Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2024/05/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]After a break of a couple of years we went to the Brahmotsavam of 6th century Parthasarathy Temple at Triplicane in Chennai last week, on one of the relatively minor days to beat the crowd. The festival, which lasts a week, entails giving the deity of Lord Vishnu an airing around the extended area surrounding the temple, on various ceremonial palanquins carried by the devotees, culminating in a ride on a huge chariot also pulled around by the devotees. Not being a particularly religious person, I never fail to get amazed and awestruck by the amount of pain and effort that devotees expend in order to express their deep belief in the religion of their choice. This is a fairly large submission, so please bear with me. All photographs taken with the Nikon Z8 and the Nikkor Z 135mm f1.8S "Plena", arguably the best portrait lens I have ever used in 60+ years of photography. Firstly, the pain, effort and fatigue of deep, extreme belief: Pain: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-259-Edit.jpg.html Effort: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-648-Edit.jpg.html Fatigue: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-657-Edit.jpg.html Sweat: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-670-Edit.jpg.html Push: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-175-Edit.jpg.html Rest: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-466-Edit.jpg.html The rest are all photographs of people. To start with, some neighbourly mingling: Conversation: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-817-Edit.jpg.html Interaction: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-531-Edit.jpg.html There is something about making a kolam that induces people to sway gracefully: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-033-Enhanced-NR-Edit.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-1186-Edit.jpg.html Old people watch the procession from their houses - it always reminds me of being caged: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-393-Edit.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-506-Edit.jpg.html Young devotees carry ceremonial umbrellas, but I was limited by my lens into making portraits of them: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-924-Edit.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-1019-Edit.jpg.html Next comes two friends of mine, one a participant, and the other photographing, just like us: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-705-Edit.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-073-Edit.jpg.html A couple who rumbled my photographing them: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-519-Edit.jpg.html Finally, a bunch of street portraits: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-946-Edit.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-1106-Edit.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-687-Edit.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-076-Edit.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-091-Edit.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-437-Edit.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/album254/TCane/Triplicane-20240428-305-Edit.jpg.html Please see LARGE Criticism and comments, as always, welcome Cheers Jayanand