Photo Story As I Perceive It – Part 1

As the saying goes, a photo says a thousand words. Not always the beholder can perceive those thousand words, as the photographer would like to convey. Ten images are presented with a few lines to tell the story. Author has no pretensions of presenting technically perfect photographs with respect to exposure timing, aperture setting, focusing and clarity.

Here it goes.

Frame 1

Caption: Religion is cricket 

Storyline: In Mumbai for most youngsters, the religion is cricket and the game is played round the year, in every available empty space. The huge Shivaji Park Maidan after heavy rains, leave a few inches of water on ground. This does not dissuade the local boys belting a few boundaries and sixers with the tennis ball bouncing awkwardly after pitching.

Frame 2

Caption: Cricket is religious  

Storyline: In religious place of Madmaheshwar in Uttarakhand, after a heavy down pour interspaced with snow-fall, the water percolating fast into the subsoil and with the appearance of bright sunshine, the local lads climb up the lower Bugyal (green meadows) to take to their favorite game of cricket.

Frame 3:

Caption: Icy and chill

Storyline: At Rangdum, high altitude destination on Kargil – Padum road, Ladakh, in early summer, early morning brings its own surprises. The ice blisters and grains on bonnet, wiper and windshield have its own chilling story to tell. The early part of night causes condensation of atmospheric moisture on cold metallic surface which gets frozen as temperature plummets below zero in late night.

Frame 4

Caption: Siblings 

Storyline: While her parents have left for work, a child is left alone to take care of her sibling, standing on a cottage door, in holy place of Madmaheshwar. She is trifle bored in not being able to be in company of her friends. Blown plastic bag on her lips bring in some solace.

Frame 5

Caption: Street Photography

Storyline: The picturesque Stok village some distance from Leh, gets some overseas visitors who came for trekking. Having had their morning breakfast in a garage dhaba, the photographer  invites the dhaba owner for a few shoots in his own inimitable style. The model is pleased no end seeing his photo in LCD screen of camera.

Frame 6

Caption: Tourists welcome

Storyline: Uttarakhand tourism never had it so good with its goodwill ambassadors perched up on top its vehicle. The Langoors with babies in their lap wait for a bite to eat from the tourists as they prepare to board the vehicle. Tourists in turn have a close view of wildlife which is not a part of the itinerary!

Frame 7

Caption: Homework Time

Storyline: Some distance from Munshiyari, Uttarakhand, the car going for servicing, roaming around I spotted the child, sitting on a bamboo ladder near a construction site, intently scribbling on the notebook, oblivious of what was going around. Education is slowly getting its priority in these poor hilly regions. 

Frame 8

Caption: In Solitude

Storyline: The lone leafless tree is a mute spectator to a young solitary soul sitting on a rock on top of a hillock at high altitude destination of Panar. He is surrounded by the nature’s bounty and the soothing environs. In the prevailing calmness he is intent in listening to his inner voice.  

Frame 9

Caption: Bleak Prospects

Storyline: In morning, couple of villagers owning dhabas or rest house cottages at a temple town in Madmaheshwar, are on an inspection walk on road, assessing the weather. The earlier heavy showers and snowfall, as evident in the fresh snow covered adjoining hill, not many pilgrims were expected to walk up to the holy place, keeping the villagers worried of their business prospects.  

Frame 10

Caption: Aquatic Monster 

Storyline: The abstract frame is shadow of mangrove tree growing on saline water of Sewri, Mumbai. The mangrove swamps, which are feeding and breeding ground of migratory birds are getting destroyed due to industrialization around the area resulting in lesser birds. The demon depicted in the frame with its raised head at the top indicating solid effluent and body of demon below mingling with water indicating liquid pollutant.

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