On learning the "art of seeing"

“To photograph is to hold one's breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It's at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy.” 

― Henri Cartier - Bresson.

Ever since I started photography, I have been taking photographs without any formal training. There are so many frustrating, painful instances when I feel handicapped due to lack of any technical knowledge of photography and literally cry looking at the outcome of my photographs knowing deep down I have missed out something crucial. Well, that is a natural course for any creative process that involves learning, unlearning and evolving as artist. 

Two days back, I attended a photography workshop on "art of seeing". Since the subject was photography, the main focus of the workshop was "seeing" before capturing images. Most of the times one tends to interpret the world around through limited and very narrow filter of life experience, knowledge and awareness that one acquires in life. The workshop made me realise how often we are blind to our surroundings! 

Much of what we see is coloured by our environment, conditioning intellect and aesthetic sense. Being a photographer needs openness and a deeper visual awareness of seeing beyond what is obvious. All one only needs is basic professional camera with which to take a good photograph and good aesthetic sense. Everything else depends on what one trains the brain/eye to see through all the five senses. 

After attending the workshop, new vistas of visual perception have opened up and I am already seeing some change in the way I look at the subjects now. For someone as passionate about life as me, it is so easy to sometimes get overwhelmed with so much beauty and abundant subjects around and start clicking pictures before spending a moment or two understanding, letting the moment sink in and then capture the photograph. I think, I have learned a lot that I intend to practice in my photography. 

"Photography is an art of observation. It has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them." - Elliott Erwitt

"Beauty can be seen in all things. Seeing and composing the beauty is what separates the snapshot from a photograph." - Matt Hardy

My endeavour henceforth is going to be to make good photographs. Do watch out this space!

Enamoured by Spring morning !

These days, I have become bit lazy and I truly love it! I love to stay a little longer in bed absolutely chilled out in mornings, before embracing frenzied cadence of the day.  I spend languid moments inhaling piece of heaven that wafts through windows - fragrance of fresh Spring blossoms. 

Blame it on the cuckoo that visits us very early in morning and sings its heart out so loud that it is impossible to ignore her beautiful renditions! It feels great to resume my early morning, "time with Nature" regeneration sessions, witnessing every bush and bower spring to life with blooms and burst of colour and fragrance in the garden.

Each morning, I am completely enthralled by the divine solitude. Everything around me is serenely calm exuding ethereal vibes. During those few moments of my poignant journey within, I get to discover myself anew. 

Witnessing ebbing of starlight across the sky, being enticed with cool breeze and just when I am engulfed with its soothing touch, single cadence of tender rays slowly announce arrival of a new morning! Watching the very first few rays of Sun split into light is divine experience! Tender rays of morning, very gently awaken world from the luscious texture of night. The trees that stand like silent sentinels come to life. Mist is lifted subtly. Renewal of life glimmers and oscillates to every single cell, creating lovely energy. Flowers and leaves glisten with myriad hues and forms.

The new tender leaves and buds erupting from the trees remind me it is time to part with what no more serves purpose in my life and focus on new beginnings. The experience is sublime and in those blissful moments when I experience my being in stillness, being aware of Nature, feeling it, interacting with it without uttering a single word, with open mind and receptive heart, I feel in sync with the Universe!!!  

You are NOT welcome!

It has been a whirlwind of fortnight! With two weddings in the family, many celebrations and great many guests arriving to stay with us, past few days have been really crazy! The last batch of guests just left few minutes back and I was about to post the article scheduled for this week. Instead, am writing about an experience that has left my spirit withered. 

I have been very fortunate to be born and raised in the family whose hospitality was considered benchmark for perfect Indian hospitality. I ensured that in 23 years of my marriage that tradition of hospitality continued and our home has always been open to friends, family and relatives to visit us and be house guests whenever they wish to, despite our overwhelming schedules. I take immense pride in being a great host as I personally feel that it is an honour to have guests. This age old tradition has provided us wonderfully rich experiences and some of the finest treasured memories that can last lifetime. 

However, there have been instances when we had bizarre experiences when the guests have transgressed the line of hospitality extended and become inquisitive, intruding, unreasonably demanding, judgmental and sometimes even rude, conveniently forgetting the fact that the hospitality extended was barely  not earned or deserved by them  but extended as part of our family tradition and values.

During last week, in one such transgression by one of our guests; a distant relative, we as family were challenged to deliberate provocation and misbehaviour. It was shocking for us to believe that it was not enough for the guest to subject our immediate family to crass inquisitiveness, our domestic helps and other guests who routinely drop by were also subjected to it. Try explaining boundaries that you wish to be respected without losing your dignity and letting your personal etiquettes falter in such cases and you can't imagine what extent sometimes people feel entitled to such behavior!

It is a privilege that people wish to visit your home and want to stay with you. But often one's patience is sorely tried and it is such moments when one wonders whether the true spirit of hospitality received, is completely understood and respected by the recipient. The art of receiving love and generosity with the appropriate comprehension of its true value requires maturity, understanding and gratitude that comes with open mind.  The casual sense of entitlement with which hosts' efforts are sometimes viewed and the ability to take for granted the thoughtfulness of gestures received indicates how selfish and insular people can be when attention, care and love is showered on them.  

I feel very blessed to have family, friends and relatives who are always keen to be with us because they feel welcomed, respected and pampered. And when they arrive, my spirit within my home is on call 24/7 and I love it that way despite it being very exhaustive! I have my hair tearing moments too; but in the moments when I see nurtured energies translate into life changing spaces, it becomes greatest reward to have found a space for contemplation that holds great potential for deeper bonds. 

I have some wonderful tributes of love which are not off the shelf but have been made or found and delivered with exquisite tenderness which are result of frequent rendezvous with loved ones. There is absolutely no joy like sharing and I truly thank God to have given me such a privileged life but when my sharing, reaching out to others' needs as host and placing guests before myself or family is not understood or respected, I feel violated and my energy feels squandered. 

I wish, some people understood and respected the fact that receiving is as much an art as giving! 

The dress code is "Jodha Akbar"!!!

I was at a sangeet party, surrounded with ensemble of flashily attired people gyrating to loud Bollywood songs. I managed to grab a seat in a corner, gawking at the crazy, glittering extravaganza. The boisterous crowd seemed absolutely in sync with every beat the weird looking DJs were playing.

At such occasions, I always feel bit awkward and wait for an excuse to avoid such torture. I was hoping the hosts would arrive at the party on time so that once my presence was noted, I could leave. Just then, a distant relative in her bejeweled best, approached me, "Simi, which colour you are wearing for the party tomorrow? My Jodha Akbar dress is ready. But hey, does one cover head with dupatta in that attire?" While I expressed my complete ignorance on the subject and was on verge of getting lecture from her, mercifully, she was distracted by entourage of wedding zealots.

The dress code for the wedding party next day was "Jodha Akbar"! Oh, how could I forget that? Soon after the invitation had arrived, out of curiosity, I had relied on Google for some help but despite its 2, 38, 000 pages that promptly opened in 0.52 seconds, I was left utterly confused, exasperated and damn angry at the host for having such bizarre dress codes. Wearing dresses of kings and queens, seriously, in today’s times? What is wrong with the world (or me if I don’t get it)?  

Since last fortnight, I have attended three weddings and there are two more wedding functions to attend to next week. Don't get me wrong! Like any true Indian, I love weddings. I will be a hypocrite not to admit that I absolutely love dressing up in my finest clothes and jewelry. But I have serious issues with dressing up in a dozen different bizarre dress codes that pose genuine challenge for my sanity and aesthetic sense. 

Blame it on new money or on Indian obsession with Bollywood but the good old traditions and celebrations around weddings are becoming far too filmy and glamorous with vulgar display of wealth and insatiable Bollywood aspirations evidently visible in every part of celebrations. Sadly, in all that, the very ethos of wedding appears to be diluting.

There is a subtle transformation post liberalization which seeks recreation of fetishized version of culture and tradition, a chimerical terrain in which there are ample opportunities to explore “iconography of abundance”.

Why is there a crying need for people to ensure that everything they do needs to be rabidly screamed off the rooftop? I have absolutely no problem with unabashed indulgence and sensory overload when it comes to weddings but can't one of the most special moments like wedding be also most authentic moments, without having borrowed ideas on how they should be lived? Why can't something as intimate and poignant as two people coming together forever, be an affair where only those who truly matter, matter? 

Call of the sand dunes

Kesariya baalam aao ni padharo mhare des...

Nimbuda nimbuda nimbuda...

Pallo latke re mharo pallo latke... 

Damadam mast kalandar... 

Alija mharo gorband nakhralo...

I am humming these songs since last few days. These evocative folk songs from the land of sand dunes instantly transports one to the vibrant hues and culture of Rajasthan. Last Friday, I listened to electrifying performance of Merasi folk singers from Rajasthan at India culture lab, Vikhroli. 

The Merasi singers enthralled the audience with their sonorous, melodic and robust folk songs accompanied by enchanting yet simple musical instruments giving a beat or drone effect to their mesmerizing lyrics and compositions.   

It was amazing to find children  as young as seven/eight being part of the performance and thus being introduced to their rich heritage of music, running in their families through generations, a world class extraordinary legacy of about 38 generations to be precise! The children in the group were enthusiastic singers, dancers and played array of instruments with such finesse that their renditions completely spellbound the listeners.

Merasis, also known as manganiyar are the keepers of art of storytelling through their invigorating mosaic of sacred Hindu, Sufi and traditional music of varied flavours, rhythms and enlightenment. Merasis have been creating magic by composing, performing, narrating different tales and in the process maintaining their vibrant distinctive legacy. The folk music of Merasis is a unique blend of folk, lyrical, melodic, full bodied, intense and vigourous. Their performance is a distinct collage of amazing songs along with percussion and string instruments, like nagara, dhol, khartal, morchang and harmonium. My favourite part of the entire performance was the jugalbandi between morchang and dholak which I heard for the first time in life! 

The Merasi, traditionally have made living by singing paeans at Hindu temples performing at weddings, child naming ceremonies and other social events. These days, one finds them at many cultural events which is very encouraging as such unique folk music traditions need to be kept alive for they narrate tales from our rich cultural, historical and social  traditions.

India has such rich heritage of folk music having its deep roots in Indian classical music! And being a student of Indian classical music myself, I can never have enough of it ! 

The Merasi singers group  performing 

A percussion instruments player from Merasi group

Artists playing jugalbandi between string and percussion instruments

Merasi artists playing morchang and dholak

Childrean from the Merasi group performing enthusiastically

Merasi artists, in their vibrant costumes and musical instruments