Me, my solitude and Raju's 350D - Part 2

Its been nearly two weeks of probation period at VT. Me and Raju's camera (canon 350 D) did get to see some amount of life in Bangalore which was previously unknown to us. From Page 1 to Page 3 we have got to see a great deal of Bangalore. Sometimes boring stories and sometimes stories which reaffirms faith in the work I have set about doing, they all seem to be part of the game.

The two days I spent about covering the Tibetan Uprising day events have enhanced my confidence a great deal. I was surrounded by photographers who were working for agencies like Reuters,AP,PTI and AFP. It felt great to know that I was trying to capture in frames the story which they were interested too. I knew the event had a worldwide significance. For the first time I was given an opportunity to compare my work with the agencies worldwide. Well, its a different issue that the equipments they had at their disposal were technically far more superior than my buddy, the canon 350D. But hey! who cares? Me and 350D accepted the challenge gracefully. It was natural that I went back home and compared my work with theirs which was updated on the agencies' websites. And I am being frank, I was impressed with my work on the Tibetan story which was done on 350D. This was a boost for me. Someday I'll definitely make it to one of the agencies.

But as the story goes, only one image made it to print from those 2 days:-(. Now, for the first time I got an insight into the business of newspapers. There were local issues and advertisements which needed space. Tibetan struggle somehow didn't fit the scheme of Bangalore centric newspaper.I had to kiss this fact. I had shot some page3 kinda pictures on the same day. They made it in large numbers. Something new about professional modern day journalism I had learned.

Life goes on; So I moved on from Rakshita's Mehendi ceremony payasam to buffets at Star hotels of Bangalore while covering events and press meets. A trip to IIMB and freezing the future corporate czars of India, listening to a Tibetan hero who one day I know shall be the leader of modern independent Tibet(if Tibet's destiny has independence in it), meeting visionaries of Karnataka state and then attempting an undercover operation in Bangalore subways where prostitution was rampant; it surely has been a great ride so far. I have come to know my limitations as well as my buddy 350D's. But we have to learn to live with our limitations and make the most of it. And yeah, my probation at VT has nearly come to an end and I am waiting to hear from the Resident Editor on my future here. I have a feeling that I have done well. I hope they tell me soon. I have to return Raju's 350D and buy mine soon.

Retrospecting through the last few months, I have come to realise that I am walking with huge weight on my shoulders. No, its not Raju's camera bag:-). The weight I am referring to is of the expectations and dreams. I have realized that I am not just in a process of trying to realize my dreams. I am in fact trying to realize a million dreams. I was not alone, there are a large number of people who were and still are caught in a life they are not really keen on leading. But they do not want to risk an adventure to change things. I decided to break free and yeah I know, my decision had shocked many people. I can hear the words "Your son needs counselling I guess" still ringing in my ears. People who could draw similarities between their lives and mine have regularly been in touch with me. They are hoping I succeed in whatever I have set about doing. They are trying to realize their dreams of breaking free and reaching the pinnacle through me. And my friend, that is a huge pressure situation here. But I seem to love it.

I know that if all shall go well,
I'll be a legend walking with applause.
And if fate shall have its way,
I'll still be a martyr of my own cause.
-Nishant Ratnakar

Evil Smoke

Evil Smoke
Originally uploaded by travelling writer.

Helmets can save you only from the road accidents. It can't save you from cancer. For such evils, its only your will power which can fight it out.

Some facts

• Half the male tuberculosis deaths in India are caused by smoking, and three quarters of the smokers who become ill with tuberculosis (TB) would not have done so if they had not smoked

• The current study predicted that the number of men dying from smoking-related illnesses in India could double to more than a million a year by 2025

• In India, lung cancer is fast replacing oral cancer as the most common malignancy in men. Smoking is the predominant cause of lung cancer.

• Eight percent of women in developing countries and about 15% in industrialized countries currently smoke cigarettes.

• Study Finds Children in India are Smoking More Tobacco at a Younger Age.

Say no to smoking.

Issued in public interest by Nishant Ratnakar

Do they really mean it..

The Karnataka flag is seen hoisted at the entrance of one of the popular wholesale malls of Bangalore during the recent protests over the judgement given by the Tribunal for Cauvery river water sharing issue.

This was a common site in front of big commercial complexes, supermarkets, malls,multiplexes IT and BPO company office buildings in Bangalore during the recent days.

I wonder what exactly does it signify.

1.>Does this mean that they love karnataka? If so, why don't they display the flag through out the year? And why hoist it only at the gates and entrances of the buildings, and not at a dignified flag post set up exclusively for it?

2.>Or does it mean that these big guns care for local issues and are actualy showing their support for the cause?

3.>Or does it mean that this is an act of appeasing the protestors and mobs by the upper middle class( and above) which is least bothered about the issues concerning the localities?

4.>Talking about doing it out of fear: Does it mean we the citizens of a famous cosmopolitan city are nothing but vandals and rioters who love destroying public property in the name of burning issues? And people are forced to act according to our whims and fancies to avoid facing our wrath?

Something is terribly wrong here.

Whatever the industry it maybe, but when it sets up its operations in Bangalore it must invest on two important things for its security apart from hiring security professionals. That is they have to buy the Karnataka flag and Rajkumar posters. Every time a protest breaks out in the city these are the only two things which can save a building from getting ransacked by mobs.

Note: Actually, looking at recent turn of events in the city there seems to be emerging another security device apart from these two vital symbols. It is a new poster: A poster of Saddam Hussein!

Irfan

Irfan
Originally uploaded by travelling writer.

Date: November 4th,2006.
Place:Russel Market, Bangalore

I thought child labour was banned in my country. But poverty I guess forces children to work.

Irfan, works along with his friend and another lady who runs this service of cleaning prawns for customers after they have struck a deal with one of the sellers in Russel market.

Initially, Irfan ran away when I tried to photograph him. Somebody played a joke on him be telling him that I would give his photograph to the police and that scared him. Later, he walked up to me and asked me why am I giving his pictures to the cops?Upon hearing the truth from me he realised he was a victim of a practical joke. After a hearty laugh he went back to business as usual.

Bunking college

Bunking college
Originally uploaded by travelling writer.

This was one of my published photographs in Bangalore Vijay Times. The story was on bunking classes in College.

I was already on an assignment to a popular women's college in the city when I was told to make a photograph for this feature story. I was actually there to make a photo-essay on a charity run being organised by them. Then a passing glance at a corridor and the urge in my mind to experiment and get a non-cliche image of bunking classes made me visualize this frame as I saw those legs and the college bag rested in the lap. Till that I do not know whose legs are those.

Open to critiques