P I L G R I M ' S . P R O G R E S S, a photo from Uttar Pradesh, Nord

Photographer's Note

A Hindu pilgrim makes his way towards Prayag, the confluence of India's three holiest rivers, Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati. You can catch a glimpse of Yamuna in the background. It was well past sunset hour when I came across this interesting looking man with quite a few bags and baggages. The street lights set up on the fair ground were not enough for a quality portrait shot and I opted for the tiny pop-up flash shaking off initial inhibitions. Thought it came out pretty well as the natural light and the background weren't obscured.
Kumbh Mela is known as the largest religious gathering in the world. Kumbha (Kumbha means pot) Mela (means fair) is a sacred Hindu pilgrimage that occurs four times every twelve years, once at each of the four locations of India : Prayag, Allahabad (in the state of Uttar Pradesh) at the confluence of three holy rivers - Ganga (Ganges), Yamuna and Saraswati. Haridwar (in the state of Uttar Pradesh) where the river Ganga enters the plains from Himalayas Ujjain (in Madhya Pradesh), on the banks of Shipra river, and Nasik (in Maharashtra) on the banks of Godavari river. Ardh Kumbh Mela or Half-Kumbh Mela takes place in these four locations during the sixth year of the twelve year cycle. This is the festival of wishes. People from every religion and caste are present in the festival in one or another form, saints and sacred performers from every caste are present in the festival. The fair ground takes the shape of mini India. Different types of language, tradition-culture, dress, food, way of living can be witnessed in this festival where millions of people reach without any invitation.

steveryan2006, peter1892, anjan, pleampa, cunejo200, VeeJayCee, inuit66, jwmunro, photographer123, siolaw, partha, riclopes, tigra, Henryk_Bilor, prezntime, stego, ramesh_lalwani, jhm, Photo65Net, ak47apache, veve, albertopiubello, Albrecht, salvator, ALIRIZA, tibervince, singuanti, axiotea, vagabondtravels, Wanda1, vinicio, ewasting trouve(nt) cette note utile

Critiques | Translate

steveryan2006 (439) 2007-01-28 5:57

You deserve the title of Master Portrait Artist on this site. An interesting face with an enchanting smile. Top class photography, one of the very best I have seen.
S.

andy_yoes (275) 2007-01-28 6:05

Yes, I am agree.... this top photo by master.

anjan (1086) 2007-01-28 6:07

Hey Sabya, WOW What a strong potrait. Top compo with just enuf lite and the BG. Hats off bro!
Anjan

peter1892 (1681) 2007-01-28 6:08

Hi Sabyasachi - yet another superb portarit, the light & colours are great, the detail & expression on the main subject really make this a wonderful iamge. Excellent work, well done!

pat0500 (21561) 2007-01-28 6:08

Hi Saby,
One does not change a team which is strong, 'Saby and Canon'...:-)
Still a very beautiful picture here, beautiful coulours and very good shaprness.
Best regards,
Have a nice day,
Amitié de Bruxelles.
Patrick

vapours (8264) 2007-01-28 6:13

Great image. You've caught some great colour considering the time of night and I like the natural looking halo around his head which puts all the attention onto the main subject.

pleampa (38) 2007-01-28 6:15

Very good colours and I agree with "steveryan2006" : Master of Portret Artist
Best regards.

Silvio1953 (221463) 2007-01-28 6:16

Ciao Sabyasachy, great portrait with lovely bakground, wonderful composition with splendid colors, very well done, have a nice sunday, geetings from Italy, ciao Silvio

Luko (14000) 2007-01-28 6:22

Excellent use of fill flash at slow speed, perhaps the general pic is a little bit too warm on the red side, but it doesn't matter much.
If this is RAW, I suggest you try to lower the temperature in RAW developper and see what it does, my guess is that some blue would come out and even make it pop more.

[2]

somkiat (1104) 2007-01-28 6:23

hallo Sabyasachi,
a nice expression.the position is nice to be a side of frame.it leads the eyeline to be a perfect portrait.i like the flash you control,that shows the real looking.another looking of the very nice photo.
regards
somkiat

[2]

cunejo200 (7281) 2007-01-28 6:30

Hello Sabya, Another scene from India to admire. Gorgeous framing of the pilgrim. Wonderful colors and DOF. Best wishes. Danilo

TravelerNL (3011) 2007-01-28 7:14

Hello Sabyasachi,
Excellent colorful portrait with many details and really sharp. Nice capture.
Harko

rider (12) 2007-01-28 7:34

hi,
very good use of fill flash..color is strong..good shot.rider

ninaL (21348) 2007-01-28 7:35

Hi, Sabyasachi.
I like very much this smiling face.
And here, it hapens something : the contexte is good.
Incredible light.
Best regards. Grazyna.

VeeJayCee (2410) 2007-01-28 7:58

An excellent capture of a face full of character Sabya. The slow shutter speed has allowed the background to show but remain subservient whilst the flash has exposed for and frozen movement in the main subject.

jasmis (58653) 2007-01-28 8:04

Superb impressive face and incredible light. Interesting note, too. Regards.

vincent24 (9060) 2007-01-28 8:06

Hello Sabyasachi,
Very good use of the flash respecting the low warn light in background...perfect example,you always find interesting character to shot,good job,
vincent

baba_flies (8829) 2007-01-28 8:55

Hello Sabyasachi ... wonderful smile he has and I guess he must have found his inner peace or maybe looking forward for the gathering. Excellent way you "caught" him. The predominant red gives the happy feeling that comes out, for me anyway. Barbara.

inuit66 (663) 2007-01-28 9:37

Hi Sabyasachi. Splendid. The light and contrast in this photo is so good and it catches the expression in the mans faces. The flash was very effective here and creating focus on the motive. Regardless of the motive in the left side of the photo, the headmotive in the right side will always draw the attention with this technique, especially from the red colors of his headwear and his great smile. Nice story, not only by words, but also in pixels, I like this photo a lot. TFS. Regards Jens

hay_kes (31439) 2007-01-28 9:50

Hi Sabyasachi,
What a wonderful portrait.Colours, lighting and frame are excellent.TFS and regards.

hAyAti

hitesh (594) 2007-01-28 10:11

Hi Sabya,
Excellent portrait of the Hindu pilgrim reflecting the traditional deress and culture of India.The colour, sharpness and composition is very good.Only one thing which in my openion is that the presece of two persons in bg is distracting your subject.Tfs and regards,
Hitesh

jwmunro (286) 2007-01-28 10:40

Hello Sabyasachi -

Excellent environmental portrait! I really like the lighting of the image from the use of fill flash to the golden colors of the sunset. The Pilgrim has an interesting expression on his face I don't know if it is stress from his pilgrimage or a smile from you image making. Well done!

Thank you for sharing

brevbrev14 (140) 2007-01-28 10:51

Hi Sabya!another materpiece from you!i like a lot the lights here!
the flash on the subject but also a very clear background with a beautiful atmosphere!
bravoooo!
ciao!
Valeria

rhizomes (15343) 2007-01-28 11:01

Hi Sabyasachi,
Nice light in this portrait ! I like the smile of this man and the great colors you got !
Christophe

photographer123 (6248) 2007-01-28 11:29

HI SABYA,
Little flat shot but color is rich...well shot, but if you dont mind I can tell one thing,you should bring some variation on your photo.All are looking same..Being a very good photographer you have such qualily.hope you dont mind...Subir

siolaw (38294) 2007-01-28 11:50

Hi Sabyasachi,
Another Kumbh portrait with good use of support flash in a low sunset light, colors remained natural looking and joy and devotion are written all over the pilgrim's face
TFS
Laurent

partha (14023) 2007-01-28 11:52

Hi Sabyasachi Da,
Excellent composition with spontaneous smile. Nice use of light on his face. Good perspective as well.
Regards.
Partha

Budapestman (82620) 2007-01-28 12:51

Dear Sabyasachi,
What an expressive and vivid portrait! Its a refined composition and very good quality. Details are talkative and interesting. Very good shot!
Thank you, nice days
George

Cormac (26565) 2007-01-28 13:10

Great shot! For me what makes this special is the incredible colour in the pilgrim, and the soft light in the sky. These two different types of light really combine well to bring out the best in each other. Well done!

riclopes (35577) 2007-01-28 14:06

Olá Sabyasachi, it seems to be a pretty good option. I love the resulted light on him. It's another great portrait of yours and his pleasant smile makes one smile as well :-)
I like the guys in the back: they are a bit intringuing, as if they were not supposed to there and yet, they seem to be waiting for something...also, they seem to be feeling cold...but I'm not sure.
Very good shot, once more!
Best wishes,
Ricardo

Dubsie (346) 2007-01-28 14:10

A difficult shot, handled pretty well Sabyasachi. Lovely color - vibrant...and three different people in three very different mood and posture and an interesting sky.
But the Flash :(...not very comfortable with it.
TFS,
Regards,
Durba

tigra (2968) 2007-01-28 14:55

Hello Sabyasachi
As usual - incredible portrait, very impressive and colorful!
Katia

gilou530 (34) 2007-01-28 16:25

salut sabya
super portrait bien net avec ces couleurs top, un personnage bien typique de ce pays bravo pour cette photo
amitiés
gilbert

prezntime (3946) 2007-01-28 19:09

Hello Sabyasachi.
Your right, the last is not bad here. I know how difficult it can be to use this built-in accessory. I have been playing around with mine for weeks (adjusting the compensation feature etc) knowing that at times I'll need fill flash and don't want to use my giant flash. Here, the details are apparent, yet there are no blown-out areas. Indeed the man is quite individual looking which makes the photo.
Regards,
Chris.

renerob (601) 2007-01-28 19:15

Hi Sabyasachi,
Excellent portrait, superb colour light and great detail, first class Sabyasachi,
Regards Irene

stego (24132) 2007-01-28 19:24

Hi Sabyasachi,
Congratulations for another great portrait. It's amazing how that light didn't stop you from making such a wonderful photo. Very clever compo and use of the flash.
TFS, Regards, José.

Angshu (56760) 2007-01-28 22:39

Dear Sabyasachi
Wonderful picture this one...the natural light well after sunset creates a wonderful BG..your use of fill in flash is very effective. Very nice spontaneous picture.
Best Regards
Angshu

pablominto (53746) 2007-01-29 0:18

Hello Sabyasachi
A face with a lot of character, strong vivid colours... A great portrait again!
All nicely put together in this fine composition!
Greetings,
Pablo -

ramesh_lalwani (3213) 2007-01-29 2:47

Hi Talukdar
Nice portrait of pilgrim in his colorful attire.I wonder if it was posible to get without flash.I find sme natural light on peaple in background
Ramesh

AdrienneClaire (722) 2007-01-29 3:23

The way you captured the oranges and reds makes it almost seem like a painting with choosen shades. Beautiful!

Henryk_Bilor (20803) 2007-01-29 3:39

Hi Sabyasachi
Amazing light and colours. Great composition, but I would prefer the background without these two people ;).
Regards

vincz (19113) 2007-01-29 4:11

very good portrait with excellent reddish tones. i love the expression of this man, hus big smile showing his big teeth! Very well done!

dorte_s_t (2287) 2007-01-29 4:21

Hi , Sabyasachi.
Once moe a wonderful colourful portrait !
I like the composition , the colourful garment and ornaments this man is wearing !
Very interesting note as well !
Kindest regards
Dorte.

jhm (211736) 2007-01-29 6:12

Hi Sabyasachi,

Excellent environmentally portrait again of this pilgrim, the man is very specially with beard and the attire, excellent colourful portrait with many details and really sharp, very well done! TFS.

Have a nice day,
John.

jinju (14265) 2007-01-29 7:06

Hey Sabya,

at first Iw asnt thrilled about th flash effect, but I think since this is shot during dark conditions it needed to be shot with flash. Still I would love to see this an hour earlier in natural light. But hey, cant control time. What I love is the face of the man, the expression you captured as well as all those beautiful details like the tur, his bags, the beads.ban

ben4321 (9875) 2007-01-29 7:14

An effective composition, and with great light and colours in the background.
I like the good natured but determined expression that you caught on his face as he walked past.
I don't think you had any choice other than to use flash here, but saying that I think the result would have been better if you had set the flash to under-expose by a stop or so. I think the flash kicked out a bit too much power here.
That's my one small criticism of this otherwise superb photograph.

Cheers,
Ben

Photo65Net (43144) 2007-01-29 9:34

Hello Sabyasachi,
You did great work with the light on this picture.
Use of fill flash brings a lot, and the huge DOF is very nice.
Very nice,
JB.

tcht (7565) 2007-01-29 12:02

Hi Sabyasachi
Very good use of flash, the colours turn out very good, not only the man but also the beautiful sky. The two other people adds extra interesting to the background and I like the expression of this joyful pilgrim a lot, amazing work!
Cheers
CheukHin

ak47apache (217) 2007-01-29 12:25

hi,
very good light and contrast.

all the best,dany

markstaples (15670) 2007-01-29 13:54

Again, your framing is superb. I like how well you have illuminated the details of the main subject. The tones of the sky are also beautiful.
Best wishes
Mark

veve (4189) 2007-01-29 14:15

Hi Sabyasachi,
I like your picture with this pilgrim smiling!
The expression of his face is very well captured!
Great framing,colors and lighting!
Very good note!
Best regards,
Veronica

delkoo (68) 2007-01-29 16:39

hi sabyasachi
great one, The light hitting the face of the pilgrim is more emphasized, nice face and nice espression.

wel done
didier

albertopiubello (2623) 2007-01-29 16:46

Hi Sabyasachi,
for me, too, you are the master portrait artist!
You always capture lovely expression and marvellous colors of daily life!
This is a masterpiece!
Alberto

Albrecht (11283) 2007-01-29 17:14

Hi Sabyasachi
I like the pictures that tell a story and here's a life story I gues in one shot.....Well captured moment.Good compo and POV and use of DOF and flashlight.
greetings Albrecht

eza1701 (3345) 2007-01-30 3:36

Hi Sabyasachi,

Your 'fill flash' has worked well here and well done for daring to use it. I'm more of a landscape photographer and not that comfortable with portraits so I admire you for your ability. The only slight down side I would say is that the flash tends to create an effect of separating the subject from the background slightly by creating a harsh edge.

Best regards,
Paul.

salvator (19110) 2007-01-30 4:06

Hi Sabyasachi,
I bow my head, and send my warmest congratulations my friend. This is a beautifull, beautifull photo. The pov, the composition, the contrast, but above all the colors are exceptionally beautifull. Best regards. Salvator.

agbonavita (0) 2007-01-30 6:46

Pretty portait of the man. I like the use of the flash here and the colors of his "hat" and the sky too.

Regards
andre

ALIRIZA (16423) 2007-01-30 11:35

Hi Sabyasachi,
Excellent use of flash. Very nice portrait with beautiful colours and getails. I like very much this smiling face, too. Well done my friend...
Best regards...
Ali Rıza

tibervince (781) 2007-01-30 21:18

Hello Sabyasachi,
Once more a fantastic picture... the colors are so warm, soft here... the expression of this man is superb.
Thanks a lot!
Vincent

singuanti (15250) 2007-01-31 23:16

Hi Sabyasachi. Wow everything came together for you beautifully here. For me it's the man's expression that makes this shot for me. If you hadn’t fired the flash then we would have missed all the details on the man. tfs Sabyasachi.

sandip (3492) 2007-02-01 0:41

I was browsing through Kumbh Mela pictures in Trekearth for sometime and found this one is an excellent one Sabyasachi.

in terms of composition this is good, a main character in foreground takes almost half of the frame and other two non-sadhu pilgrim in background balance it perfectly. The sky is grogeous and so is you fill-in flash concept. But besides all what i like most here is the atmosphere of the picture . I was searching for that atmosphere Sabyasachi.. I must say i am totally disappointed by seeing other Allahabad photos here, mostly portraits or photos not related to kumbh mela ( such as red chilis ).. even in some of your photos too ...

But here is a perfect example of the atmosphere of the religious mela. What i believe, in a photograph you should capture the feelings of the situation, mood of the situations, not a general picture perfect composition.. and here it is a perfect example.. congratulations.

axiotea (21651) 2007-02-01 2:50

Hello Sabyasachi,
Vow! What a great and pure smile captured from the devotee carrying his bags. He is not looking at you but he knows you're
here :) The flash worked well and we can see in the far the view of the city which gives a sense of depth to your photo. Nice colors as well. It goes to my theme "more fav.pictures"
Cheers,
Marilyn

vagabondtravels (6511) 2007-02-01 19:47

Hi Sabyasachi

Nice comp and colors. Very sharp in the low light and spot on with the exposure. You sure captured an interesting expresive character here. Good background and dof. Well done.
Ben

sebinho342 (19329) 2007-02-02 11:51

Hi Sabya, this is a terrific picture here, the fact that you use the flesh contributes to the success of this one, you got a splendid purple sky in background and such an attitude from this pilgrim.
Very eyes catching, i like it a lot
All my congratulations

Wanda1 (15142) 2007-02-03 23:55

Hi Sabyasachi,
This is a great shot with the lovely evening light. The fill in flash worked well here to illuminate the man who is the main focal point. I also like the other two men and the boats in the background giving nice extra interest.
Regards
Wanda

turkamerikali (3291) 2007-02-08 1:04

Hi Sabyasachi,
Excellent photo my friend.
I like his smile/pose,colors,framing,focus,sharpness,pov,dof and lighting.Well Done.TFS
Tolga

prantik (1136) 2007-02-17 9:35

Excellent use of light and great perspective.
I see you have teh 400D now. How do you like it?

vinicio (23423) 2007-02-25 16:56

The light is excellent in this image Sabyasachi, the master od portraits have done another jewel, compliments, this is beautiful under all POV.
Have a good week
Ciao
Vinicio

noborders (1010) 2007-05-05 2:55

Hello Sabyasachi,
I am stunned by many of your photos and this one speaks to me specially, as I met several persons like this lovely elderly when I travelled in India, but never could capture so well the moment : the colours are rich and splendid, the POV very interesting, as if you were sitting nearby and nonchalantly took the photo just by chance (probably not)
Bravo,
Cath.