Game of Polo, a photo from Jammu and Kashmir, North

Photographer's Note

Polo, the traditional sport of Ladakh is indigenous to the western Himalayas, especially to Baltistan and Gilgit. It was probably introduced into Ladakh in the mid-17th century by King Singge Namgyal, whose mother was a Balti princess. The game played here differs in many respects from the international game, which is adapted from what British travellers saw in the western Himalayas and Manipur in the 19th century. Each team consists of six players, and the game lasts for an hour with a ten-minute break. Altitude notwithstanding, the hardy local ponies - the best of which come from Zanskar � scarcely seem to suffer, though play can be fast and furious. Each goal is greeted by a burst of music from surna and daman, and the players often show extraordinary skill. Unlike the international game, polo in Ladakh is not exclusively for the rich.
Traditionally, almost every major village had its polo-ground, and even today it is played with verve in many places besides Leh, especially in Dras and Chushot near Leh. In Leh town itself, it has been partly institutionalised with regular tournaments and occasional exhibition matches being played on the polo-ground. The local crowd takes a keen interest, especially in those matches in which a civilian team takes on that of the army. Altogether, polo adds a unique kind of colour and excitement to the summer in Leh.
The image has been scanned from Print. I wish I had NeatImage to clear this up a bit. But then probably someone ud help me out with a WS :)

fserajian, dhurjati, gelor, sayan, sabyasachi1212, cunejo200, gaurav31dec has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

fserajian (2299) 2006-08-07 4:43

Hi Anjan,

Nice composition good capture of this event. You are showing how the game should be played in real life without fancy cloths and gear. I like this shot for its simplicity capture all actions. TFS

Fara

partha (14023) 2006-08-07 5:08

What a place for playing polo.Lot of dynamism in it. There are some grains but I dont bother that.
Well done

gelor (3233) 2006-08-07 8:05

Bonjour Anjan,
Une superbe image : belle composition, belles couleurs et bonne information. Bravo.
G廨ard

sayan (2617) 2006-08-07 8:31

Hello Anjan,
Yes, the picture is noisy and effect of scanning is there. But the composition is nice. The dust from the lower part is showing us how dynamic the situation is. Your POV is nice. The ball in the foreground is well captured. I tried a WS by removing noise. Hope you will find it ok.
Best regards
Sayan

[workshop] [compare]

sabyasachi1212 (19779) 2006-08-07 8:49

Hi Anjan,
Excellent action packed photo. We have been seeing lots of images from Ladakh recently but this one has its own distinct style. Love the BG as well. This is as good as it comes. Great note too!
Best Wishes
Sabyasachi

ophelcia (0) 2006-08-07 11:20

Hi!
Lovely composition, great timing! Just nice shot. What happened with the colour of the sky? It must be the scanning...
Anyway, I still like it! It's so vivid!
Gosia

chanjits (4460) 2006-08-08 7:41

Well captured dear all the horses well placed in the frame and in marvelous action that𠏋 great you also captured ball quite sharp in forefront. Thanks for sharing.

sunilshukla (844) 2006-08-09 8:15

Nice one Anjan, this one is a full pro shot. Nevermind the grains, that can b fixd but I luv the atmsphre.
Sunil

cunejo200 (7281) 2006-08-13 11:44

Hi Anjan,
Superb action photo. And I can clearly see the ball being chased by the players. Good pov and colors. Well done. And I have always thought that polo originated in Europe. Thanks to your Note, now I know. Best wishes.
Danilo

prumod (8300) 2006-09-01 13:19

hi anjan
its just like a shot from old war periods. fantastic compostion and cool colors.
take care
pramod

Angshu (56760) 2006-12-07 22:42

Dear Anjan
Though scanned this picture's quality does not seem to have been affected very adversely. But the action you've shown here is excellent & so is your note. The background with the patch of green amongst the barren rocks is fascinating. The sky problem you know..one way to sort out the Neat Image issue which Sayan has written, is to copy the sky only into another layer & apply NI on it, leaving the balance untouched
Regards
Angshu