Like many people I don’t particularly have a specific style when it comes to photography. I like to explore various subjects and styles and constantly try new things. However, if someone would ask me to narrow down on one of the favorite themes it would relate to capturing a feeling of timelessness through an exploration of intersection of culture and nature. Small local temples often found in Indian villages generally surrounded by ancient trees are one of my favorite subjects. The following image would represent this feeling in the best way possible
What makes the photos on this roll special is that even though they seem like from a special place I pass them everyday multiple times. You could easily miss it and not even think about it.
Everyday when I drop my kids I pass by this fascinating small temple set amongst this grove of trees.
This is not a popular temple and is not visited by many people. It is right opposite a large apartment so it is right in the suburbs of my ever expanding city.
This is kind of subject I find myself drawn to all the time. An everyday treasure that is very easy to miss. It is on a busy road so people do not even have a chance to stop and take a good look
I am always drawn to small village temples that seem to always co exist around ancient trees. It is a very specific feature of the Indian rural landscape. These trees are generally ancient and have small places of worship below them which sometimes are developed over years into larger temples. They are often the epicenter of village activity and can still be seen when these villages are often subsumed by the ever growing cities. Seeing these large trees makes you think of all the changes and history they have been a witness to.
These details are some of my all time favorite photos I have taken and seem to be telling some ancient tale
You feel immersed in history but at the same time surrounded by the chaos of modern life.
These unique beautiful trees are under constant pressure and danger and I feel a responsibility to document these
Presence of these temples sometimes helps to protect them making it a safe space where nature can co-exist with the man. A great example of how preserving our culture and nature can go together.
Behind the Scenes
These photos were taken on Cinestill BWXX (on a Nikon F2 camera) which is re packaged Kodak motion picture black and white film. It is look for a stark and contrasting look. While the use of black and white hides the amazing use of colors in this temple I wanted to highlight the textures and details of the sculptures and the architecture which gives it a timeless look. The film roll was pushed two stops to enhance the contrast and give this stark and dramatic result. I generally pass by here in the first half of the day when the light is behind the temple as it is West facing. Due to the flat lighting conditions natural contrast is not available but this film stock more than compensated for it.
What gives me great joy is how I was able to think and visualize about this look and how it came out exactly how I wanted. It even exceeded my expectations and really proves that while film photography can be slower and more challenging if you take some right decisions the results can be very enjoyable.
One of next ideas I have it to shoot this in color in the afternoon when direct light falls on it to bring out a different aspect of this very colorful and beautiful temple.
Ending with this photo of this truck which was parked right across the road this temple which shows the amazing results we can get on pushing the Kodak black and white film stock. The deep blacks and grainy texture gives a very cinematic and interesting look.