Desicritics Category: Media: Photocasts

Mumbai Limps Back To Life

IdeaSmith — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 12:51:14 EST

I traveled into town today, in the aftermath of the terror that Mumbai has lived in the past week. The reason was a Tweet-up/Peace walk/gathering at Colaba Causeway. Honestly? I stand in deep respect of the police force, the fire-fighters and the NSG who delivered us from the terror. And I'm going to wear white tomorrow to symbolize our mourning as well as a plea for peace. Yes, I will also light a candle and thank every police-person I see for the bravery of their comrades. But mostly I went out today for myself. To reassure myself that I still could. I needed to. If as a Mumbaikar, this city's spirit resides in me, then I speak for the city when I say I'm battered, I'm crawling, I am gasping for breath.

Traffic was light as it has been since Wednesday night, even for a Sunday afternoon/evening. Even so, the journey took us a half and hour either way. We passed shops that were open, people out for a stroll with their families, cars driving down...but there was an air of barely concealed tension. I had my camera out for the better part of the journey and I know I drew some curious (and not necessarily friendly) glances from the other cars. In case you're wondering what an atmosphere of terror looks like, come to Mumbai right now.

Here's the media jumping onto the sympathy-brand visibility bandwagon, over the Western Express flyover. DNA asks...

Spirit of Mumbai
FOR HOW LONG?

Siddhivinayak looks quite empty by its usual standards. To my god-fearing friend I asked,

So much security for bhagwan. What happens to the bhagwan ke bhakt who're getting blasted?

As we pulled into town, the Marine drive, a view I usually wait for since its so breath-taking and which causes me immediately to wince since its packed with people - the Marine drive was empty save for a few stragglers. On our way back though we did see a number of people carrying placards and signs of the 'Stand up and speak, Mumbai' variety. No photographs of that, I'm afraid. The light gave out and so did my spirit.

A number of places we passed had signboards and hoardings recalling the bravery of those who fell. Not Just Jazz By the Bay had a very simple white cloth banner with just their names. Nothing more required. Every Mumbaiker's heart speaks the same story right now. May our brave heroes rest in peace.

The Oberoi Trident, beamed into all our households as a backdrop to Barkha Dutt ("Oh, there goes another blast! I just heard more gunfire!") loomed in sight. It was strange how normal it felt. Just like any other day on the road, just another high-rise building to pass in town. It is indeed strange how quickly the mind wants to forget what it is horrified by. But I force myself to remember the hostages, the firing, the massacre, the blasts and the final shots of the survivors exiting. Mumbai must not forget this horror, this indignity.

And finally, the centerstage of the terror. Colaba Causeway was shut to incoming traffic so we walked in, passing Cafe Mondegar (an equally popular cafe as Leopold's) on the way. Now on any normal day, this photograph would not have been possible since there'd be traffic zooming right through where I stood. What's more, that shot wouldn't have appeared either, clogged as it usually is with the pub regulars.

Today though, whatever crowd there was, was concentrated up ahead. Leopold's Cafe, its owners said would open very quickly even if its customers took some time to start feeling safe enough to visit again. It turns out they did open this morning but had to shut shop because there was too much crowd. Mumbai, I'd say you amaze me, if I did have any emotion left to feel.

The TV crews were still parked outside and around Leopold's though mercifully we didn't see scores of reporters jostling for soundbytes. I guess even media-hounds need their rest and thank heaves for that.

And last of all, the Taj Mahal hotel. We couldn't get too close as it was cordoned off. Here's the closest I could get to it, relying on my camera's zoom. This was shot from Colaba Causeway, in the lane next to Leopold's.

Since we couldn't congregate at Leopold's as per the original plan, we went into Cafe Mondegar. Slowly, bitterly, unwilling as it may be, Mumbai limps back to life.

On our way back, we saw the Peace March begin, people walking with candles.

Photo Essay: Garbage Disposal in Lucknow, India

Dr Bhaskar Dasgupta — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 06:31:46 EST

While I was motoring around in Lucknow, I got stuck on the road for few minutes and clicked these photographs.

Can you see the pile of rubbish in the background on the left? just behind the rickshaw?

The front loader is plonking garbage on the back of the truck, its stinking up to high leaven!

The lady is pressing her hanky against her nose against the stink. Notice the writing, which says, City Municipal Corporation, Lucknow.

Its appetite fulfilled, the front loader withdraws.

It is a complex job, I saw 5 people in total, one in the front loader, two helpers in the truck, 1 truck driver and this gentleman on the right who seemed to be the manager!

So that's what the stink is all about!

Wasnt very tidily loaded either.

Back for another load!

While I couldn't take a picture of the original garbage heap, the stuff in the truck means that it was a very large pile. So the clean(ish) dark and wet area is definitely an improvement but I suppose the stink hasn't gone away looking at the lady.

Technorati Tags: Photo Essay,India

Photo Essay: Locked in Seattle

The Great Ganesha — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:26:13 EST

I was in Seattle last week for a talk at a conference. The organizers were offering a cruise around the Seattle lakes and locks. I decided to check it out - take a breather from the conference chaos, and heave a sigh of relief after my talk.

At first, I thought "locks" was a mis-spelling of "lochs," but it's not. The Hiram M. Chittenden locks are actually a feat of maritime engineering. Being as lazy as I am, I'll just let them do the explaining:

The locks and associated facilities serve three purposes:

To maintain the water level of the fresh water Lake Washington and Lake Union at 20–22 feet above sea level [2][3] (Puget Sound's mean low tide).[citation needed]

To prevent the mixing of sea water from Puget Sound with the fresh water of the lakes (saltwater intrusion).[5]

To move boats from the water level of the lakes to the water level of Puget Sound, and vice versa.[6] [Wikipedia article]

We started on Lake Washington on an unusually sunny day.

I only had my cell phone with me, so I apologize in advance for the small sizes, the consistent wide angles and the occasional graininess.

We went past some houseboats in front of the George Washington Memorial bridge (not to be confused with the George Washington Bridge), before going under the bridge itself.

We also sailed past a past-century oil refinery which has since been cleaned up, aestheticized by a local artist and made into a park by the government.

Did you know that if you want a bridge to be raised in Seattle, you have to give an hour's notice? Here's the number to call (fortunately, we squeaked through below it).

And then we were headed to the famous locks.

I noticed an interesting apparatus on the way. Have no idea what it is or does, other than the fact that it was huge (see the street-lamp to its right for comparison).

Here are a couple of shots of the locks, from the Lake Washington side, looking on to Puget Sound.

Just before we entered the Sound, there were two locals intently watching the entire crossing process.

The post-lock panorama was pretty.

We saw Mt. Rainier in the distance.

And a suburb of Seattle called Magnolia, which has no such trees (but apparently they're working on it).

We started to see downtown in the panorama (McKinley's to the right, a bit of Magnolia to the extreme left).

This little guy seemed more interested in me, than in the view...

Ultimately, it got too cold and windy to stay upstairs, so we went downstairs into the cabin, and got the final shot of Seattle's downtown (with the Space Needle in the left-middle window, if you can make it out).

Then we trundled back to the conference center for more of the chaos and a helluva long day.

BlogWorld & New Media Expo - Blogs Go Mainstream

Tanay Behera — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:30:37 EDT

A couple of months back, I was at the Bangalore BarCamp, [a Bloggers collective version] which was nothing but a series of talks and discussions on an extensive list of topics, of course in a un-conference format. The blogging world is catching up fast with the explosion of Internet facilities. And very soon the first and only industry-wide tradeshow, conference, and media event dedicated to the furtherance of the dynamics of blogging and new media, the BlogWorld & New Media Expo is coming soon.

This Blog Summit is a conference series that focuses on the applications of blogging in various spheres of life, social media and a wide array of topics. Apart from all these, the BlogWorld & New Media Expo would feature more than 50 seminars, panel discussions and keynotes from prominent gurus on the new age online technology and internet-savvy business.

Now anyone who already has the blog virus in his/her blood can join the party. Anyone who is currently blogging, podcasting, producing other forms of new media content, entering the new media industry, or just want to learn about the know-hows of the blogosphere, can be a part of this comprehensive blogging convention, the BlogWorld & New Media Expo.

Blogcritics and Desicritics are participants in this event. Eric Olsen, the Founder and Publisher of Blogcritics.org and who later mentored Aaman in the Desicritics initiative is one of the key speakers at this forum.

A peek into Eric Olsen's career graph in writing, editing, and media exposes his expertise in this arena for close to 20 years now. He has written volumes on a vast array of topics including politics, current events, world affairs, popular culture, music, music industry, digital technology, opinion and commentary, etc., for periodicals, books, TV, radio, and the Internet. As an editor and author, he supervised the compilation and publication of Networking In the Music Industry (Rockpress, 1993) and Encyclopedia of Record Producers (Billboard Books, 1999). In 2002, Olsen founded online magazine Blogcritics.org, the sinister cabal of superior bloggers.

It's definitely a moment of pride and appreciation for all the Blogcritics and also Desicritics to have Eric Olsen address such a groundbreaking conference on blogging.

Apart from the discussions on blogging, the conference would also touch other appendages, that regular bloggers use such as widgets, advertising networks, news readers, aggregators, etc to enhance the substance and the presentation of their sites. The event would also feature an open house discussion on the galore of products and services configured to make blogging easy and user-friendly. Apart from these some interesting discussion sessions on topics such as improving the look and aesthetic features of blogs, tips to increase readership, and how to make money from blogs, etc.

The inaugural event will take place on the 8th and 9th November'07 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, with an exclusive 'Executive & Entrepreneur' conference beginning on the 7th November '07.

Venue : Las Vegas Convention Center
Address : Las Vegas Convention Center
3150 Paradise Road, Las Vegas,
NV 89109, USA.

The event has some cool sponsors(check the webpage on the top), with, the Southwest Airlines being declared as the 'Official Airline of BlogWorld & New Media Expo'.

Some facts to show how fast the blog virus is spreading. So much so that many of the contenders both from the Democrats and Republicans brigade are using blogs as a medium for canvassing voters for the forth coming US elections. A glance at the official blog site of one of the strongest Democrats competitors, Hillary Clinton shows the impact this new media tool has made. Also a couple of weeks back, there was news about an anonymous blogger who assumed the persona of Steve Job, Apple's chief executive and made ad-lib posts at The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs, to charade Mr. Jobs and his reputation as a swollen-headed and egotistic leader. On being unmasked, Mr. Daniel Lyons, a writer and editor for the technology related articles for Forbes and author of two works of fiction, the most recently one being, 'Dog Days' said.

Mr. Lyons said he invented the Fake Steve character last year, when a small group of chief executives turned bloggers attracted some media attention. He noticed that they rarely spoke candidly. "I thought, wouldn’t it be funny if a C.E.O. kept a blog that really told you what he thought? That was the gist of it."

Mr. Lyons says he recalled trying out the voices of several chief executives before settling on the colorful Apple co-founder. He twice tried to relinquish the blog, but started again after being deluged by fans e-mailing to ask why Fake Steve had disappeared.

How can I miss out Heather alias Dooce, the queen of blogosphere and a household phrase in Technorati? Heather Armstrong created Dooce.com in February 2001, and a year later she was 'dooced', i.e. fired from her job as a web designer for writing about her co-workers and workplace. Dooce ranks very high on Technorati and is on the top 100 Most popular blogs list and has won Bloggies Award for Best Writing, Most Humorous Weblog, Best Tagline and Best American Weblog. Unlike other top blogs, Dooce is centered around Heather's articulate and humorous pennings on interesting observations in life, pregnancy, babies, depression, jobs, husband, and hilarious interactions with her daughter.

Now some cool facts on blogging.

9% of internet users say they have created blogs.
Technorati is currently tracking over 70 million blogs.
Over 120 thousand blogs are created every day.
22 of the 100 most popular websites in the world are blogs.
Blog readers average 23 hours online each week.

[Source: blogworldexpo.com]

Considering the final point, it's as if someone spends to close to one day out of every seven days in the blog world, for reading, writing, commenting, etc all related to blogs. Blogs are definitely mainstream now.

Do I fit this profile? You bet!

Photo Essay: Lessons from Dharavi

Deepa Krishnan — Fri, 3 Aug 2007 02:36:30 EDT

I watched as the old man shaped the clay carefully. A dull brown pot emerged from the muddy lump, growing, taking form.

I had a brief wild temptation - I wanted to poke a finger in it, and watch the mud groove around my finger. I damped down the thought. 'Act your age, woman', I told myself, and focused instead, on the mesmerising wheel. In one smooth gesture, he scooped the pot away from the wheel, placed it on the floor, and gave me a smile. I was filled with sudden warmth for this frail yet strong old man.

I was in Kumbharwada, Dharavi, home to potters from Saurashtra. With me was Shelley Seale, a writer from Texas, working on a book about underprivileged children. As part of Shelley's research, I took her on a tour of Dharavi.

The homes of Dharavi's potters are a world in themselves. There is a simple logic in the layout - at the front of the house, on the roadside, the pots are sold. If you enter the front door, you see the potter's home - there is a tiny living area with a television, and a kitchen neatly stacked with steel plates and tumblers. Pass through the kitchen, and you're in a little workshop, where pots are fashioned. Beyond this workshop is a common open area, where you can see the kilns where the pots are baked.

It is a cottage industry. Men, women, children - everyone does a part of the work. Water has to be fetched and carried, the clay mixed to form the right consistency, and finished pots and pans loaded into trucks. In the midst of the bustle, food is cooked, spicy Saurashtra cuisine. Tea is made. Children are bathed and fed and sent off to school.

At the end of the tour, Shelley wrote an article for worldpress.org, about her Dharavi visit. She said -

To me, this place dispels the myth that poverty is due to laziness — that the poor somehow deserve their lot in life because they are lazy or stupid or otherwise lacking in some important character trait that the successful possess. Dharavi is a resounding rebuttal to that belief.

I couldn't have said it better.

Open area behind the workshop. Gunnybags with clay.

The kilns are fired using waste. The pollution and heat is incredible.

Doing the dishes, sweeping, minding the kid.

Photobloggers Exposed: Smart, Talented, and Young

Chantal Stone — Fri, 6 Oct 2006 08:07:17 EDT

Standing out among the minions of photographers out there can be a daunting, if not impossible task. Clarity of vision, a unique perspective, and technical skill are all necessary, and for many, take years to develop. Here are three young men who are way ahead of the game. They already have one factor that helps them to stand out: their age.

At 16, 17 and 18 years young, these three photographers are already well on their way to a successful career in photography, should they choose that route. They are smart, talented and ambitious, and all three, although unique from each other, possess the talent and drive that will take them exactly where they wish to go.

Gavin Mullan’s dream of becoming a professional photographer is just within his grasp. In his second year studying photography at the Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education, in Northern Ireland, this gifted 18 year old photographer is building quite an impressive portfolio on his photoblog, Headphoneland.

Growing up surrounded by Art in his parents’ art gallery, Gavin was naturally drawn to all things creative. After taking a few art classes, Gavin felt the pull towards photography. He experimented with his mother’s camera, and was instantly hooked. His photoblog became a simple progression of his love for photography. A friend introduced him to the world of photoblogging, and Gavin seized the opportunity to display his work, to communicate with other photographers, and to grow as an artist.

Not your typical Irish photoblog, there are no images of rolling green hills or rugged coastlines to be found here. Headphoneland is filled with sharp, often dark and stark images. Gavin’s photographs reflect a world marked with exploration. His images are emotive, although unintentionally so. They are gritty, yet compelling; often moody and perhaps even at times, oppressive. He has the unique ability to evoke reaction through his imagery, and spark an emotion deep from within the viewer’s soul.

“I think that’s great the way one image can mean something completely different to each person. I never really thought that any of my photographs could make someone feel a certain way about them…Maybe the subject choices I make come from somewhere I haven't found yet, and that really excites me.”

Humbly aware of his youth, Gavin knows there is still plenty for him to learn, and he embraces that unknown with enthusiasm and passion. Perhaps a career in photojournalism is in Gavin’s future, only time will tell. But the future is at his doorstep, and he’s ready to step through.

***

In a small middle school art class in Ann Arbor Michigan, about five years ago, a teacher brought his students into a small room with one light hanging from the ceiling, and a swivel door. For three weeks, they were taught the fine art of pin-hole photography. Inside Gabriel Loeb, an 8th grader at the time, a photographer was born. “The idea that you could take a cookie tin, stab a hole in it, and put a piece of paper in; and then come back in 30 seconds, toss it in some chemicals, and have a picture was amazing to me”.

Now, 17, and a senior in high school, Gabriel’s fascination with photography has grown. Considerably. After a few years of studying the technique and nuance of film photography, Gabriel has moved on to digital. His photographs reflect both his youth and innocence, but also a trained eye with fine technical acumen, and can be found on his photoblog, Simply an Idea.

Gabriel’s images echo a mature sensitivity, and are often intimate and thoughtful. From delicate nature close-ups to soft abstracts, and quiet moments captured, Gabriel’s photographs reflect a more introspective side to this outgoing teenager who enjoys simply hanging out with friends on the weekends as much as he does searching for his next frame.

He has a vision beyond his years, and a working philosophy that rivals many photographers twice his age. From his photoblog, he writes: “Photography does not seek to replicate reality. It gives those willing to accept it a distinctly different view, even if it’s just from another angle.”

Although he may not pursue photography professionally in the future, his work in photography will certainly help him to see the world more clearly in any field he chooses. With an ambitious course load in school, and college just around the corner, the future is at hand for Gabriel.

***

Photography may be a new venture for 16 year old Azhar Chougle, but this young man in Mumbai, India has tenacity and ambition that guarantees success in anything he pursues. In addition to being a burgeoning photographer, Azhar is an A student, an entrepreneur, a web designer, and photoblogger, and his work can be found at The Daily Sunrise.

Azhar began shooting just this year in March, and since then has taught himself the ins and outs of digital photography and Photoshop. His images are full of impact, very often artsy and experimental, and energetic. Azhar enjoys shooting interesting abstracts, architecture, every day life in India, and of course, the sunrise from his window.

Azhar describes himself photographically as “one who just likes to challenge himself every time, and do it better than others…[I] also happen to be reputed as a strange boy walking around my area with a camera too big for his age”. Maybe not strange, but he is definitely unique.

Although quite young, Azhar sees his youth as an advantage in his pursuits, a way to stand out. In addition to designing his own site, he has also designed his school’s website, and has built a hub for all of his projects at The Daily Network. Azhar dreams of a future in web design or photography; anything is possible. But one thing is for certain: with drive and ambition like his, Azhar is sure to be a success.

***

Photo Essay: An Evening in Hazrat Nizamuddin - The Dream House of the Soofis

Mayank Austen Soofi — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 01:18:31 EDT

My purpose was to pay respects to the Dargah - the enshrined tomb - of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, much loved Sufi Saint of the Chishti order who lived in Delhi during the 13th and the 14th century.

The Nizamuddin Graffiti
Pictures of Mecca along with a glossy poster of Mumbai's Hazi Ali Dargah were on sale.

The Street Scene
The street leading to the Dargah, bathed in the faint orange glow of naked light bulbs, had all the trappings of a sleepy village fair.

In the Name of Allah
Beggars - legless, handless, eyeless - squatting on either side had narrowed the path further.

Allah Provides a Morsel of Food to Every Hungry Mouth
There were butcheries with delicious-pink flesh of goats hanging from their roofs, jostled between smoky dhabas and kebab stalls.

There He Is
On the way towards the Dargah stood a locked entrance to the despondent mausoleum of Mirza Ghalib - the legendary Urdu poet who composed his immortal verses during the twilight of the Mughal empire. Under a darkening sky, the tomb appeared to have drowned down in despair.

Once Inside the Dargah
Graves, small and big, painted in green, were dotted across the marble floor under an open sky. Exhausted ladies and smirking children were sitting on a platform. An ill-looking woman, who appeared to be with no one, was repeatedly chanting 'Ae Mere Aaka' (O My Lord).

The First Glance
I walked down the stairs into a central courtyard that faced the front of Nizamuddin's Mazaar. The believers appeared like apparitions from some other world in the darkness of the gathering dusk.

The Qawwali Listeners
It was the scene in the courtyard which captivated my senses. Being a Thursday, it was a night for the weekly Qawwali, devotional music of the Sufi mystics said to be created by the great Persian poet Ameer Khusro.

The Beautiful Sky
The shamiana seemed like a sky woven by loving Allah himself.

The Mood of the Mehfil
The lights were dimmed. At least hundred men and women were sitting around a team of Qawwals, the singers, who were more than ten in number.

She
A board, hanging by the side of the entrance, proclaimed that 'Ladies are not allowed inside'. Consequently they were sitting around the walls of the outer chamber, reciting prayers, murmuring verses, and struggling to peek inside for a look of the grave.

This Man And His God And Nobody Else
Not all were fixated by the Qawwali. A young man, in the middle of jostling crowds, was busy performing private prayers.

Pick Your Cap
There were dozens of skull caps on display, shimmering in the sweltering heat of August.

Intoxicating the Air
In a corner of the courtyard, believers were lighting agarbattis - incense sticks - to perfume the air and to please the Allah.

The Departing Impression - Chaadar for Offerings

Masha Allah!

THE END

Photo Essay: Ae Kya Bolti Tu? Ati Kya CP?

Mayank Austen Soofi — Wed, 23 Aug 2006 00:51:05 EDT

The official name of Connaught Place is Rajiv Chowk, named after India's late Prime Minister. However, it is casually referred to as CP by Delhi Wallas. Its colonial design, built by the British masters, was modeled after the Royal Crescent in Bath - an English town known for its famous resident Jane Austen.

A premier shopping and office district, right in the heart of Delhi, Connaught Place is a necessary tourist destination.

Lal Batti - Gopaldas Bhawan at Barakhambha Traffic Light

The Invasion of the Aliens - A Man Reads His Newspaper, While You Read the Brand Names

Feeding Pigeons - Kabutar Ja Ja

Colonial Charm - A Peek into the White Corridors of the Inner Circle

Picture Dekhogi - Night Life Outside Rivoli Theater