Memories from Varanasi, a photo from Uttar Pradesh, Nord

Photographer's Note

There were many great locations and cities I visited during my month long journey through India, but quite possibly my favourite was Varanasi.

I understand why a lot of people do not like Varanasi, as it can be difficult to stomach, especially if you're only used to travelling to 1st world countries. This area of Varanasi is dirty, it smells bad, but its also very holy, religious, and offers up amazing photo opps of people and architecture.

Here we have an intimate moment shared between two men, a Holy Man and a Barber earning his living. I hope you like it.

In the WS is a vertical presentation, with more color, but I liked this one as it has that close human touch aspect, and we can clearly see the shaving of the head.

PiotrF, ikeharel, jemaflor, papagolf21, holmertz, jean113, Royaldevon, GyurMaster, jhm, dale54, COSTANTINO, PaulVDV, worldcitizen, burmaman, fotka trouve(nt) cette note utile

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pierrefonds (103567) 2020-09-18 15:11

Hi Craig,

You have captured well the concentration of the barber. The point of view is showing the barber in action. It is clear and precise. Have a nice day.

Pierre

lousat (129979) 2020-09-18 15:24

Hi Craig,2 nice memories from Varanasi from your indian trip 5 years ago. Beautiful scenes of daily life,this isn't the best hairstyle shop but normal for the local people,great timing to take this scene in this position,i like the colorful and rich composition in the WS too. Have a nice weekend and thanks,Luciano

PiotrF (52330) 2020-09-18 15:57

Hello Craig,
Great street scene in Varanasi. Good compositions, and horizontal and vertical presentation.
Photos with wonderful colours. Good work, fine presentation.
Regards
Piotr

ikeharel (105923) 2020-09-18 22:22

Hello Craig,
Both pictures are superbly conveys the life on the street of this town. Personally I prefer the WS photo since it has the big wall painting that shows a traditional goddes, I believe it is.
Wish you a nice weekend,
Ike

jemaflor (135448) 2020-09-18 23:03

Hi Craig,
interesting street scene well captured, good timing. A well photographed daily life scene, good rendering, tfs.

ifege (32287) 2020-09-18 23:13

Hi Craig
Varanasi is still on my list. It is yet anther place that my son has beaten me to. Great street photo.
cheers
Ian

emka (152228) 2020-09-18 23:16

Hello Craijg, I also found Varanasi a fascinting place b ut I agree it is not to everone taste. The frinds who were with me were rather shocked. Nice scen, like many I saw there.
Best regrads MAlgo
PS. I went with the organized tour to Dark Hedges and other GOT locations.

papagolf21 (152599) 2020-09-18 23:23

Bonjour, cher Craig,
Une très bonne prise de vue rendant compte de la vie quotidienne des autochtones et de leur façon de vivre dans un environnement pauvre.
L'image présentée en bonus éveille joliment les couleurs?
Amitiés.
Philippe

holmertz (92884) 2020-09-19 0:36

Hello Craig,
I saw Varanasi on my first tour of India in 1972. I wasn't too keen on Delhi and Agra, despite the many fabulous places to see, but I just had to see Varanasi, and I was really happy I went there. It's one of the most fascinating cities in the world, as you know, and in these digital days one could take an endless number of photos. I probably took less than 100. Both these photos are great, but I'm not sure if I agree with your choice of main upload. This one is very typical of what you can find in the streets, but the WS is really a better composition, with the wall painting as the cream on the cake. It is a "neater" composition with fewer disturbing details.
Best wishes,
Gert

CLODO (45094) 2020-09-19 4:07

Hi Craig

In the main post, you have a movement, a life, a communication you don't have in the WS, but in the WS the background is glorious. So why not to mix both to get a ***** picture!
Cheers
CLODO

jean113 (22063) 2020-09-19 4:30

Hello Craig, both excellent shots that give us a real taste of street life in Varanasi.
The close work of the barber is more obvious here; I get the impression that he probably sets up his ‘stall’ wherever he is able.
The colourful background in the workshop picture is a lovely bonus.
Thanks for sharing, kind regards, Jean.

CMJC (4773) 2020-09-19 5:00 [Comment]

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Royaldevon (75420) 2020-09-19 5:19

Hello Craig,

I agree with you; the w/s is colourful and contains figures to attract our attention, but this photograph has something special, a close moment between these two. The religious man is putting his trust in the barber and the barber is proceeding with absolute concentration. He is totally unaware of you or your camera.
Not on;y is it special in its content but it is very sensitively composed, too.

Have a good w/e,
Bev :-)

GyurMaster (21349) 2020-09-19 6:49

Hello Craig,

Excellent street genre, showing an everyday scene, which looks different here in Europe.

Best Wishes,
Gy

Fis2 (155649) 2020-09-19 6:57

Witaj Craig!
Haha! Curious scene from street.
Good framing and colors.
I like this picture from daily life.
Well done.
Nice weekend.
Krzysztof

jhm (203039) 2020-09-19 10:13

Hello Craig,

An excellent picture with the barber and man almost without hair.
Lovely sharp and clear photographed.
Very well done, TFS.

Have a nice weekend,
John

dale54 (17456) 2020-09-19 10:41

craig to you hello and good evening.....nice job on this shot,nice close crop,and to catch the orange background wall is eye-catching! tfs dale

Tue (82264) 2020-09-19 13:28

Hello Craig,
A good daily life photo of this barber at work, shaving the man in front of him. You caught them both very well in front of a colourful background with a bright red wall and yellow advertisements. Well captured and composed.
Lars

pajaran (102662) 2020-09-19 23:45

Pozdrav.
Interesantan pogled i trenutak, dobro pokazano sa lepim bojama i kontrasto.
Lepa ulicna scena, dobro uhvacen trenutak.
Zelim vam sve najbolje.
Paja.

mkamionka (61246) 2020-09-20 0:28

Hi Craig,
I wonder at which stage would you take your family for a trip like this, knowing all the intricacies of such adventure?
Very interesting scene indeed. I think I like the workshop photo better thanks to more color and traditional picture in the background. In the WS photo the barber seems to be quite distracted while still carrying the sharp tool near the neck of its client. I would probably make a funny title referring to that..
Great reportage,
M

Miguel82 (47106) 2020-09-20 3:28

Craig, the pilgrims give their hair to the divinities on the bank of the Ganges in Varanasi. Pleasant action shot showing a hairdresser shaving the head of his customer. I would post the workshop photo separately to highlight the beautiful mural. Fine colors, good sharpness, regards.

COSTANTINO (104191) 2020-09-20 21:17

Hello dear friend and have a nice day
and a happy new week
I love visiting countries with
different traditions...
here we can see this timing
between both men...a Holy Man and
a Barber earning his living...
yew I do like it to me...
regards
costantino

PaulVDV (54865) 2020-09-21 3:20

Hello Craig,
I've been four times in India and never made it to Varanasi.
Not that I wouldn't like to go there. But twice I was in the south of the country and then Varanasi was too far away. Both times I was in the north it never happened.
So there is still something very important in India that I can look forward to :)
The scenes you present us here can of course also be seen in other cities. But in some places they are becoming a bit rarer. For example, I don't remember this was a typical scene in Kerala state. In Rajasthan, on the other hand, I have often seen hairdressers on the street. Not always with a Holy Man as a customer of course.
I like both pictures very much but might still be inclined to choose the photo in the WS as the most special. This because of the beautiful wall drawing (or poster).
Best regards, Paul

worldcitizen (14272) 2020-09-27 18:48

Hello Craig,
This is a great street scene. I like the main photo the most; we are closer to the action, and I like the color of the wall. The various flyers are nice details, too. I hope all is well. :-)

jmdias (102932) 2020-10-01 11:38

craig

excellent these tow images, really it is difficult to choose what will be the best. the barber looks more modern than the clients. I didn't visit this place, there was lots of things to see in rajhastan and gujarat..

take care

jorge

burmaman (902) 2020-10-17 23:37

Hi CRaig!
This is a good enviromental portait of this barber at work.I find the devote pose of his customer interresting and think the hair cut is the beginning of a ritual for him.fine details arround to view.
Regards,Ronny

fotka (7525) 2020-10-27 7:02

Hello Craig,
Due to travel restrictions, we consult our archives to show photos from previous trips.
Fantastic daily life photo from the street of Varansi.
During my travels, I saw many businesses located on the sidewalks like this one.
Well done with great quality.
Best regards,
Zbigniew