::: India as I know it::: Photo

Photographer’s Note

This is India as I know it, it is progressive, yet deep rooted in tradition. I saw this girl pillion riding on a bike with her boy friend, it could have been a scene from anywhere in the world, except the girl had her hand upright as she had still wet henna on it.

From weddings to festivals, young girls never let a chance to apply henna go by….in act some just apply it just like that. The more modern ones at times wear henna as a tattoo..

Henna is a shrub, the leaves are dried and ground into a paste, the henna powder is then added with other condiments(or by itself) , is mixed with water and applied in intricate patterns on hands and feet(in case of married women). Considered auspicious, henna is an integral part of all wedding ceremonies and highly skilled artisans are brought in to adorn a bride’s hands with henna and in some cultures the bridegroom’s too-The green mixture is then left to dry(the longer the better) and leaves behind an orange to a dark maroon pattern.

nirajsinha, rajju, yasoda-nandana, indoka28, abulafia, somak_g, mugush, bhardwajkapil78, king, Mirra78, PierreMorel, Benedict, pinakie_slg, trasher, crckt, kyzer has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

yasoda-nandana (430) 2007-08-25 8:07

great compo and note.. let us hope that indian people will keep their great tradition

nirajsinha (822) 2007-08-25 9:30

Hi Gurpreet,

Your pictures and notes make us feel that you know India very well.I must say that I like this picture more than your other pictures. compo and framing is really good. Your note is very informative and interesting.

Keep it up

Niraj Sinha

indoka28 (5187) 2007-08-25 20:21

hello Gurpreet,

This one is a beautiful depiction of the culture of India..and I loved the way you have composed it...!!!!a very nice documentary shot with great colours and clarity..!! really appreciate your effort here in portraying this beautiful art...!!

Great shot and very well done..!!
Regards,
Indro

abulafia (4802) 2007-08-25 22:05

Hello Again Gurpreet
Lovely capture, and when reading your note, the mix of new and old becomes very clear. I am not sure that i would have noted the little detail if i was a bystander.
I like it.
Harry

somak_g (463) 2007-08-26 21:10

hi gurpreet,

great capture and excellent composition. thanks for sharing.

regards
somak

mugush (2088) 2007-08-29 11:18

very well seen.. I can smell Hina(i love hina's smell by the way)
i think design on her palm is still wet so she is protecting it..
i must say Excellent work infact you have good couple of intersting picture which reflects the true essence of India..
thanks for sharing..
(i wish i could do workshop on it,but i dont have much time right now...)
mugush

[workshop] [compare] +

bhardwajkapil78 (486) 2007-08-29 22:13

Hey gurpreet...

very well croped image... the crop really helps the conceived idea.. seems like everything has fallen just in the right place for this picture...

Well Composed...
Regards

blow (672) 2007-08-30 8:47

j'aime bien ces trucs là, quand tu les voient faire... c'est terrible aussi la facilité et la rapidité avec laquelle ils font le dessin sans aucune erreur... la photo est simplement jolie le cadrage à mon gout trop grand... félicitations...

king (2602) 2007-08-30 23:31

Hello Gurpreet
Nice story-telling close-up is this.
Technically OK. Good composition.
TFS,
Huub.

Mirra78 (281) 2007-08-31 10:15

Hello Gurpreet,

I like this composition very much! It's very well composed and really interesting.
Nice POV and great details.
Thanks for sharing,
Izabela

Emmie76 (2009) 2007-09-01 12:35

Hi Gurpreet,
Henna is also a tradition here in Morocco so I couldn't miss your picture! I am always impressed when I see women drawing those artistical patterns on people's hand, it's so precise but they do it so quickly...
Have a nice weekend,
Emma

ramanvij (193) 2007-09-03 3:30

wow. lucky catch there. beautiful picture saying a lot about changing india. love it.
bravo

chriswhitley (1480) 2007-09-04 13:08

Hi Gurpreet,
We see just enough in this shot. As another critiquer says, everything has fallen in the right place and that, I think, is what makes a difference between a good photo and a great photo. Thank you for your note and for telling us something about modern India through your photos. Good use of photography. Chris

Benedict (7062) 2007-09-09 22:57

hi preetie,
timing catch, you got the eye!
excellent compo and POV!
benedict

pinakie_slg (835) 2007-09-11 3:25

Hi Gurpreet,

the title and the pic caught my eyes. Niraj said rightly, " you know India very well", and seems u r equally deeprooted as the girl in your pic.

Regards,

Pinakie

crckt (7094) 2007-09-20 14:34

Hi Gurpreet,
How did I miss this shot for so long! This is amazing work, you've great eyes I have to say. I like how you have composed this shot, with the hand as the main object, yet keeping the people in frame.
Beautiful work, well done.
Shaeri

ykumar (41) 2007-09-20 22:28

Good shot and very good informative note.
Cheers !!
Yogesh

kyzer (337) 2008-07-21 0:50

Hi Gurpreet,

Great photograph of the mix of modern and tradition.. may be the girl is bride and has been taken back by a male relative of hers from the bueaty parlor..

Good compositon and excellent focus on the hand with henna..

Which is this camera..

Regards.
Paddyrags