Young Laborers

If you get away from the sheltered confines of your hotel, or the family with whom you are staying, and meander to a worksite, you may notice some of the workers are very young. These boys were at a local farm. The scars and markings on their hands and body indicate they are veterans of hard labor, albeit at an early age.

(Below is a photo of the original, shot in Tri-X Pan, printed in a good old fashioned dark room – this does not capture many nuances in the print image unfortunately.)

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 1996 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11”x14”. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire. Here is purchase info.

Morning Commute

Children are delivered to school in so many different ways: bus; bicycle; feet; scooter; car; and here, the auto-ricksha. Up close, you see this one carries a priceless payload: school mates, bright and shiny, ready to pounce on another big day and “run their race” in life.

(Below is a photo of the original, shot in Tri-X Pan, printed in a good old fashioned dark room – this does not capture many nuances in the print image unfortunately.)

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 1996 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11”x14”. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.  Here is purchase info.

Steamy Morning

Another day arrives, and early morning routines take a local resident through the morning mist, along the edge of a paddy field guarded by palms.

(Below is a photo of the original, shot in Tri-X Pan, printed in a good old fashioned dark room – this does not capture many nuances in the print image unfortunately.)

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 1996 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11”x14”. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.  Here is purchase info.

The Local Water Taxi

You can spend several hundred rupees to hire a speed boat with driver and ply the dreamy backwaters of Kerala for a day.  Or you can take the capacious water taxis from Kottayam to Alleppey for a few pennies.  On the way, the rumbling, trembling craft will pick up locals heading to market with their goods, and the local life will be experienced all around you.

(Below is a photo of the original, shot in Tri-X Pan, printed in a good old fashioned dark room – this does not capture many nuances in the print image unfortunately.)

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 1996 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11”x14”. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.  Here is purchase info.

3 Generations

Manny, short for Immanuel, looks at me with a trademark mischievous smile, while his father looks on, and his grandmother sits by, confident that his next escapade will start within minutes.

(Below is a photo of the original, shot in Tri-X Pan, printed in a good old fashioned dark room – this does not capture many nuances in the print image unfortunately.)

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 1996 (click for larger image)

Image size: 8”x10”. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.   Here is purchase info.

Reflecting

On the train from Trivandrum to Kottayam, a man sat by the window, almost motionless, staring outward for the entire 3 hour excursion.  What could sideline someone like this? Perhaps a recent calamity had transfixed him, and this was the journey to o from a funeral.

(Below is a photo of the original, shot in Tri-X Pan, printed in an old fashioned dark room – this does not capture many nuances in the print image unfortunately.)

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 1996 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11x14. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.  Here is purchase info.

The Express Bus

Public bus systems weave together the cities and backhills of India.  Pictured here is a consummate open-air experience now being replaced by “all window” vehicles; the canvas sides seen here can be released to blunt the rain. Your choices include Ordinary, Fast Passenger, Super Fast and Super Express bus.  The latter ones have drivers on unreasonable schedules, with a zest for speed, manhandling vast vehicles in tangled traffic the way a Formula One car zips thru a chicane

(Below is a photo of the original, shot in Tri-X Pan, printed in a good old fashioned dark room – this does not capture many nuances in the print image unfortunately.)

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 1996 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11x14. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.  Here is purchase info.

Denouement

Jenardin, the manager of George Uncle’s farm outside of Bangalore, invited me to his son’s school function.  Remarkable to me was the intense focus of the children; it was no different from any commercial dance ensemble. 

(Below is a photo of the original, shot in Tri-X Pan, printed in an old fashioned dark room  – this does not capture many nuances in the print image unfortunately.)

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 1996 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11x14. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.   Here is purchase info.

Movement!

Photography is art that freezes time. Dance is the converse, running across time. I love the challenge and the possibilities. An electronic flash can be the perfectly incorrect answer, while slow shots can be a terrific solution – if you look close you’ll see the left foot of eight different girls circling 2 boys at this school event outside of Bangalore. 

(Below is a photo of the original, shot in Tri-X Pan, printed in an old fashioned dark room – this does not capture many nuances in the print image unfortunately.)

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 1996 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11x14. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.  Here is purchase info.

School Bound

Another glorious tradition that spills across borders: children going to school: oblivious of the mode of transport; chattering, day dreaming, sleeping, what not; crammed into school buses, local transit buses, minivans, auto rickshaws, straddling scooters, or on bicycle. It is a fresh new day, no?

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2010 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11x14. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.  Here is purchase info.

Celebrating With Your Closest Colleagues

My wife’s cousin George, (known by family members as George-kutty Chettan,) completed 25 years as a priest in 2010. A remarkable milestone. As part of the celebration, and symbolic of the journey taken together – 25 colleagues join in the procession led by the Bishop, as family proudly watch on

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2010 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11x14. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.   Here is purchase info.

A Celebration of the Almighty

In a world where too often the emphasis is “my faith is THE one” rather than the less glamorous tenet of “actions speak louder than words,” here was a celebration shared by 3 religions. The local Catholic Church invited the communities of the nearby Hindu temple and Muslim mosque to join for the annual Piranala festival. This scene, of candles outlining the Islamic crescent, the Hindu om, and the Christian cross – all being equally tended to – has always struck me as the way God would want us to treat each other.

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2005 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11x12. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.  Here is purchase info.

The Locals

Capturing people naturally sometimes means making them bored of your camera. On several morning walks an inquisitive set of local boys followed along, clearly friends who would lightly chat in Malayalam and watch me shoot. On “walk # 6” it appeared they were no longer “camera aware.”  So I turned and took this shot to capture the range of personalities, from swaggering and confident, to quiet and introspective. 

(Below is a photo of the original, shot in Tri-X Pan, printed in a good old fashioned dark room – this does not capture many nuances in the print image unfortunately.)

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 1996 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11“x 14”. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.   Here is purchase info.

A Day’s Catch

Another boat safely arrives, laden with fish from the sea, as the sun trundles into the horizon.

(Below is a photo of the original, shot in Tri-X Pan, printed in a good old fashioned dark room – this does not capture many nuances in the print image unfortunately. 

Also, I do miss the verification borders that were part of film based images.)

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 1996 (click for larger image)

Image size: 8 “x 12”. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.   Here is purchase info.

Morning Walk

Long before sunrise, local temples awake us with devotional songs that carry across the rice paddies.  As light seeps into the day, people can be seen walking to and fro, either on specific errands or to get their daily dose of exercise and reflection.

 

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2009 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11x14. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire. $225

Evening Muslim Festival

Even small towns know that the way to impress is to bring out the real machinery. In this case, the center piece of the parade is 5 elephants. I was both elated and nervous to see the cadres of drummers, throngs of clamoring people, and thunderous cacophony of music caging in these utterly massive, patient beasts. Every block or so their mahouts turned these behemoths to face a crowd on the sidewalk, their riders would carefully stand up, and ceremoniously swing large fans in unison.

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2010 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11x14. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire. $225

Heading to the Market

Nothing like taking an auto-rickshaw in the early morning.  It will nimbly weave through back lanes only familiar to a handful including the resourceful driver.  The upshot: you see, smell, and hear peaceful nooks of the world, and are completely ready for any unexpected rain showers.

 Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2010 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11x14. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.   Here is purchase info.

The Towering Presence of God

India is a land where both the actions and symbols of religion permeate everyday life. Roadside shrines, temples, mosques, churches, cathedrals, statues. In Kerala, where Christianity has a higher presence, I am always struck by views like this that one may not “expect in India”.

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2009 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11x14. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.  Here is purchase info.

Midnight Mass

Midnight Mass literally at midnight is a rarity in the US; but it is THE standard in many parts of the world.  To kick off what will be nearly 3 hours of service, the parishioners are led by the pastor, from the courtyard, around a pyre, into the cathedral, bringing in the warm glow of hundreds of blessed candles.

(Below is a photo of the original, shot in Tri-X Pan, printed in a good old fashioned dark room – this does not capture many nuances in the print image unfortunately.)

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 1996 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11x14. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.   Here is purchase info.

Chanda!

The morning rush in the Kottayam fish-market (or chanda) is one of those elusive finds seen by a lucky few outsiders.  It is a raucous scene; the day’s catch needs to move before the morning is done and merchants are ready to make a deal.

(Below is a photo of the original, shot in Tri-X Pan, printed in a good old fashioned dark room – this does not capture many nuances in the print image unfortunately.)

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 1996 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11x14. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.  Here is purchase info.

Stitched Images of India 2009 Trip

Work in Progress Studies

Two very different photographic challenges are capturing 1) very wide vistas and 2) very tight spaces, particularly in low light.  Wide angle lenses are often not "fast enough" nor able to get the gist of the scene with one photo if the space is too small. 

I prefer to use a fast normal lens, take 3 to as many as 40 overlapping shots and then "stitch" them together using Windows Live Photo Gallery (other tools exist, this one is free J).   Sometimes the result is so seamless, like # 15 or # 22, that people say "what's the big deal?" Look close to notice these are often 90 to 180 degrees of view.  Look closer and you will see glaring flaws that the eyes just don't pick up immediately.  Why?  I do feel this is how our brains "see" a space - and hence are very forgiving to missing or duplicated artifacts.

Here’s the video of 35 images presented in the show on a flat panel screen (image list below the video window)

1.       Transatlantic flight
2.       Clouds
3.       Misty mountains
4.       Mar Elia Cathedral
5.       Kottayam Cathdral, Midnight Mass
6.       1st Communion practice
7.       Banquet
8.       25th Jubilee reception
9.       Engagement party
10.    Family photo
11.    An airy front porch
12.    Holiday gathering
13.    Aunt Anna prepares breakfast
14.    Before dinner
15.    Kitchen
16.    Sitting down for lunch
17.    Passenger train
18.    Enjoying mom's creations
19.    Treasure trove of books
20.    Treasure trove of books, take two
21.    Rice paddies in the morning
22.    Sunset on Chertallai beach
23.    Sunset on Chertallai beach, take two
24.    Chinese fishing nets near the beach
25.    Hilltop view in the morning
26.    Hilltop view in the morning, take two
27.    Morning walk among the palms
28.    Kottayam fish market
29.    A brand new store front
30.    Christmas at Seemati fabric emporium
31.    Shrine to Mother Mary
32.    Uncle's place, front yard
33.    Uncle's place, side
34.    Uncle's place, driveway
35.    Water taxi

Crush

The tropical, lush climate of southwest India means plants grow with abandon.  And the waterways of Kerala are all too often choked with plants accidentally brought here from Africa and other faraway places.  Here a boatman slowly pushes his craft thru a canal bursting with ivy.

(Below is a photo of the original, shot in Tri-X Pan, printed in a good old fashioned dark room – this does not capture many nuances in the print image unfortunately.)

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 1996 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11x14. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.  Here is purchase info.

Church Bound

Some religious traditions are the same wherever you go.  Like getting ready, bundling up, traveling to a building, and meeting with your God in a manner more formal way than otherwise is the case.  Here, 3 generations head out on a steamy morning.

(Below is a photo of the original, shot in Tri-X Pan, printed in a good old fashioned dark room – this does not capture many nuances in the print image unfortunately.)

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 1996 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11x14. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.   Here is purchase info.

Loading Up

At first the local trucks look like they have had a full-body tattoo. Not just any tattoo, but a lacy, flowery pattern in lush colors, draping a hulking frame with massive tires and an open air cab. Adding to this visual cacophony the front panel will declare something like “Jesus Saves!”

Abe Pachikara, Copyright 2009 (click for larger image)

Image size: 11x14. Includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; steel black 16” x 20” frame; and ready to hang wire.  Here is purchase info.

Prices for the Photography

First off, I am elated if even one person reads this posting!  Art and money can put put a person in a funny place.  For example, whenever I see a wedding photographer I feel a bit dismayed.  Here is a person who does love photography, but now has a narrowly defined shoot list (all too often), a constellation of stressed out clients and very little latitude to play.  What a mess, eh?

For better or for worse, I have a day job in cloud computing (which I do enjoy tremendously) and this exquisite photo nonsense is squished into weekends and evenings after an array of sordid tasks.  But I do  get to capture what I like, and if you like it, well, God bless you!

To keep things simple, all the photographs are $225.  This includes: ~3” acid free matt and backing; a terrific Nielsen and Bainbridge Gallery edition steel black 16” x 20” frame and glass; and ready to hang wire. Shipping will be separate, is based upon desired address and whether it is ground or rush, per your specs.

Contact Dona Bachman at dbachman@siu.edu.