good note again. The way you treated the topic is very orignal.

All the best,

Emmanuel

Dpbours (222) 2009-03-07 1:37

Hello Angshuman!

What a splash of colours this is!! Very nice.
Good note on the handmade string puppets as well!

Greetings,
Dennis

marietom (34603) 2009-03-07 3:45

hello Angshu,

superbes couleurs et beaux détails. C'est très beau.
Bon we
Marie

Felip (3907) 2009-03-07 9:04

Hi Angshu,
What an interesting shot, beautiful composition and splendid colours. The blurry background increases the spectacular sense of depth of it.
Kind regards

Felip

jafadabret (56497) 2009-03-07 23:21

Hello Angshu.
J'aime ce plan serré sur cet étalage de figurines. La bonne idée ici c'est la faible profondeur de champ qui donne un flou du meilleur effet.
Amicalement,
Jacques

eversmile (11624) 2009-03-08 0:50

Hi Angshu,

I like very much this one. The vivid colors are beautiful , eye-catching, and the tight frame gives to the composition a real graphic strength. Your choice of focus could be debatable. I think I would have tried a slightly lower POV, to insert fully the figure of the puppet turned to you, and would have managed to focus on it... but anyway, like this, it is already interesting and striking. Bravo!
Regards
Marine

josepmarin (55015) 2009-03-08 4:43

Hi Angshuman,
spectacular composition!! The closed angle on these traditional puppets, and especially its vivid colors, they give a great photographic result, and an excellent graphism.
Very good work, my friend.
Best regards,
Josep

pablominto (53744) 2009-03-08 9:18

Hello Angshu,

Colourful image shows a colourful scene!
I like the point of view, creating a fine feeling of depth...
Well done on colour reproduction, sharp fine details in the field of depth!

Greetings,
Pablo -

avene (12671) 2009-03-09 11:15

hello Angshuman,
thanks for the informative note, always great to learn something new :)
as to the shot - I quite like it, the tight framings works well to draw attention on the multitude of colours, while the selective focus helps prevent the "chaos" of details. at the same time I find the out-of-focus puppet in the very center a little distractive. considering that it is the only one facing us, the eye is imemdiately drawn to it, but then the blurr feels confusing. just thinking aloud :)

best,
Kristine

Atousa (7097) 2009-03-11 9:45

Salam Angshu,

What a colourful happy shot!.. they are nicely decorated ; I like their smiley faces n wish to buy some of them for myself n my family someday!..good pov , interesting WS photo n very informative note..thank you.
Best regards, A

Bluejeans (64221) 2009-04-25 10:35

Oi amigo ,
Lindos detalhes capturados nestes bonecos coloridos bom ponto de focagem nos primeiros deu bastante profundidade de foto ,são bem interessantes , parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

siolaw (37568) 2009-05-13 23:51

Hi Angshu,
A very colorful one here with a pleasant 3D effect due to the well set DOF!
Nice tight framing with only puppets and colors in sight!
Greetings
Laurent