Diti Kotecha: Shekhawati

I occasionally, usually by accident, come across work of such fresh creativity and imagination that it figuratively stops me in my tracks.

To me, the work of Diti Kotecha, a photographer based in Mumbai who describes herself as a documentary and travel photographer, graphic designer, cat lover and collector of knick-knacks, qualifies as one of those "stop-in-the-tracks". Her website is not gallery extensive, but it's one that I encourage you to visit and look around.

My favorite multimedia gallery (unfortunately limited in number of images) is the one Diti titles "antique remains". Her images were made in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan, and some are of the wonderful havelis in the small town of Mandawa.

The ruling clan in the area were the Marwaris, who built large mansions in Shekhawati and Marwar, which were called havelis. Artists were commissioned to paint the buildings with frescoes depicting Hindu lore and current events of the time. Unfortunately, and despite the havelis being on the tourist circuit, most are largely dilapidated, and some even abandoned.

Diti's blog Yesterday Was Dramatic, Today's OK is also an interesting insight in her photographic style. I'd wager that Diti will go far in her chosen career.

Beyond The Frame: Vedic Master

©Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved
I'm resuscitating the Beyond The Frame feature on The Travel Photographer blog, which today shows-off one of my favorite photographs from my February photo-expedition in Kerala. One of photo shoots was inside an ancient Vedic 'gurukul' (or training/boarding school, and very similar to the Buddhist monasteries for novitiates), where we were treated to a demonstration of this way of teaching sacred Vedic scriptures.

It is an ancient Indian educational system, which is currently being rejuvenated with the assistance of the Indian government. The young boys who populate the Vedic school usually belong to a caste of Keralan Brahmins, and are responsible to carry on the age-old tradition of chanting Vedas during religious rituals or functions. The chanting is learned by practice, and nothing is written down.

The rhythm of the Vedic chants is followed by the young boys' moving their bodies in cadence to the verses, which reminded me how the Buddhist novices recite their mantras, or how the Islamic students recite the Qur'an at their madrasas.

The photograph is of one of the Vedic masters keeping a watchful eye over the youths, while they're chanting the verses.

Canon G10 & VII Agency

Here's an entertaining advert for Canon's G10 featuring some of the VII Photo agency founding members: John Stanmeyer, Gary Knight, Antonin Kratochvil, Ron Haviv, Joachin Ladefoged and Marcus Bleasdale (seemingly the only member with no beard).

Technically, the advert is flashy and very well made, however the tips offered by both Gary and Antonin seem to be targeted at an audience who, despite the VII info, may not really know who they are...except that they're working photographers peddling a Canon camera.

Since the ensuing debate on this advert on the internets will also be entertaining, I have no intention of commenting any further, except as I already have.