News of Kristian Bertel | Photography. Share and comment on related news and latest stories from photographer Kristian Bertel. Latest photo news and updates from the photographer and his stories and pictures from the many regions of India including photo news from Rajasthan and Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra in India. The news and the many newsworthy anecdotes are of interesting importance for the photographer highlighting news from his India travels, travel photography and memorable and journeys.
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| 25 MARCH 2024 |
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Chor Bazaar in Mumbai submitted to '2024 Street Photography Award'.
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'2024 Street Photography Award'
The photographer is participating with one of his photographs from India in the '2024 Street Photography Award' on the The Independant Photographer, which is a global network celebrating photography through a set of acclaimed monthly award, online magazine and digital art collections. Every month, they invite us to join the current photo competition and submit our best images. They are open to all photographers and we can as photographers receive immediate exposure.
In this month we can submit candid street scenes to meticulous situations within the urban environment, show them the untold stories unfolding on the streets and the award is judged by Nikos Economopoulos, an internationally acclaimed photographer that is considered one of the world's foremost visual storytellers, renowned for his powerful depictions of life for which he has garnered widespread recognition. A Magnum member since 1990, his photographs have graced the pages of prestigious publications like The Guardian and The New York Times and have been exhibited globally. In addition, he shares his expertise by conducting photography workshops through his 'On the Road' project, providing both amateur and professional photographers with immersive experiences in countries across the world.
Education in India is given less importance
The photographer chose to submit a photograph of a street scene in the Chor Bazaar in Mumbai. Wandering through the narrow alleys, one can discover a dizzying array of merchandise. From vintage Bollywood posters to antique furniture, from gramophones that once played melodies of yesteryears to intricately designed brassware, the market is a paradise for collectors and enthusiasts alike. Each item seems to whisper stories of Mumbai's rich history, offering a glimpse into its bygone eras. One of the most fascinating aspects of Chor Bazaar is its vibrant atmosphere. The cacophony of bargaining, the aroma of street food wafting through the air and the kaleidoscope of colors from myriad stalls create an immersive experience. Here, locals haggle passionately with vendors, tourists marvel at the eclectic offerings and historians seek hidden gems amidst the chaos.
"- For many, Chor Bazaar is not just a market – it's a cultural institution. It reflects Mumbai's spirit of resilience, adaptability and the confluence of diverse influences. Whether you are a seasoned bargain hunter, a history enthusiast or simply a curious traveler, a visit to Chor Bazaar promises an unforgettable glimpse into the soul of Mumbai. Amidst the jumble of goods and the symphony of voices, one thing is certain – in this labyrinth of treasures, every find tells a story and every visit unveils a new chapter in Mumbai's vibrant tale", the Photographer says.
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| 1 NOVEMBER 2023 |
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Photo from the 'Human Nature' photography exhibition.
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Participating in a photography exhibition
Being part of the exhibition at 'GGOP' offers a great opportunity to showcase the photograher's work and connect with other photographers during the gallery's month long exhibition in November with this theme. Whether you are an aspiring or established photographer, the experience of exhibiting your work is an invaluable one. Holding a photography exhibition such as 'Human Nature' photography exhibition can be a daunting task, but with the right preparation and knowledge, it can be an unforgettable and rewarding experience for any photographer. Presenting your work to an audience can be a rewarding experience, allowing you to share your efforts with others and gain recognition for your hard work. With the right tools and strategies, you can put together a successful photography exhibition. First, you will need to decide where to display your photographs. You can choose to have a more traditional setting by hanging framed prints in a local gallery or use a more modern approach by displaying digital photos framed on canvas. It is important to think about the size and scope of your exhibition when deciding on the venue. If you are displaying large prints, then you may need to rent a space designed for art shows or exhibitions. Once you have decided on the venue, you will need to decide on how you will display your photographs.
Showing the human side of India
Everyone loves a photography exhibition, but the idea of putting your work on display for the public can be intimidating. Being a part of a photography exhibition can be a great way to gain exposure and challenge yourself as an artist. It is a great learning opportunity and allows for meaningful connections with other photographers, collectors and viewers. Once your work is selected, you will want to make sure that the prints of your images are high quality. Depending on the show, you may be able to provide digital files or you may need to have prints printed and matted according to specific guidelines. It is worth investing in quality presentation materials to ensure your work looks its best. When attending the exhibition, arrive early to mingle with the other guests and get their feedback. Also, take this time to talk to any curators or gallery owners who may be present to determine if they might be interested in displaying your work in a future show. Of course, take lots of pictures of the event. This will both document the event and can provide a nice keepsake to share with your friends and family.
"- No matter the outcome of the exhibition, view it as an amazing learning experience. Even if your work is not accepted, you now understand what it takes to get into a show. You can use this knowledge to make adjustments to your portfolio or select a different exhibition to submit to in the future. Being part of a photography exhibition can be an incredibly rewarding experience. The opportunity to network, challenge yourself and gain exposure could lead to more opportunities and recognition for your work. Take charge of your creativity and do not be afraid to put yourself out there", the Photographer says.
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| 16 AUGUST 2023 |
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Schoolchildren in India submitted to 'The Best Photographer Awards'.
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'The Best Photographer Awards'
The photographer is participating with one of his photographs from India in the 'Lifestyle' category to The Best Photographer Awards, which celebrates the artistry, skill and passion of photographers from around the world. Whether we are a seasoned professional or an emerging talent, this is our opportunity to showcase our ability to capture moments and tell compelling visual stories and embrace the competition and be a part of this extraordinary celebration of photographic excellence. So we should seize the opportunity to be recognized as the best photographer.
Through their carefully curated categories, they celebrate a diverse range of photographic genres, from mesmerizing landscapes and breathtaking portraits to striking wedding moments and captivating street photography. We should let our unique vision and technical expertise shine through and let the world discover your remarkable talent. Lifestyle photography aims to document and portray real-life situations, moments and people in a candid and natural way. It often involves capturing people engaged in everyday activities, such as family gatherings, social events or personal routines. It is the bridge between portrait where the photograph has strong control over the location, lighting and subject and documentary where the photographer does not interfere at all.
Participating is a chance to challenge ourselves, push creative boundaries and experience personal growth. With valuable prizes, including accolades, widespread exposure and an opportunity to be published, this is our chance to elevate our career and leave an indelible mark on the photography world.
Education in India is given less importance
The photographer chose to submit a photograph of two schoolchildren in India. Education in India is given less importance in some areas are that 80 percent of schools are managed by the government. Private schools are expensive and out of reach of the poor. More hands to earn remains the mentality amongst many families and therefore little kids are set out to fend for the family over going to school to garner an adequate education, in the most literal sense of the word.
"- I was not simply looking for showing a photograph of children, I wanted the image that tell a story about the wonder, joy and curiosity that children have, the Photographer says.
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| 15 JULY 2023 |
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Boats in India submitted to the 'On the water' photo competition.
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'On the water' photo competition
The photographer is participating with one of his photographs from India in 'On the water' to Photo Friday, which is a weekly competition hosted by Camera House every Friday with the goal to build a strong photographic community across all their social media channels and showcase some amazing talent from the Camera House community online. Over the past few years, they have seen some awesome photos taken by photographers and like-minded people sharing their passion of photography and they want to help us to learn and grow to achieve that perfect photograph and it amazes them how much talent and passion they see in each photo submitted.
The Camera House judges are individuals who are experienced in the photographic industry with completely different styles and takes on photography. Every Friday morning, the battle begins to choose the next Photo Friday winner. With a coffee in one hand and a notepad in another the battle is on and although their judges have different styles of photography and look for different things in an image, they can all agree on one thing which is. The winner chosen must meet our high expectations. Following the theme of the week, the creative and unique images submitted by their photographers have a high chance of winning and it shall be images that tell a story and have meaning behind them.
"- When you are in Varanasi in India you need to spend some time on the river, where it is fantastic to see the inhabitants washing both themselves and their clothes and sheets. Hand boat rides in Varanasi have been a long-standing tradition, tracing back to the city's ancient past", the Photographer says.
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| 6 JULY 2023 |
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Boy in Delhi, India submitted to the 'Human Nature' photography exhibition.
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'Human Nature' International Photography Exhibition
The photographer is participating with one of his photographs from India in the 'Human Nature' photography exhibition, which is curated by the photography directors and curators of The Glasgow Gallery of Photography, also known as the 'GGOP'. A gallery that is running a month long exhibition in November with this theme. Whether it be positive or not, they want to see images that we as photographers feel really captures this term in whatever way we interperate that phrase to mean. The love and joy felt with family and friends or the grief when parted from them or it could be the impact humans have on the planet around them, the theme is open for us to interperate how we like and they want to see work from both emerging and established photographers. We do not need to be a professional photographer to participate as they believe that photography is for everyone.
Showing the human side of India
In this portrait taken in the streets of Delhi an Indian boy is portrayed next to a couple of autorickshaws, which is an occupation that is very much welcomed by the city dwellers wherein thousands of families are surviving on this occupation. But at the same the different challenges associated with this occupation needs to bring the attention at large.
"- I want to show the human side of india, where autorickshaws play an important role in public transport health conditions has been always concern linked with this occupation. Auto-rickshaw drivers are always exposed to polluted environment like pollutant gases, noisy surrounding and vibration of whole body as well as challenging lifestyle like irregularity of meals, bad posture of driving and stressful occupational conditions is a part and parcel of this occupation.This study was undertaken to understand the socio-economic conditions of auto-rickshaw drivers", the Photographer says.
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| 6 JUNE 2023 |
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Boy in Pushkar submitted to the 'World Photo Annual' photo contest on reFocus Awards.
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'World Photo Annual' on reFocus Awards
The photographer is participating with one of his photographs from India in the 'Portrait' category of the 'World Photo Annual' photo contest. In this category we can as photographers be as creative or as traditional we would like in our interpretation of a portrait. A celebration of the enduring power of photography, this prestigious annual contest awards the 'Photographer of the Year' honor and is welcoming both series and individual entries that remind viewers of the indisputable power of photography, awarding the most exceptional creators with our highest possible global honor. The reFocus Awards were created to celebrate the lasting power and indomitable spirit of the photographic image and its unique ability to communicate ideas, captivate viewers and express artistic intention. Their goal is to elevate, honor and promote incredible talent at all levels by offering a platform for discovery and advancement in the photography world. With prizes that uplevel our practice no matter where we are in our career, this contest supports the artists behind the strongest and most distinctive images in photography today. Beyond their awards, reFocus Awards offers a novel, artist-first online gallery designed to not only share the unique power of photography but to encourage the discovery of artists and the stories behind the winning images.
'Portraits' on N-Photo magazine
The photographer is also participating with this photograph in a Nikon-only contest called 'Portraits' by N-Photo magazine – where they are asking for our best portrait images. So, whether it is a classic studio photo, an impromptu documentary-style image or a moody low-key capture, they would like to see your best portrait photographs. Every N-Photo sponsored contest is judged by the editorial team at N-Photo and winners are published in the next issue of the magazine a photography magazine for Nikon users. N-Photo is the multiple award-winning magazine for Nikon photographers. Every issue is packed with Nikon-specific advice for taking better photos and in-depth reviews of Nikon-compatible gear. Each issue comes with video lessons for mastering camera and photo editing techniques.
Photographing sadness and melancholy
Sadness is a normal part of life, but if it persists for a prolonged period of time and begins to interfere with a person's life, it is time to seek help. Talking to a mental health professional is a great way to come to terms with understanding and managing melancholy. If you think you are battling melancholic sadness, it is important to remember that you are not alone. There are treatments and strategies that can help to reduce its effects and help you to build a healthier, more empowered self-concept. Making small steps towards feeling better each day, like getting outside for a walk, spending time with friends or engaging in activities you enjoy are all great options. Exercise can be especially helpful in providing a distraction from the sadness and can help to increase your energy and motivation.
"- Melancholy is often a symptom of depression and it is marked by a feeling of sadness that is difficult to put into words. It is also characterized by a lack of motivation and interest and a lack of energy. The person experiencing melancholy may also feel helpless and lack any hope for the future and it can be caused by either physical or psychological factors. It can be triggered by a traumatic event in life, like the death of a loved one. It can also be brought on by an enduring a period of high stress or long-term unresolved conflicts. People who are experiencing financial struggles or who feel like they are always in a state of crisis, can also experience melancholy", the Photographer says.
It is not possible to give to them all
While it can seem heartless, it is usually best to ignore beggars in India as seen in the portrait of a beggar boy in Pushkar. There are so many that even if you want to give them, it is not possible to give to them all. Another common problem is that if you give to one beggar, such a gesture will quickly attract others. The reality is that, as a foreigner and also as a photographer, you are not responsible for solving India's problems and Indians do not want or expect you to.
"- With this subject, the boy, I instantly got contact with him when I saw him in the street. His eyes had a feeling of sorrow in that melacholic way, which I found interesting. Melancholy – a word we've all heard of but may not always understand. It is considered by some to simply be a temporary sadness but, in reality, it's much more than that. It is a deep sadness that can be difficult to overcome and can last for long periods of timeIt was like that he had some kind of story, a life story, which the world could be interested knowing about. I took some frames, while he just stood there on the street in Pushkar. When you are setting up your shoot make sure your background is clean and simple. I used a low apeture setting to blur out the background, because I think that makes his face stand out more. After this session, I was looking on my camera display, as I usually do. When I noticed this frame I just knew I had something great", the Photographer says again.
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| 2 JUNE 2023 |
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Mother and child submitted to the 'Amateur Photographer of the Year 2023' photo competition.
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'Amateur Photographer of the Year 2023'
The photographer is participating with one of his photographs from India in the 'Portraits' round of the 'Amateur Photographer of the Year 2023' photo competition. Whether in the street, at home or in the studio and be it natural or posed, photographing people will never go out of fashion. A portrait should be a collaboration between subject and photographer and should reveal something about both. When choosing to photograph in a more formal style, remember not to overcomplicate either the pose or the lighting – simplicity makes for a far more polished and memorable image. Character is also a hugely important element in any portrait and viewers want to have an idea of the sitter's personality and life experience and this can be conveyed via clothing and expression and even light. Whether shooting in natural or with studio light, pay attention to maintaining a catchlight in the eyes and making sure any shadows enhance, rather than detract from the overall result.
Amateur Photographer is the world's oldest consumer photography magazine and the only printed weekly magazine. First published in October 1884, 'AP', as it is affectionately known to its readers is staffed by a team with years of experience in the photography industry, with expert writers, reviewers and most importantly photographers who love photography in all forms. 'AP' is the bible for both amateur and professional photo-enthusiasts and photographers around the world. It has helped generations of photographers to improve their skills, as well as learn all about photography kit, both new and old, with their in-depth reviews.
"- A mother is carrying a child in her arms in the Colaba area of Mumbai, India. In Mumbai in particular, visitors are often approached by a child or woman wanting some powdered milk to feed a baby and they will assist you to a nearby stall or shop that conveniently happens to sell tins or boxes of such 'Milk'. However, the milk will be expensively priced, often around ₹200 rupees and if you hand over the money for it, the shopkeeper and the beggar will simply split the proceeds between them. Beggars also rent babies from their mothers each day, to give their begging more credibility", the Photographer says.
Shortlisted
The photographer has been Shortlisted as one of a small group of people, who have been selected for final consideration in making an award in this photo competition.
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| 19 MAY 2023 |
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Mumbai Street Child submitted to the 'Street Photography Awards 2023' photo competition on LensCulture.
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'Street Photography' on LensCulture
The photographer is participating with one of his photographs from India in the 'Street Photography Awards 2023' photo competition. LensCulture invites photographers from around the world to submit their best work capturing the essence of life out in the streets. With these international street photography awards, they aim to celebrate the unique perspectives and creative visions of street photographers everywhere, showcasing the diversity of the genre and the many ways in which it can be interpreted. These photography awards are open to all photographers who have a passion for street photography and are able to capture the energy and dynamism of city life in their images. Whether we are a seasoned professional or a newcomer to the genre, they encourage us to submit our work and share our perspective on the world around us.
Today, street photography remains an important part of art and culture. Today's street photographers capture the heart and soul of urban life in cities around the world. By combining the spontaneity, creativity and technical criteria of traditional photography methods, street photographers create images that capture the culture and emotion of the place they photograph. Street photographers attempt to capture the unexpected, often producing images that are both inspiring and thought-provoking.
"- Street photography is a style of photography that is focused on capturing images of everyday life on the streets. It is a form of documentary photography that is driven by the candid, often spontaneous observation of everyday life. Street photography captures the emotion and atmosphere of the particular moment and place that the photographer chose to capture. Street children in the classical sense are found in India almost without exception in the cities with a population of approximately 50,000 inhabitants. The photographer had to get use to begging street children everywhere in Mumbai. At the PJ Ramchandani Marg in Mumbai just near the prestigious The Taj Mahal Palace this Mumbai street child was photographed", the Photographer says.
LensCulture is a small group of dynamic and diverse individuals who bring LensCulture to life through their shared passion for photography. As a contemporary online business, their team is distributed around the world. Many of them are active in the international photography community as curators, designers, portfolio reviewers, writers, educators, consultants and of course, Photographers.
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| 28 APRIL 2023 |
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Woman in purple submitted to the 'Painterly Portraits' photo competition on Photocrowd.
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'Painterly Portraits' on Photocrowd
The photographer is participating with one of his photographs from India in the 'Painterly Portraits' photo competition. Who does not love a beautiful portrait photograph? For this round we should use flash or natural light, indoors or out, to create subtle portraiture which tells a story. The contest on Photocrowd is judged by the editorial team at Digital Photographer and winners are published in the next issue of the photography magazine Digital Photographer essential for enthusiasts and pro photographers looking to refine their skills and bolster their portfolio, created by working photographic professionals.
Digital Photographer is the ultimate monthly photography magazine for enthusiasts and pros in today's digital marketplace. Every issue readers are treated to interviews with leading expert photographers, cutting-edge imagery, practical shooting advice and the very latest high-end digital news and equipment reviews and motivate you to take your best photograph.
Portrait photography is a form of photography that captures the likeness of an individual or group of individuals, usually with the goal of capturing their character and personality. Portrait photography is one of the oldest and most popular forms of photography and it has changed dramatically over time and this genre of photography can be used in a variety of different ways, from traditional family portraits to magazine covers and advertising campaigns. It can also be used to document special moments and events, such as weddings and anniversaries or to capture a moment in time that will not be repeated.
Unique beauty and personality of the subject
Portrait photography is an art form that requires skill and knowledge in order to be successful. Photographers must be familiar with the technical aspects of photography, such as lighting, composition, and post-processing, as well as be familiar with the psychology and body language of their subjects. In addition, portrait photographers must be able to create a comfortable environment for their subjects in order to get the best possible results. "- In this image a woman is dressed in a purple 'Sari' in Nashik, India. The city of Nashik is located in the north-west of Maharashtra and hosts one of the largest religious gatherings in the world known as 'Maha Kumbh'. 'Kumbh Mela festival' is celebrated once in 12 years. Portrait photography is about capturing the unique beauty and personality of the subject. It is a powerful way to freeze a moment in time and create a lasting memory. Portrait photography can help to capture a person's essence and create something that can be treasured for generations.", the Photographer says.
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| 28 DECEMBER 2022 |
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Brick worker in India submitted to the 'Still Life' photo competition on Photocrowd.
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'Still Life' on Photocrowd
The photographer is participating with one of his photographs from India in the 'Still Life' photo competition. In this Nikon-only contest – brought to you by N-Photo magazine – they are asking for our best still life images. So, whether it is a beautifully lit fruit bowl, a painterly flower arrangement or a social-media-friendly flatlay, they would like to see your best still life photographs. Every N-Photo sponsored contest is judged by the editorial team at N-Photo and winners are published in the next issue of the magazine a photography magazine for Nikon users. N-Photo is the multiple award-winning magazine for Nikon photographers. Every issue is packed with Nikon-specific advice for taking better photos and in-depth reviews of Nikon-compatible gear. Each issue comes with video lessons for mastering camera and photo editing techniques.
Photocrowd is a global community of photographers, of all levels and interests and as they say themselves it is home to some of the most prestigious photo awards on the planet. "- In this image a tired brick worker has been portrayed while he is taking a break in Dharavi, Maharashtra, India. Most workers that are working here have left their homes and families in rural regions of the country only to join the growing ranks of the urban poor in order to earn a living.", the Photographer says.
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| 10 OCTOBER 2022 |
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In the 'Portraiture' category of the professional competition the photographer is showcasing 5 images that are showcasing his photography.
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Sony World Photography Awards 2023
The photographer is participating in the 'Portraiture' category of the professional competition in the 'Sony World Photography Awards 2023', where they are rewarding the best photo series worldwide. The competition is the leading competition for photographers and artists working in photography. The awards is regarded as one of the world's most prestigious photography competitions by elevating photographers' careers – from established to emerging – since it started 16 years ago. Their 'Outstanding Contribution to Photography' title is given to a person or group of people that have made a significant impact on the photographic medium. These recipients have produced powerful imagery that continues to captivate, educate and inspire them as much today as when they were first made. The award is a celebration of voices behind some of the most groundbreaking photographic work of our time. The recipients have work housed in the world's finest museums, galleries and institutions and are celebrated and loved for their pioneering imagery.
Outstanding contribution to photography
In the competition they are also rewarding lifetime achievement and excellence in the field of photography. Honoring the best photographers that have the power to enrich our daily lives is key to the World Photography Organisation's aim to support photographers around the globe and to celebrate their achievements through the act of recognising, sharing and presenting compelling imagery to an international audience.
At the World Photography Organisation they are driven to push photography forward and one way we deliver this is through the 'Sony World Photography Awards'. The awards is devoted to promoting both established and emerging photographers and giving them the exposure, visibility and opportunities to help advance them into the next stage of their career. Every year thousands of photographers submit their best imagery to the awards and with their vast global community viewing the work, successful photographers have benefitted from publishing deals, gallery representation and worldwide exhibitions. They pride ourselves on building lasting relationships with individual photographers and industry-leading partners. The World Photography Organisation's aim is to facilitate the meeting of creative minds so credible, innovative and exciting work is made.
The Journey of India
In this series 'The Journey of India' the photographer is showcasing 5 photographs from one of his journeys to India, where many of them are portraits. India, the name alone evokes rich images of countless gods, rickshaws, holy cows, chaotic cities, extreme poverty and 'Maharajas'. Nowhere else in the world can the traveler marvel at such different religions, cultures, peoples, languages, philosophies, architectural styles and regional cuisines.
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| 16 NOVEMBER 2022 |
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Slum in Dharavi submitted to the 'Art Photography Awards 2023' photo competition on LensCulture.
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'Art' on LensCulture
The photographer is participating with one of his photographs from India in the 'Art Photography Awards 2023' photo competition. The LensCulture Art Photography Awards aim to reward talented visual artists around the world who are using photographic processes and images to express their creative ideas. We should show them how we are pushing the photographic medium, experimenting with different techniques or creative approaches to bring our ideas to life. There are no limits or definitions for this award, they are hoping to see all kinds of submissions from conceptual work and prints made for gallery walls, to images made from alternative processes, to totally new forms and formats that speak to our digital age. What matters is our unique creative vision and your skills in translating that vision into exceptional and original work.
LensCulture is a small group of dynamic and diverse individuals who bring LensCulture to life through their shared passion for photography. As a contemporary online business, their team is distributed around the world. Many of them are active in the international photography community as curators, designers, portfolio reviewers, writers, educators, consultants and of course, photographers. "- Dharavi spread over 557 acres is home to more than a million people and is situated in the middle of India's financial capital, Mumbai. Dharavi bears no resemblance to the fishing village it once was. A city within a city, it is one unending stretch of narrow dirty lanes, open sewers and cramped huts", the Photographer says.
There are many colors in the Dharavi slum and the submitted photograph is therefore by the photographer almost considered like a piece of art. Color in art includes all aspects like hues, tones, tints, shades, value, saturation, temperature, the color wheel and various color combinations. Color is one of the elements of art and all these characteristics can be applied and utilized in different methods to create visually appealing artworks.
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| 30 JUNE 2021 |
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In the above photograph a woman in Delhi, India has been photographed on Better Photography.
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'Portraits' on Better Photography
This week on Better Photography, we should photograph a 'Portrait'. A genre in photography, which can be an artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this reason, in photography a portrait is generally not a snapshot, but a composed image of a person in a still position. A portrait often shows a person looking directly at the painter or photographer, in order to most successfully engage the subject with the viewer. A famous man once said that, a portrait is something from which you feel the person, their inner quality and what it is that makes them who they are. Keeping this thought in mind, capture creative portraits of our near and dear ones.
As a portrait photographer it is important to know that the background plays an essential role to a portrait. As you know, portrait is all about someone's face so it is important to have a background, which is not interfering with the subject. Portrait photography in India is for the photographer photography conducted for art or enquiry that features unmediated chance encounters and random incidents within public places. Although there is a difference between street and candid photography, it is usually subtle with most street photography being candid in nature and some candid photography being classifiable as street photography. "- This kind og portrait photography does not necessitate the presence of a street or even the urban environment. Though people usually feature directly, street photography might be absent of people and can be of an object or environment where the image projects a decidedly human character in facsimile or aesthetic", the Photographer says.
In portraits such as with this photograph of Female labour in India, the photographer looks for the vulnerable moment, the essential soul peeking out, experience etched on a person's face. When the photographer finds the right person or subject, he may go back once or twice or half a dozen times, always waiting for that right moment. Portraits is a desire for human connection, a desire so strong that people who know they will see him again open themselves to the camera, all in a hope that at the other end someone else will be waitching, someone will laugh or suffer with them.
As the photographer of the portrait, the photographer's spiritual world and understanding of beauty will directly determine the presentation and characteristics of the picture. Therefore, a portrait photographer's effort to improve his or her personal artistic qualities is a matter of greater urgency than simply learning technical techniques. As a photographer, one have to consider several aspects such as how portrait photographers learn and photograph respectively and carefully explain the ways and means for portrait photographers to improve their inner quality, including photographer's quality, sensitivity, observation, aesthetics, as well as the essence about understanding, association, calmness, creativity and so on. Each knowledge point can be intuitively and productively understood in the detailed case explanation and picture analysis, which is informative and inspiring for photographers with certain portrait shooting experience.
Kristian Bertel photographed this woman in Delhi, India for Better Photography. The intensity of the subject's eyes and her strong gaze made this one of the most widely and consistently portraits in a long time. This photograph accompanies the other remarkable faces he has encountered whilst traveling throughout the world, collected together with many other engaging portraits on his Website.
Each week Better Photography, an Indian monthly photography magazine will introduce a new challenge for photographers in the form of a contest. Sometimes these may be subject or art related. At other times, technique or equipment related.
Seeking new visions in portraiture
The photographer is also participating in the 9th annual 'LensCulture Portrait Awards 2022'. Over the years, they have discovered and recognized more than 250 excellent portrait photographers from all over the world – and many of them have continued to advance their careers with international magazines and media, museums, book publishers and art galleries. This year, they aim to discover and reward 35 photographers who are making exceptional photographic portraits today. Whether his portraits are traditional or eclectic or visionary – they want to see the photographer's work.
LensCulture is a small group of dynamic and diverse individuals who bring LensCulture to life through their shared passion for photography. As a contemporary online business, their team is distributed around the world. Many of them are active in the international photography community as curators, designers, portfolio reviewers, writers, educators, consultants and of course, photographers.
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| 28 JULY 2022 |
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Nut seller in Mumbai, India submitted to the 'Daily Shot' photo contest on Nat Geo Traveller India.
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'Daily Shot' on Nat Geo Traveller India
This month on Nat Geo Traveller India, we should photograph food. Food trails are recipes to flavour a lifetime. For their next 'Daily Shot' photo contest, they invite us to share photographs of tantalising regional treats that best represent regional fare all over the world. It could be a fiery preparation of katla fish served on a banana leaf at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Karnataka, Galician-style tuna empanadas in Spain, a humble portion of siddu with a side serve of mountain views in Himachal Pradesh, delish Mexican pozole or festive-special roasted silkworms found only in Guwahati. No cuisine is off the table.
In this photograph by the Photographer an Indian man is selling nuts in Mumbai, India. Nuts are an important source of nutrients for both humans and wildlife. Because nuts generally have a high oil content, they are a highly prized food and energy source. A large number of seeds are edible by humans and used in cooking, eaten raw, sprouted or roasted as a snack food. Nuts or seeds generally are also a significant source of nutrition for wildlife. A typical Indian meal consists of 'Rice', 'Roti', 'Poli' or 'Bhakar', along with 'Varan' and 'Aamtee' lentils and spiced vegetables. Peanuts and cashews are often served with vegetables. Traditionally, Maharashtrians have considered their food to be more austere than that of other regions in India.
National Geographic Traveller India is the Indian edition of National Geographic Traveler international. They are passionate about travel and its impact in our lives. Their mission is to be an accessible guide for us to get around this world using their knowledge and research. They care deeply about championing local culture, sustainable travel and immersive narratives that can change our perspective on places we think we have seen. They are all about using journeys to tell unforgettable stories. Founded in 1967 by Anant Pai and it is synonymous with the visual reinvention of Indian stories from the great epics, mythology, history, literature, oral folktales and many other sources.
Entries that best do justice to the theme will be featured on Nat Geo Traveller India's homepage and across all their social media. In addition, three monthly winners will be selected by their in-house photo experts and these winners will be declared at the end of the contest.
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| 26 MAY 2022 |
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Bus junction in India submitted to the 'Street Photography Awards 2022' photo competition on LensCulture.
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'Street Photography' on LensCulture
The photographer is participating with one of his photographs from India in the 'Street Photography Awards 2022' photo competition. Throughout history, street photographers have created many of the world's most iconic and memorable photographs — but LensCulture is asking, who is defining this genre today. For the 2022 LensCulture Street Photography Awards, they are searching the globe to find out. If we are creatively capturing the weird and wonderful moments of life as they unfold around us, they want to see our work. We might be photographing with an analog camera in a city that never sleeps or using our smartphone to document daily life in our hometown or as we travel the world seeking adventures. No matter our tools or our location, they want to see our unique perspective from the street, however we frame it. They truly want to discover the most talented image-makers and believe that every photographer deserves the opportunity for exposure and recognition without restriction and therefore we should show them our streets today.
"- In this photograph some Indian men are waiting at a bus junction. It is the variety of its people which is a special hallmark of India seen with the eyes of me as a photographer. Its physical, religious and racial variety is as immense as its linguistic diversity. Underneath this diversity lies the continuity of Indian civilization and social structure from the very earliest times until the present day", the photographer says.
LensCulture is a small group of dynamic and diverse individuals who bring LensCulture to life through their shared passion for photography. As a contemporary online business, their team is distributed around the world. Many of them are active in the international photography community as curators, designers, portfolio reviewers, writers, educators, consultants and of course, photographers.
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| 20 JUNE 2022 |
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In the above photograph a young man in Mumbai, India has been photographed on Better Photography.
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'In Search of the Self' on Better Photography
Sometimes, photographing ourselves can be challenging as well as liberating. This week on Better Photography, we should think beyond the traditional idea of a self-portrait and experiment to your heart's content. The self is an individual as the object of its own reflective consciousness. Since the self is a reference by a subject to the same subject, this reference is necessarily subjective. The sense of having a self or selfhood should, however, not be confused with subjectivity itself. The first-person perspective distinguishes selfhood from personal identity. Whereas 'Identity’ is literally sameness and may involve categorization and labeling, selfhood implies a first-person perspective and suggests potential uniqueness. Conversely, we use 'Person' as a third-person reference.
About the photograph of the young man
The contributing photographer took a picture of young man in Wallace Street in the city of Mumbai in India. "– What I'm interested in this photograph in particular to depict the development of the undiscovered. The young man, is discovering something about himself in the mirror", the Photographer says. Another thing about the photograph that the photographer see in it is the theme of self-esteem. Self-esteem is defined as one’s thoughts and feelings about one's self-concept and identity. "- Most theories on self-esteem I think state that there is a grand desire, across all genders and ages, to maintain, protect and enhance their self-esteem. Contrary to popular belief, there is no empirical evidence for a significant drop in self-esteem over the course of adolescence", the Photographer says again. Adolescence is frequently characterized by a transformation of an adolescent's understanding of the world, the rational direction towards a life course and the active seeking of new ideas rather than the unquestioning acceptance of adult authority. An adolescent begins to develop a unique belief system through his or her interaction with social, familial and cultural environments. While organized religion is not necessarily a part of every adolescent's life experience, youth are still held responsible for forming a set of beliefs about themselves, the world around them and whatever higher powers they may or may not believe in. An adolescent's environment plays a huge role in their identity development. While most adolescent studies are conducted on white, middle class children, studies show that the more privileged upbringing people have, the more successfully they develop their identity. The forming of an adolescent's identity is a crucial time in their life. It has been recently found that demographic patterns suggest that the transition to adulthood is now occurring over a longer span of years. This process is often accompanied or aided by cultural traditions that intend to provide a meaningful transition to adulthood through a ceremony, ritual, confirmation or rite of passage. The final major aspect of identity formation is self-esteem.
Each week Better Photography, an Indian monthly photography magazine will introduce a new challenge for photographers in the form of a contest. Sometimes these may be subject or art related. At other times, technique or equipment related.
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| 21 APRIL 2021 |
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In the above photograph Varanasi in India has been photographed on Better Photography.
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'Panoramas' on Better Photography
This week on Better Photography, we should change our perspective a little and widen our view and capture the magnanimity of beautiful landscapes, glamorous skylines and much more with the help of the panoramic technique. Panoramic photography is a photography technique where you take several pictures and put them together side by side to see a larger section known as 'FOV' or 'Field of view'. The panoramic photograph can be seen in a picture – just as you see it on, for instance of 'Ghats' in Varanasi as the photographer is participating with. Varanasi is one of the holiest cities and centres of pilgrimage for Hindus of all denominations. It is one of the seven Hindu holiest cities considered the giver of salvation. Over 50,000 'Brahmins' live in Varanasi, providing religious services to the masses. Hindus believe that bathing in the Ganges remits sins and that dying in Varanasi ensures release of a person's soul from the cycle of its transmigrations. Thus, many Hindus arrive here for dying. All cameras can be used to take panoramic photos, but with shorter focal lengths with a wider angle, the number of images to be put together decreases. With a fisheye lens with a focal length of 8 milimeter, it takes about 4 images to get the whole horizon. "- With an ordinary camera may need 12 images for the same and the camera must be mounted on a tripod to get the best quality", the Photographer says.
Each week Better Photography, an Indian monthly photography magazine will introduce a new challenge for photographers in the form of a contest. Sometimes these may be subject or art related. At other times, technique or equipment related.
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| 20 SEPTEMBER 2021 |
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In the above photograph of an old man in Varanasi, India has been photographed on Better Photography.
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'A Day in Your Life' on Better Photography
This week on Better Photography, we should give give them a glimpse of 'A Day in Your Life' on Better Photography. Conventionally, in India, the elderly have always been treated with great respect and occupied a prominent position in the family. Hence, it is the left alone elderly population, who has to do the daily chores of life and also take care of own selves till they die. The elderly in India are much more vulnerable because of the less government spending on social security system. The elderly in urban area rely primarily on hired domestic help to meet their basic needs in an increasingly-chaotic and crowded city. Social isolation and loneliness has increased.
For many people the family of origin did not offer the trust building relationships needed to build a reference that lasts a lifetime and even in memory after the passing of a loved one. This can be due to parenting style, traditions, mental health issues including personality disorders and abusive family environments. Sometimes religious shunning is also present. This impacts the ability of individuals to know themselves, to value themselves and to relate to others or to do so with great difficulty. As the rate of loneliness increases yearly among people of every age group and more so in the elderly, with known detrimental physical and psychological effects, there is a need to find new ways to connect people with each other and especially so at a time when a whole lot of the human attention is focused on electronic devices, it is a challenge.
As human beings we have the dispositions and characteristics including ways of thinking, feeling and acting that humans are said to have naturally. The term is often used to denote the essence of humankind, or what it means to be human Kristian Bertel | Photography learned. This usage has proven to be controversial in that there is dispute as to whether or not such an essence actually exists. The human condition is all of the characteristics and key events that compose the essentials of human existence, including birth, growth, emotion, aspiration, conflict and mortality. This is a very broad topic which has been and continues to be pondered and analyzed from many perspectives, including those of religion. In humans, ageing represents the accumulation of changes in a human being over time and can encompass physical, psychological and social changes. Reaction time, for instance, may slow with age, while memories and general knowledge typically increase and ageing increases the risk of human diseases. Many elderly also feel lonely and the loneliness and social isolation that seniors experience is usually caused by low-quality social relationships or a lack of these relationships entirely. However, there are many other things that could cause these issues, such as being age 80 or older, having chronic health problems and changing family structures. Unattended chronic disease, unaffordable medicines and treatment and malnutrition are part of old age life in India as there is no system of affordable health care.
"- In this portrait an elderly villager has been photographed on the outskirts of Varanasi in India. It is said that the soul of India lives in its villages and in India 60 percent of the population still lives in villages. These places are without the hustle and bustle of the city life, but are instead places that are peaceful and quiet", the Photographer says.
Each week Better Photography, an Indian monthly photography magazine will introduce a new challenge for photographers in the form of a contest. Sometimes these may be subject or art related. At other times, technique or equipment related.
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| 2 SEPTEMBER 2021 |
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In the above photograph a Hindy deity in India has been photographed on Better Photography.
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'Places of Worship' on Better Photography
This week on Better Photography, we should give give them a glimpse of 'Places of Worship' on Better Photography. India is a country with a myriad of cultural and religious practices. Hindu deities are represented with various icons and anicons, in paintings and sculptures, called 'Murtis' and 'Pratimas'. Some Hindu traditions, such as ancient 'Charvakas' rejected all deities and concept of god or goddess. These deities have distinct and complex personalities, yet are often viewed as aspects of the same ultimate reality called 'Brahman'. A 'Murti' is an embodiment of the divine, the ultimate reality or 'Brahman' to some Hindus. In religious context, they are found in Hindu temples or homes, where they may be treated as a beloved guest and serve as a participant of 'Puja' rituals in Hinduism. In other occasions, it serves as the center of attention in annual festive processions and these are called 'Utsava Murti'.
Worship in Hinduism involves invoking higher forces to assist in spiritual and material progress and is simultaneously both a science and an art. A sense of bhakti or devotional love is generally invoked. This term is probably a central one in Hinduism. A direct translation from the Sanskrit to English is problematic. Worship takes a multitude of forms depending on community groups, geography and language. There is a flavour of loving and being in love with whatever object or focus of devotion. Worship is not confined to any place of worship, it also incorporates personal reflection, art forms and group. People usually perform worship to achieve some specific end or to integrate the body, the mind and the spirit in order to help the performer evolve into a higher being.
"- In Hinduism, deities and their icons may be hosted in a Hindu temple, within a home or as an amulet. The worship performed by Hindus is known by a number of regional names, such as 'Puja'. This practice in front of a 'Murti' may be elaborate in large temples, or be a simple song or mantra muttered in home or offering made to sunrise or river or symbolic anicon of a deity", the Photographer says.
Each week Better Photography, an Indian monthly photography magazine will introduce a new challenge for photographers in the form of a contest. Sometimes these may be subject or art related. At other times, technique or equipment related.
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| 17 JULY 2021 |
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Boy in Paharganj submitted to the 'Street Photography Awards 2021' photo competition on LensCulture.
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'Street Photography' on LensCulture
The photographer is participating with one of his photographs from India in the 'Street Photography Awards 2021' photo competition. Unexpected and everyday, candid and carefully composed, street photography is a genre chock full of contradictions, where chance encounters, unlikely juxtapositions and a shutter's milliseconds reveal the fleeting wonders of daily life. What catches our eyes as we walk about the world today. The past year has upended our ideas about public space, as a global pandemic has prompted lockdowns and reopenings worldwide. Our changed social dynamics pervade the streets and subways, parks and promenades, everywhere differently. If we are creatively capturing the weird, wonderful and sometimes worrying moments of life as they unfold around us, they want to see our work. For the seventh edition of the competition, they are scouring the globe for new takes and fresh perspectives. We might be photographing the hustle and bustle of city life or its empty byways, in remote locales or around the block, on film or in pixels. No matter our tools or our location, they invite us to show them our streets.
LensCulture is a small group of dynamic and diverse individuals who bring LensCulture to life through their shared passion for photography. As a contemporary online business, their team is distributed around the world. Many of them are active in the international photography community as curators, designers, portfolio reviewers, writers, educators, consultants and of course, photographers. "- Although Delhi is spread out, the areas of interest to travelers and street photographers are relatively easy to navigate in India. To the south, you can find the New Delhi train station. Near this station, acting as a sort of buffer zone between the old and the new cities, is Paharganj, jam-packed with cheap accommodation and a good place for street photography in India", the photographer says.
'Street Scene' on Digital Photo magazine
The photographer is also participating in the 'Street Scene 2021 Photo Contest' with Digital Photo magazine and Imaging Resource. A pioneer in street photography, gave the concept of the decisive moment in image making and of his transition as an artist from painting to photography, he said that he suddenly understood that a photograph could fix eternity in an instant. Capturing the decisive moment – when people, places, light and gesture come together in the perfect way to tell a story – is the essence of street photography. Digital Photo magazine is your guide for better digital photography and the magazine is available online and on newsstands everywhere.
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| 27 MAY 2021 |
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In the 'Short Story Award' the photographer is showcasing 8 images that are showcasing his humanitarian photography.
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World.Report Award
The photographer is participating in the 'Short Story Award' category in the eleventh edition of the 'World.Report Award' with the Festival della Fotografia Etica. The maturity and experience gained over ten years of an international competition, alongside dozens of judges from all over the world represent an incredible heritage as well as a challenge to continually improve. The international contest has experienced the participation of thousands of photographers from all over the world. Each and every one of them has contributed in telling a story of value, photographs that speak to the souls of all of us, images that inform us, that involve and excite us. Ten long years of pictures that are inside us and that have become our shared history. This award aims at a new form of social commitment through photography and the award is open to both professional and amateur photographers from all over the world. The award will give attention to works focusing on people and their social or cultural stories, public or private, minor or crucial, major human tragedies or smaller daily life stories, changes and immutability. The main focus of the evaluation of the Reportages will be the story that the project tells through compelling images submitted and the awards are intended to economically support photographers who are actively engaged in this sector of photography.
Every year the contest creates a fresco that tells the stories of our world, its great changes and its intimate and personal relationships connecting Human beings. A collective narrative unfolds each year out of the trust and commitment that the world of photography offers alongside our continued promise to try our best to support the international photojournalism community.
Festival della Fotografia Etica of Lodi in Italy was created and is managed purely on a voluntary basis. Its purpose is to bring the general public close to ethically significant content using photography as a means of communication and knowledge, analysing different nuances of the delicate relationship between ethics, communication and photography. This festival has come to the attention of the public thanks to the quality of its exhibitions and the participation of internationally known photographers present in previous editions and wants to be at the service of photojournalism, of the kind of photography that tells stories, that makes you think and that is increasingly more difficult to experience in the media. The maturity and experience gained over 10 years of an international competition, alongside dozens of judges from all over the world represent an incredible heritage as well as a challenge to continually improve.
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| 22 JUNE 2021 |
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Chawri Bazar Rd portraiture submitted to the 'Critics' Choice 2021' photo competition on LensCulture.
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'Critics' Choice 2021' on LensCulture
The photographer is participating with one of his photographs from India in the 'Critics' Choice 2021' photo competition. A single best opportunity to be discovered by 21 influential photography experts and this competition is designed to maximize exposure and opportunities for talented photographers who are ready for the global stage and international markets. They have carefully assembled their largest jury ever – photography experts and influencers from world-renowned museums, magazines and news media, online publications, book publishers, international festivals and art galleries. Every critic will select three photographers with outstanding talent and creative vision. They are seeking all kinds of new photography that is thoughtful, poetic, smart, raw, refined, nuanced, powerful or otherwise remarkable.
LensCulture is one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching resources for discovering contemporary photography talent around the world. They believe that recognition and exposure are essential for photographers of all levels to move forward creatively and professionally and this belief underpins our ongoing efforts to share, celebrate and reward great photography. Over 15 years, LensCulture has built a global online audience of more than three million photography makers, lovers and thinkers from 160 countries and they are proud to offer career-changing opportunities through their photography awards, exhibitions in leading cities, festival screenings and books. With their online magazine, submission reviews and their free downloadable guides they aim to be the home of photography inspiration, advice and recommendations for their community because they are the beating hearts and curious minds at the centre of everything they do and their goal is to help them succeed and their mission is simple to discover the best of contemporary photography and share it with the largest audience possible.
LensCulture is a small group of dynamic and diverse individuals who bring LensCulture to life through their shared passion for photography. As a contemporary online business, their team is distributed around the world. Many of them are active in the international photography community as curators, designers, portfolio reviewers, writers, educators, consultants and of course, photographers.
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| 25 OCTOBER 2020 |
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In the 'Travel Folio' the photographer is showcasing eight varied, stunning images that are showcasing his travel photography.
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Travel Photographer of the Year competition
Kristian Bertel is participating in the 'Travel Folio' category in the Travel Photographer of the Year competition. Here he is showcasing eight varied, stunning images that are showcasing his travel photography, whether it is documentary, fine art or somewhere in between. They want to see our very best work, our style and ability to photograph diverse imagery, not eight images showing small variations on the same theme. We should show them our skill at capturing varying elements of travel photography. This is the photographer's chance to showcase your approach to travel photography. Travel Photographer of the Year also known as 'TPOTY awards' are run by photographers for photographers and the competition is truly global – wherever we live in the world and whether we are amateur or professional, beginner or expert, young or old. Thanks to their hugely supportive sponsors there are some fantastic prizes to be won, but the competition is also about more than prizes and this prestigious award offers massive exposure for your work through our media activities, books, photographer profiles and exhibitions. TPOTY-winning photographers have had their work showcased around the world and established photographic careers received a huge boost, new careers were kick-started and people who never thought they had see their photographs in print have had a happy surprise.
The international Travel Photographer of the Year awards were founded in 2003 by professional photographer Chris Coe and his wife and business partner Karen, a PR and marketing consultant. There were very few other global photography competitions in those days, let alone travel photography ones. They wanted to show that travel photography is much, much more than holiday snaps and pretty postcards. Travel photography encompasses a wide range of genres and subjects, from landscape to food, from architecture to people and from reportage to wildlife and so on. Travel photographers must be multi-skilled, able to make many types of images and work in all lights. In the early days, the competition was run from their home, which was flooded by thousands and thousands of prints from around the world each year when the competition opened and from the very first year. Today, it is run from an office in the Suffolk countryside in England, which has a view to rival some of the images we receive. Nevertheless, they try to keep their friendly, personal touch. Each year their pleasure in receiving amazing images from photographers around the world is as great as ever and watching the work of many of their entrants evolve over the years and seeing how photographers take on the challenges of the competition each year, gives them a particular thrill. The competion has quickly grown into one of the world's most prestigious photography awards and is truly global, receiving entries from more than 140 countries each year. Since its start, thanks to the consistently high standard of imagery, the great respect in which their panel of expert judges is held, their fantastic sponsor prizes and the fantastic support from us as photographers, their dream of creating the best showcase for travel photography continues to be a reality including the photograph of a Poor Indian beggar.
The beautiful journey series of portfolio books has helped to take the awards to a higher level and exposed the winning and other highly placed images to an even wider audience. These books are collected by travel and photography lovers around the world. They also have a magnificent selection of postcards, greetings cards, mini prints and fine art prints – with the featured photographers all receiving royalties from those sales.
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| 3 MAY 2021 |
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In the above photograph Maharashtra in India has been photographed on Better Photography.
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'The Road Less Travelled' on Better Photography
Over the years, roads have featured prominently in photographic essays. It has come to symbolise several things... a journey, an ending, a diversion. A diversion is a normally temporary route taking traffic around an area of prohibited or reduced access, such as a construction site. Standard operating procedure for many roads departments is to route any detour over roads within the same jurisdiction as the road with the obstructed area. We should as photographers show what the road symbolise to us in this week's challenge. A road is a thoroughfare, route or way on land between two places that has been paved or otherwise improved to allow travel by foot or by some form of conveyance. In the Photographer's submitted photo an Indian woman with a child were photographed during their walk at the road in Maharashtra in India. The rural roads in India forms a substantial portion of the Indian road network. These roads are in poor shape, affecting the rural population's quality of life and Indian farmer's ability to transfer produce to market post-harvest. Over 30 percent of Indian farmer's harvest spoils post-harvest because of the poor infrastructure. Many rural roads are of poor quality, potholed and unable to withstand the loads of heavy farm equipment. Rural roads form a substantial portion of the country's road network, forming 70 percent of the total of roads in India. For the development of these rural roads, the Indian government to provide connectivity to isolated rural habitations and the scheme envisions that these roads will be constructed and maintained by the 'Village panchayats'. The main roads in India are under huge pressure and in great need of modernization in order to handle the increased requirements of the Indian economy. In addition to maintenance, the expansion of the network and widening of existing roads is becoming increasingly important. This would then enable the roads to handle increased traffic and also allow for a corresponding increase in the average movement speed on India's roads.
Whether it is wild encounter, a meeting of someone new or simply a moment of realisation that your place in the world is not quite what you thought it was, the photographer celebrates the transformative effect that travel in India can have. Travels to India can be designed to allow you as a traveler to experience India and its wonders in an authentic and personal way.
Each week Better Photography, an Indian monthly photography magazine will introduce a new challenge for photographers in the form of a contest. Sometimes these may be subject or art related. At other times, technique or equipment related.
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| 11 MARCH 2021 |
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In the above photograph a gypsy girl in India has been photographed on Better Photography.
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'Emotions' on Better Photography
The photographer is also participating in the weekly challenge 'Emotions' photo contest on the same website with a photograph of a portrait of a laughing gypsy girl in Mumbai, India. For that week's contest, Better Photography and Paromita Chatterjee would like to document a gamut of emotions such as happiness, excitement, anger, apprehension, sorrow or confusion, that we see around us Emotions are biological states associated with all of the nerve systems brought on by neurophysiological changes variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioural responses and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definition. Emotions are often intertwined with mood, temperament, personality, disposition, creativity and motivation. According to some theories, emotions are states of feeling that result in physical and psychological changes that influence our behavior. The physiology of emotion is closely linked to arousal of the nervous system with various states and strengths of arousal relating, apparently, to particular emotions. Emotion is also linked to behavioral tendency. Extroverted people are more likely to be social and express their emotions, while introverted people are more likely to be more socially withdrawn and conceal their emotions. Emotion is often the driving force behind motivation, positive or negative. According to other theories, emotions are not causal forces but simply syndromes of components, which might include motivation, feeling, behavior and physiological changes, but no one of these components is the emotion. Nor is the emotion an entity that causes these components. Laughter is a physical reaction in humans consisting usually of rhythmical, often audible contractions of the diaphragm and other parts of the respiratory system and can arise from such activities as being tickled or from humorous stories or thoughts. Most commonly, it is considered an auditory expression of a number of positive emotional states, such as joy, mirth, happiness, relief and so on. Laughter is a part of human behavior regulated by the brain, helping humans clarify their intentions in social interaction and providing an emotional context to conversations. Laughter is used as a signal for being part of a group-it signals acceptance and positive interactions with others. Laughter is sometimes seen as contagious and the laughter of one person can itself provoke laughter from others as a positive feedback.
'Urban Landscape' on Better Photography
The photographer is participating in the weekly challenge 'Urban Landscape' photo contest on Better Photography with a photograph of the Mahim - Bandra pipeline in Mumbai, a giant water pipeline that runs along one of Dharavi's rubbish-filled canals in Mumbai, India. As Mumbai's population grows, the demand on the city's existing infrastructure increases exponentially and their water supply is finding it difficult to keep up. Mentored and judged by Jagdish Agarval is focusing on the landscapes that one can see in the urban environment. Landscapes do not have to constitute forests or mountainous vistas, we should look around us and in the city you live in can be as dramatic, elegant and inspiring, as the landscapes we have witnessed on our travels. This week, they want us to show them our best interpretation of the theme. Urban means 'Related to a city'. In that sense an urban area or built-up area, that is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. These urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs and in urbanism, the term contrasts to rural areas such as villages and hamlets and in urban sociology or urban anthropology it contrasts with natural environment. The creation of early predecessors of urban areas during the urban revolution led to the creation of human civilization with modern urban planning, which along with other human activities such as exploitation of natural resources led to a human impact on the environment.
Each week Better Photography, an Indian monthly photography magazine will introduce a new challenge for photographers in the form of a contest. Sometimes these may be subject or art related. At other times, technique or equipment related.
'Portrait Awards 2023' on LensCulture
The above portrait is also participating in the 'Portrait Awards 2023' photo competition. This year, LensCulture are looking to discover and recognize more than 35 talented photographers creating extraordinary new photographic portraits. It is a small group of dynamic and diverse individuals who bring LensCulture to life through their shared passion for photography. As a contemporary online business, their team is distributed around the world. Many of them are active in the international photography community as curators, designers, portfolio reviewers, writers, educators, consultants and of course, photographers.
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How to get around in Dharavi
| 12 FEBRUARY 2021 |
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Man on a bench in India submitted to the 'International Photography Awards'.
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Man on a bench in India submitted to the 'International Photography Awards'
To salute the achievements of the world's finest photographers the 'International Photography Awards' is discovering new and emerging talent and promoting the appreciation of photography. The International Photography Awards conducts an annual competition for professional, amateur and student photographers on a global scale, creating one of the most ambitious and comprehensive competitions in the photography world today. The category winners in both professional and amateur levels, listed below, will compete for IPA's top two awards, which will be announced at the annual Lucie Awards Gala. The main professional prize is International Photographer of the Year, selected from the 13 professional category winners and earning the coveted Lucie Trophy and a cash prize. IPA is a sister-effort of the Lucie Foundation, a non-profit, charitable foundation whose mission is to honor master photographers, discover and cultivate emerging talent and promote the appreciation of photography worldwide.
The pure scenery of an Indian man sleeping on a bench caught the photographer's eye in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The calm warm light yellow color on the building in the picture together with the more splashed yellow color on the wall, make this image one of the photographer's personal favorites. Our world and the immediate surroundings of our everyday life are bright and colorful. That is exactly what should be reflected in photography and because even if the photos are later converted into black and white processing, the colors for the individual gray tones must be specified beforehand. Color management offers additional image processing options. But the different color tones represent much more than mere settings. Because they all have very different psychological effects that should be used when taking photos. In photography we always photograph in colors. We take photos in color – even if we later often turn the images into black and white. So that colors are represented as we see them, we set the white balance in the camera. Colors in photography mean much more than just any settings and colors have a psychological effect that can be used when taking photos. Therefore, colors are one of the most important elements in the composition of a picture.
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| 14 JANUARY 2021 |
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Shoe polisher in India submitted to the 'Portrait Awards 2021' photo competition on LensCulture.
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Shoe polisher in India submitted to the 'Portrait Awards 2021' on LensCulture
The LensCulture team is seeking portraits for their latest competition and the awards are open to photographers at all levels of experience and all genres of portraiture are welcome — from professional studio photographs, to detailed environmental portraits, to casual candids. They are open to all types of artistic approaches, too, including staged, fiction, fashion, metaphoric, self-portrait and conceptual work. The photographer is participating with one of his photographs from India of a shoe polisher in this competition. In India they repair things and they tend to repair it till it completely disintegrates. In western countries, people polish their own shoes but in India, having your shoes polished is so cheap that many some people do not bother buying shoe polishes and brushes and they just have it on the go. Shoe shiners might have phased out in Western nations but it still exists in India and some other parts of the world. But nonetheless, these shoe polishers in the streets do exist and its worth having it done. In fact, they can repair shoes as well. Shoe polishers are usually concentrated at large gatherings such as near the railways platforms, bus stops, markets and so on. The price for shoe polish is around ₹20 rupees but if you get it repaired then it will cost a bit extra. The shoe polisher will ask you to take your shoes off one by one while he polishes or will ask you to place your foot on a pedestal. However, there is one sad element to this. Many of these shoe shiners are mainly children. Rather than going to school, they have to go out and make a living polishing shoes. So rather than ignoring and shooing them off, try their services.
With portrait photography and the position of the viewer it is a theme that can strongly influence the aesthetics of a photograph, even if the subject is entirely imaginary and viewed within the mind's eye. Not only does it influence the elements within the picture, but it also influences the viewer's interpretation of the subject. For instance, if a man is photographed from above, perhaps from the eye level of an adult, he is diminished in stature. A photograph taken at the ground level would treat him as an equal and one taken from below could result in an impression of dominance. Therefore, the photographer is choosing the viewer's positioning. A subject can be rendered more dramatic when it fills the frame. As the Photographer learned there is a tendency to perceive things as larger than they actually are and filling the frame fulfills this psychological mechanism. This can be used to eliminate distractions from the background. In photography, altering the position of the camera can change the image so that the subject has fewer or more distractions with which to compete and this may be achieved by getting closer, moving laterally, tilting, panning or moving the camera vertically. There are several approaches or compositional techniques to achieve a sense of unity within a work of art depending on the photographer's goals. For instance, a photograph is said to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye if the elements of the work are arranged in a balanced compositional weight.
Recognition for photographers
LensCulture is one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching resources for discovering contemporary photography talent around the world. They believe that recognition and exposure are essential for photographers of all levels to move forward creatively and professionally and this belief underpins our ongoing efforts to share, celebrate and reward great photography. Over 15 years, LensCulture has built a global online audience of more than three million photography makers, lovers and thinkers from 160 countries and they are proud to offer career-changing opportunities through their photography awards, exhibitions in leading cities, festival screenings and books. With their online magazine, submission reviews and their free downloadable guides they aim to be the home of photography inspiration, advice and recommendations for their community because they are the beating hearts and curious minds at the centre of everything they do and their goal is to help them succeed and their mission is simple to discover the best of contemporary photography and share it with the largest audience possible.
LensCulture is a small group of dynamic and diverse individuals who bring LensCulture to life through their shared passion for photography. As a contemporary online business, their team is distributed around the world. Many of them are active in the international photography community as curators, designers, portfolio reviewers, writers, educators, consultants and of course, photographers.
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| 17 MAY 2021 |
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In the above photograph Jodhpur in India has been photographed on Better Photography.
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'Colours Of India' on Better Photography
The photographer is participating in 'Colours Of India' photo contest on Better Photography together with HP Indigo with a photograph of the blue city of Jodhpur. India is known for its use of vibrant colors for various occations. India is one of the few countries in the world that is known for its use of vibrant colors. Whether it is a wedding, a religious ceremony, a festival or an intimate gathering with your loved ones, you will find people dressed in the most exuberant colors, which are symbolic and represents a certain meaning. Even the architecture in several places such as Rajasthan, Kolkata, Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, is adorned with lively tones and shades. In a country like ours, colors are perhaps the most common and simple form of expressions that hold together our myriad traditions. India is colorful and the blue color has been an important color in art and decoration since ancient times. Jodhpur in India is no exception and the second major city of Rajasthan is one of the gorgeous cities in India and there are many reasons why it is called the 'Blue City'. Most of the houses in Jodhpur's old city are blue-colored and some people say that the color is associated with the 'Brahmins' and that blue houses of the city belong to that caste person and it is not the only reasons.
Better Photography is India's most widely read magazine on the art and practice of photography. It is also the leading technical authority, with its own test bench, with stand-alone gear and accessory reviews. Over the years, the print edition has moved from being a hobbyist's magazine, to a more serious dialogue on the art, practice, culture and people involved with photography. Delving into both contemporary and classic perspectives, styles and viewpoints, the magazine features interviews with and opinions by famous photographers, across genres and from across the world and writings by the younger generation of artists as well. A section titled 'Great Masters' has been featuring the greatest of photographers from around the world, since the beginnings of photography and, collectively, they have amongst the largest collections of features on these legends is Asia. Other special features, book reviews, curated showcases and musings by some of the most prominent figures in the visual arts are regular features in the magazine.
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| 20 NOVEMBER 2020 |
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In the above photograph an alley in Mumbai, India has been photographed on Better Photography.
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'Portraiture' on Better Photography
The photographer is participating in the weekly challenge 'Portraiture' photo challenge on Better Photography with a photograph of a woman in a alley in Mumbai. Making a portrait of someone is one of the most challenging, yet rewarding experience. As one had once said, "A true portrait should, today and a hundred years from today, the testimony of how this person looked and what kind of human being he was". Keeping this thought in mind, capture a compelling portrait of a person. Mentored and judged by Madhavan Palanisamy is focusing on portraits a theme that can have multiple functions and these depend on their context of use. Many modes of use are determined by the memorial aspect of the portrait, so are connected with the memory of an individual person who appears worthy of the portrait due to his social rank, his personality or his special deeds. A portrait is actually a word from French, portrait or image is a painting, a photograph, a sculpture or another representation of a specific person. The portrait often only shows the face of the person and when depicting several people, one speaks of a double portrait, family portrait or group portrait. To portray is to make a portrait. In a narrower sense, a portrait is an artistic image and a portraying artist is called a portraitist and some portraitists try to suggest, caricature or exaggerate the essence or personality of the person portrayed in the portrait.
An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane, path or passageway, often reserved for pedestrians, which usually runs between, behind or within buildings in the older parts of towns and cities. Here the Photographer captured his participating image for the contest, where this woman was passing through an alley in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Despite that Mumbai is the most populous city in India and the most populous metropolitan area in India you can find silence. Alleyways are an urban form historically shared by most cities in Asia, yet understudied. Alleyways in Asia can be understood as ordinary neighborhood landscape providing the setting for everyday urban life and place-based identities being shaped by varied everyday practices, collective experiences and forces. This turns the traditional approach of "global cities" upside-down and contributes to a renewed conception of metropolization as a highly situated process, where forces at play locally, in each alleyway neighborhood, are both intertwined and labile. Thus it is important to study the modern transformation of Asian cities and their urban cultures, from the perspective of the alleyways, including new approaches to social life, urban change and urban governance.
Each week Better Photography, an Indian monthly photography magazine will introduce a new challenge for photographers in the form of a contest. Sometimes these may be subject or art related. At other times, technique or equipment related.
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| 26 SEPTEMBER 2020 |
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In the above photograph a barbershop in Chor Bazaar in Mumbai, India has been photographed on Better Photography.
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'On the Otherside of the Mirror' on Better Photography
The photographer is participating in the weekly challenge 'On the Otherside of the Mirror' photo contest on Better Photography with a photograph of a barbershop in Chor Bazaar in Mumbai. As the title suggests, participants are encouraged to submit images of reflections. Reflections enable you to perceive your surroundings rather differently, often adding a unique layer to your narrative. They portray our world in an unusual, dreamy manner, often evoking a sense of wonder. This week, show us your most creative photographs of a world inverted. Mirrors reflect an image to the observer. However, unlike a projected image on a screen, an image does not actually exist on the surface of the mirror. For instance, when two people look at each other in a mirror, both see different images on the same surface. Mentored and judged by Zahra Amiruddin are focusing on reflections and that a mirror is an object that reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera.
Mirrors reverse the direction of the image in an equal yet opposite angle from which the light shines upon it. This allows the viewer to see themselves or objects behind them or even objects that are at an angle from them but out of their field of view, such as around a corner. Natural mirrors have existed since prehistoric times, such as the surface of water, but people have been manufacturing mirrors out of a variety of materials for thousands of years, like stone, metals and glass. In modern mirrors, metals like silver or aluminum are often used due to their high reflectivity, applied as a thin coating on glass because of its naturally smooth and very hard surface. When looking at a mirror, one will see a mirror image or reflected image of objects in the environment, formed by light emitted or scattered by them and reflected by the mirror towards one's eyes. This effect gives the illusion that those objects are behind the mirror or sometimes in front of it. While photographing in India the Photographer found out that when the surface is not flat, a mirror may behave like a reflecting lens. A plane mirror will yield a real-looking undistorted image, while a curved mirror may distort, magnify or reduce the image in various ways, while keeping the lines, contrast, sharpness, colors and other image properties intact. Photographers depicting someone gazing into a mirror often also show the person's reflection. This is a kind of abstraction and in most cases the angle of view is such that the person's reflection should not be visible. Similarly, in movies and still photography an actor or actress is often shown ostensibly looking at him- or herself in the mirror and yet the reflection faces the camera.
Each week Better Photography, an Indian monthly photography magazine will introduce a new challenge for photographers in the form of a contest. Sometimes these may be subject or art related. At other times, technique or equipment related.
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| 18 AUGUST 2020 |
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Shepherdess in India submitted to the 'Journeys 2020' photo competition on LensCulture.
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Shepherdess in India submitted to the 'Journeys 2020' on LensCulture
The LensCulture team is dreaming of summer vacations, adventures with friends and family and a little change of scenery. Our ability to travel in the literal sense of the word is restricted for now, but photography offers us a wonderful opportunity to virtually satisfy our collective wanderlust. So for this award, they are seeking photography that explores a broad and aspirational theme journey. There is no limit to our interpretation of this theme and we should as photographers show them places we have loved, imagined or invented – An epic odyssey of the heart or a journey of self-discovery. We should dig out photographs of our favorite summer vacation with friends and family or visually construct our next one so the possibilities are boundless. The photographer is participating with one of his photographs from India of a shepherdess in this competition. LensCulture is one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching resources for discovering contemporary photography talent around the world. They believe that recognition and exposure are essential for photographers of all levels to move forward creatively and professionally and this belief underpins our ongoing efforts to share, celebrate and reward great photography. Over 15 years, LensCulture has built a global online audience of more than three million photography makers, lovers and thinkers from 160 countries and they are proud to offer career-changing opportunities through their photography awards, exhibitions in leading cities, festival screenings and books. With their online magazine, submission reviews and their free downloadable guides they aim to be the home of photography inspiration, advice and recommendations for their community because they are the beating hearts and curious minds at the centre of everything they do and their goal is to help them succeed and their mission is simple to discover the best of contemporary photography and share it with the largest audience possible.
LensCulture is a small group of dynamic and diverse individuals who bring LensCulture to life through their shared passion for photography. As a contemporary online business, their team is distributed around the world. Many of them are active in the international photography community as curators, designers, portfolio reviewers, writers, educators, consultants and of course, photographers.
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| 11 JUNE 2020 |
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In the above photograph a boy in Dharavi, Mumbai, India has been photographed on Better Photography.
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'Framed Through Doors and Windows' on Better Photography
The photographer is participating in the weekly challenge 'Framed Through Doors and Windows' photo contest on Better Photography with a photograph of a boy in Dharavi, Mumbai, India. As the title suggests, participants are encouraged to submit images of the sights and scenes outside their doors and windows, with the subject visibly framed by window panes or doorways. Mentored and judged by Nitesh Mohanty doors may have aesthetic, symbolic, ritualistic purposes and doors and doorways frequently appear in literature and in photography as a portent of change. Doors are one of the commonly used symbols by which one wished to emphasize his or her inner aspiration to achieve the perfect balance between the spiritual and the material worlds and the doors are the boundaries between the two worlds, as it is our exit point or the entrance depending on what side your on. But doors can also be used as framing in particularly photography, where it is the presentation of visual elements in an image, especially the placement of the subject in relation to other objects. Simple framing elements are doorways or windows. These create a portal that takes the viewer into the world beyond, a suggestion of something being possible. By being dark, a frame adds drama, possibly danger or suspense to your image and if the frame is bright beyond your subject, it lends a heavenly, divine sense to the subject. The frame can be in front of or behind one's subject and it does not even need to be complete for it to work as a frame. While photographing in India the Photographer found out that the mind completes things when it sees the suggestion of the shape. As a photographer one should compose carefully and make sure that one's subject can fill the frame or be small in the frame and the photographer should also make the choice with purpose, where each approach gives a different message to the viewer. A good thing is also to expose properly and in most cases, the frame should not be so dark so it does not have any detail or so bright that it is washed out. One should also remember to be creative when photographing. The frame does not need to be in focus, conversely the subject does not need to be in focus but in this case the frame should be, though. The frame can be artificial an for instance, you could hold up a fuzzy heart and photograph an embracing couple through it. Once you get the hang of framing your subjects, you will be well on your way to creating powerful storytelling images.
'Urban Patterns' on Better Photography
The photographer is also participating in the weekly challenge 'Urban Patterns' photo contest on the same website with a photograph of a Dharavi houses in Mumbai, India. Mentored and judged by Anil Risal Singh we should as photographers show the various patterns, forms and shapes that make up the concrete jungle we call home. An urban area or built-up area, is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, towns, conurbations or suburbs. In urbanism, the term contrasts to rural areas such as villages. Unlike an urban area, a metropolitan area includes not only the urban area, but also satellite cities plus intervening rural land that is socio-economically connected to the urban core city, typically by employment ties through commuting, with the urban core city being the primary labour market. "- While it may look a bit shambled from the outside, the maze of dusty alleys and sewer-lined streets of this city-within-a-city are actually a collection of abutting settlements", the Photographer says.
Each week Better Photography, an Indian monthly photography magazine will introduce a new challenge for photographers in the form of a contest. Sometimes these may be subject or art related. At other times, technique or equipment related.
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| 7 APRIL 2020 |
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Delhi Street Barber submitted to the 'Street Photography Awards 2020' photo competition on LensCulture.
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Delhi Street Barber submitted to 'Street Photography Awards 2020' on LensCulture
The photographer is participating with one of his photographs from India in a competition. Often, a single powerful photo captures our attention as important, artistic, meaningful and memorable and a great photo can stand on its own, demonstrating a remarkable level of visual perception, sensitivity and creativity. LensCulture is one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching resources for discovering contemporary photography talent around the world. They believe that recognition and exposure are essential for photographers of all levels to move forward creatively and professionally and this belief underpins our ongoing efforts to share, celebrate and reward great photography. Over 15 years, LensCulture has built a global online audience of more than three million photography makers, lovers and thinkers from 160 countries and they are proud to offer career-changing opportunities through their photography awards, exhibitions in leading cities, festival screenings and books. With their online magazine, submission reviews and their free downloadable guides they aim to be the home of photography inspiration, advice and recommendations for their community because they are the beating hearts and curious minds at the centre of everything they do and their goal is to help them succeed and their mission is simple to discover the best of contemporary photography and share it with the largest audience possible.
LensCulture is a small group of dynamic and diverse individuals who bring LensCulture to life through their shared passion for photography. As a contemporary online business, their team is distributed around the world. Many of them are active in the international photography community as curators, designers, portfolio reviewers, writers, educators, consultants and of course, photographers.
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| 24 MARCH 2021 |
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In the above photograph a florist in Mumbai, India has been photographed on Better Photography.
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'People at Work' on Better Photography
There are thousands of occupations that keep our society running and with Better Photography this is our chance as photographers to observe and document the various professions that inspire us in a skilled and creative manner. Work is fundamental to all societies, but can vary widely within and between them, from gathering in natural resources by hand, to operating technologies. Floristry is a work and it is the production, commerce and trade in flowers. It encompasses flower care and handling, floral design or flower arranging, merchandising, production, display and flower delivery. Floristry concerns the cultivation of flowers as well as their arrangement, sale. Much of the raw material supplied for the floristry trade comes from the cut flowers industry. Despite the universal need for work, societies and subcultures may value work in general or specific kinds of it, very differently. When social status or virtue is strongly associated with leisure and opposed to tedium, then work itself can become indicative of low social rank and devalued. In the opposite case, a society may hold strongly to a work ethic where work itself is seen as virtuous. As you can see in the photo portrayed above the Marigold flower is very common in India. The name 'Marigold' comes from 'Mary's gold' after Mother Mary and the name used for it in many parts if India is Genda. The word 'Genda' possibly comes from the Gonda, the tribe of Chattisgarh where the flower is cultivated. In fact, Gonda even have a legend behind the origin of the flower.
'Bring on the Night' on Better Photography
The photographer is also participating in the weekly challenge 'Bring on the Night' photo contest on the same website with a photograph of a man walking at the Sri Ganganagar Rd in Bikaner, India. Night is often associated with darkness to the fear of the unknown. As a photographer he experienced that many things take place in India at this time of the hour, but also that nighttime is naturally associated with the vulnerability of the sense of the sight. Since time immemorial, the notion of the night has intrigued, amazed and bewildered humans. Throughout the ages, numerous poets, artists and writers have also romanticised the night time. This week, Better Photography would like us to discover the night in the most creative way. Night or nighttime is the period from sunset to sunrise in each 24 hours, when the Sun is below the horizon. However it can be defined differently and is subjective. Night can be defined as the time between bedtime and morning. There is no exact time for when night begins and ends. "– Night photography is something that I as photographer must photograph with when traveling in India. Whether I am taking photos with a camera during an evening out, photographing a portrait or capturing a landscape at dusk it is important to understand the basics of photographing with low light. Photography is all about light, low light photography is no different and it offers new challenges and opportunities for creativity. And I need to work out the longest shutter speed acceptable for the scene. Even tiny movements of the camera will blur objects such branches moving in a slight breeze. If the intent is to blur something such as water moving over a river in India, longer shutter speeds are not a problem and can be used for artistic effect", the Photographer says.
Better Photography is an Indian monthly photography magazine that features photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson, Kishor Parekh, Ansel Adams, Homai Vyarawalla, David Alan Harvey, S. Paul and Steve McCurry. It has annual awards namely 'Photographer of the Year', ′Wedding Photographer of the Year′, 'Young Photographer of the Year' and 'Better Photography Excellence Awards'.
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| 15 FEBRUARY 2020 |
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Street barbershop, India submitted to the 'Street: Everyday Life' photo assignment with Better Photography.
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Street: Everyday Life on Better Photography
The photographer is participating in the Tamron Challenge 2020 on Better Photography with a photograph of street barber in India. It is an incredible opportunity to exhibit ones talent in a number of categories, each with its own set of challenges. He chose the category 'Street: Everyday Life', where unique and interesting moments witnessed on the streets and together with Tamron, which is a Japanese company manufacturing photographic lenses, optical components and commercial and industrial-use optics there are prizes to win. In this photograph by Kristian Bertel an Indian barber is shaving a customer in his barbershop near the street of Anandilal P Marg in the Mahalaxmi area of Mumbai, India. Grooming for men, including face shaving, are often done by a local barber. These street barbershops can be found many places in India. Street photography is photography that features the human condition within public places and does not necessitate the presence of a street or even the urban environment. The subject of the photograph might be absent of people and can be an object or environment where the image projects a decidedly human character in facsimile or aesthetic. Street photography is more than a phrase, it is a way of seeing, a way of experiencing life and the street is a public easement, one of the few shared between all sorts of people. As a component of the built environment as ancient as human habitation, the street sustains a range of activities vital to civilization and its roles are as numerous and diverse as its ever-changing cast of characters. And as the photographer learned a street is a public thoroughfare and is usually paved in a built environment and it is also a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact and move about and a street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, but is more often paved with a hard, durable surface such as concrete, cobblestone or brick. Portions may also be smoothed with asphalt, embedded with rails or otherwise prepared to accommodate non-pedestrian traffic.
Better Photography is an Indian monthly photography magazine that features photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson, Kishor Parekh, Ansel Adams, Homai Vyarawalla, David Alan Harvey, S. Paul and Steve McCurry. It has annual awards namely 'Photographer of the Year', ′Wedding Photographer of the Year′, 'Young Photographer of the Year' and 'Better Photography Excellence Awards'.
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| 16 FEBRUARY 2015 |
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In the above photograph a man in Girgaon, India has been photographed on Blogger.
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Girgaon street portrais on Blogger
The photographer has launched a blog post about photographing in the streets of Girgaon in India. This area in Mumbai is a prominent cultural neighbourhood for Marathi people in Mumbai. Each area of Girgaon follows its own customs. Communities like the Marathi-speakers, Gujarati, Konkani, Jains, Marwaris, Christians and Hindus follow their own customs and rituals. They celebrate different festivals, follow different customs for birth, marriage, death and other important events. Therefore, while it is easy to sense that Girgaon is different from other societies, it is very difficult to define conclusively what is essentially Girgaon or to see how such a diversity of peoples and cultures can be related to one another. This is also the area in which Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated in great style. The area is filled with crowds when the Ganesh Visarjan is carried out. It is not only about Ganesh Chaturthi. Girgaon also celebrates other festivals with equal zest whether 'Diwali', 'Gokulashtami' or 'Makar Sankranti'. Many blogs provide commentary on a particular subject or topic, ranging from travel to photography. Others function as more personal online diaries or online brand advertising of a particular individual or company. A typical blog combines text, digital images and links to other blogs, web pages and other media related to its topic.
The ability of readers to leave publicly viewable comments and interact with other commenters, is an important contribution to the popularity of many blogs. Most blogs are primarily textual, although some focus on photographs. "- India is much more than colorful 'Saris' and exotic spices. Walking in the streets of Mumbai, you will see life conditions that can be hard to forgetand for me the face provides a wordless entry to the truths of the matter and perhaps to the soul", the Photographer says.
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| 2 JANUARY 2018 |
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In the above photograph a landscape in Ranakpur, India has been photographed on Better Photography.
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'Vibrant Landscapes' on Better Photography
We should as photographers expand our imagination and explore the many possibilities of photographing landscapes that are vivid and arresting. A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms and how they integrate with natural or man-made features. A landscape includes the physical elements of geophysically defined landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation. In the weekly challenge photo contest on Better Photography a photograph of a beautiful evening sunset landscape near Ranakpur in Rajasthan, India was submitted by the photographer. A village located in Desuri Tehsil near Sadri Village in the Pali district of Rajasthan, where a large percentage of the total area is desert and even though there is little forest cover, Rajasthan has a rich and varied flora and fauna. India has a vast range of landscapes, including the mountainous landscapes, vast arid desert landscapes such as one can see in Rajasthan, islands and coastal landscapes, densely forested or wooded landscapes including past boreal forests and tropical rainforests and agricultural landscapes of temperate and tropical regions. The activity of modifying the visible features of an area of land is referred to as landscaping.
Each week Better Photography, an Indian monthly photography magazine will introduce a new challenge for photographers in the form of a contest. Sometimes these may be subject or art related. At other times, technique or equipment related.
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| 5 DECEMBER 2018 |
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Young woman in Fatehpur Sikri, India submitted to the 'Beauty & Awe' photo assignment with National Geographic.
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Beauty & Awe on National Geographic
The photographer has contributed to the National Geographic Your Shot photo community with an assignment called 'Beauty & Awe' with National Geographic. The photographer chose to submit a photograph of a young woman he has photographed in India. Beauty is a characteristic of an animal, idea, object, person or place that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure or satisfaction. Beauty is studied as part of aesthetics, culture, social psychology and sociology. An 'Ideal beauty' is an entity which is admired or possesses features widely attributed to beauty in a particular culture, for perfection. The experience of 'Beauty' often involves an interpretation of some entity as being in balance and harmony with nature, which may lead to feelings of attraction and emotional well-being. Because this can be a subjective experience, it is often said that 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder'. There is evidence that perceptions of beauty are evolutionarily determined, that things, aspects of people and landscapes considered beautiful are typically found in situations likely to give enhanced survival of the perceiving human's genes.
Assignments are designed to mimic the process of being a photographer on assignment for National Geographic magazine. The editor or editors have an idea for a story they want to publish and they give the assignment to a photographer, who then goes out in the field and shoots. The photographer often brings back 10,000-plus images, only a handful of which go into the story. Throughout the experience, the editor and photographer are working together to make sure the images that come back are in line with what the editor has in mind for the story. The final selection that gets published may not include what were technically the best photos, nor the ones that the Photographer or other editors liked the most. Rather, they are the ones that the editor decided worked together to best tell the story. Editors make a subjective choice based on a lot of elements, including the technical quality, how an image portrays one aspect of a larger story and even the layout that is available on the page. When Nat Geo created this community, they wanted to get as close to that experience as possible. That is why editors post updates and notes to help guide the submissions. While Nat Geo knows every assignment is not right for every photographer, assignments are designed to challenge us and to make us step outside your comfort zone when we are shooting. National Geographic encourages us to go out and shoot new images whenever possible, rather than relying on what is already in our archive. A story is a collection of images submitted by our community and curated by a National Geographic editor and the images come from a variety of members, but they fit together to make a cohesive story.
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| 5 JULY 2016 |
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Jodhpur by night is among the many popular photos on the photographer's Facebook page, which has been appreciated by the fans.
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30,000+ and counting on Facebook
People all over the world visit Facebook to connect with friends, family and things that interest them including Kristian Bertel | Photography. The photographers page has grown steadily over the years and has now reaches the 30,000 milestone. And the photography page which primarily showcases some of his photos from India can help him market his audience for travel photography and it is a place where visitors of the page can learn about the Indian culture and portrait photography. Kristian's audience may also see the things that he has promoted in News Feed, which is the constantly updating list of stories on Facebook. And best of all, his page has gained a lot of interaction and helps people find travel related photos on Facebook on and the web. The Facebook page makes it easy for the photographer's audience to learn about his photographs and the stories from India.
Jodhpur is an historic city and the origin dates to more than 500 years back when it was founded by Rao Jodha, the Rajput chieftan of the Rathores. The Rathore kingdom was also known as the Marwar and was the largest in Rajputana. The city was built as the new capital of the state of Marwar to replace the ancient capital Mandore, the ruins of which can be seen near what is now the Mandore Gardens. The people of Jodhpur and surrounding areas are hence also commonly called as 'Marwaris'. Jodhpur is also known as the 'Blue City', an apt name as most houses in the old city are shades of blue. This is particularly noticeable on the north side of the town, known as Brahmpuri for the many 'Brahmins' that live there. The forts and palaces, temples and 'Havelis', culture and tradition, spices and fabrics as well as the color and texture, a booming handicrafts industry all add up to make this historic city worth a visit.
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| 16 JUNE 2015 |
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Man in Mumbai, India is sleeping in the Oval Maidan, which is a large recreational park in Mumbai, India.
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50 Photographs from India - BuzzFeed
Kristian Bertel has published his 4th post on BuzzFeed, this time with a selection of 50 photographs from India. In this blog post the photographer is focusing solemnly on Mumbai in India, showing a variety of scenes from this bustling city. Traditional Indian society is sometimes defined by social hierarchy. The Indian caste system embodies much of the social stratification and many of the social restrictions found in the Indian subcontinent. Social classes are defined by thousands of endogamous hereditary groups, often termed as 'Jatis', or castes. India declared untouchability to be illegal in 1947 and has since enacted other anti-discriminatory laws and social welfare initiatives. At the workplace in urban India and in international or leading Indian companies, the caste related identification has pretty much lost its importance. BuzzFeed is the social news and entertainment website, which provides the most shareable breaking news, original reporting, entertainment and video across the social web to its global audience of 100 million people.
The Oval Maidan is a large recreational ground situated in South Mumbai, India and it is so named because of its oval shape and is situated just south of Churchgate. It is a popular recreation ground, with the most popular sports played there being cricket and football. The ground measures twentytwo acres in area, where political rallies and religious functions are banned in the maidan.
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| 7 APRIL 2015 |
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Alley in Mumbai, India is a photo by the photographer, which was selected as one of the 12 best photos of the day on National Geographic Your Shot.
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Daily Dozen on National Geographic Magazine
Kristian Bertel's photo of an elderly Indian woman walking in an alley in Mumbai, has been selected and featured for the Daily Dozen on the online edition of National Geographic Magazine. Family values are important in the Indian tradition and multi-generational patriarchal joint families have been the norm in India, though nuclear families are becoming common in urban areas. An overwhelming majority of Indians, with their consent, have their marriages arranged by their parents or other family members. Every day, the National Geographic editors select their 12 favorite photos recently uploaded to 'Your Shot'. Nat Geo members of the National Geographic Your Shot photo community can then afterwards vote for their favorite photograph, which can be published in National Geographic Magazine. On the link below you can see all the daily selected photos for that day.
At Nat Geo they review every photo submitted to National Geographic's Your Shot for consideration in the Daily Dozen. This means that if we upload 15 photos to our gallery each week, those fifteen photos will all be reviewed and may be featured in the Daily Dozen. Images that were published from the Daily Dozen in National Geographic Magazine have an additional award listed under the published section below the photo. It says National Geographic Magazine and the month it was published. One can also see all images that have been published in National Geographic Magazine and the method their editors use to select photos for the Daily Dozen is called a 'Blind edit', which means that they do not see who submitted the photo until after the selection is made. Nat Geo editors may look at a few days' worth of photos to select the images featured on a particular day and they may include an image on Thursday that has been submitted on Tuesday.
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| 4 DECEMBER 2014 |
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Andheri Railway St portraiture is one of the many new photographs taken by the photographer from his latest journey to India.
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Returning from Mumbai and Maharashtra, India
Kristian Bertel have just returned from India where he has visited several photographic places in the Maharashtra province of India. Spending almost 14 days in Mumbai alone gave the photographer an insight view of the everyday life in this populated city, which some say is the home for nearly 25 million people. The photograph that you can see above is a portrait of a boy in Mumbai, who on his bare feet earned for the day by making artistic performences with his hat. For much of human history and across different cultures, children less than 17 years old have contributed to family welfare in a variety of ways. Poverty is the big cause of child labour and the photographer also notes that in rural and impoverished parts of developing and undeveloped parts of the world, children have no real and meaningful alternative. Schools and teachers are unavailable. Child labour is the unnatural result. Similarly it also conclude that poverty and inadequate public education infrastructure are some of the causes of child labour in India. Kristian is currently busy editing photos and most of his new photographs are first published on his 'Showcase of Your Shot - National Geographic Magazine' blog.
Child labour in India is when Indian children work for money, on a part or full-time basis and the practice deprives children of their childhood, and is harmful to their physical and mental development. Various things lead to children working. Poverty, lack of good schools and informal work places may be blamed. The 1998 national census of India estimated the total number of child labour, aged 4 to 15, to be at 12.6 million, out of a total child population of 253 million in 5 to 14 age group. The national census of India found the total number of child labour, aged 5 to 14, to be at 4.35 million and the total child population to be 259.64 million in that age group. The child labour problem is not unique to India and worldwide, about 217 million children work, many full-time.
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| 29 SEPTEMBER 2014 |
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Glimpse of the blue city of Jodhpur, India is portrayed by the photographer in a new blog post online.
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Today's photograph is a glimpse from Jodhpur
Jodhpur is an historic city that was built as the new capital of the state of Marwar to replace the ancient capital Mandore, the ruins of which can be seen near what is now the Mandore Gardens. The people of Jodhpur and surrounding areas are hence also commonly called as Marwaris. Jodhpur is by many travelers also known as the 'Blue City' and has its name as most houses in the old city are shades of blue. This is particularly noticeable on the north side of the town, known as 'Brahmpuri' for the many 'Brahmins' that live there.
Anyone climbing the fort Mehrangargh in the Indian city of looks into a sea of color. But the eye can not enjoy a colorful ocean, but only a single color, which is blue. It is an ancient custom in Jodhpur to paint houses blue. The city in the province of Rajasthan in the northwest of the subcontinent is therefore also nicknamed 'Blue City'. By Indian standards, Jodhpur is not a big city only about a million people live there. Some of them come from the caste of the 'Brahmins', the highest caste. It was once reserved for them to live in blue houses as a sign of their status. The dye used was indigo, which was mixed into a lime paint. In addition to its status-defining significance, the color should also have a practical use. It allegedly keeps off insects – a legend, as scientists have long since discovered. Others claim that the blue cools the houses, which is just as nonsense. For a white building throws back more of the incoming solar energy than a blue one. Blue houses, colorful details. Hardly any other country in the world is as colorful and colorful as India. Of course, this does not detract from the magic that the city of Jodhpur still exerts on its many visitors – blue, wherever you look, especially in the old town surrounded by a 10-kilometer-long wall over which the city has long outgrown. It has long been not only 'Brahmans' who paint their homes blue, but also homeowners who come from lower castes. Instead of the classic indigo dye as today copper sulfate is used, which is added to the lime paint as a dye. Traditionally, the front doors are painted in a mild shade of green, but other shades come naturally – not to mention the often red 'Saris' of women who move through the narrow streets of the old town. Jodhpur is the only place in the world known as the 'Blue City'. Again, many houses in the old town are blue – supposedly to protect you from the evil eye.
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| 30 JANUARY 2014 |
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Man in Varanasi, India is making dung of cows, which is used in Hindi religious fire 'Yajna' as an important ingredient.
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31 Pictures of Indian Culture by Kristian Bertel - BuzzFeed
Kristian Bertel has published his third post on BuzzFeed, this time with a selection of 31 pictures from India. The photo above is from Varanasi in the Uttar Pradesh state of India. The city is sacred to Hindus and Jains and also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, with settlements dating back to the 11th century BC. Many Hindus believe that dying in Varanasi brings salvation / 'Nirvana' and so they make the trip to the city when they realize that they are close to death. For some, the culture shock of the burning corpses in plain view and the feces overflowing from the Ganges can be a bit overwhelming. However, the scene of pilgrims doing their devotions in the Ganges River at sunrise set against the backdrop of the centuries old temples is probably one of the most impressive sights in the world. The city can be scorchingly hot in the summer months so, if possible, time your visit to fall between October and March and bring something warm to wear for chilly days and nights, instead. BuzzFeed is the social news and entertainment website, which provides the most shareable breaking news, original reporting, entertainment and video across the social web to its global audience of 100 million people.
'Yajna' literally means sacrifice, devotion, worship and offering and refers in Hinduism to any ritual done in front of a sacred fire, often with mantras. 'Yajna' has been a Vedic tradition, described in a layer of Vedic literature called 'Brahmanas', as well as 'Yajurveda'. The tradition has evolved from offering oblations and libations into sacred fire to symbolic offerings in the presence of sacred fire he so-called 'Agni'. 'Yajna' rituals-related texts have been called the 'Karma-kanda' which are ritual works and portion of the Vedic literature, in contrast to 'Jnana-kanda', which means knowledge and it is a portion contained in the 'Vedic Upanishads'. The proper completion of 'Yajna'-like rituals was the focus of Mimansa school of Hindu philosophy. 'Yajna' have continued to play a central role in a Hindu's rites of passage, such as weddings. Modern major Hindu temple ceremonies, Hindu community celebrations, or monastic initiations may also include 'Yajna' vedic rites, or alternatively be based on agamic rituals. 'Yajna' has been a part of an individual or social ritual since the Vedic times. When the ritual fire – the divine 'Agni', the god of fire and the messenger of gods – were deployed in a 'Yajna', mantras were chanted. The hymns and songs sung and oblations offered into the fire were a form of hospitality for the Vedic gods. The offerings were carried by 'Agni' to the gods, the gods in return were expected to grant boons and benedictions and thus the ritual served as a means of spiritual exchange between gods and human beings.
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| 3 FEBRUARY 2014 |
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Rajasthani man in Pushkar, India photographed at the Main Marget Rd in the evening by the photographer.
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Culture of Rajasthan, India | A Photographer's Journey
Kristian is featured in a photo blog post on the travel site The Culture Trip with an article about Rajasthan. Rajasthan, the land of kings in the northwest of India, is the largest state in the Republic of India by area. Rajasthan is famously known as the land of the Maharajas, where forts and palaces still remain as a mark of the royal lifestyle of the Maharajas. This desert landscaping province is culturally rich and has artistic and cultural traditions which reflect the ancient Indian way of life. The Culture Trip showcases the best art, culture, food and travel for every country in the world. They are passionate about bringing you compelling content, curated by a global community of writers, videographers and photographers. In just a few years, their audience has grown to more than 3 million monthly readers and nearly 1 million social media followers.
Pushkar is a small, picturesque place full of old 'Havelīs' on the edge of a sacred lake, which is walled in on all sides with 'Ghats'. Unfortunately, the ecological depletion of the last decade has completely dried up this lake and so the 'Ghaṭs', with all their small and large temples, seem sad and abandoned. The religious business still takes place, however, as soon to be told. Among all the holy cities of India in Puṣkar a strange loner, since here neither Śiva nor Viṣṇu are worshiped, but the otherwise neglected Brahma. This creator god is formally the third in the league of Trimurti, the Hindu "Trinity", but in religious practice, he hardly plays a role. Brahma temples are rare in India and here in Puṣhkar, people even think that there is no second in the world.
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| 15 JANUARY 2014 |
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Man in Varanasi, India waiting for the train at the Varanasi Junction is one of the photographs in the slideshow.
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Akshayapatra - Kristian Bertel | Photography
Kristian Bertel | Photography is now presenting his new slideshow called 'Akshayapatra'. From the blue city of Jodhpur to the streets of Delhi in India, see these pictures from India by the photographer. A slideshow may be a presentation of images purely for their own visual interest or artistic value, sometimes unaccompanied by description or text or it may be used to clarify or reinforce information, ideas, comments, solutions or suggestions which are presented verbally. Slideshows are sometimes still conducted by a presenter, just like the Photographer.
Many consider it the most Indian of all Indian sites, the spiritual heart of the land, Varanasi, the holy city on the banks of the Ganga. Almost everyone has heard of the famous combustion ghats, to which many 'Sadhus' make pilgrimages, to burn themselves after their death, and to scatter the ashes into the river. The Ganga shore is paved with 'Ghats' and temples for miles and offers an overwhelming sight, especially if you take the boat one morning to the sacred river. Here you can observe Indians, as they donate on the shore victims or undergo a whole body wash – not for people with sensitive skin, because the water quality makes your hair stand on mountains. The balance between religiosity and commerce is not without its problems. Tourism, especially the domestic one, is an important economic sector, without which urban management would probably no longer be possible. Although the center around the Dasaswamedh Ghaṭ already makes quite a fairground impression, other places are only filled with Indian tradition, especially the picturesque old town has hardly changed for many years and is populated mainly by two species, Indians and sacred cows. Varanasi, also called 'Banares' in older texts and 'Kasi' in even older ones, is a single, huge Siva sanctuary and every few meters one encounters a temple, a small shrine or even a 'Sivalingam', whose flower decorations are a few hungry sacred cows attracts. Most temples are of simple architecture and are hardly worth a closer visit, but near the Lalita Ghaṭ is the interesting Sri Pasupatinath Nepali Mandir, which looks like freshly transplanted here from Nepal. His name refers to the famous Siva Temple in the Nepalese Pasupatinath. There are also combustion 'Ghats' there, albeit on a much smaller scale. The largest incinerator in Varanasi is Maamikarnika Ghat in close proximity to my accommodation. It is burned 24 hours a day, with the expensive wood carefully weighed and sold at the kilo price. After setting up the pyre, the Brahmaṇe brings fire from an 'Eternal flame' in a temple and sets fire to the pile.
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| 10 JANUARY 2014 |
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Rajasthani woman in Pushkar, India is among the photos published in the International Traveller Magazine.
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Published in the International Traveller Magazine
Kristian Bertel's photos and photographic work has been published in the January/February 2014 issue of the International Traveller Magazine, a magazine published by Australian Traveller Media. International Traveller Magazine is a magazine for Australians heading overseas, using the same values of quality editorial and independent reviews that made the original Australian Traveller Magazine the most trusted travel magazine in Australia.
Pushkar is a traveler's paradise with a long tradition and that has experience, light and dark sides. The hotel offer is huge and excellent value for money and the cityscape near the 'Ghats' is dominated by souvenir shops and tourist pubs that offer everything a traveler's heart could desire. On the other hand, the rogue is also at home here, in a particularly hypocritical way the 'Puskar passport'. The idea behind this is that everyone must go through a kind of initiation procedure on their first visit to Puṣhkar and the 'Brahmans' are careful that nobody can escape this ritual and the subsequent donation. Actually, it should take place on the main 'Ghat' right on the water of the lake. Of necessity, during this period of drought, it had to be relocated to a small basin. There, we were separated "- Karma is separate, Sir!". And each one brawled by a 'Brahman', had to endure the ritual with flowers, color powder and a coconut on us and repeat for minutes a mantra that was designed in the form of a form: It contained gaps into which we then had to insert the names of all those family members who were to be included in the blessings of these ceremonies.
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| 19 DECEMBER 2013 |
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Woman in Varanasi, India, a photo taken by the photographer in Uttar Pradesh, India is among the many photos in the slideshow.
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Raveendhran slideshow is now online
Kristian Bertel | Photography is presenting his new slideshow called 'Raveendhran'. The slideshow is focusing on India's culture and heritage, which both are a rich amalgam of the past and the present. This vast country offers the visitor a view of fascinating religions and ethnography, a vast variety of languages with more than 438 living languages and monuments that have been present for thousands of years. As it opens up to a globalised world, India still has a depth of history and intensity of culture that awes and fascinates the many who visit there. Despite the weakening of the caste system, which has officially been outlawed by the Indian government, India remains a fairly stratified society. Indians care more about a person's background and position in society than is the norm in the individualist West. This attitude, when combined with the legacy of colonial rule, results in some rather interesting, if unfortunate consequences. People with white skin are placed high on the societal totem pole and they may find that Indians are obsequious towards them to the point of embarrassment. People with dark skin, however may find that they are discriminated against. If it is any consolation, Indians display similar prejudices based on skin color and ethnicity among themselves and not just towards foreigners.
The ash lands in the Ganga and aggravates their ecological crisis and individual unburned pieces of wood are taken away by the relatives to be ceremonially burned in the family's family hearth. All this takes place in a fascinating calm and dignity. Less quiet scenes take place at the center of the 'Ghaṭs'. The main 'Ghaṭ' is called 'Dasaswamedh Ghat' or the 'Tenhorse Sacrifice Ghat'. The 'Asvamedha' or horse sacrifice is the most famous and complicated of all Vedic rituals, but no king has ever sacrificed 10 horses and the 'Ghaṭ' owes its name to a legendary sacrifice, performed by none other than Brahma himself. During the day, souvenir dealers, masseurs, boaters, 'Sadhus' and other 'Naysayers' do business and in the evenings a colorful spiritual dance and fire show 'Ganga Arti' is offered. This 'Agni puja' according to the Manikarnika Ghat is the most impressive thing one can see in Varaṇasi. A long line of dancers, accompanied by deafening music, perform synchronous movements, swinging incense sticks, torches, burning lingams and smoking censers through the air. The whole thing takes place right on the shore and you can watch it at will from the mainland or from the boat. The rowboats on the river, the colorfully dressed and effectively illuminated dancers and the breathless, astonished masses on the steps create an unforgettable atmosphere.
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| 5 DECEMBER 2013 |
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An elderly woman in the Karni Mata Temple in Deshnok, India.
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Announcing the Ashanka slideshow
A new slideshow is now online on Kristian Bertel | Photography. India is characterized by a diversity of religious beliefs and practices. India is the birthplace of 4 of the world's major religions namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism. Throughout India's history, religion has been an important part of the country's culture. A slideshow is a presentation of a series of still images on a projection screen or electronic display device, typically in a prearranged sequence. The changes may be automatic and at regular intervals or they may be manually controlled by a presenter or the viewer. Slideshows originally consisted of a series of individual photographic slides projected onto a screen with a slide projector. When referring to the video or computer-based visual equivalent, in which the slides are not individual physical objects, the term is often written as one word, slideshow.
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| 11 NOVEMBER 2013 |
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Varanasi, formerly known as Benares, is one of India's oldest cities and is one of the holiest cities of the Hindus.
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Today's photograph is from Varanasi, India
The photograph of an Indian man is photographed by Kristian Bertel in Varanasi, India. India is also a country of numerous rivers. Several of them are traditionally considered holy, but especially the Ganges, locally known as 'Ganga', which brings life to the Indian Plains, India's breadbasket and is not just an impressive body of water but a centre of ritual ablutions, prayer and cremation. There are several holy cities along the river that have many temples, but they are often less places of pilgrimage to specific temples than holy cities whose temples have grown because of the 'Ghats', which are steps leading down to the holy river and most interesting to visit for the overall experience of observing or partaking in the way of life and death along the river. Foremost among these holy cities is Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, where some 5,000-year-old rituals are still practiced, other cities worth visiting to experience the Ganges include Rishikesh and Haridwar, much further upstream. Please like Kristian Bertel | Photography on Facebook to stay updated with his latest travels, news and photography.
Varanasi, formerly known as 'Benares', is one of India's oldest cities and is one of the holiest cities of the Hindus. The city is one of the main tourist attractions, many travelers depend on here. Varanasi is overwhelming not only for newcomers to India because of its unique atmosphere. The narrow streets of the old town with its sometimes obtrusive salesmen can be seen along with the dead being carried to the burnt 'Ghat', the many cows in the lanes plus their heaps. Along the Ganges are numerous 'Ghats', which are wide stairs that go down into the river. At these 'Ghats' are platforms where believers pray, others at which corpses are burned, places where the scrubbers do their work and in between pilgrims who take a bath in the Ganges or perform Hindu rituals with the 'Brahmins'. It is best to take a rowing boat and row along the ghats for a while, ideal for this is the early morning. In the evening, some 'Ghats' perform 'Pujas', where non-Hindus are allowed to watch.
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| 30 AUGUST 2013 |
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With almost 17 million inhabitants Uttar Pradesh is the most populated state of India also here in Varanasi, where this portrait was taken.
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Introducing the archive stories
Web archiving is the process of collecting portions of the World Wide Web and ensuring the collection is preserved in an archive, such as an archive site, for future researchers, historians and the public. The photographer's images have a story behind them, images that all are taken from around India throughout his photo journeys. The archive photographs delves into Kristian's personal Archive to reveal never-before-seen, including portraits and landscapes beautifully produced snapshots from various travel assignments. The archive is so-far organized into many photo stories, each brought to life by narrative text and full-color photos. Together, these fascinating stories tell a story about the life in India. India, the motherland to many people around the world, a land of unforgetable travel moments and the archive takes viewers on a spectacular visual journey through some of the most stunning photographs to be found in the photographer's Archive collection. The photographer culled the images to reflect the many variations on the universal theme of beauty and everyday life in India and by adding these stories the photographer's work might immensely enhanced the understanding of the photographs.
With almost 17 million inhabitants Uttar Pradesh is the most populated state of India. Since 1999, when the mountainous area in the northwest of Uttar Pradesh was separated as a new state of Uttarakha, the state consists only of the fertile Ganga and Yamuna plains and the south following drier hill country. Despite a number of big cities, the country is very agrarian oriented and rather backward. The country is equally influenced by Hindu and Islamic culture. The important Hindu pilgrimage town of Varanasi, Agra, is the seat of the Moġul dynasty. These and other places attract a large number of domestic and foreign tourists.
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| 20 AUGUST 2013 |
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Indian girl in the Great Indian Desert, India is one of the photographer's many photographs posted on Facebook.
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Facebook page has received ♥ ♥ ♥ 20,000 ♥ ♥ ♥
Kristian has through a two-year period received 20,000 likes on his photography page on Facebook. Since he started his photography page on Facebook, the photos have been in focus. Along with his comprehensive amount of daily photo tips, the page is now also presented with more stories from India! The Facebook community is a good way for valuable feedback and it is a great showcase platform for photographers. Kristian Bertel | Photography is in your News Feed if you have liked the page. The photography page highlights information that includes new photos, photo tips among other updates. News Feed also shows conversations taking place between the photographers photos.
In recent centuries Rajasthan has been fragmented into a large number of small principalities and city-states. Their Maharajas were in constant competition with each other, which was initially warlike, later carried out by excessive representation in the fields of architecture and court life. On the one hand, this development caused an impoverishment of the country, on the other hand Rajasthan is literally peppered with palaces and castles, which can be marketed excellently for tourism. Accordingly, Rajasthan attracts more foreign tourists than any other state.
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| 11 AUGUST 2013 |
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Man in Udaipur, a city that is still one of the most beautiful cities in India and one can look in the rest of Rajasthan in vain for a similar city.
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Today's photograph is from Udaipur, India
The photograph of a man in India is taken a late afternoon by Kristian Bertel in Udaipur, India. The city of Udaipur is also sometimes called 'The City of Lakes'. Udaipur has received a rich cultural heritage from the bygone ages. The lakes, temples, huge forts and palaces boast about the rich legacy of this city. The city has kept a balance between preserving the rituals and traditions of the past while keeping up with the modern advancements and changes in lifestyle. Like any other place in the state of Rajasthan, folk dance and music have an important place in adding to the city's cultural richness. The dynamic and vibrant dances of Bhavai, Ghoomar, Kachchhi Ghodi, Kalbeliya and Terahtaali add a sparkle to the rich cultural heritage of Udaipur. Please follow Kristian Bertel on Twitter to stay updated with his latest news.
Udaipur, the former capital of Mewar was founded in 1567 southwest of the old royal city of Chittorgarh. The city owes its title 'Venice of the East' to its location on the shores of two lakes – Lake Pichola and Fateh Sagar. Surrounded by the gentle hills of the Aravalli Mountains Udaipur is still one of the most beautiful cities in India and you look in the rest of Rajasthans in vain for a similar city. Numerous artists were and still are inspired by Udaipur's romance. The old town, which is grouped around the city palace, is a labyrinth of small streets and winding streets. Unexpectedly you suddenly stand in front of a magnificent 'Haveli' or a decorated temple. Udaipur's glorious past seems just a blink of an eye away.
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| 31 JULY 2013 |
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The photograph of a sikh is taken by Kristian Bertel in an alley in Delhi, India.
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Today's photograph is from Delhi, India
The photograph of a sikh is taken by Kristian Bertel in an alley in Delhi, India. More than half of the population of Delhi lives in slums and unauthorised colonies, leaving only 25 percent people in planned areas. Delhi has the second largest slum population after Mumbai in India. Many of the slums in Delhi are denied even the basic services. The majority of the slums do not have even basic facilities like running water and electricity. Almost 55 percent uses community toilets which are very dirty and due to this many communicable diseases arise from the area and spread out. Please follow Kristian Bertel on Twitter to stay updated with his latest news.
Delhi is a city in India. Actually, the National Capital Territory consists of three cities – Delhi, the old mogul city, New Delhi, created in 1920 by the British colonialists and Delhi Cantonment. Generally, all of this is summarized under Delhi or 'Greater Capital Area'. The entire 'Greater Capital Area' is under central government administration, so it does not belong to a federal state. Some of the suburbs are already in the neighboring states of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, but are still attributed to Delhi city.
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| 14 JUNE 2013 |
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Woman in a light blue 'Sari' is among the 12 Rajasthan photographs from India that the photographer is displaying in an encyclopedia.
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People of Rajasthan::Rajasthan
Kristian has contributed to the Indian encyclopedia eSamskriti, where he showcases 12 selected photos which depict people of Rajasthan. The site seeks to provide its viewers with a deeper understanding of India, Indians and all things Indian. In the photo gallery people can take a virtual tour across the wondrous beauty, cultural richness and historical splendour of India. For travelers it seeks to capture India for eternity. In this way eSamskriti hopes to reconnect Indians with their country's heritage. Contrary to common perception, a large percentage of women in India work. However, there are far fewer women than men in the paid workforce. In urban India, women participate in the workforce in impressive numbers. The woman in the picture is wearing a light blue 'Sari'. Red is most favored color for wedding 'Saris' and are traditional garment choice for brides in Indian culture. Women traditionally wore various types of regional handloom 'Sarees' made of silk, cotton, ikkat, block-print, embroidery and tie-dye textiles. Most sought after brocade silk 'Sarees' are 'Banasari', 'Kanchipuram', 'Paithani', 'Mysore', 'Uppada', 'Bagalpuri', 'Balchuri', 'Maheshwari', 'Chanderi', 'Mekhela', 'Ghicha', 'Narayan pet' and 'Eri' and son on are traditionally worn for festive and formal occasions.
In Pushkar one can find the Brahman temple, which can be reached via steep steps and throughout the day the scene of a cheerful religious activity with wonderful views of the lake, the city and the surrounding desert, which has undergone a noticeable green tinge for seasonal reasons. A lower hill just behind the bus station bears the Gayatri Temple dedicated to Pap Mocni Mandir. During the ascent, he saw some wild peacocks strutting along the streets and rolling around in the adjoining gardens.
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| 19 MARCH 2013 |
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Buses are an important means of public transport in India and in this photograph a woman is waiting for the bus in Pushkar, India.
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Kristian Bertel joins Colourbox as a supplier
Kristian's images are now also shown on Colourbox, a stock photo company in Denmark. Cotton was domesticated in India by 4,000 years ago. Traditional Indian dress varies in color and style across regions and depends on various factors, including climate and faith. Popular styles of dress include draped garments such as the 'Sari' for women and the 'Dhoti' or 'Lungi' for men. Stitched clothes, such as the 'Shalwar kameez' for women and 'Kurta-pyjama' combinations or European-style trousers and shirts for men, are also popular. Use of delicate jewellery, modelled on real flowers worn in ancient India, is part of a tradition dating back some 5,000 years gemstones are also worn in India as talismans. At Colourbox they do their best to make it as easy as possible for their customers to find and download royalty-free materials. They offer 5 million+ images and videos which can be used worldwide, online and offline. Once an image has been used in a creative design or product, the usage right never expires. Customers can buy just one single download or they can choose one of our subscriptions if they have bigger image needs.
Buses are an important means of public transport in India. Due to this social significance, urban bus transport is often owned and operated by public agencies and most state governments operate bus services through a State Road Transport Corporation. These corporations have proven extremely useful in connecting villages and towns across the country. Alongside the public companies are many private bus fleets. 2012, there were 131,800 publicly owned buses in India, but 1,544,700 buses owned by private companies. However, the share of buses is negligible in most Indian cities as compared to personalised vehicles and two-wheelers and cars account for more than 80 percent of the vehicle population in most large cities. Many Indian states government have their own fleet of buses which are run under their State Transport Department.
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| 8 JANUARY 2013 |
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Man in Jaisalmer, India, a photo by the photographer participates in the contest.
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Wire India - Photo competition
Kristian participates in Wire India's photo competition with a photo from Jaisalmer. Wire India is a London and Jaipur based travel company, designing opulent adventures in Rajasthan, Delhi, Agra and Varanasi and the winner of Wire India's photo competition will get an incredible 14-day luxury adventure tour in India. And on top of that, when you share a link to this competition or share an entry via Facebook, Twitter or Google+, it counts towards a donation to children's literacy charity Katha Children's Trust. Katha is a a children's literacy charity providing low-cost reading materials and educational support to underprivileged communities throughout India. So see the photo and start voting.
Rajasthan is the largest state of India and consists mostly of flat to slightly hilly desert land, but towards the southeast it is mountainous and slightly humid. Nevertheless, the state is hardly industrialized but largely agrarian. As agriculture yields only poor yields, Rajasthan is one of the poorest and most backward areas of India. Most inhabitants have one of the many barely understandable dialects of the Rajasthani group as their mother tongue, but in traffic and administration only Hindi is used. This factor, in addition to the widespread neglect of girls' education and low urbanization, contributes to the low literacy rate.
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| 7 DECEMBER 2012 |
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Dasaswamedh Ghat in Varanasi, India is among the many photos by the photographer showcased on a blog.
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Your Shot - National Geographic Magazine
My photos to 'Your Shot' in National Geographic Magazine are now showcased on my blog, where the photos are shown in a large format. In the photo above the daily life puzzles at the Dasaswamedh Ghat in Varanasi, India and it is one of the oldest and the holiest 'Ghats' of Varanasi. The photo above can be seen in rich detail on my blog.
Like Madhya Pradesh and Bihar, Uttar Pradesh belongs to the 'Cow belt', the area in northern India where the worship of the sacred cows is very important. However, the cows are not simply left to themselves and they are used as draft animals, milk is traded on the market, 'Ghee' is used in incineration, for temple lights or as an ingredient in many foods and cow dung is not just fuel in the market 'Tandoori' oven, but also serves for plastering and insulation of huts. But meat and leather are taboo. Therefore, when visiting a Hindu temple, please do not wear leather shoes and often leather belts are frowned upon. Before entering a temple but any footwear is undress anyway and before some of the belt.
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| 13 NOVEMBER 2012 |
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Most Indian women prefer wearing either gold or glass bangles or combination of both as in this photograph of from Mandawa, India.
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INDIA - Portraits of People - Interview
Mandawa is a town in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan in India. It is part of Shekhawati region. Rajasthan, recognized by its royal heritage is a prominent and well-established craft industry. Craft remains a tradition in Rajasthan, preserved over centuries by the stronghold of the royal Rajput family. Within the craft industry are smaller occupations. These include, fabric colouration and embellishment, decorative painting and puppetry. Craft workers see this not as an occupation, but rather a mark of respect to their heritage. In the process of fabric colouration, woven fabrics are treated by methods such as tie-dyeing, resist dyeing and direct application. The dupatta worn by women show the popularity of dyeing. In 2008, traditional Jodhpur garments inspired designer Raghavendra Rathore's collection, Rathore Jodhpur. Fabric dyeing belongs to the 'Chippa caste' of Rajasthan. Fabrics are embellished with mirror embroidery, symbolic to Rajasthan and wooden beading once dyed. The trend of mirror embroidery is also visible on 'Dupattas' in Punjab, known as the 'Phulkari'. Decorative patterns adorn all surfaces in Rajasthan. Interiors of homes are painted with floral motifs, similar bindi, dotted designs are seen on garments and the clipped camel is unique to Rajasthan. In this, patterns are imprinted on the hide of the camel, taken place during the Pushkar and Nagaur festivals by the Rabari caste. Kristian's images have been shown as photo essays online documenting many aspects of the daily life particularly in India and he shares his thoughts on Portrait photography in this interview.
Mandawa, located directly on the famous Silk Road, used to be a major trading city. In the small town of Mandawa, about 260 kilometer west of Delhi, are some of the most beautiful 'Haveli' houses. These houses were formerly built and inhabited by rich merchant families. The small and quite run-down city is best left to a leader. Bangles made from sea shell, copper, bronze, gold, agate, chalcedony and so on have been excavated from multiple archaeological sites throughout India. A figurine of a dancing girl wearing bangles on her left arm has been excavated. Bangles are part of traditional Indian jewellery. They are usually worn in pairs by women, one or more on each arm. Most Indian women prefer wearing either gold or glass bangles or combination of both. Inexpensive bangles made from plastic are slowly replacing those made by glass, but the ones made of glass are still preferred at traditional occasions such as marriages and on festivals.
The designs range from simple to intricate handmade designs, often studded with precious and semi-precious stones such as diamonds, gems and pearls. Sets of expensive bangles made of gold and silver make a jingling sound. The imitation jewellery tends to make a tinny sound when jingled. One factor that adds to the price of the bangles is the artifacts or the work done further on the metal. This includes embroidery or small glass pieces or paintings or even small hangings that are attached to the bangles. The rareness of a color and its unique value also increase the value. Bangles made from lac are one of the oldest types and among the most brittle. Lac is a resinous material, secreted by insects, which is collected and molded in hot kilns to make these bangles. Among the recent kinds are rubber bangles, worn more like a wrist band by youngsters and plastic ones which add a trendy look. Normally, a bangle worn by people around the world is simply an inflexible piece of jewelry worn around the wrist. However, in many cultures, especially in the South Asia, bangles have evolved into various types in which different ones are used at different occasions.
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| 26 OCTOBER 2012 |
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The photographer has donated three of his photographs from India to LittleBigHelp's Charity Gala in 2012.
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Donation to LittleBigHelp
The photographer has donated three of his photographs from India to LittleBigHelp's important, life-affirming and festive Charity Gala. They were very much looking forward to see all the familiar faces and welcoming all of you who have become part of the LittleBigHelp family through the years. It will be a meaningful evening in a festive setting, filled with music, fine food, entertainment, a magnificent auction and lots of good company – an evening people will not want to miss. The special atmosphere of the evening is also nicely supported by the fact that everyone on stage performs free of charge to support the collection.
LittleBigHelp was founded in 2010 by Lisbeth Johansen. Giving up a career as a hotel sales director, Lisbeth decided to pursue her dream of helping people in India who do not have access to the same human rights, healthcare and educational opportunities as in developed countries. Several years of traveling and volunteering in India gave her the insight she needed into the complex Indian culture and socio-economic challenges to start LittleBigHelp in Kolkata, West Bengal. Their strategy for helping others has changed over the years from mainly responding to the direct consequences of poverty to focusing on sustainable preventative work. Working from the belief that empowering individuals will help break the cycle of poverty, they give people the support, skills and tools they need to create a brighter future for themselves, their family and their community. It is our belief that the benefits will ripple down generations and have a lasting impact. The support and involvement of local communities is detrimental to the success of our work and without their Kolkata team members' invaluable knowledge about local conditions, culture and challenges, they would not be able to fully understand the struggles of people living in these conditions.
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| 6 SEPTEMBER 2012 |
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A photograph of a couple of Indian schoolchildren in Jaisalmer, India has been submitted to National Geographic Nordic.
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Jaisalmer Billede | National Geographic
Every month National Geographic Nordic runs their monthly photo competition. The winner gets their picture in National Geographic and receives a beautiful certificate. This month Kristian has submitted his photo of Indian schoolchildren in Jaisalmer. "- When I was browsing through my photo set of Jaisalmer, I suddenly stopped at the photo showing the intimacy of this everyday life moment, where two Indian schoolchildren are walking in an alley of Jaisalmer. At first, I thought about cropping the photo because there was much space above the children. But I decided to keep the photo uncropped, in order to give the impression, that the children are a small intimate group in the surroundings", the photographer says.
The enchanting Jaisalmer that nestles around a castle that towers on the far and wide single hill and is made entirely of golden sandstone, which is why it is called 'Golden City' in all tourist guides. This actually quite remote place in the middle of the desert is one of the tourist centers in Rajasthan. The fact that people come here in droves, of course, has its good reasons. The cityscape is still traditional for a good part, with golden 'Havelīs' everywhere, often with magnificent decorations whose flat roofs seem to glow in the evening sun. By the way, the heat is almost beyond what humans can reasonably endure and so we have refrained from riding in the desert with a camel and these so-called 'Camel safaris' are actually the tourist hustlers here, but even the The most persistent camel-boar even realize that the season is not suitable for outdoor activities. One just can not stand it outdoors for more than a few hours. But even beyond the humpback animals one can do a lot in Jaisalmer. Some of the largest 'Havelis' are open to visitors. These magnificent and representative buildings belonged to merchant families and the largest of them make many Maharaja palaces look small. It is easy to imagine how half-world merchandise changed hands in the richly decorated business premises. Jaisalmer was on an important caravan route from India to Central Asia and the transit of goods gave the city a steady income. The most beautiful is probably the Salam Simh ki Haveli, whose ornate roof structure dominates the city and offers an overwhelming view. Sri Rishabdevaji ka Mandir and the Rishabdev Jain Temple in Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan, India.
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| 22 AUGUST 2012 |
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An Indian man takes a walk in Jaisalmer, India which is very much a tourist town, with a population of about 80,000.
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Jaisalmer Photo - Focal Press Photography Contest
Kristian is participating in the Focal Press Photography Contest with a photo from Jaisalmer. Unlike Jaipur and Jodhpur, with populations in the millions, Jaisalmer is very much a tourist town, with a population of about 80,000. In fact, a significant portion of the population is only there in the tourist season, 4 months out of the year. The rest of the time they go off to find work in larger towns in Rajasthan. Thus you can expect to see that the inhabitants are very intent on selling you things. As anywhere in India, try to stay calm and not get irritated, as getting angry never helps the situation. Keep in mind that they can also be extremely friendly, chatty and genuinely helpful, so be positive when in the city and have a good time. The theme for the August contest is 'Travel' sponsored by Focus On Travel Photography by Haje Jan Kamps, a professional photographer and freelance writer living in the UK. Haje has written all kinds of photography books.
A short walk from the Old Town through the noisy New Town to a small lake, the Gaḍisar Talav. There you can not only admire some temples and sail with a boat to small islets in the lake, but also observe animal-loving Indians, how they pamper the local wildlife. Although pigeon and duck-feeding pensioners also exist in other parks in the world, Ga amisar Talav has even become accustomed to catfish. As soon as someone throws something edible into the water, an indescribable ball of slippery fish and wide-open, greedy mouths forms. What else the photographer did in Jaisalmer is quickly told, bought souvenirs. Many dealers reside in beautiful old 'Havelis', bargaining and drinking tea.
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| 20 AUGUST 2012 |
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An Indian girl is looking out a bus window in Udaipur, India.
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Udaipur Billede | National Geographic
The photographer is honored to be among the finalist in the monthly National Geographic Nordic photo contest with a picture from Udaipur. Udaipur, with its picturesque landscape, lakes and historic palaces and architecture, is a major destination for most tourists, both domestic and foreign nationals visiting the state. With numerous hotels to serve visiting tourists, Udaipur is home to some of the world's most renowned and the country's best luxury hotels and resorts. With various other renowned hotel chains present in the city, the tourism sector has been a fairly large contributor to the economic growth and fame of Udaipur. The winner gets their picture in National Geographic and receives a beautiful certificate.
Founded by Maharana Udai Singh, Udaipur is the jewel of Mewar, a kingdom ruled by the dynasty of sisodias for more than 1,200 years. After a devastating war with the Mughal rulers, they had to abandon their old capital Chittorgarh because of their unfavorable situation and decided to settle further south in the protective Aravalli Mountains. On the advice of a sage, they laid the foundation stone for their new capital on the shores of Lake Pichola. The new city got the name of its founder Udai Singh. Formerly Udaipur was protected by a city wall which was built around the city ring-shaped and had 11 city gates and a fortification. From the wall today only a few sections and 8 of the former 11 city gates, which are now protected as monuments left. However, the city has long overgrown its former limit and today has about 350,000 inhabitants. To ensure the optimal water supply of their subjects, the rulers of Udaipur built a sophisticated dam and canal system. This created today's cityscape with the large upper reservoir Fateh Sagar and the connecting lakes Swaroop Sagar and Rang Sagar. Connected by locks and channels, the water level of Lake Pichola is thus kept constant and water supply to the population is ensured. Udaipur is famous all over the world, mainly thanks to the summer palace Jag Niwas or Lake Palace, which was built on an island in Lake Pichola and served as a summer residence for the kings. After the former rulers of Rajasthan had to surrender their titles and privileges, Lake Palace was leased to the prominent hotel chain Taj Group and expanded into a luxury hotel.
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| 23 APRIL 2012 |
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A cow passes by a small group of Indian children in Delhi, India, a photo that is participating in the Traveler Photo Contest on National Geographic.
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Delhi Picture - Traveler Photo Contest 2012 - National Geographic
Kristian participates in the 24th annual National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest with a picture from Delhi. Last year nearly 13,000 images were submitted from all over the world. The pictures captured an assortment of the places, wildlife and people that make traveling memorable, evoking a sense of delight, discovery or both. Delhi Picture is submitted in the category 'Sense of Place'. Much of Delhi is quite pedestrian-hostile. Distances are long, road signage is poor and in the more tourist oriented areas, you will be constantly accosted by beggars and touts. Crossing roads often involves wading across multiple lanes of heavy traffic. Try your best to move in a predictable straight line, so vehicles can weave around you. Better yet, latch onto a group of locals and cross in their shadow.
In addition to the general health advice for India is especially for Delhi and do not drink tap water is often offered to guests in restaurants and private homes to welcome, not even brushing your teeth. The water quality is usually so bad that there is a risk of hepatitis or gastrointestinal complaints can occur and it is also advisable to abstain from unpasteurized milk, ice cubes, unsealed mineral waters, uncooked vegetables and unpeeled fruit. If you are staying in Delhi for a long time, buying a good water filter is a good idea, but it does not reliably protect you from the detrimental consequences of poor water quality. As a relatively safe culinary preparations may apply due to the heat application, 'Dal' which are a lentils and bean dish, 'Aloo mater' which is a potato dish with peas and so on. Also tea can be counted among the safe drinks only with pasteurized milk, as well as sealed 'Kinley' mineral water or the national 'Bisleri' mineral water and fruit drinks such as 'Frooti'.
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| 6 MARCH 2012 |
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Photo of a boy in Delhi, India is among the many photos by the photographer on TotallyCoolPix.
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In The Picture >> TotallyCoolPix
Kristian is displaying 15 selected photos from his Indian series in a feature on TotallyCoolPix. In The Picture category gives photographers with a passion the opportunity to showcase their work to thousands around the globe. Many of the photos that are presented in the blog post are from Rajasthan. This region has some of the country's most popular destinations. In Rajasthan, the desert forts of Jaisalmer and the magnificent sand-dunes evoke all the romance and splendour of its princely past. Most people speak Rajasthani dialects, Hindi and sometimes broken English. In tourist places like Jaipur and Jodhpur, you will find trained English and French guides too. You may not be able to understand some people due to the dialect that they speak and at times, they may add words from these dialects while speaking Hindi. This does not mean that they are unable to understand you. In Rajasthan, Hindi is universally understood whereas English is spoken among the educated. Bear in mind that Rajasthani languages are more likely to be spoken by older people rather than younger people.
Especially in Delhi there has been a recent increase in sexual assault on foreign women. Under no circumstances should women move anywhere on the street after about 9.00 pm to 10.00 pm alone without male attendants. Buses and taxis are not safe either. It is best always to write down the license plate in front of the taxi driver and notify a friend or acquaintance by telephone message or telephone. Although there are already many women in Delhi who have swapped the sari for jeans and shirt, you still rarely see up to no women in shorts, mini skirts or tank tops, which certainly has its reasons. Since you as a tourist already noticed, one should not additionally dress according to Indian opinion provocative and so perhaps with the clothes unintentionally send out signals that can be misunderstood by Indian men. Road traffic is a particular danger in the Road Death Capital of the World, which should be treated with respect.
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| 25 FEBRUARY 2012 |
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Ranakpur shepherd in Rajasthan, a photo by the photographer that made it as photo of the day on Light & Composition.
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Photo of the Day | February 25 | Light & Composition Magazine
Kristian's photo of a Ranukpur shepherd has been selected as photo of the day on Light & Composition Magazine. Ranakpur is a small village, and there are no rickshaws or taxis touting to take you around. Near the Ranakpur temple, you can hire a private car to take you to hotels in and around the village. Most tourists make Ranakpur a stop on a day trip from Udaipur, although there are a number of nice hotels nearby. Light & Composition is a photography magazine that aims to steer people towards the true essence of photography. With nearly a million subscriptions, it is the most widely read magazine in the field of art, photography and adventure travel.
Raṇakpur is somehow something out of the ordinary. It is not a city, not even a village, but the name really refers only to a wilderness temple, the attached administration building and the bus station with a tea and snack stall. It is all in the mountainous south of Rajasthan, north of Udaipur and pretty much at the bottom of the world. The barren hills are inhabited, but most of the time one sees only individual clay-and-stone huts, whose inhabitants try to harvest low-yielding crops and spend most of the day looking for firewood. About 3 kilometers north of the temple you will actually find a collection of hotels, unfortunately not necessarily the cheap kind and a few kilometers away is a larger village. Overall, however, the impression of extensive seclusion remains, which makes the wonder of Raṇakpur temple all the more amazing.
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| 11 JUNE 2011 |
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Girl in Pushkar, India made it as photo of the day on Photoburst, which is a daily photo competition online.
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Selected as Photo of the day on Photoburst
Kristian's photo of a girl in Pushkar has been published to Photoburst, which once was a daily travel photography contest. Pushkar is a holy town in the state of Rajasthan famous for the Pushkar Lake, various 'Ghats' and temples spread all around the lake. The word 'Pushkar' means lotus flower, which is said to be the seat of Brahma, one of the Hindu holy trinity, who is worshipped as the creator of this world. The legend has it that the demon Vajra Nabha killed Brahma's children, he in turn struck him with his weapon, a lotus flower. Vajra Nabha died with the impact and the petals of the lotus fell at three places. One of them is Pushkar, where it gave birth to a lake. Brahma is supposed to have performed sacrifice at this lake on 'Kartik Purnima', which is the full moon day of the 'Kartik' month and which generally falls in November, hallowing the place. Though Brahma is considered to be the creator of the world, Pushkar is the only temple of this important deity in the whole world. This is also considered as 'Adi Teerth' or 'Teertharaj' meaning ancient holy place or the most important of holy places respectively.
Pushkar Lake is a beautiful, sanctified spot in the center of Pushkar. It is said to have been created by Lord Brahma and is therefore a place of pilgrimage for the Hindus. The lake is surrounded by 52 different 'Ghats' or series of steps, which Hindus use to descend to the lake for ritual bathing, especially in the month of 'Karthik'. Everyday Photoburst publish the best photo uploaded by their contributors.
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| 9 MARCH 2011 |
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An Indian girl is carrying bamboo in Varanasi, a city that is sacred to Hindus and Jains and also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.
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4th place winner in Grand Prix 2010 Zoom photo competition
Kristian's photo of an indian girl carrying bamboo has won the 4th place in the Danish photo magazine Zoom's photo competition. The photo has been captured in the city of Varanasi. This city is sacred to Hindus and Jains and also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Many Hindus believe that dying in Varanasi brings salvation or nirvana and so they make the trip to the city when they realize that they are close to death. For some, the culture shock of the burning corpses in plain view and the feces overflowing from the Ganges can be a bit overwhelming. However, the scene of pilgrims doing their devotions in the Ganges River at sunrise set against the backdrop of the centuries old temples is probably one of the most impressive sights in the world.
The River Ganga is a sacred river for the Hindus and you will see traditional rituals and bathing occurring at all times of the day. On the Eastern banks, the Ganges River is flanked by a 300 meter wide sand belt, beyond which lies a green belt, a protected area reserved for turtle breeding. The western crescent-shaped bank of the Ganges River is flanked by a continuous stretch of 84 'Ghats' or series of steps leading down to the river, stretching for almost 7 kilometers. These 'Ghats' were built by Hindu kings who wanted to die along the Ganges and they built lofty palaces along the river, most of which are now hotels, to spend their final days. You can walk along the river and see all of the 'Ghats', but the best option for viewing the 'Ghats' is to charter a boat and see them from the river.
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| 21 FEBRUARY 2011 |
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In India 4 different language families can be identified and in this photograph an Indian woman has been portrayed in Rajasthan.
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Nominee for 'Your Shot' in National Geographic Nordic
One of Kristian's photos has been nominated as candidate in the monthly photo competition of the Nordic edition of the National Geographic Magazine. Western India comprises three large states, one small state and two minuscule union territories. It is bounded by Pakistan and the Arabian sea to its west and the Gangetic plains to its east. This is the most heterogeneous of India's regions. The states differ drastically from one another in language, culture and levels of economic development. Maharashtra and Gujarat are among the most industrialized states of India while Rajasthan and Goa are magnets for tourists, though for different reasons. The total number of languages in India is, depending on the method of counting, a few hundred, of which the overwhelming majority are not or hardly written. No more than 20 languages have a vast and vibrant literary culture, plus a few dozen others with little or historically lost scriptural tradition. It is an Indian peculiarity that most of the written languages are or were written with their own writing system – only the northwestern Devanagari script with the well-known horizontal bar and its northeastern variant, the Bengali script, are used for several languages, mostly Added some language-specific special characters. In addition to the Indian writings, modifications of the Arabic alphabet and of course the Latin script are also in use. The majority of Indians follow the Hindu religion, but there is also a strong Islamic minority especially in the northwest and smaller groups with Christian minority northeast scattered in the south or Buddhist in the Himalaya and northeast confessions. Then there is Jainism, a religion unknown outside India, with its emphasis on the West, Sikkhism, also restricted to India, especially in Punjab and a diminishing number of parcels – this very ancient religion of Zarathustra comes from Persia and has common roots with Hinduism. Finally, a few minorities still practice nature religions, usually with Hindu overtones.
India is a continental country that includes both dry and monsooned high mountains, tropical and subtropical mountains, tropical lowlands and desert areas. This variable nature of the country alone already causes a multitude of different cultural spaces, but there are also ethnic and linguistic differences that can be compared with those within the entire European continent and a long tradition of fragmentation into innumerable small and micro-states with pronounced local traditions. Even apart from the under-researched inhabitants of the 'Andamanen' and 'Nikobaren' including some of the most isolated populations of the present, 4 different language families can be identified in of India. Most of northern India is populated by 'Yrians', whose languages are relatively closely related and which belong to the 'Indo-Aryan' branch of the 'Indo-European' family of languages, consequently, they are also related to German distantly. Scattered in Central India and dominant in South India, one encounters the endemic 'Dravid' language family. Two other families are spoken by minority only. 'Austro-Asian' is represented in Central India by the endemic 'Munda' branch and in Northeastern India by the 'Mon-Khmer' branch centered in Southeast Asia and Sino-Tibetan languages of various branches are present in Himalaya as well spoken in the plains and in the mountains of the northeast.
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| 22 NOVEMBER 2010 |
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A photo of an Indian man in Pushkar, India is in the series of photographs that are mostly from Rajasthan in India.
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Neehemendje, a new slideshow
Neehemendje slideshow is now available online on the website of the photographer. The series of photographs are mostly from Rajasthan in India. Most people speak Rajasthani dialects, Hindi and sometimes broken English. In tourist places like Jaipur and Jodhpur, you will find trained English and French guides too. You may not be able to understand some people due to the dialect that they speak and at times, they may add words from these dialects while speaking Hindi. This does not mean that they are unable to understand you. In Rajasthan, Hindi is universally understood whereas English is spoken among the educated. Bear in mind that Rajasthani languages are more likely to be spoken by older people rather than younger people. Travel is the movement of people between relatively distant geographical locations and can involve travel by foot as the photographer did here in Pushkar, India.
According to ancient texts and inscriptions, the Pushkar Lake is already in the 4th century before Christ. The Hindu god Brahma is said to have taken the life of the demon 'Vajranabha' with his lotus flower weapon and thereby created the lake. Later a Rajput prince from Mandore is said to have been healed by the water of the lake from a pigmentation disorder of the skin. Years later, the old stone dam was rebuilt, increasing the area of the lake and the Mughal ruler Jahangir came several times to hunt in the area of Ajmer. On the shores of Pushkar Lake, he had a small palace built whose ruins can still be seen today. In the period of the decline of the Mughal Empire, several Rajput princes donated new temples or 'Ghats'. The lake is still considered by many Hindus to be one of the holiest places in India today, a bath in his water is as cleansing as a bath in the Ganges and part of the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were scattered here.
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| 18 SEPTEMBER 2010 |
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Because of the high population density of Varanasi and the increasing number of tourists there has been grave concern for the pollution in the city.
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Featured on ::: The Travel Photographer :::
The work of the photographer has been shown on ::: The Travel Photographer :::. At the holy 'Ghats' of Varanasi the silence rules. Along the river banks of the Ganges River some of the inhabitants of Varanasi have assembled in a quiet moment. Travel photography, unlike other genres like fashion, product or food photography, is still an underestimated and relatively less monetized genre, though the challenges faced by travel photographers are lot greater than some of the genres where the light and other shooting conditions may be controllable. This genre of photography entails shooting a wide variety of subjects under varied available conditions, low light photography indoors, available ambient light photography for exteriors of buildings and monuments, shooting on the streets where sometimes conditions may be hostile, capturing moments which rarely recur, capturing the magic of light while shooting landscapes and so on.
Because of the high population density of Varanasi and the increasing number of tourists, the Uttar Pradesh government and international non-governmental organisations and institutions have expressed grave concern for the pollution and pressures on infrastructure in the city, mainly the sewage, sanitation and drainage components. Pollution of the Ganges is a particular source of worry because of the religious significance of the river, the dependence of people on it as a source of drinking water and its prominence as a symbol of Varanasi and the city itself. The sewage problem is exacerbated by the role of the Ganges in bathing and in river traffic, which is very difficult to control. Because of the sewage, people using local untreated water have higher risk of contracting a range of water-borne stomach diseases. Parts of Varanasi are contaminated with industrial chemicals including toxic heavy metal. Studies of wastewater from Varanasi's sewage treatment plants identify that water's contamination with metals and the reuse of this water for irrigation as a way that the toxic metals come to be in the plants that people grow for food. One studied example is 'Palak', a popular leafy vegetable which takes up heavy metal when it is in the soil and which people then eat. Some of the polluting sludge contains minerals which are fertiliser, which could make polluted water attractive to use. Pesticides used in local farming are persistent enough to be spread through the water, to sewer treatment, then back to the farms as wastewater.
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Photo news
In the age of digital media, there is no denying that photography is one of the most popular forms of communication. Whether it is a family vacation or a political rally, photographers have the ability to capture moments in time, allowing us to see and experience the world in a way we never could before. As such, it is no surprise that photo news has become an important part of today's media landscape. Photo news has been around since the invention of photography, but it has taken on new importance in the digital age. With the proliferation of digital cameras and smartphones, it is easier than ever for anyone to capture and share images. This has led to an explosion of photo news, with millions of photographers sharing their work with the world. Photo news provides a unique perspective on current events. Photos can capture the emotion of a moment, the beauty of a landscape or the tragedy of a disaster. They can also provide insight into the lives of people who are often overlooked by traditional media. By seeing the world through the eyes of a photographer, we can gain a deeper understanding of the world around us. Photo news is not just limited to traditional news outlets. Social media has made it easier than ever for photographers to share their work with the world. Instagram, for instance, has become a popular platform for photographers to showcase their work, with millions of images uploaded every day. Photo news is also becoming an important tool for activism. By giving people a visual platform to share their stories, photos can be used to bring attention to issues and campaigns. Photos can be used to document and spread awareness about injustice or to highlight the beauty of a cause. Photography is a powerful tool for communication and photo news has become an important part of the media landscape. Whether it is used to capture a moment in time, to tell a story or to spread awareness about a cause, photo news can have a huge impact on our world.
News in photography
News is information about current events. Journalists and photographers provide news through many different media, based on word of mouth, printing, postal systems, broadcasting, electronic communication and also on their own testimony, as witnesses of relevant events. Common topics for news reports include Travel as the photographer has covered and education, the environment, social classes and as well as and other events. Travel and travel destinations, have been dubbed news since ancient times. Humans edited photo news is with a desire to learn and share news, which they satisfy by talking to each other and sharing information. Technological and social developments, often driven by communication and networks, have increased the speed with which news can spread, as well as influenced its content. The genre of news as we know it today is closely associated with the newspaper as a court bulletin and spread, with paper and printing press to India. Newsworthiness is defined as a subject having sufficient relevance to the public or a special audience to warrant press attention or coverage of photography in India. In some countries and at some points in history, what news media and the public have considered newsworthy has met different definitions, such as the notion of news values. Many news values seem to be common across cultures. People seem to be interested in news to the extent which it has a big impact, describes conflicts, happens nearby, involves well-known people and deviates from the norms of everyday happenings. Viewed from a sociological perspective, news for mass consumption is produced in hierarchically structured organizations. Reporters, making up a larger group near the bottom of the structure, are given significant autonomy in researching and preparing reports. Occasionally, decision-makers higher in the structure may intervene. Owners at the top of the news hierarchy influence the content of news indirectly but substantially. The professional norms of journalism discourage overt censorship. Therefore, news organizations have hided but unshakeable policies about how to cover certain topics. These policies are conveyed to journalists through socialization on the job. Journalists never receive the policy in writing, they simply learn how things are done. Journalists and photographers comply with these rules for various reasons. Journalists are also systematically influenced by their education, up to and including journalism school. News production is routinized in several ways. News stories use well-understood formats and subgenres which vary by topic. Rituals of objectivity, such as pairing a quotation from one group with a quotation from a competing group, dictate the construction of most news narratives.
Role of news media in India
Media in the contemporary world holds the power to secure or topple the government in India, form public opinion about any policy or institution and enhance or ridicule the reputation of an imminent personality. It also proves to be an outlet of public opinion and here are some aspects where media proves to be an indispensable institution. Media provides all the necessary information regarding the existing policies of the government, their impact on varying sections of India and even the tentative plans for the future. The prominent political and elite figures have to maintain good relations with the media in order to "survive" as leaders or influential members of the society. Media has always played the role of being an outlet of public voice and opinion, further propagating ideas, novel policies and reforms suggested by the common man. It helps to keep the dynamic nature of the Indian government intact by putting forward the needs, demands, opinions and solutions of various problems faced by majority and or the backward, underprivileged sections of the society. With the gigantic size of the Overpopulation in India and the diversities and varying needs existing in India, the government cannot possibly reach every part of the country and here is where media provides support, guidance and a way for the general population to voice their thoughts. Additionally, media provides a means to bring special persons or groups of persons in the limelight, who have been let down by the government due to inadequate support and aid in times of need and emergencies. It brings forward the unusual cases of people desperately in need of any and every kind, special medical needs required and so on. Media proves to be an effective means of keeping the common man in touch with the issues and news of the world. Contemporary media does not limit itself to the events and circumstances of India but also allows immediate, efficient contact with the happenings of other nations, that too within minutes of outbreak of an event.
India stories to be told by its people
In addition to this, media maintains India's position as an imminent county on a global level and makes comparative studies and information available, to determine India's standing and relations with other countries of the world. Indian street youth undoubtedly forms a fundamental part of the civilization in India, which is evinced by the fact that more often than not it is the youth that leads a protest against any objectionable act of the government or social institution. Youth's association with media is an integral one. The youngsters make proper use of the media in order to question and condemn ill doings and malevolence. Nowadays, newspapers have special sections which hoist the voice of the young minds. The same is applied by the television news channels, while the latest platform is the internet. Today, blogging is also a powerful tool that is utilized fully for expressing thoughts, views and disagreements. Hence, media has proved to restore faith in the democratic nature and the free will of the citizens of India. Through media, the commonality does not only remain constantly upbeat with the events of the world but has also found another way to participate in the decision making process and the chosen representatives have become more accountable and answerable to the public. Therefore, contemporary media is providing India the opportunity to evolve and refine herself to keep up with the rest of the world. The internet in India was not available to private users until more then 20 years ago. In those years there were only fortyeight daily newspapers that operated on the internet. Some years later the number has steadily climbed to reach hundred and 16 newspapers and is predicted to grow as more people in India get access to the web. The first newspapers to adopt an online format were generally English speaking because they had more of a global audience. However, as more users gained access more Indian language papers began to surface. A lot of these new websites were generic versions of the daily paper and were not edited once published. They were operated by minimal staffs. In some instances a single editor would upload data to a third party pre-formatted interface which would allow stories to be published under general headings such as local news, international, travel and so on. A large majority of online newspapers in India do not receive advertisement revenue for their web editions and, with the exception of the major papers, most websites are being operated at a loss. Most publications have been slow to incorporate modern web features such as video clips or imbedded audio. One of the biggest concerns is economic viability due to lack of ad revenue.
News in India
Indian journalism sites have also been slow to adopt the modern practice of online purchasing. This means that when someone visits the website they are unable to order the paper directly or purchase products through advertisements. Many online newspapers in India are criticised for being hastily thrown together with little care from publishers about content. A majority of websites lack simple features such as about us or feedback. While the major publishers like the 'Times Group' will list email addresses of its writers and editors many of the small daily newspapers only have a simple imbedded box on their website for feedback. This makes it difficult for readers to communicate with newspaper staff. Freedom of expression and the right to speak is given to all Indian citizens as residents of a democratic nation. Media became popular in India in the 19th century during British colony imperialism and was initially a means of making people aware of the arbitrariness of the British rule. This propelled the nation to progress on the path of Independence. Now however, media has come to be known as the 'Fourth estate' or 'Fourth pillar', viewed alongside the three organs of the government. It has become a societal and political force, though its influence has not officially been recognized. In the media industry, limitations are limited. The Government does have certain provisions to control this fast growing sector, such as the 'Registrar of Newspapers for India' and the 'News and Broadcasting Authority', but these have self created laws which do not play their roles with as much efficacy as we would desire. Media provides all the useful information to the masses of India. In a way, it keeps a check on the governmental policies, giving reasonable power to the public of India. Contemporary media is available in almost all forms possible internet, radio, television, newspapers and magazines. It stores, disseminates and even controls all sorts of news and data nowadays. The media has the leverage of manipulating information and deciding how much and in what form the news reaches the people. Many news items, which revolve around press conferences or other scheduled events are predictable in advance. Further predictability is established by assigning each journalist to a beat, a domain of human affairs, usually involving government or commerce, in which certain types of events routinely occur. Few factors have emerged in internet-era newsrooms. One issue is 'Click-thinking', the editorial selection of news stories and of journalists who can generate the most website hits and thus advertising revenue. Unlike a newspaper, a news website has differentiated pages and intensive data collection, enabling rapid feedback about which stories are popular and who reads them. The drive for speedy online postings, some journalists have acknowledged, has altered norms of fact-checking so that verification takes place after publication. News is the leading source of knowledge about global affairs for people around the world. According to news theory, the general public will identify as its priorities those issues which are highlighted on the news. The news-setting model has been well-supported by research, which indicate that the public's self-reported concerns respond to changes in news coverage rather than changes in the underlying issue itself. The less an issue obviously affects people's lives, the bigger an influence media news-setting can have on their opinion of it. The news power becomes even stronger in practice because of the correspondence in news topics promulgated by different media channels.
India as a travel country
The traditional print media, but also the television media, are largely family-owned and often partake in self-censorship, primarily due to political ties by the owner and the establishment. However, the new media are generally more professional and corporate-owned, though these, too, have been acquired or affiliated with established figures. At the same time, the Indian media, viewed as "feisty", have also not reported on issues of the media itself. Some of the most influcial local media in India is newspapares such as 'Malayala Manorama', 'Daily Thanthi', 'Mathrubhumi', 'Lokmat', 'Anandabazar Patrika', 'Eenadu', 'Gujarat Samachar', 'Sakal' and 'Sakshi'. Cows are part of everyday life and also in the news in India. They are known to be sacred and should not be fed or caressed. In road traffic, ruminants must have priority and cause some traffic jams. But when the holy beasts are freshly set in front of a temple, it is a pious deed for pilgrims and tourists alike to buy green fodder ready for a few rupees from the cowherd. Feeding is then allowed. And there are also special table manners on the subcontinent for instance when you are eating and if there is no cutlery available, one eat with the right hand. The left is considered impure because it is used to walk to the toilet. As in the tourist centers and large cities with the meals but usually cutlery is served, one gets during the vacation rather rarely pondering. By the way, cleaning your nose at the table is frowned upon as in many Asian countries. In India, it is considered rude to stretch the soles of someone's feet. If you sit on the ground, you should therefore choose the cross-legged. That many gestures are not always universal, many travelers to India had to learn. Because a simple shake of the head in India means "- Yes!", Just the opposite of what the common Westerners think. India is becoming increasingly popular as an exotic tourist destination, with more than 6 million tourists visiting the country last year. In addition to the diversity of nature that stretches from tropical sandy beaches to the desert in Rajasthan to the mountain tours of the Himalayas, the country's incredible cultural wealth fascinates. India also sees itself as an emerging economic power. The coexistence of sacred cows and the use of smartphones can be reconciled here. But our transfigured image of the country, which is also marked by yoga and the nonviolence of a Mahatma Gandhi, has recently been severely torn. Headlines about rape show another side of India, where violence against women is widespread in the Hindu country. According to India, a woman is raped every twentytwo minutes in India and the number of unreported cases is likely to be much higher. For India vacationers, the question arises if travel in India is no longer safe. The act casts a spotlight on conditions in India, whose society is characterized by great contrasts. Travelers should therefore thoroughly inform themselves on where and how they are traveling in the huge country with its 1.2 billion inhabitants. Depending on the region, the tensions are different. For instance, Madhya Pradesh, where the incident occurred, is considered one of the poorest and most backward states and, in contrast to South India, particularly dangerous for women. Despite rape cases in Delhi, which have been in the news, which are now becoming more public than a year ago, India remains a fascinating travel destination. Guided round trips and group tours to heritage sites are still considered safe. Thus, the use of public transport in urban centers is avoided.
Uttar Pradesh a populous state
The 5th largest state in India is Uttar Pradesh with almost 200 million inhabitants is the most populous state in the country. In addition to Hindi, the population mainly speaks Urdu. Uttar Pradesh borders Nepal in the northeast and, together with the state of Haryana, surrounds the Union Territory of Delhi. The capital of Uttar Pradesh is Lucknow. Uttar Pradesh is the scene of many great legends from the Vedic period. The state is considered the cradle of the three major world religions Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. At the beginning of the 19th century, the British acquired the lands of the present state of Uttar Pradesh from the Mughal emperors. By 1833, they were Bengals, then the United Provinces were formed in the area and the city of Agra was appointed their administrative seat. In 1877, the administration was also subordinated to the Oudh area and the provinces were given the name of northwestern provinces from 1902 onwards. After Indian independence, the area was renamed Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh's economy consists largely of agriculture and livestock. 73 percent of the population work in related occupations. However, this state in India also has a number of medium-sized and large companies in the automotive and textile industries. In addition to the state capital Lucknow and Moradabad with metal crafts, Varanasi with 'Sarees' and silk and Mirzapur with carpet industry and Kanpur and Agra with carpet industry are major trading cities. In addition, Uttar Pradesh is rich in minerals such as limestone, coal, siliceous sand, phosphorus and dolomite and the state of Uttar Pradesh has many attractions, including numerous pilgrimage sites. Main tourist attractions are the city of Agra with the mausoleum of Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort, as well as the holy cities of Varanasi and Fatehpur Sikri. Every 12 years Uttar Pradesh hosts the 'Kumbh Mela', which is the largest religious festival of Hinduism, gathering more than 10 million Hindus. A princely state, also called 'Native state' or 'Indian state' for those states on the subcontinent, was a vassal state under a local or regional ruler in a subsidiary alliance with the British Raj. Though the history of the princely states of the subcontinent dates from at least the classical period of Indian history, the predominant usage of the term princely state specifically refers to a semi-sovereign principality on the Indian subcontinent during the British Raj that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by a local ruler. The most prestigious Hindu rulers usually had the writing 'Maha' which means great in their titles, as in 'Maharaja', 'Maharana', 'Maharao' and so on. However, the actual importance of a princely state cannot be read from the title of its ruler, which was usually granted or at least recognized as a favour, often in recognition for loyalty and services rendered to the Mughal Empire. Although some titles were raised once or even repeatedly, there was no automatic updating when a state gained or lost real power.
Unforgettable moments in India
47 stone steps, the so-called 'Ghats', lead down the bank Varanasis to Ganges. Every year, thousands of devout Hindus make a pilgrimage to the Holy City for ritual ablutions and other religious rituals. Already in the early morning there is a lot of activity at the 'Ghats'. Women in colorful 'Saris' and men in plain cotton underwear stand up to the belly button in the foully polluted Ganges, rub themselves with the water, immerse themselves three times and pray. He could spend hours here just watching the Hindus in their religious rituals. For me it is incomprehensible and far from myself, how much they believe and how much time they devote to religion. He arrived in a completely different world away from well-protected Denmark, where the photographer is from. But his western subconscious always speaks up. Is not it unhygienic to bathe in such polluted water, not to mention drink it? Do one get sick if they get some of the water? Inwardly, he smiles to himself, but you have to give, the thoughts are justified. The bathing 'Ghats' where the Hindus wash themselves clean of their sins in the holy Ganges. Unforgettable during his time in Varanasi he has the impressive and elaborate 'Pujas' remained. Every evening after sunset, the 'Ghats' perform a lavish 'Ganga Aarti' ceremony with loads of fire, music, songs and spectators. In fact, the entire city, including its visitors, seems to be staying at the Ganges shore at this time to attend the ceremony. In front of the 'Ghats' countless boats have been placed with spectators to follow the 'Puja'. The ceremony is attended by 5 'Brahmins' who work in synch with firing rods and smoke vessels to monotonous rhythms. They worship the deity Shiva, the Ganges River and the entire universe. To put into words the atmosphere and mood during the 'Ganga Aarti' ceremony is impossible. One just have to experience that firsthand. Every evening after sunset, a ceremony in honor of Shiva takes place in Varanasi. Varanasi changed him, shocked and mesmerized him. He does not think that he would be surprised once more by his own time in India. In no other city in India is Hinduism so tangible and confusing. In no other city, he was offered so many drugs, jewelry, boat trips and food every minute as in Varanasi. In no other city have I ever run so much slalom to dodge the shit on the street and the spitting betel nut crouches. And despite all this and the vile reputation of Varanasi among travelers, he would advise any Indian traveler to go to Varanasi once and experience this extraordinary, simultaneously scary yet inspiring atmosphere.
Cremation in Varanasi
It was a strange feeling when the first time a wooden stretcher was maneuvered past the photographer, apparently holding a deceased, wrapped in a white shroud. The whole scenery is accompanied by 'Shanti' songs of the mourners and rhythmically sounding bells. The group of people carries the corpse across the city to the bank of the Ganges and lays it down with its feet in the water. It took him a while to understand that there really is a person, who is no longer alive in the water in front of the traveling photographer. With a respectful distance, he placed himself near the cremation site. Actually he does not want to see the funeral, but as many other tourists he cannot look the other way. That is why the photographer was here to see Hinduism from all its facets, to understand it. Soon an employee of the combustion 'Ghats' approached him. He was very friendly, joined him and explained what was going on in front of his widened, disbelieving eyes. For many Hindu devotees, the ultimate goal in life is to die in Varanasi and be buried in the holy Ganges. Already months or years before her supposed death she moves to Varanasi. Here they wash themselves clean of all sins in the Ganges before their demise. And the number of blazing flames and pyres on the local Ganges shore confirms how many Hindus are actually pursuing this goal. However, there are only two, but much frequented, combustion 'Ghats' in Varanasi, the Harishchandra Ghat and the Manikarnika Ghat. Before the corpse of the deceased is burned, he is first put into the water with his feet, explained with the Indians. Subsequently, the body is put on the pyre, the family members say goodbye and women are usually not allowed to go to the stake. Too often, widowed women jumped to their dead husbands in the burning pyre to die by their side. The eldest son plays a central role during the burning ceremony. He circled the corpse one last time before lighting the fire and leaving the body to the flames. Death is not a bereavement for Hindus as it is for us. Much more, the deceased on the banks of the Ganges merely dispose of their fleshly shell and go directly into the 'Moksha', the equivalent of 'Nirvana', to find redemption and break the eternal cycle of reincarnation. The burning of a loved one is not exactly cheap. Hindus often save a lifetime because the wood for burning is paid by weight. If you can afford it, add some sandalwood to the pyre, because its pleasant scent covers the smell of burnt skin. The photographer is touched, pick up a few rupees and buy a little sandalwood for the family he is about to attend. They are happy and thank me politely. The burning of a human body takes many hours. Every now and then it cracks loud and the sound goes through the mark. But not only the fact that a human being is being burned before my eyes, shocked him, but the indiscretion. All this happens in public at the 'Ghats'. Hundreds of people, dogs or cows pass by the burning site without forgetting. When everything is over, the body is completely burned after 2 to 4 hours, the ashes are scattered into the sacred river. Dhobi Ghat is the name of the stone stairs on which the so-called 'Dhobis' wash their customers' laundry. Meter-long, colorful 'Sari' fabrics stretch out across the stone steps in the sun to dry, next to the mud of the river, the light ash layer and the cow dung, which India dried and used as fuel. The photographer would like to emphasize it again. The 'Dhobis' wash the laundry in one of the most polluted rivers in the world. The Ganges here is gray and muddy. The pollution can not only be seen but also smelled. In addition, the ashes of the burnt Hindus are scattered into the river water, right next to the place where clothes are washed in the same water and bathing Hindus. But it is not just the ashes that float in the water here. By the employee of the 'Burning Ghat' the photographer has learned that not every Hindu is burned. Pregnant women, children and 'Sadhus' are not cremated, they are sunk in the Ganges. In addition, the funeral parish goes by boat on the river, binds the beloved, deceased persons a heavy stone to the feet and throws the corpse into the water. There, the lifeless bodies float upright with their heads to heaven, closer to the gods. It took the Photographer some time to understand that the reason for the Varanasi corridor must be littered with corpses decomposing in the water.
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