Luminous Landscape Forum

The Art of Photography => User Critiques => Topic started by: Rajan Parrikar on August 20, 2014, 05:16:20 pm

Title: Turbans of Rajasthan
Post by: Rajan Parrikar on August 20, 2014, 05:16:20 pm: More in my blog post. (http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2014/08/20/turbans/)
Title: Re: Turbans of Rajasthan
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on August 20, 2014, 09:11:08 pm: That's a fine set of portraits, Rajan.
Can you tell me just what instrument the third one is playing? A Sitar? Dilruba? Something else?
Title: Re: Turbans of Rajasthan
Post by: Rajan Parrikar on August 20, 2014, 09:21:09 pm: Quote from: Eric Myrvaagnes on August 20, 2014, 09:11:08 pm
That's a fine set of portraits, Rajan.
Can you tell me just what instrument the third one is playing? A Sitar? Dilruba? Something else?

Eric,

He belongs to a sect of itinerant folk musicians known as the Bhopas (http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2014/08/04/bhopa-and-bhopi/). I recently made a separate post on them here (http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2014/08/04/bhopa-and-bhopi/). The ancient instrument he is playing is known as Ravanahatta (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravanahatha), and it is considered to be a precursor of the modern violin family. A couple of videos on YouTube -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRUW0IF-emc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T4FFNe14O8
Title: Re: Turbans of Rajasthan
Post by: francois on August 21, 2014, 06:46:37 am: Quote from: Eric Myrvaagnes on August 20, 2014, 09:11:08 pm
That's a fine set of portraits, Rajan.
…

I agree 100%! Fantastic faces with rich colors. I don't know why but looking at those portraits makes me feel like Welcome in India.
Title: Re: Turbans of Rajasthan
Post by: stamper on August 21, 2014, 06:49:35 am: Worth the effort to post them. A good colour palette.
Title: Re: Turbans of Rajasthan
Post by: langier on August 21, 2014, 09:15:23 am: +1!
Title: Re: Turbans of Rajasthan
Post by: William Walker on August 21, 2014, 09:45:31 am: Rajan, with respect, I think that it is brave to step into "Steve McCurry territory"!

I cannot help but make that association when I see these pictures. Perhaps I am being unfair...is this Steve McCurry territory?
Title: Re: Turbans of Rajasthan
Post by: PeterAit on August 21, 2014, 09:53:47 am: Excellent! And, I might add, one of the best mustaches ever.
Title: Re: Turbans of Rajasthan
Post by: RSL on August 21, 2014, 12:01:43 pm: William's got a point. This literally is Steve McCurry territory. Actually, good portraits are good portraits wherever they're made, but geography breeds commonality. These are good portraits and Peter's right: One of the best mustaches I've seen in the past 84 years.
Title: Re: Turbans of Rajasthan
Post by: Rajan Parrikar on August 21, 2014, 12:08:53 pm: Thank you, gentlemen. India is a good place for photography provided one is willing to sacrifice comfort.

William, at the time I took these shots (2007), I hadn't heard of Steve McCurry :-).
Title: Re: Turbans of Rajasthan
Post by: RSL on August 21, 2014, 12:36:42 pm: Right, Rajan, not many people had. My point was that if you make portraits in India they're going to look like Steve's portraits. You can't avoid it.