Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Candid



From the time I started clicking I realized that there is lot of life in pictures taken candidly.
This is a picture of the “boy” (with his uncle and aunt) coming to see the “girl” A poignant moment where the elders are giving him the last minute advice as to what to do and what not to do (or say) when he is with the girl’s family.

The Black and White  frame above (clicked in 1974) was appreciated by all the three in the picture. The “boy” is now a grandfather and this is a picture of his daughter and grand daughter (again a candid one)



The picture below may not fall under the category of candid pictures as the lady is posing. She asked me to click as she pretends to post a letter. But just before I could click her husband accidentally walked into the frame. And that gives this a different dimension. What better way to show the contrast between the good old way of communication with the snail mail and the modern day communication through cell phone (both in the same frame)
The old and the new

Weddings are a good place to click candid pictures where everyone is enjoying, except may be the bride and the groom who are sweating it out. The dance floor is a good place to capture some real good moves.
Life is . . . . dancing away to glory
And if it’s a wooden floor then some foot movements in synchronization can be captured. What you see below is a father and daughter duo doing the Boogie Woogie.
Put your left leg in. . . . put your left leg out. . . .  .

The photograph below is of one among the seven Jewish families left behind in Cochin (Kochi) in South India.
I managed to click this as she was narrating her life, and how each one chips in for the upkeep of the Jewish synagogue in Cochin. It was interesting to see how she was sewing the sequins on to a skull cap.
Fine art

Here was a lady who first refused to climb the slide. Then she reluctantly agreed and gingerly climbed it to give it a try. But once the deed was done she said “ good you made me do it, I really enjoyed it”
It is obvious that all of us has done this in our child hood, so I thought the apt title for this would be “Aaaaaaaaaaah, I can still do it”.
Aaaaaaaaah. . . . .  .I can still do it.


Children are the best subject for photography. They may feel a little awkward initially but after some time they loose interest in the camera and tend to be their natural self. Compare the pictures above and below. The kids are the same, the only difference being a gap of 18 years.


Some times photographing the photographer is fun, especially if you can keep the subject in the frame. We had been to the zoo (in Pune) and my colleagues were busy shooting the white tiger which was the center of attraction.
white tiger

Took a picture of some ants having a gate meeting. These guys have a daily conference here on the gate during the day time. They just gossip and hang around. I am still trying to find the reason of their fascination for the gate. Once its dusk they slowly slink away to the nearby mango tree.
Gate meeting
I wonder if this falls under the category of candid shots. Maybe the ants were discussing “look at that guy, he is going on clicking, if only he would get a little closer”
Those who have experienced the sting of these "mishir" ant, will know what I mean.

61 comments:

Atul said...

...amazing! ... when can i join u for some photography tips? ... and i am not kidding! :)

Haddock said...

Most welcome Atul, any time.

radha said...

Nice pictures - and the passage of time either by comparison or the different elements in the same picture. Very nicely presented.
And thanks for dropping by at my blog.

radha said...

Nice pictures - and the passage of time either by comparison or the different elements in the same picture. Very nicely presented.
And thanks for dropping by at my blog.

Lyn said...

So enjoyable ... showing the passing of time. You captured those seemingly ordinary moments for an extraordinary result.

BK Chowla, said...

Before one realises, the BOY has become a grandparent
Lovely and very true, expressive pictures.
Thanks for sharing

Casuarina said...

You should seriously think about hosting your own exhibition...it's really high time.

RamNarayanS said...

Lovely pictures and a beautiful commentary to go with it.

Neha said...

Loved the pictures and the way you described each of them. My personal favorite - the first one!

Joanne said...

Candids are definitely an interesting way of capturing things that you wouldn't otherwise see. They are real life as it is happening. Love this post!

Greener Bangalore said...

Nice picture and descriptions Haddock and even i had a few ant pics in my older posts.... :) can search with the word "tamasoma" to see that post ...

Anonymous said...

The before and after picture was really nice to see. The girls in the top picture are different in size but in the bottom picture the little one has caught up with the taller one.

Haddock said...

@ Casuarina :

Exhibition? No that is not my cup of tea.
But I plan to make a small movie (what they call as the shoe string budget ones)
And it will have the quality of Steven Speilberg !!
After all he too started with a small handy cam.

A said...

Awesome shots :-)

Leslie said...

Loved all of your pics and the stories that went with them. My fav... the one of the kids. Then and 18 years later! Fantastic!

Patty said...

Love the photo of the children then and now. Also the lady on the slide looks like the same lady pretending to post a letter. In the photo of her posting a letter, and her husband walks into the frame, he looks like he's on a cell phone. I guess those darn cell phones are everyplace. What did people do before they had them? I think my favorite is the Mother and baby. Thanks for stopping by my place.

Anya said...

Thanks for showing us so many lovely photo's
Its almost one happy family :-)
Thanks for your visit
you are welcome its just fun ...

Kareltje =^.^=
Anya :)

Anjuli said...

Every single one of these pics were great!! I especially loved the first two- showing the beginning and the ongoing continuity of family life. Then I really loved the 'cell phone' 'old fashioned letter mailing' pic- finally another one which was great was the children who later grew up.

hamaarethoughts.com said...

all the pictures r gr8..synchronized in a gr8 way..all good memories..and some special features..make a great post..
AWESOME!!!

Sh@s said...

Your collection is pretty interesting. An the best part is that each one is unique n has a story to tell.

Sonia said...

Hi, the moment I saw your pictures, I fell in love with your blog! Love those shots, and that innocent genuineness in there..
Thanks for visiting my blog! Am still travelling, and loving it all!

Vinita Apte said...

I loved these snaps :) especially the one with the before and after 18 years snaps of the kids...you have a really good eye for subjects for your photos

Insignia said...

wonderful pictures...esp those related with the time.

The ants...weave their own story. The Jew women, I guess she was on TV as well

Julie Kertesz - me - moi - jk said...

is it important, candid or not, what is important that each time they do express what you felt! great images!

suitablegirl said...

Poignant, evocative, beautiful. Thank you for sharing them with me.

Nicole said...

Wonderful pictures! They all reflect the happiness and joy in life.

suhas D said...

Too good !

knips2007 said...

Impressive images which show the normal life.
Most times the tell stories. Beautiful work!
Knips2007 from Flickr.

Amrit said...

All are good pictures but first one is very impressive.

Preety said...

Nice images with a perfect story for each one! Loved reading it...

Unknown said...

Nice blog post, Joe Uncle! Happy Easter to all back home!

Martha said...

Wonderful photos! Thanks for stopping by this week :-)

Randi said...

Wonderful sequence of shots.
Happy weekend.

Ze' Incarnate said...

Great blog Dad!! You make me proud!

Anu said...

Hey Haddock!!! Great pics, i loved the one wid the ants having a gate meeting, HiLaRiOuS n very interesting, i never thought of them as real things that hang around & chill :)

The children to adults transformation was way too interesting...

My dad just bought a digicam, now it all begins ;) Muhahahaha

Unknown said...

So enjoyable ... showing the passing of time. You captured those seemingly ordinary moments for an extraordinary result.
Baby Bedding

Mana said...

First pic is awesome. :)

ilikekalaa said...

the dancers remind me of this Malick Sidibe's shot http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_MjmpP3OokpM/ST5aq4qb-0I/AAAAAAAADjc/s3nqs6WwFys/s400/malick_sidibe3.jpg

Cheesemakin' Mamma said...

Love these pictures, especially of the Jewish woman sewing sequins on the skull cap.

grace said...

candid shots are so superior to posed ones--i love the natural and unbridled glee seen in so many of these! the woman on the slide is probably my favorite. :)

WarmSunshine said...

Oh I just love candid photos!! Moments can't be captured in a better way than that :)

And thanks for welcoming be back in Blogsville :)

Haddock said...

@ Nirja
Thanks for that compliment.
He (Malick Sidbe)was a great photographer of yester years and he had an eye for clicking all happy happy photographs.

Shalini said...

Every photograph has a real good story behind it!

Rachel Cotterill said...

Those are some great shots - I always like photos of people who don't realise they're being captured on film (as was... digital these days of course!)

Atul said...

... i read about ur movie on a shoe string budget! ... if u need an assistant give me a call... no money from u... will work for food! ;-)

P. Venugopal said...

Found this extremely interesting, the pictures and also your writing. Sweet and nostalgic...the way life flows.

Marie said...

This is really superb

Lowell said...

Thank you for visiting and commenting on our blog, Paree!

This is the first time I've seen your blog and I'm impressed. What a great series of shots. I especially enjoyed the wedding shots, but all of the photos gave us a glimpse of your life that is quite unknown to most Americans.

Sophia Lee said...

Loved this post....what significance photos have! Too often, I'm too caught up with the "right angle", and the "correct lighting"...and forget the real meaning behind pictures...and how raw and precious these candid moments are!

R. Ramesh said...

vallah....beautiful post yar...enjoyed going thru this..the comparison between cell and snailpost hahha..gr8 one boss..keep up the cheers buddy

Amrit said...

Hey two weeks without a new blog....is everything OK?

Haddock said...

@A
Everything OK and fine.
Yes I know the next post is over due.
Just waiting for that inspiration to catch up.

Fresh Local and Best said...

H - I simply adore the depth of your reflection and the ability to accurately frame some of the happenings in these images.

ilikekalaa said...

Yea I did a presentation in my Art History Class on Malick Sidibe. His work is truly awesome, filled with energy.

Pilar Flores said...

I've just discovered your blog today, and that was because you paid a visit on mine first.
I find your stories both interesting and fumy and I like your pics.
Nice to have met you!

Haddock said...

@ Acula
Nice to have met you too, but now clicking on your icon does not take me back to your post.
Some problem ?

Terry said...

dear mr. haddock,
it was nice of you to visit the sisterhood blog and i appreciated your nice comment..and so i came to see who you are.
i am so glad that i stumbled on to this candid post here.
it is a feast to the eyes, seeing people the way that they are.
i especially loved the picture of that precious jewish lady...what a sweetheart she is!
the lady on the slide is cute too.
no matter how old i have gotten, i can never resist sitting on a swing if i pass one by, especially if that swing is a car tire that is tied to a tall tree branch...well it just is crying out ot me. "please sit down and relax for a while and have a real good swing!
my husband was very intrigued with that beauty of a tiger.
and as far as those candid wedding pictures, well that is much better than even watching a video. the happy looks on their faces are frozen in time and way more noticeable than if they were moving.
my husband and i take hundreds of pictures when we are invited to weddings. we let the professionals take the excellent posed photos while we are bustling about to take people in the candid.
what we do is make a huge wedding album for the bride and groom and one the same for the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom..all this for a wedding gift.
quite often the albums that we make are the ones that are shown in a family gatherings.
and your photos are the very same...so interesting and ALIVE!
i will come back again to read some more of your interesting blog but i have many stops to make today...just catcthing up on a few of my blog friends who i have been sorely neglecting because of being so busy the last few weeks..
god bless you mr. haddock and keep up the good work!!!!..yours truly terry[teresa] from welland, southern ontario..11 miles from niagara falls..Canada

Anonymous said...

hi joe......this is vishakha from DT.
saw ur pics n read ur blog.....hey its juss amazing....! i liked 3 pics the most....the 1st one and other two of children(kids n young age) what a concept.....!
reply me on DT.....!

Silje - Et Fotografisk Minne said...

Hi Joe - greetings from Norway,

thank you very much for your comment over at Dreamstime - I am new there and always good with some support :)

Very nice photos in your blog, just subscribed as a follower!

Have a great night!

Best,
Silje

DeepC said...

That tiger one is just amazing. You know the feeling of a picture matters the most, and you captured it just perfect.

Haddock said...

Thanks DeepC. What you said is true about the feeling of the picture.