New Gallery | The Veneration of Gharib Nawaz

I've just added The Veneration of Gharib Nawaz, a gallery of monochrome images to my website which were made during the annual Urs of the Sufi saint Moin'Uddin Chisti in Ajmer, Rajasthan, a few weeks ago.

As I wrote earlier in a blog post, the shrine of the Sufi saint Moin'Uddin Chisti welcomes pious pilgrims, vagabonds and charlatans, sightseers, mendicants and beggars, fakirs, shoppers, established and opportunistic vendors, pickpockets and thieves, the poor, the wealthy, the venal and the innocent and all the rest of them who come here during the Urs to seek spiritual salvation, riddance of 'jinns', money and entertainment.

For those interested in the gear side of photography, most of the images were made using a Canon 5D II and the 17-40 L f 4.0, while others were made with the Fuji X Pro1 and a Fujinon 18mm f 2.0. 

As for the post processing, I converted the color images to monochrome using Alien Skin Exposure 4  software.

You may also want to view an audio-slideshow of color photographs of the annual event. 

I've also updated my website The Travel Photographer with two new galleries of Viet Nam.

Shane Green | Slaves of Moinuddin Nawaz

Here's another very well made audio-slideshow of the annual Urs Festival commemorating the death of the Sufi Saint Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chishti as produced by Shane Green, a photographer and one of the group members in my just completed Sufi Saints of Rajasthan & Kashmir Photo Expedition-Workshop. It's the second time he travels with me...the first being in Vietnam last fall.

As evident in the audio-slideshow, Shane generally prefers an urban aesthetic style in his photographs to a purely ethnographic one. He claims that this only happens when he's had a few beers...but I can vouch that his beer consumption has nothing to do with it.

It's surprising how Shane managed to interview a pilgrim with a North England accent out of the many thousands pilgrims that visited the shrine while we were there. Himself from Sheffield and now living in Mallorca, Shane is influenced by Martin Parr,  Christer Strömholm, Weegee, Bruce Gilden among others.

The title of his audio-slideshow is how the pilgrim narrator described himself and others who came to commemorate the death anniversary of the  revered Sufi saint; a religious event in which some 700,000 pilgrims are said to have attended. Moinuddin Hasan Chishti is the most revered Sufi saint in South Asia, and known to have been a liberal religious figure, and have nurtured a universal acceptance of all faiths.

 Slaves of Moinuddin Nawaz can be viewed on Vimeo as well. 

Sufi Saints Photo Workshop: The Verdict

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

That was the line that came to my mind the most frequently during my two weeks Sufi Saints of Rajasthan & Kashmir Photo Expedition-Workshop...and I had to remind some of the group members of it as well.

In comparison to the 10 days or so spent in Ajmer attending the death commemoration of the Sufi Saint Moin'Uddin Chisti (aka Nawaz Gharib), the initial days of the workshop were spent in Srinagar; the capital of Kashmir, and the experience was virtually placid. The group interacted with and photographed people of all walks of life during the walk-abouts the streets and alleys of the city, during the visits to the shrines and mosques, and with about everyone...from the shikara boatsmen to the flower vendors and even the elderly religious clerics who wanted to salvage our souls. I can confirm that the Kashmiri people are amongst the nicest and most hospitable people I've ever met...and if you haven't been already, just go. 

Seven of the group stayed in the stellar luxury of the Sukhoon houseboat (a truly magnificent houseboat which only had 5 bedrooms), while I and another group member stayed in another nearby houseboat...far from having the same quality of accommodation as the brand new sleek Sukhoon. I imagine Onassis' yachts would be of the same luxurious standard.

Traveling on Indian Railways from Delhi to Ajmer was a cinch, and was a pleasant experience...albeit one that took 6 hours to complete. I was looking forward to settle in the luxurious setting of the Ananta Resort near Ajmer, but was shocked to find it didn't have rooms for us because it had accepted the booking of an Indian wedding with literally hundreds of guests, and we had been moved to the Pushkar Resorts...an oasis of calm within 15 minuted drive. Having vented my spleen with the choicest of epithets directed at the Ananta management, I bowed to the inevitable and we moved to the Pushkar Resorts (in retrospect, a much better choice) for a few days until the wedding ended. We did get complimentary meals as compensation, which soothed our feelings a little. In case you seek hotel accommodations near Pushkar, do not go to the Ananta...it's more of a convention center and principally caters to noisy Indian weddings. 

As for the photographic experience during the Urs (Moin'Uddin's commemoration), it was mixed. Mixed not because of the lack of incredible subjects, but because of there being too many, and after a day or two, our eyes got used to them...and we became blase. We became understandably more choosy in what and who we photographed, and the buzz and the novelty decreased. That is the main difficulty in attending and photographing such events...after a while, it becomes repetitive and it becomes a struggle to find "new" angles.

The first few days at the Urs were enjoyable and full of  photo opportunities that most of hadn't ever seen.  The fakirs and the Sufi ascetics (the real and fake), the charlatans, the flag-waving pankiwallahs,  some maimed and others healthy...the vagabond self mutilating malangs, the venal khadims squeezing every paisa from the poor and gullible, the eye-popping rituals...some based on Hinduism, Buddhism and even on paganism,  the disturbing self-induced trances by mostly schizophrenic women and their attempts to exorcise jinns, the disparity between Sunni and Shi'a Islamic traditions, the welcoming kindness of pilgrims towards foreign visitors, and our being interviewed on Indian national television all made for exhilarating initial days.

I was thrilled my choice of Tahoor Chisti ( a khadim and descendant of the Saint) as a facilitator for the event proved to be extraordinarily fortuitous. He was instrumental in procuring camera permits for us, got us replacements when we need them...and was the go-to-man whenever we needed to. A dignified and an extremely affable and helpful young man...and certainly an asset to our photo workshop. Shuchi Kapoor, a freelance photographer and writer, who joined the workshop in Ajmer as my assistant, is also to be commended for her help and skills.

One of the highlights of the Urs was having our very own guelaf (a large velvet sheet embroidered with verses from the Qur'an) which we placed on the saint's marble tomb, along with a basket of sweet-scented roses. Doing so exposed us to the most chaotic part of the event since we shared the tight space with hundreds of other pilgrims/supplicants; some of whom gripped with a religious frenzy.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the failed attempt of my being being pick-pocketed. Surrounded by a mass of pilgrims, and sensing my iPhone had been lifted from my pocket,   I grabbed the nearest man next to me...shook him out of his wits and yelled "thief" at the top of my lungs.  A policeman swiftly grabbed the fellow and as if by magic, my iPhone was returned by some other guy claiming it had fallen from my pocket! Another highlight was to meet a bunch of transgendered hijras in their rooms overlooking the main street in Ajmer.

What would I do if I had to repeat the workshop? Well, I'd extend the Srinagar part of it for a couple of days  and attend the first half of the Urs...and skip its latter part with its claustrophobic-inducing crowds.              

Sufi Saints Photo Workshop | Delhi

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved 

Despite a sleepless night flight from Heathrow to Delhi, I was sufficiently stoked to meet with Dr Kaushik Ghosh who accompanied me for an afternoon/early evening photo shoot at Nizaam Uddin dargah, where I saw a few familiar faces. The mujjawirs/khadims, essentially the caretakers of the shrine, were represented in force, and some of the punkawallahs who fan visiting pilgrims, cooling them in the rather sultry evening.

There was a qawwal performance, and one of two women who entered into trances in front of the saint's shrine. It being a Friday, the dargah was relatively crowded but not as much as I would've expected it to be.

The fakir in the above photograph carried a bunch of padlocks and chains in a can. When asked what they were for, the onlookers told us that they were 'playthings'. In reality, these are rented out to men or women who enter in violent trances, and are used to secure them to poles in order to prevent them from hurting themselves or others.

One or two of the workshop participants have already arrived, and most will be in Delhi by the end of today.

(Posted on Saturday May 4)

The Sufi Saints of Rajasthan & Kashmir Photo Expedition-Workshop

On the cusp of departure!

All arrangements completed...accommodations set up...fixers lined up...background presentation on Sufism is prepared, and naturally The Travel Photographer's trademark multimedia workshop slideshows are fired up.

Nine photographers...with their photographic and audio gear will soon descend on Srinagar for 4-5 days of intense documentary work in this unique Kashmiri capital known as being the land of Sufis Saints. It is claimed that Hindu thought and religion greatly influenced Kashmiri sufis, and formed its syncretic essence.

Nine photographers...along with their cameras and audio recorders will travel from Srinagar to Ajmer; the holiest of cities for Sufis and others, and where the shrine of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, equally revered by Hindus and Muslims, will witness the commemoration of the death anniversary of the saint in unparalleled manifestations of Sufi fervor and devotion.

This is the largest commemoration of Sufi saints in India, attended by many thousands of South Asian Muslims.

I may be mistaken, but this is the first and only photo expedition-workshop whose objective is to record the commemoration of the death anniversary Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti.

A few days in Delhi will precede the photo expedition-workshop, and I look forward to re-acquaint myself with one of my favorite cities. Plans are afoot to keep me occupied and busy....and I hope to have the time to re-sample the Lucknow specialty of tunde ke kabab in Nizzam Uddin and Karim's seekh kebab!

POV: The Travel Photographer's Business Philosophy

I've been asked a number of times to share as to how it is that my Photo Expeditions-Workshops are consistently sold-out within a few weeks of being announced.

There are a number of reasons for that...some are no-brainers and others are more complex...these take dedication, research and commitment. But let's start at the top:

1. It's About The Brand.

There's the optics such as the brand name and trademark. I chose to become known as The Travel Photographer which is easily remembered, and perfectly describes what I do, leaves no room for confusion and is anyway easier to pronounce (at least for Americans) than my own name.

"Everything I do with my photography carries The Travel Photographer brand."

I've been using The Travel Photographer brand name, and its accompanying logo (simple, sober and solid) for about 8 years, so it's been in the public domain and has widely been around. It's not at all unusual for me to be accosted by other photographers who ask me "aren't you The Travel Photographer?"....and that's good....very good.

Everything I do with my photography carries The Travel Photographer brand...everything. The websites, the blogs, the galleries, and the photo expeditions-workshops...and of course, my newsletters.

I was perhaps the first who described what was originally peddled as 'photo tours' or 'photo trips' as 'photo-expeditions'. Semantics for certain, but it strengthens the branding impact of one's business.

Over and above the logo style, which as I described as sober, solid, and simple...like the logo for a well-established newspaper or bank for instance, the color schemes of my websites and blog also follow the same style. I believe it's not only my photographs and my style that defines me, but also the 'packaging'... there's a sort of consistency there, but without letting things go stale. Stylistic change is good, provided it's intelligent change.

2. It's About The Time.

I've been leading photo expeditions-workshops for more or less 10 years...and really worked at getting off the ground. As I wrote much earlier on this blog, it took off without me asking for favors, for free advertising, for referrals...I never did any of that. What I have accomplished is completely self-made and self-started.

I see many very experienced photographers suddenly getting involved in offering photo workshops, but  having difficulty in filling them up, despite their excellent body of work. It won't work without expensing the time, and effort to get a track record in leading such expeditions and/or workshops.

"What I have accomplished is completely self-made and self-started."

Yes, one has to use all the different types of social media...be it Twitter or Facebook, etc to spread the brand's visibility. However, I don't think I got a single participation from either of these two. Twitter and Facebook generate friends, a fan club or followers...but not necessarily clients.

The single-most source of participants for my photo expeditions and workshops is my blog, which is in its 5th year. Day in and day out...I post, keeping a tangible and intangible link with my current and future participants.  I've posted just over 3000 posts and reached the enviable (for a specialized photo blog like The Travel Photographer) number of 2 million readers since it started. That took time, effort, dedication and resolve.

From this blog, photographers subscribed to my newsletter, and are therefore keen to get details of my future photo expeditions-workshops. These are not followers, nor fans, nor friends asked to "like" my Facebook page, or Twitteratis. No, there are, for the most part, just interested in joining me on a photo expedition-workshop.

When I announce a photo expedition-workshop, I am mindful to keep a few 'seats' for past participants, aiming to have a 50/50 mix between past participants (I call them recidivists) and new participants. This ensures that about 50% of my groups are already familiar with my style of leadership, what to expect and what not to expect on the trip. It also gives confidence to the new participants that the group include people who've been on one or more trip before.


3. It's About The Research And The Niche.

I set up photo expeditions-workshops where I would want to go had I been a participant. I set up photo expeditions-workshops that aim at documenting an event -or series of events- that I am interested in. My forthcoming The Sufi Saints of Rajasthan & Ajmer Photo Expedition-Workshop is a case in point. At its core is the Ajmer Sufi celebrations which, in contrast to the over hyped Kumbh Melas, are unique authentic religious events, never offered to photographers through a photo trip. As I am personally interested in documenting Sufi culture in South Asia and elsewhere, this type of photo expedition-workshop is one of my trademarks.

My intellectual interest in religious and cultural events in South Asia and South East Asia is my niche, and it puts me in a different light from other photographers.

I research my destinations very carefully beforehand, and absorb whatever I can on the prevailing political climate affecting where I'm about to head off to. This is not a one-time thing...but a continuing exercise. I keep track of the news for India via Indian newspapers, as well as news of Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, etc. This is an invaluable necessity that I must spend time on. I do not claim expertise, but I keep myself abreast of important local developments that may affect my decisions.

"...but I really want to photograph at other more interesting venues."

Generally-speaking, I now infrequently lead 'touring" photo-expeditions-workshops. Going from one destination to another with no specific religious or cultural event(s) on the itinerary may be photographically productive, but I find it intellectually-wanting.

I also avoid the popular religious/cultural events; the Kumbh Mela and Pushkar Fair are two examples. It would not be hard at all to fill photo expeditions for these two specific venues in no time at all, but I really have no intellectual interest to attend either of those. I've done them, and enjoyed them...but I really want to photograph at other more interesting venues.

4.  It's (Also) About The Bottom Line.

I don't use middlemen in the United States to set on-the-ground facilities for the itineraries I research and decide on. It might be the easy way, but it's also the most expensive. I  employ a handful of travel agents (or hotels operators) in India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and elsewhere that I trust and can rely on...and  with whom I've dealt for a long time. I try to get the best possible deals for the participants in my photo expeditions-workshops, as I would if I was on my own. I  have a fiduciary responsibility towards my groups, and I take it very seriously.

The Travel Photographer's Photo Expeditions

I thought it'd be good idea to have all my past and future photo expeditions-workshops aggregated in one location separate from my regular websites, especially as I realized (rather belatedly) that some of my older itineraries/descriptions have evaporated in the ether when I moved from one ISP to the other.

All the itineraries and details of my photo expeditions from 2007 back to 2000 (about 8 or 9) have gone "poof"! So I will have to reconstruct them from various sources, emails etc, over the course of the coming weeks.

In the meantime though, here's (work in progress) The Travel Photographer's Photo Expeditions-Workshops from late 2008 to the present, including the one scheduled for May 2013. This aggregate website has the description of each trip, and includes the links to the audio slideshows and photo galleries produced during these trips.

New! Unique! The Sufi Saints Of Rajasthan & Kashmir

I earned the reputation of planning, organizing and leading unusual "off the beaten path" photographic experiences, so I am particularly pleased to announce my forthcoming The Sufi Saints of Rajasthan & Kashmir Photo Expedition-Workshop in early May 2013, which promises to be another unique photographic expedition, rivaling in intensity those that preceded it.

This is a unique photo expedition delving into the esoteric traditions of Sufism in Srinagar (Kashmir) as well as to attend the Urs Ajmer Sharif, an annual commemoration of Sufi saints in Ajmer (Rajasthan). It is the largest commemoration of Sufi saints in India, attended by many thousands of South Asian Muslims. The Ajmer event attracts the pious and the not-so-pious...the religious and the charlatans, the fakirs and the storytellers.

In common with my photo expeditions-workshops, the aim of this one is to assist participants produce multimedia bodies of work by merging their still photography and audio recordings to create compelling narratives.

For a taste of my work with Indian Sufism, interested readers can view The Possessed of Mira Datar, an article and photos that offer insight into sufism in the subcontinent, the multimedia photo essay on The Possessed of Hazrat Mira Datar, and a gallery of still photographs on In Search of the Sufis of Gujarat.

Details are on The Sufi Saints of Rajasthan & Kashmir Photo Expedition-Workshop website.

The Travel Photographer's Sufi Saints Expedition-Workshop

I know...the wait is excruciating...but it'll be worth it. It's only a matter of days and details will be announced to my newsletter subscribers and on this blog.

This, as with my previous photo expeditions-workshops, is photo-journalism and travel-documentary oriented, will largely focus on story-telling, and on how to produce audio slideshows rivaling in quality and content more elaborate multimedia productions.

In the meantime, click the image for a larger poster image. I think it's really cool.

PS. I just realized that the last 3 posts are titled 'The Travel Photographer's...'. Self-centered or building anticipation?

POV: Chutzpah or Clueless?

Photo © Tewfic el-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

"Hi Tewfic,  As a photojournalist who specializes in the distinct cultures of Asia, Latin America and Africa, and someone who has led photography expeditions in the past, I am curious if a new photography tour from XXXXXXXXXXX is something you would share with your blog readers." 

This is the first paragraph of an email I received a few days ago. The rest of the email is essentially describing the photography tour led by a "renowned" travel photographer.

Now this wouldn't be worth a post on this blog, as I get similar solicitations every now and then. However, this solicitation comes from a firm that describes itself as specializing in public relations representing some of the world’s best resorts, destinations and brands. More importantly, the photography tour it refers to is offered by one of the top adventure travel companies in the United States.  

Let me rewrite this: one of the top US based adventure travel companies is asking me to publicize one of its photography tours on this blog...knowing full well that I offer such photography tours and workshops myself. Flattering perhaps, but why would I publicize and endorse a competitor...and one that I know nothing about?

So it's either chutzpah, or the sender of the email is clueless. It also means that The Travel Photographer blog is considered as a must-go-to blog for travel photography and photojournalism professionals, enthusiasts and anyone in between...and its readership is valuable to tap into.

So here's what I'll do;

1. I will reply to the email offering to write a post with all the details of the company's tour against payment of $1500. Since the land cost for the trip is over $10,000, it can surely afford to pay for sharing its details on this blog.

2. The alternative would be for this adventure travel company to advertise my photo expeditions-workshops. I have one planned for the first half of 2013 and have the details ready.

If I get a reply, I'll share it with you.

And what does an Instagram photo of Jimi have to do with this post? Nothing.

The Travel Photographer's Vietnam Daguerreotypes

Here's the second of my Vietnam-related projects following my recent photo expedition-workshop....Vietnam In Daguerreotypes. This one is a gallery of stills, modified with Alien Skin Software to look like daguerreotypes. I recently installed the software and I'm amazed at its versatility and range of options.

I expect processing photographs with this software comes with some destructive element to it, but according to my very brief research, there are web tutorials that show you how to process photographs and keep their integrity intact.

The photographs were made with a Canon 5D Mark II (mostly with a 17-40mm), a Leica M9 (with a 40mm Voigtlander f1.4) and the Fuji X Pro-1 (18mm f2.8 XF Fujinon).

Very labor-intensive, the (real) daguerreotype is a direct-positive process, creating a highly detailed image on a sheet of copper plated with a thin coat of silver without the use of a negative. Exposure times for the earliest daguerreotypes ranged from three to fifteen minutes, making the process nearly impractical for portraiture. Modifications to the sensitization process coupled with the improvement of photographic lenses soon reduced the exposure time to less than a minute. 

In comparison, the processing of a still photograph using the Alien Skin Software takes less than a minute, if that.

My first Vietnam project is an audio-slideshow titled Hill Tribes In The Mist, which is on my Vimeo Channel.

POV: Highlights Of Vietnam's Photo-Expedition/Workshop

Looking back at my recently completed my Vietnam: North of the 16th Parallel Photo Expedition/Workshop, here are my main favorite photographic experiences.

But before listing them, let me make the point that it's the people one meets on such trips that make them memorable. In my case, it was spending a few hours listening to Mr Dao's life story in Hoi An, with Mr Nguyen Bao in Hanoi and with Mamei near Sapa.

 1. Street Photography in Hanoi:

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Hanoi is a dream come true for street photographers. Its residents virtually live their lives in the streets...conducting their daily routine in the open, eating and interacting with each other in the open. This obviously gives rise in innumerable opportunities for amusing and ironic life vignettes. I could easily spend days upon days wandering Hanoi's streets and alleys; especially those of the Old Quarter.

Actually, street shooting in all the cities and towns on the itinerary was the highlight of the trip. Whether it was Hanoi, Hue, Hoi An...walking in the streets with a camera in hand is just a sublime experience for those who like this style of candid photography like I do. The only problem? Too many scooters parked on the sidewalks!

2. Cao Đài in Hue:

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Driving into Hue from Da Nang, I had noticed an unusually looking structure and saw a sign that proclaimed it to be a Cao Đài temple. I just could not let this opportunity go by, especially as I thought the only  temple was in Vietnam's delta. Following telephone calls and my visit with Maika Elan, we secured the approval of the head priest to photograph its daily prayers. I can't emphasize enough how gracious and welcoming the congregation was...despite our many faux-pas during their prayer ritual.

This was a big deal for me as I always wanted to witness the rituals of this new indigenous religious tradition.

3. Model Photo Shoot in Hoi An:

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Many of the walls of Hoi An are painted yellow-ochre, which symbolizes wealth. The town is a well-preserved example of a Southeast Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, and is a delight to walk through. With Maika, I set up a photo shoot with one of her acquaintances who posed for us along one of its photogenic streets.

I'm not a fan of frozen and posed portraits, but the exercise in itself is both fun and educational. The best for me was to capture unposed moments such as this one when a child looked out of a window while the model adjusted her ao dai.

4. The Hilltribes of Sapa & Bac Ha:

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

I greatly enjoyed wandering in the markets of Sa Pa and Bac Ha...especially the latter where the Hmong and Dzao, and a handful from over 10 other tribes, attend Bac Ha's famous Sunday market to buy, sell, barter and eat. I'm still scratching my head as to the genetic mystery behind this Hmong child's blond hair. 

I wandered in these markets for hours...occasionally using my Canon 5D Mark II, but relying more on my Fuji X Pro-1 in my street photography style...shooting from the hip to capture as much candor in my photographs as possible. 

An audio-slideshow was born from these wanderings, and can be viewed on my Vimeo page.


5. Halong Bay:

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Being cooped up on a boat...even for 24 hours...and even if it's a luxury cruise...is not my kind of thing. However, I must agree that Halong Bay is visually gorgeous, and amply deserves its World Heritage listing. I only include it as a highlight because its land-seascape is beautiful.

As I wrote elsewhere, I included this 24 hours cruise on our itinerary in the hope that the group participants would use the time to complete their audio slideshow projects. Some did and others didn't.

6. Vietnamese Buddhist Funeral:

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

On the way back to Hanoi from Halong Bay, we encountered a funeral. Both Maika and I went ahead to seek permission from the family to attend it and to photograph the rituals. I wasn't optimistic, but the head of the family readily agreed provided I lit an incense stick and presented my respects to the memory of the deceased. This I did, and planted the stick at the shrine. The deceased was born in 1925, and his name was Cu Pham Van Bao.

I was invited to drink green tea, and sat amongst the head table along with our host. The funeral rite is called le dua tang, and some of the mourners (presumably close relatives and families) wore coarse veils of gauze.

Being allowed into their midst at a time of sorrow by these Vietnamese mourners is a testament to their graciousness and kindness.

7. Catru: Vietnamese Religious Music:

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

We attended a Catru concert held at an old building in the heart of Hanoi's Old Quarter. High-brow and very traditional, this musical genre was already played during the 15th century during ceremonies at the Vietnamese court, but during the 1950s fell in disrepute due to its association with opium and similar nefarious activities.

The musician/singer in the above photograph is Ms Pham Thi Hue, a famous practitioner of this art form, who performed beautiful musical pieces during the hour-long session. 

8. The Vee Sign:

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Perhaps it's moving from the high brow (above) to a low brow topic, but many people hate the V-sign that Asians seem to do when being photographed. The V-sign was flashed as soon as young Vietnamese women asked me to take their pictures while celebrating the pre-Lunar festivities in Hanoi streets. They also did it when they posed for photographs with me. Not only are the Vietnamese youths camera-friendly (very friendly!) but they also know cameras. I was frequently stopped and asked about the X Pro-1 and the M9...but not once about the 5D II which many of them already have.

But I got used to the V-sign, and always expected it...I won't go so far as to say it's charming, but it certainly was part of the scene all around me when photographing the celebratory activities where I call the "street of the gaudy decorations". I got different interpretations for it. Some said it was a way to say "Hi"...and others said it was the peace sign. 

9. Meeting A Vietnamese Star:

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy- All Rights Reserved

Ms Ngô Thanh Vân is a top Vietnamese actress, and was filming a movie in Hoi An. It's by total serendipity that we saw her. Very approachable, she was charming and we exchanged a few words. NTV (as she's known in Vietnam) asked me where I was from, and what was I doing in Hoi An.

I naturally took as many photographs as I could of her on the set without interfering with the going-ons.

If this brief encounter is not a highlight, I don't know what is.

Vietnam Photo Expedition-Workshop: The Verdict

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

In order to properly sum up a verdict about my Vietnam: North of the 16th Parallel Photo-Expedition/Workshop requires me to separately analyze its expedition and workshop components...and here's why.

In my view, the photographic opportunities during the trip were endless. Whether Hanoi's teeming street life, or the misty beauty of Sapa/Bac Ha, or in Hoi An and Hue...there was so much photogenic scenes ready for the taking, that it'd be difficult not to rate this photo expedition as a success.

Add to this that the travel logistics (as set up by Ms Xuan Tran of Eviva Tours Vietnam) were virtually flawless, that the hotels chosen were all up to my expectations (especially the Golden Silk Boutique Hotel in Hanoi), that the weather cooperated in every locale (we missed a disruptive landslide on the mountainous road from Sapa to Lao Cai by a day) , that the participants were all self-starters...so yes, the photo expedition was a success. The emails I've already received from the group participants confirm this.

Vietnamese photographer Maika Elan's daily help and assistance were indispensable to everyone in the group, and I thank her for her talents and in being so conscientious...and for having such unique peoples' skills.

That said...I'm less sanguine about the workshop's actual results, and my verdict on the multimedia workshop rates an "incomplete".

The objective of the expedition/workshop was "Emulating real-life photo assignments, the aim of the workshop is to assist its participants produce multimedia bodies of work ready for publishing."

I started it off hoping/expecting the participants would be able to produce two projects: a travel-themed documentary and another based on a human interest story. Due to a multitude of reasons, only two group participants met this rather high bar of expectation. Two other participants completed one project each, but these needed some additional tweaking...one participant completed the still imagery of a project but not the audio for a multimedia project...while the remaining three participants had the stills and audio inventory but did not produce projects.

I do recognize that applying my stringent class objectives during the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop on the Vietnam Photo Expedition/Workshop's participants was asking too much of non-photojournalists...especially because of the structure and pace of our itinerary.

As the trip was based on a "touring" itinerary, its pacing and the relative short stops in each destination may not have allowed enough time to the majority of participants to complete their projects. Although I did anticipate this at the planning stage of the trip, and included 24 hours in Halong Bay...thinking that being cooped on a cruise boat with nowhere to go would help...it clearly wasn't enough.

So would I set a photo expedition/workshop to Vietnam again? The answer is an unqualified yes...but this time, it would be based on a destination-event specific itinerary and program...and not on an overly ambitious touring itinerary.

And would I amend my future workshops' objectives? No is the short answer.

 Photo © Maika Elan. All Rights Reserved

For those who are interested in gear; my usage (estimated) statistics on this trip were:
Cameras:

Fuji X-Pro1 : 60% of the time (mostly because of street photography in Hanoi, Hoi An and Bac Ha)
Canon 5D II: 30% of the time
Leica M9: 10% of the time (for specific portraiture photo shoots)
iPhone 4S: Whenever I thought of it.

Lenses:

XF 18mm for the Fuji X Pro1.
Voigtlander f1.4 40mm for the M9
Canon 17-40mm f/4 L

In Hoi An...Day Two

Photo © tewfic el-sawy

Having woken up really early in the hopes of catching the fishermen  hauling their catch did not make any difference, as there were no fishing boats which venture out to sea this morning....the level of water was unusually high so that may have played a part in it.

The main objectives of the rest of the day was for the participants start working on a personal photo essay, and learn the fundamentals of Soundslides. We had also booked a model for an afternoon photo shoot.

I initiated a photo essay which deals with an octogenarian and his wife who both own and operated coffee house, and hope to produce along the lines of the successful One In 8 Million series by the New York Times.

Photo © tewfic el-sawy

Finally, we hired Tien...a beautiful model from Hoi An, and spent the better of a late afternoon photographing her in the Old Quarter of Hoi An. The photo shoot lasted longer than anticipated as we sought to squeeze every little moment of light.

Photo © Maika Elan- All Rights Reserved

The Soundslides session in the afternoon was held in the bar of the Hoi An Hotel. Sound editing classes via Audacity will start in Hue.

In Hanoi....!!

 After a long flight on Malaysian Airlines (excellent service, brand new aircraft, etc), and connecting from Kuala Lumpur, I landed in Hanoi and whisked to the workshop's hotel Golden Silk Boutique Hotel in the midst of Old Hanoi.

Grabbing my street photography favorite, my scarf and my cell phone I chanced the notorious streets of the quarter. I have to say that despite my having not slept for quite a while, the photo opportunities in these streets are just staggering.

Having risked my life in the streets of Cairo, Delhi, and New York City...amongst many other large cities, I found that crossing the Hanoi streets and dodging the scooters not such a big deal (so far).

Most of the group participants are arriving in waves today, and the workshop officially starts tomorrow.

  

Vietnam Is Next....

In under 10 days, I'll be once again back in South East Asia...this time in Hanoi, to lead another of my photo trips Vietnam: North Of The 16th Parallel Photo Expedition/Workshop™!

The itinerary will only include the northern half of Vietnam...so the title of the photo expedition is based (almost) on The Seventeenth Parallel, which was the provisional military demarcation line between North and South Vietnam established by the Geneva Accords of 1954. It will include Hanoi, Hoi An, Hue, Halong Bay and naturally Sapa and Bac Ha.

On this itinerary, the participants will be emulating real-life photo assignments, and produce multimedia bodies of work ready for publishing. The workshop is devised for photographers interested in documentary photography, ethno-photography and multimedia, and for those ready to create visual projects from their inventory of photographs, and learn how to control story length, intent, pace, use of music and ambient sound, narration, field recordings and interviews.

The participants are from the United States, Canada, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Australia...a veritable multinational group.  I will be assisted by Maika Elan (Nguyen Thanh Hai), an award winning freelance photographer from Hanoi.

From a technical standpoint, I will be putting my two "rangefinders" (M9 and the Fuji X Pro-1) through their paces on this trip. Probably shooting in monochrome in the Sapa and Bac Ha, and color (with the Canon 5D Mark II) on the rest of the itinerary...with mostly wide angle lenses on all my cameras.

Everything is prepared and ready...the hotels, the visas, the internal flights...and even the local eateries seem to have been alerted of our arrival.

The Travel Photographer's First 2013 Photo Expedition-Workshop

Details soon to be announced via my newsletter!

Unique...Unusual...Hard Core...Limited to 8 experienced photographers only.

POV: Why I Like Bare Concrete Walls...

I like bare concrete walls.

Let me explain why.

Many photo tour leaders are known for setting up photographs for their groups, and it's not unusual for photographers who repeat the same photo trips with the same itinerary to end up shooting the same 'models'...albeit looking a year or two older. I've heard anecdotes of how the 'models' know exactly how to pose, which side of their face is more flattering, and know where the dotted line on model releases are.

Due to the nature of my own photo expeditions-workshops which are "event-specific" and are structured around religious or cultural rituals (the more obscure and unique the better), and because my workshops are based on the concept of "photojournalism meets travel photography", I seldom need to set up pre-arranged photo shoots as such. For one thing, the religious/cultural events that I gravitate towards during these photo expeditions-workshops are too intense, too authentic and too crowded...and consequently make set-ups unnecessary, and possibly even disrespectful.

Moreover,  the type of photographers who sign up for my photo expeditions-workshops are generally well-seasoned, experienced and are self-starters...who, not only are perfectly capable of 'de-clustering' themselves from each other, but do what good photographers do best...look for their own photo opportunities within the framework of the religious and/or cultural events.

That said, there are occasions during my photo expeditions-workshops when characters are so photogenic that they figuratively jump at me, and I just have to set-up a sort of "fashion" shoot, gather the group as quickly as I can, and start the fun. However, and as much as the characters' photogenic attributes are important, the backgrounds are also as critical.

What to do if a uniquely photogenic character presents himself/herself but no appropriate background is found? I suppose carrying some form of portable background (white, black or burlap colored cloth) would solve this problem, but what if this wasn't readily available as it was during a photo shoot at a Kathakali academy on my recent The Oracles of Kerala Photo Expedition-Workshop?

We were photographing the pre-performance make-up session, and I was disappointed at the walls of the make-up area were painted a drab and blotchy kind of salmon pink, which didn't lend itself to an attractive background. However, a corner of the school was being newly built with walls of bare concrete. Bare concrete means gray and everybody knows that it helps in producing a consistent image exposure... so perfect!!!

The probability that we would all end up with the same image was my primary concern, but the light of day was perfect, the costume was perfect, the dancer was image-savvy and the performance was about to start. So we were shooting paparazzi-style for a few minutes...and despite the appearance of what photojournalists (and the military) describe as a "clusterfuck", we were all happy with the opportunity.

I asked the participants of The Oracles of Kerala Photo Expedition-Workshop to send me their favorite(s) photograph from that shoot without telling them why...imagining that their photographs would be identical. They're not. Because of their experience, their difference in shooting styles and because of the dancer's adopting various poses, the results of that particular "clusterfuck" were satisfactory.

So much so that I've used my own image of the shoot for the background of my website.

That's why I like bare concrete walls...and so should you.

Charlotte Rush Bailey: The WPGA Portraits Awards

Photo © Charlotte Rush-Bailey-All Rights Reserved

A third-time participant in my photo-expeditions/workshops, Charlotte Rush-Bailey was just short listed on the prestigious Worldwide Photography Gala Awards (WPGA) Portrait Awards for her monochrome portrait of Fatima. Naturally, I wish her the best of luck to win it!

This lovely portrait was made at the Kodungallur medrasa near the Cheraman Juma Masjid, during The Oracles Of Kerala Photo-Expedition-Workshop. I am especially pleased that this environmental portrait is in landscape format...as I consistently encourage participants in my workshops to adopt it as much as possible as it lends itself better to multimedia, and allows a more layered composition. I'm also gratified that participants in my photo expedition-workshops, not only learn new skills on them, but enter serious photographic competitions, and frequently win.

Charlotte is a photographer who migrated to the world of photography from a corporate career that covered three decades of marketing and communications positions in a variety of global industries including energy, financial services, media, conservation, technology and professional services.

The Worldwide Photography Gala Awards (WPGA) provides a juried competitions for professionals and amateur photographers from around the world to compete in the WPGA Annual Award for the WPGA Photographer of the Year Award and the Humanitarian Documentary Grant

Anthony Pond: Kathakali, The Story Dance

Anthony Pond is hardly a stranger to The Travel Photographer blog, as Kathakali, The Story Dance of Kerala is the newest one of his many audio slideshows I've already featured.

In this latest one, Tony has very ably merged stills, ambient audio with video clips to produce a 3 minute multimedia look into the backstage preparations for a Kathakali performance, and then the performance itself.

Tony was a participant in The Oracles Of Kerala Photo Expedition-Workshop during which I had arranged a private photo shoot involving the performers of this ancient art form. The 3 hours make-up session, and the 2-1/2 hours performance took place at the Kalatharangini Kathakali School near Cheruthuruthy. The performers' intensity was incredible, and I recall mentioning that earlier on this blog that it had been the best Kathakali performance I'd ever witnessed...Tony's stills and video have very well captured that intensity.

Anthony Pond worked for more than two decades in the criminal courts in California as an attorney for the Public Defender’s Office. Now pursuing his passion for travel and photography, he travels repeatedly to South East Asia and India, amongst other places, to capture life, the people and the culture.