W A I T I N G, a photo from Uttar Pradesh, Nord

Photographer's Note

An old lady waits her turn for the holy bath at Ardh Kumbh. It seemed to me that life was unkind to her. Will the holy dip bring an end to her misery? Will it ensure a better life for her in next birth? Will her wait be finally over, one wonders.....

Hotfooting it to the Ardh Kumbh in Allahabad to examine this congregation of humanity from close quarters, the experience, not unexpectedly, was enlightening for me. Ardh Kumbh was a minefield of photo-ops. From the breathtaking scenery at dawn to the sea of humanity that throngs Allahabad for the Mela to the makeshift city of tents spread over 50 sq kms, there were so many stories to be told through the lens of a camera. Devouts from all over the world have descended on Allahabad in large numbers for the Kumbh festival, which is held once in six years. All of them have arrived braving freezing temperatures to bathe at the confluence of the River Ganga, the Yamuna and mythical Saraswati. On the auspiciuos day of Shahi Snan or the Royal Bathing, over five million faithful took a holy dip at the confluence. The holy dip is believed to cleanse oneself of all sins.

isabela_sor, bhorerpakhi, IgorDeleze, sunilshukla, snunney, besnard, ribeiroantonio, photographer123, rajju, riclopes, ak47apache, renerob, noahsark, Flavia, ramesh_lalwani, sanalytis, VeeJayCee, Vato_Law, kseng76, john_c, Dubsie, syd1946, Cretense, Rosa_d_MonteLua, carper, thea0211, miuky, salvator, jmcl, aloyho, pranab, HIRAKZ, flory, subhendu_bagchi, marine-coeur trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

bhorerpakhi (559) 2007-01-30 7:03

Asadharon chobi. You really tell different stories with your camera, should have been a photo journalist. Her eyes look so sad, wonder why?
Poulomi

IgorDeleze (585) 2007-01-30 7:04

Hello,
Beautiful!
This face is beautiful and what great detail on the hands!
Greetings.
Igor

isabela_sor (47748) 2007-01-30 7:07

A strong portrait!!Here the language of body says a hard story!!Her look seems so sad...
Best wishes for her and for you too
Isabela

bhima (726) 2007-01-30 7:08

Good portrait, her skin and her face seems so tired. Something disturbs me indeed, maybe the overall tones a little bit too bright but you catch her eyes and that's a good point.

Thomas

sunilshukla (844) 2007-01-30 7:09

The skin, the texture it really stands out. But as Poulomi said, the eyes - they look so empty and that for me is the high point here.
Sunil

ben4321 (9875) 2007-01-30 7:16

This is absolutely stunning Sabyasachi, one of the best portraits that I've seen from you recently.
I really like the way her face is framed by her hands, and the slight desasuration which has emphasised the skin tones.
The strong, direct eye contact and the thoughtful, rather sad expression on her face, give this a lot of impact.
Powerful stuff.

Cheers,
Ben

snunney (130967) 2007-01-30 7:24

Hello Sabyasachi,
An excellent portrait of this stoic old lady waiting her turn. They say the eyes are the window to the soul, they appear to be here. Superb definition and tones.

besnard (59196) 2007-01-30 7:29

Bonjour Sabyasachi
Superbe portrait de cette vieille femme. Le gros plan est fort bien saisi, les couleurs sont très belles.
Bravo - merci pour le partage et bonne journée.
Nicole

yeno (0) 2007-01-30 7:36

Very nice close up portrait with excellent sharpness and a story behind it. Congratulatins for god point of view as well.

jasmis (58653) 2007-01-30 8:23

Probably the best portrait seen recently in TE. Superb pose of an old lady. Really perfect. And her arms and hands... simply amazing.
Thanks for sharing. Regards.

ribeiroantonio (22730) 2007-01-30 9:54

The holy dip may clean off all sins but will not give her back the smooth skin that had in the past. Her expression is of resignation even to wait for the holy bath. I just wonder what was going through her mind at that moment. Well done.
Antonio

vincz (19113) 2007-01-30 11:30

This is a fascinating portrait. Back to this so special style of yours when photographing older models with a skin showing the signs of age. Here the skin, the tones totally stand out. An excellent picture. Looks like you are fully mastering your new toy. I see you are using a 75-300 lens, did not see you using this before. Looks very good.

photographer123 (6248) 2007-01-30 11:48

Hi,
another good portrait from you..details is very good..slight sepia tone made it better...SUBIR

ndb1958 (9289) 2007-01-30 12:43

What a face, Sabyasachi. Her eyes are so strong. Impressing portrait of the old lady. Nino

faubry (35447) 2007-01-30 12:50

ipressiv, very contrast picture;;; sad life... well done
Francine

rajju (1345) 2007-01-30 13:13

simply great! nothing more to say because others already said rest...
tfs, raj

riclopes (35577) 2007-01-30 13:30

Incredible shot, Sabyasachi! It's impressive to see her dry and old skin...it could be 120 years old, looking at this portrait, but she is problably much younger, of course. The framing of her face with her hands and arms is what makes this a winner. That look and expression is fantastic. A really good one. Congratulations!
Best wishes,
Ricardo

scalerman (26900) 2007-01-30 13:36

Sabyasachi: not sure of your post-processing here. Would expect alot sharper from the 400D. Perhaps the monitor on your computer? Check it out. But, the content and subject are very good - a tough shot - but very candid. regards, c

renerob (601) 2007-01-30 15:11

Hi Sabyasachi,
Superb portrait, i like how her hands frame her sad face, and yet she has braved the cold weather for a dip in the holy bath, some courage this old lady has, i hope that god grants her wishes for her, well done Sabyasachi.
Regards Irene

hay_kes (31439) 2007-01-30 15:45

Hi Sabya,
Superb portrait.Nice details, sharp and colours.Very well done.TFS.

hAyAti

gilou530 (34) 2007-01-30 16:33

salut sabya
fabuleux portrait avec une netteté grandiose qui donne tous les détails de cette vieille et vénérable dame, bravo
amitiés
gilbert

noahsark (1092) 2007-01-30 17:38

Hi Sabyasachi,

Masterful portrait, coming with a great note as well. There is a great untidy of sober tone throughout, which draws attention to her riveting gaze.

composition*****
subject*****
colors and light*****
sharpness*****
overall aesthetics*****

well done!

Mahmut K.

izmirli (3989) 2007-01-30 17:40

merhaba dear sabyasachi
wonderful portrait picture.wonderful light and colours.well done.
friendly greetings from Istanbul.
gürkan akçakır.

Flavia (10352) 2007-01-30 20:46

Hi Sabyasachi,

Powerful image. The texture of her ski seems to be the witness of her difficult life, her eyes are expressively sad and yet she waits pantiently her turn, in a resignated way. The strong light work wonderfully here.

Cheers,

Flavia

Angshu (56760) 2007-01-30 22:45

Dear Sabyasachi
This is wonderful...the photograph itself is so good I don't think it required PP! The old battered skin with prominent creases...but the best part are the eyes, the piercing look thru the shadows. Superb image at 255mm zoom
Best Regards
Angshu

suhan (3552) 2007-01-31 2:59

wonderful portrait. great light and details...
very well done
thanks for sharing
merve-süleyman

ramesh_lalwani (3213) 2007-01-31 3:04

Hi Talukdar
Yet another great portrait.I like DOF and sharpness.TFS
Ramesh

sanalytis (1634) 2007-01-31 3:08

Hello Sabyasachi,

This is such a wonderful composition with so much detail. I really like how the hands frame the face in the photo. Trully
excellent work.

Spiros

AiresSantos (56155) 2007-01-31 3:13

Hi Sabyasachi,
Different but lovely portrait... I like the hands on the head looking or witing for something. Excellent quality, very well framed
Aires

Budapestman (82620) 2007-01-31 4:35

Dear Sabyasachi,
Splendid and very expressive portrait. Its an excellent composition and superb cut. Suggestive and refined shot. Congratulations.Thank you, nice days
George

rbcy1974 (20758) 2007-01-31 7:49

Hello Sabayashi
Its a mazing the depths of human experience captured by your photos. Already her position is very oringinal an dnatural and the shadows play very wlel here,
excellent capture of her features
Well done
Regards
Daniel

VeeJayCee (2410) 2007-01-31 11:28

An excellent catch with good exposure and sharpness to enhance the look of a hard life. I am not of the faith nor the belief but as she is, I too hope for better things for her in her next life.

maki (0) 2007-01-31 11:31

Unbelievable hands and hidden face with such look. This is one of the strongest portraits here on TE IMO. Great expression, very good POV. Wonderful.
regards,
maki

Albrecht (11283) 2007-01-31 13:05

Hi Sabyasachi
Impressive portrait of the very old lady. If every line in her skin could tell a story......

greetings from Holland
Albrecht

Vato_Law (12732) 2007-01-31 16:42

Hello Sabysachi,
Absolutely fabulous this portrait! it has everything, expressionon the old lday's face, uncountable details.
This is really a top class photo, a favourite without any doubts.
Cheers.
Paulo

kseng76 (144) 2007-01-31 18:58

one of your best pics from Ardhkumbh IMO..truly a moving shot, revealing the sorrow in the lady's eyes..perfect exposure of her eyes..a wonderful note to go with, as always..

regards
kaushik

Scharan (14144) 2007-01-31 19:08

Olá Sabyasachi
Uma expressão fortíssima que você captou muito bem neste retrato. A textura da pele,o olhar perdido e sem esperança.
Boa luz e sombras.
Grande abraço,
Vera.

Dragonheart (8434) 2007-01-31 22:40

Hello Dada,
Excellent shot of this old lady waiting for her turn for the holy dip. Your framing is excellent and the expression on her face fit perfectly with your note.
Well done
Thanks for sharing
Best wishes
Vivek

prezntime (3946) 2007-01-31 22:57

Man, that's pretty intense. Her eyes are just burning through the picture...even shadowed as they are. The texture of her skin shows the hard living that has gotten her this far...really distinctive. Also, I appreciate the very natural colors here...the tones are not oversaturated and that helps enhance the reality...well done.
Chris.

Dubsie (346) 2007-02-01 0:22

How do you do that? Really? Photograph after photograph? How????
I wonder....
What details...what clarity...what perfection!! I repeat myself again and again...
Excellent work,
TFS,
Regards,
Durba

syd1946 (1167) 2007-02-01 4:16

Hi Sabyasachi,
Another "strong" portrait you present to us!The look of her face said it all.And you caputerd in a great way the details.Excellent work!
Have a nice day,
Thomas

Cretense (68709) 2007-02-01 6:11

Hi Sabyasachi!

Another amazing portrait from a great artist! Incredible look in the eyes, excellent positioning of the hands like a roof, very impressive sharpness that allows us to see every "ripple" of skin. Congratulations!

Best regards,
Hercules

john_c (24666) 2007-02-01 9:32

Hi Sabyasachi,
Outstanding portraiture. The grizzled worn face of the lady looks stalwart and defiant, yet resigned to her life. I like the fine lighting and shadow effects, as well as the way her arms come up around her face. Great clarity of detail. Its a keeper.
John

polter (7239) 2007-02-01 11:44

Great portrait. Face, hands, hairs seem to be a hard shell only, covering her soul visible through still shiny eyes. One hardly can stop looking in her eyes and stop feel beeing observed. Great . Greetings T.

markstaples (15670) 2007-02-01 13:40

A sharp and detail shot, I like the light/shadow combination and as always I cannot fault your framing. Excellent work again.
Best wishes
Mark

Rosa_d_MonteLua (1508) 2007-02-01 16:08

Hi Sabyasachi!
Excellent portrait with perfect details.
Nice colors and an intersting POV, make from this picture another of your good works!
TFS and best regards from Portugal!
Rosa

marietom (34611) 2007-02-01 16:41

Hi,
Grandiose, ce portrait. L'as-tu essayé en noir et blanc ?
Superbes détails, et quel regard profond !
Marie

carper (96) 2007-02-02 13:35

fantastic portrait Sabyasachi
the look of the eyes, the hard life, the very good details are all in this fantastic pov, very good photo and good photo art, I realy like it. Have a nice day
gr. Jaap

sothy81 (9646) 2007-02-02 19:05

Hi Sabyasachi, this is a very powerful photo. This is what you called before, "the face". Excellent portrait. Well done. Sothy

thea0211 (1365) 2007-02-03 3:29

wow sabyasachi, this is a very powerful portrait: her look, her skin, the way she holds her hands over her head, her hair ... i wonder if she noticed what you were doing, i realize that maybe not, since your lens gave you the technical possibility to get unnoticed but even though ... that look seems to see and know so much

i like that as she covers her face from the burning sun, actually she covers some of the wrinkles on her forehead and round her eyes and even stops you to visually get too close to the wrinkles on her face (you know us: woman ... we're not very keen on showing our wrinkles :)

... but i don't think that she is sad or that her eyes look sad ... i think she is only tired, overly tired, not only tired from the hard work she had to do - but tired of living, of every morning she has to wake up, tired of sunsets and sunrises, tired of people and their cries and laughs and just has had enough

i hope the holy dip brought her some peace

very well done and thanks for sharing,

dora

miuky (3335) 2007-02-03 13:26

theres a whole life on this wrinkles...a great long life...
exellent pov and colours...very good
regards, M.

salvator (19110) 2007-02-03 20:07

Hi Sabyasachi,
Beautifull and expoertly taken photo my friend. The colors, the shades, the pov, composition, just beautifull. Best regards. Salvator.

Captain (514) 2007-02-04 11:25

A stunning image showing the hardness of the persons life outlined in her face. Well caught.
Ian

Gierlinski (948) 2007-02-04 14:15

Hi Sabyasachi
Although the picture itself is a good capture, the post processing is far to hard. The contrast is huge, revealing an interesting skin texture, but far too high.
It looks for me as it was in B&W, although in colour... That's disturbing
This is my opinion, no offence,
Regards,
Michal

jmcl (14535) 2007-02-05 1:47

Hi Sabyasachi,

Even in shadow her eyes leap at us from her body ... they seem to speak much.
Maybe it is the way her hands hold her hair .. but it seems to me she has a sad fierceness .. an untamed strength of will through all life has brought her through many years .. thoughtful and evocative portrait.

take care,

John

partha (14023) 2007-02-05 4:33

A typical style of Indian woman,I found it in almost all fairs and gathering in India. Nice steal.
Regards.
Partha

sebcz (2345) 2007-02-09 8:19

Hi Sab!
Man, you've got the talent to shoot those moving portraits!
Look at her wrinkles and dry complexion on her hends. Not to mention the stare from the shadowed forehead.
Great one!
Seb

aloyho (6798) 2007-02-11 0:51

Hi Sabyasachi,
This is a very good shot and it very effectively portrayed the life of the woman. There is good lighting control in the shadow areas and the clarity allows for a full presentation of the hardship she must have gone through. Great shot!! Have a great weekend.

Polonaise (5802) 2007-02-11 12:23

'Sabyasachi style' from corner to corner and every pixel of it.
India - the country of the most incredible faces on earth. And you have proved that better than anyone I know, dear buddy.

Thanks for the excitment, Sabyasachi
george

UnTrained (0) 2007-02-13 3:30

Hi Sabyasachi,
your abilities for portraits are astonishing me. I won't see those faces I think. Excellent capture of her personal thoughts whatever they might be. The skin with all the impacts of many years is well presented in your one here.
Lieben Gruss, Ulf

sebinho342 (19329) 2007-02-18 18:19

Amazing picture, hi Sabya. So full of details, this is the result of multiple use of sharp masks on european baby skins ;)
Excellent how you caught the moment, how she protects from sun rays.
Congratulations

pranab (5354) 2007-02-22 14:05

sabyasachi,
it's been a while since i last visited you and it seems i have a lot of cathcing up to do.
a very classic pose with excellent details and great color saturation. well done.

flory (4848) 2007-03-24 3:17

ciao Sabyasachi,
incredible portrait!!we love it your style..so clear and so expressive!love the way you catched ,with so naturalness..the old woman waiting..we don't know what,just we can makes suppositions..
nice we,
flory

melmcree (18) 2007-04-21 14:50

Once again a great image. It shows so much detail, you begin to understand how much this person must have gone through in her life up to this point. Nice job!

JurgitaRA (67) 2007-07-05 14:26

Amazing... Most of your pictures for me are unreal... Thank u!

Robert_K (44) 2007-12-01 2:20

Amazing! The sharpness and quality of the photo is excellent! You have captured a beautiful moment. I have lots to learn from you.

Robert

indraajeet (1912) 2007-12-17 8:56

amazing sharpness. life's architecture can be felt. it is not a photograph, it's life itself

indrajit

subhendu_bagchi (26091) 2009-07-04 8:23

Hi sabyasabhi, what a composition!Good sharpness, wrinked hands of the old woman, as a frame, is incredible.Exposer is perfect. Her vacant eyes says everything .Thank you for share it with us.
Regards - subhendu.

marine-coeur (1072) 2010-09-28 2:56

Once again another great message...she was born like any other little girls on the planet...all the best for this lovely lady a very honourable look well done SABYASACHI TALUKDAR.

ajayrawat (676) 2010-09-28 2:58