Adagio-V

The Artist

He paints. The mural behind is his collaborative effort along with a fellow artist. He said “I got two bits of advice for you. If you don’t make it big, you’ll end up like me. Don’t. And if you don’t lie, you won’t make it big”.

“I don’t understand”

“If you have it in you, soon before you know you’ll have to sell your soul that is if you have it in you. And if that moment of trade is not in sight, work towards making one”

Right opposite the wall is his shop. I glanced at his creations for sale for a few bucks. Indian gods, birds, animals on postcards, intricate work, decent stuff. He told me about a well-known local artist, dead, left plenty blank drawing sheets autographed, for his son who now hires random guys to do the rest.

“I structure my photo essays not sure if I want to make it interesting but I do feel a sense of duty to protect the person in my portrait…”

“That’s a start” He smiled

“So long”

The Printer

This man works at a printing press at the other end of the doorway for over 41 years. He scrupulously places single sheet of blank paper one after another on the 62-year-old machine, that can still print 1000 copies in an hour, the owner said proudly but this man does 400. Time has worn him out and the owner is cool about it.
“Why not change?” I asked
“Why change family tradition? Definitely not for money”

Letterpress printing.

Letterpress printing is a technique of relief printing using a printing press. A worker composes and locks movable type into the bed of a press, inks it, and presses paper against it to transfer the ink from the type.
In practice, letterpress also includes other forms of relief printing with printing presses, such as wood engravings, photo-etched zinc “cuts” (plates), and linoleum blocks, which can be used alongside metal type in a single operation, as well as stereotypes and electrotypes of type and blocks.[1] With certain letterpress units it is also possible to join movable type with slugs cast using hot metal typesetting.
Letterpress printing was the normal form of printing text from its invention by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th century until the 19th century and remained in wide use for books and other uses until the second half of the 20th century. Letterpress printing remained the primary way to print and distribute information until the twentieth century, when offset printing was developed, which largely supplanted its role in printing books and newspapers. More recently, letterpress printing has seen a revival in an artisanal form. (Source : Wikipedia)

Near the Equator

Watch your step. Buckle ’em.


Those are formal wear not for cycling.

No. 5

fly in my room
whirring buzzing…
my unsteady eyes
chasing the
Hungarian dance

night was sombre
whisky bought me sleep
and the sly fly was smooth
on me
like bourbon

The Salad Guy

It took a couple of seconds but then it struck me in a flash. I was driving at a speed of 70 on a remote state highway passing through the outskirts of a tiny Indian village.

I backed my car, went over, asked him to cut me a fresh bowl. “Dude, you’ve styled your hair?!”

“Brylcreem” He snorted “By the way, Mister, there ain’t much left on your head” (That’s the picture moment)

“Ahem…I’m a writer”

“Quit it. I love to chop but in a restaurant kitchen, the oven heat and closed room messes my hair. So I’m here in the open. Got it?”

The Myth of Sisyphus

Fluidic

Dynamo

I stay in her house when I visit Ladakh. Her son is my dear friend though he doesn’t approve of my relationship with her. She is fond of me, very much and ditto. As of date, I’ve secured a few mother figures to compensate for one, she’s a special one. There was no water supply for three days and you need the water in the storage tank for cooking and bathing, leaves behind dirty linen unattended and that’s a reason suffice for the wayfarer to set out in the afternoon, hunt a spot by the banks of Indus river, make us wash our clothes on rocks and it was an event.
A picture of her after she wrapped.

Darwin Asked for Window Seat

Tip to street photography

When you look at a bunch, call out “Aye”
You’ve got their attention?
Perhaps not all of them and they’re moving away…
Be quick. Call out again “Aye” and with one hand wave at them, smile and click.
That simple.

Just kidding. 😀

On a serious note, Darwin came to India. Yes, he did. Trust me. We were briefly together. You’ll find out.

Now he was told, when in India, don’t trust the locals. Be very clear and emphatic. He included me too. Everyone loves to hurt a poet, doubt his writings, his intentions. Moreover they say if you’re a street photographer, you’re doomed unless you live in New York, date a curator. Don’t laugh. I’ve seen it in movies. A double jeopardy and I’ve got a beer belly.

Coming back to the story.

“BOOK….Me…A…Window….Seat” Darwin did as told.

The local guy diligently responds “Aye! done, sir”

No flights to the city he wanted to go. Poor Darwin. He should have first asked “Is…There…A…Flight…To…xxxxx”
(Destination details are withheld on request)
He’s on the tractor in the picture below. You won’t spot him. He’s on the other side and he strictly told me “No pictures. My reputation is screwed if the paparazzi finds out”

I told him, trust me, the paparazzi doesn’t care for you. But my drinking habits and love for friends on WP…Noway he was going to believe me. He’s a smart guy, no denying that.

He survived. Lucky old man. He had to. Look at the picture. One guys slips, takes a few along, chain reaction. So you ain’t just taking support but holding the other guy, making sure he doesn’t fall off.

That night with a broken back, he wrote the obvious.

When he narrated the incident to a techie friend, showed him my pictures, was a Eureka moment. Alright, not Eureka exactly, “Show me the money” moment. The Techie guy had a revolving belly (Running naked was out of the question) and traits of an Indian. (Happens if you’re working in Silicon Valley)

“Hands free” initiated a small but significant advancement in mobile technology.

Now here’s the catch. Darwin became famous for his discovery but discovery is stating the obvious. You surely get credit for the discovery but no money. Why? It was always around. You broke your back on that trip, discovered. laws of nature, physical phenomena and abstract ideas are not considered patentable..No monies, sir!

However, a practical product or process based on the discovery can be patented.

The techie, yes sir..made it big!

Me?! I’m not as dumb as Darwin. I told the techie “I deserve money for the pictures”

He raised his hands “I ain’t buying your pictures. I just had a look at them. No monies for you. Try Etsy”

What has the world come to? No one cares about morality. High time. I request bloggers who write about inspirational stuff to take up the issue of morality. No money, sir but do it.

On a really serious note. Take a breath. Forget everything I’ve said. Look at the pictures again. Look at their smiles, their undying spirit.
I think of the time, I clicked those moment, priceless and every time I look at these pictures, they put a smile on my face, gives me a reason to go out again, call out “Aye”.

This is it. Eventually….
Moment of joy is, when you create art. Before and after is commerce.
I’ve got a camera and a pen and this is my passion and all I know is this.
Not many care for what I do but who do, are a reason enough.