Colourful India, a photo from Maharashtra, Ouest

Photographer's Note

Yesterday I rescued hundreds of scanned photos from my external hard drive which has indicated that it soon may crash. Many of those pictures have already been posted here but among the others, some of which I hadn't seen for years and almost forgotten, I found several that only needed minor adjustments to be acceptable for TE.

So I decided that for the next several weeks I will keep you mainly in Asia decades ago. Today I start with an original B&W photo, scanned from an Ilford FP4 negative, from Bombay in 1977. It is so very typical of any Indian street, at least in those days and probably also now, that it could safely be said to be nothing special at all.

39 years ago nobody talked about Mumbai, so to me this photo will forever have been taken in Bombay.

Here is a larger version.

Tue, ikeharel, papagolf21, Cricri, Royaldevon, jhm, Fis2, ourania, danos, mehrdad-t, PiotrF, CLODO, delpeoples, ChrisJ, sacimar, adramad, kordinator, macjake, COSTANTINO, lucasgalodoido, saxo042, PaulVDV, cornejo trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

Tue (93504) 2016-11-06 1:56

Hello Gert,
It is always nice to browse through older photos, I often get surprised by discovering many forgotten, yet perfectly uploadable pictures. Glad to hear you were in time to save your photos. This is an excellent and well-composed daily life photo from India. Very good photo work of remarkable quality for an almost 40-year old photo.
Lars

ikeharel (114659) 2016-11-06 2:04

Hello Gert,
A B&W old scanned, well preserved as all of your photos.
The mull seems so skinny, its bones shown with almost no fur, but fed by the girls who were smiling at the camera.
A daily life p[at-excellence photo.
Have a nice Sunday,
Ike

*** Did you see my WS with a night scene? thanks anyway for your continuous critics.

alvaraalto (42842) 2016-11-06 2:37

Hello Gert
Indeed Bombay it was, Mumbai it is, but I can imagine that your picture of 39 years ago has lost few of its actuality and this scene, despite all changes, still exist. So we will have advantage by the almost crash of your hard disc and enjoy your lovely pictures of the past and it gives you a lot of extra work.
Groet Rob

Silvio1953 (222991) 2016-11-06 2:46

Ciao Gert, nice scene in a lovely B&W composition. excellent clarity, fine details and splendid light, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio

papagolf21 (152607) 2016-11-06 3:00

Bonjour, cher Gert,
Pour un Européen, voir ces images cela crée un étonnement, quand bien même des images télévisées sont souvent présentées.
Il n'en demeure pas moins vrai, qu'à travers vos réalisations, nous touchons à la réalité...
Une image qui, hélas, n'a pas vieilli.
Amitiés.
Philippe

GyurMaster (25045) 2016-11-06 3:20

Dear Gert,

What I particularly like in this photo is the orgy of colours. :)

Joke apart: I'm really happy to read your plans, and waiting for photos like this. In this particular case you managed to involve everything, which we think is typically for India. Not to mention that the cow and the people are in a perfect order, forming a V letter, or at least something similar.

Carry on!
Best Wishes,
Gy.

Cricri (176) 2016-11-06 3:22

Hi Gert
Une belle image d'archive bien présenter avec le bon choix du N/B, très jolie composition, excellent travail
beau dimanche
cricri

pajaran (117113) 2016-11-06 3:41

Dobar dan.
Interesantan tekst ...
Dobar rad, lepo uhvacen trenutak, dobra realizacija lepom crno belom fotografijom.
Ostaju fotografije i secanja.
Imajte lep dan za odmor, sve najbolje.
Paja.

Good day.
Interesting article ...
Good work, beautifully captured moment, a good realization of a beautiful black and white photography.
Photos and memories remain.
Have a nice day holiday, all the best.

Royaldevon (86484) 2016-11-06 4:13

Hello Gert,

Well, the colour is certainly in the attractiveness of the scene and the memories!
This has scanned so very sharply.
It reveals the close connection between the people and the animals.
Animals, feeding in the street, won't have been seen in my country for centuries!
The composition is delightful, the cow and the figures on two opposing diagonals.

I can't help hoping that they give this cow a little more to eat!

Have a lovely Sunday,
Bev :-)

jmdias (116547) 2016-11-06 5:44

gert

bombay was the only indian town where I didn't see cows in the streets, i guess they were removed with the rickshaws. I only saw some of them early in the morning, probably because the milk.
nice view of the people and the typical daily life scenery. the black and white added an interesting mood,

hugs

jorge

jhm (211738) 2016-11-06 6:31

Hello Gert,

My friend going almost every year to India, I see the same images today.
I think on the on the countryside is the same system as 40 years ago.
Sharpness and clarity are wonderful.
Composition and presentation are perfect made.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice day,
John.

Sergiom (117241) 2016-11-06 6:37

Bonjour Gert,

Un très beau témoignage noir et blanc d'une scène de la vie quotidienne dans cette partie du monde et aussi d'une époque lointaine. Même la pauvreté n'arrête pas le sourire des enfants.

Bon dimanche

Serge

Nicou (193814) 2016-11-06 6:37

Hello

Cette vache tout à gauche quelle scène et vue quelle nostalgie et image superbe ces personnages assis sur le sol qui vendent leur produit la dame qui trie les plantes des tomates quelle vue fantastique.
Bravo et amitié
Nicou

Fis2 (171991) 2016-11-06 8:24

Witaj Gert!
Wow 1977!
Very interesting scene from street.
Good frame and composition.
The black and white increase this emotions.
I like this daily life shot.
Very well done.
Good evening.
Krzysztof

ourania (51103) 2016-11-06 8:25

Hello Gert,
I'm so glad that you saved your archives of scanned photos, whether posted on TE or not! Why was your hard drive about to crash, if I may ask? The threat that you fortunately avoided, is starting off another fascinating time machine for us and this picture almost looks festive. I like very the bright and sunny greys, the interaction of the people and the smiles. Congratulations and thank you!
All the best, have a great evening,
Ourania

lousat (140026) 2016-11-06 11:27

Hi Gert,this is a piece now available for a museum..ehehe..one of your last black and white pics for this rich composition from Mumbai ex-Bombay...nothing to special but a lovely street scene of daily life,excellent work in PP.Have a nice week and thanks,Luciano

kasianowak (17676) 2016-11-06 11:36

Hi Gert
I like this monochrome upload in connection with the title as, in spite of it's black and white rendition it still shows what appears colourful and exotic to us - daily life in this, better know these days but still remote enough, destination.
Am I reading your note right - you only keep ONE copy of your photos??
Best wishes
Kasia

carlo62 (81265) 2016-11-06 14:34

Ciao Gert
probabilmente questa foto è ancora attuale, le città cambiano nome in fretta, ma per cambiare abitudini ci vuole molto di più.
Interessante b&w, anche perché non si tratta di una conversione, ma di uno scatto fatto con pellicola dedicata.
Saluti
Carlo

rychem (72187) 2016-11-06 22:22

One of the oldest documentary photos from you, very valuable, it is really a piece of history, bravo
Ryszard

emka (158900) 2016-11-07 0:25

hello Gert, I am very glad that you rescued your old pictures and for several weeks we will have a pleasure to see them. it is difficult to believe that this picture is so old. Probably the original black and white photos are better than colour pictures postprocessed. Interesting scene, like we can see still in India, stunning sharpness. The cow is so skinny!

macondo (20449) 2016-11-07 1:36

Hi Gert.
I like it - 'Colourful India' in black and white! B/w is fine by me, and your scan has a pleasing tonal range for a photo taken in bright light. It's one of those 'where are they now?' shots, for me anyway, in which one wonders what became of those poor but smiling children. 'Nothing special at all' it may be, but it represents the essence of photography in that it presents another era, almost another age, in a way that is both nostalgic yet of documentary interest.

And you can never have too many backups!

Regards,
Andrew

danos (110407) 2016-11-07 2:36

Hello Gert,
nice to see this B/W scenery from India 39 year ago.The cow skeleton and the vendors of the open air market selling their products make the image even more attractive.A good documentary shot.

Regards,Danos

dkmurphys (79209) 2016-11-07 6:22

Hi Gert,
Exotic street scene from that different world. I guess the changes aren't so big regarding their simple and traditional style of living. Interesting document.
Have a good week.

Daniel

mehrdad-t (4812) 2016-11-07 6:55

Hello,
A good daily life scene.I like Black and white mode.
Thanks for Sharing,
Mehrdad

heimann2 (2067) 2016-11-07 7:32

Nice shot!
40 years ago there was less trafic in India! I have been there in that time too.
Thanks for showing
Pierre

PiotrF (56080) 2016-11-07 9:42

Hello Gert,
Colors are everywhere here!
Nice daily life photo from India.
Good quality and fine presentation.
Regards
Piotr

Periko (9107) 2016-11-07 22:08

Hi Gert
This is a neat image showing a great daily life moment.
These persons, with different ages and natural attitudes, are the best models, with no pose.
Excellent work, as usual.

Regards
Pedro

CLODO (45118) 2016-11-08 0:18

Hi Gert

Visiting for the first time India is always a shock, the people, the habits are so different from ours: cows wandering in the city streets, people walking bare footed, markets on the ground, colorfull sarees....
But here, no color, except in the title!!!!!
Cheers
CLODO

delpeoples (60342) 2016-11-08 0:38

Ciao dear Gert

What an interesting title, juxtaposed against your colourless, yet lively photo. I like the play of light and shade. The sharpness and textures are superb. Well done, thanks for sharing.

Have a lovely day
Lisa

ChrisJ (172436) 2016-11-08 1:46

Hello Gert,

A superb b&w shot from West India that conveys the poverty and squalor of 1970's Bombay. In recent years India has made huge strides towards modernization and economic growth. This was my stereotype of India until I actually visited the country and saw that there is a wealthy middle class coexisting with the poor. Tfs!

gervaso (28437) 2016-11-08 2:21

Hello, Gert!

Interesting to see a photo titled "Colourful India" in black and white, but I can image the colors of this scene, especially of the clothes of these people! It's a great memory of your trip, when this city was not famous yet, it must be completely different today! Great job!

sacimar (38173) 2016-11-08 6:09

Hello Gert,

good picture of Bombay 40 years ago, details are excellent and we can feel the atmosphere there, well done,

Best regards,

Sergio

adramad (73478) 2016-11-08 8:00

Hi, Gert.
A sensational image that seems to have been made recently, both because of its quality, and because the life of many people continues to develop in the streets, as it was 40 years ago, it is a delight the amount of details that the image shows.
Magnificent management of brightness and sharpness.
Well seen and fulfilled. I like it.
You have a good day.
Best Regards.
Luis.

kordinator (8738) 2016-11-08 11:32

Dear Gert
2011 from my computer a virus has destroyed over 70,000 photos.
Velka damage.
A beautiful portrait of a group of people.
I heard you the first pictures of how much cost a couple bulls because they were rare and that only rich people had the opportunity to be models.
Very nice photos from India.
Kind regards
Saša

macjake (98544) 2016-11-09 0:17

Hi Gert
yeah, i guess its always important to back up your photo collection. I do it after every major trip, and put my photos on an external hard drive - but of course I don't think I'm telling you anything you don't know.

by looking at the photo, you'd think this was taken in some small village in the middle of rural India, not in a major city. but I guess thats the joy of India. Too bad to see the animal being so underweight, seeing its ribs. excellent cultural shot though, I like it. cheers
Craig

COSTANTINO (117850) 2016-11-09 11:29

Hello dear Gert and thanks for sharing with us
photos from Bombay in 1977 so many years ago
nice ddecision to keep us mainly in Asia decades
ago I love photos of this kind and my personal
opinion is that the title with the word colorful
mentioned the contrast of the colors
welldone
regards
cOSTANTINO

lucasgalodoido (27698) 2016-11-09 15:30

Olá Gert,
sensacional essa captura, a verdadeira essência indiana, e o título não podia ser mais apropriado. Vai pras minhas favoritas também. Belo trabalho.
Parabéns e Abraço,
Lucas

abmdsudi (95869) 2016-11-09 17:50

Hi Gert
Nice capture portraying the essence of street life and get us to fully concentrate on details around with everything thrown in. The effect is stronger here in black-and-white, Well done.
Best regards

saxo042 (38078) 2016-11-10 12:19

Hej Gert,
Här lyser färgerna med sin frånvaro men å andra sidan desto fler detaljer. Det svartvita formatet ökar ju onekligen det konstnärliga värdet.
Hälsningar
Gunnar

PaulVDV (63496) 2016-11-11 7:39

Hello Gert,
A bit strange to present a black & white picture named 'Colourful India'.
I can imagine the colours of course but perhaps that's harder for someone who doesn't know anything of this country. On the other hand on a black & white photo a dramatic effect is usually stronger and I think it is also here.
I like this composition. The clarity and sharpness are very good.
And nobody seems to mind that there's a photographer in the street.
Best regards, Paul

cornejo (61504) 2016-11-15 10:32

Hello Gert, excellent black and white photo of this interesting scene of everyday life 39 years ago, very well captured in this interesting image, with good clarity, light and quality. A great work perfectly done, my congratulations, my friend. Thank you for sharing this interesting work.

Good night and happy week.
All the best from the south of Spain.
Angel.

willperrett (14215) 2016-11-21 10:13

Hello Gert

Love it. I've been away from TE for a few weeks, and missed this when you posted it: sorry! Wonderful quality from this Ilford FP4, which I used a lot myself, as it was easy to dev and print from. It's contrasty and the scan looks perfect, from what we can see on TE. Not entirely sure about the roller-door that takes up a lot of the background, but otherwise this is lovely shot, and a worthwhile historical document.

Regards

Will

P.S.: coming to the UK again??