Camel Smokes and Talks, a photo from Rajasthan, West

Photographer's Note

This is not an advertisement for a well known tobacco brand, although these two guys seemed to enjoy a lot their smoking.

Early morning around Choti Chaudar, the small roundabout in Jaipur old city, hard working people congregate, have a talk, a smoke and a glass of chai before finding themselves some work assignment. In this chilly morning, a camel cart rider was carrying a long chat with his colleague bike repairman.

Camel carts and bikes benefit at this time of the day from a clear number superiority over cars, an hour later, the streets of Jaipur will be paralyzed and camels gone.

KevRyan, sadeik, garageolympo, Clairedelune, sanalytis, claire526, AnimeshRay, Ocdong, Dubsie, brevbrev14, delnaja, Curioso, designsoul, luisafonso has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

sadeik (3282) 2007-01-07 17:11

A lovely photograph with atmosphere, I think its the black and white and the smoke.

Simon

SAGAPO (1739) 2007-01-07 17:20

Fantastic view in your shot.Perfectly composition and very good BW photo.
Thanks for sharing.
Ahmet

Clairedelune (4923) 2007-01-07 17:31

Allo Luko!
Si tu sp嶰ifiais dans une de tes derni鋨es photos qu'il ne s'agissait pas du Danemark, il faudrait peut-皻re sp嶰ifier pour celle-ci qu'il ne s'agit pas de l'Egypte! ;) Eh oui, l'espace de quelques secondes, j'ai eu l'impression de voir une photo prise en 仩ypte au d嶵ut du si鋃le dernier...
Cette lumi鋨e qui se perd dans la fum嶪... magnifique! Les drap廥 des v皻ements sont 嶲alement superbes (bien que tu n'y sois pour rien!). Le chameau juste au bon endroit, la t皻e pointant, qui sait?, vers la direction � prendre, bien digne, bien droit. Et tu t'es bien plac�, un chouia plus � gauche et la t皻e de l'homme de gauche aurait 'chevauch�' le chameau.
Mais, plus que tout, il y a une histoire dans cette photo, une atmosph鋨e d'un temps qui coule entre nos doigts et qu'il faut parfois prendre le temps de ... prendre le temps ou bien de fumer une Camel! ;) (Ceci dit, je ne fume plus depuis longtemps!)
Claire

sanalytis (1634) 2007-01-07 17:52

Hi Luko,

Great atmosphere in this image. The use of BW in this photo works very well. You composition is also excellent.

Spiros

alimo3 (6854) 2007-01-07 18:36

Bonsoir Luko,
j'aime beaucoup cette image, qui d嶲age une atmosph鋨e incroyable.
le m幨ange de lumi鋨e puissante et de fum嶪, l'attitude de l'homme � droite, la compo au mm et le croustillant de la tri-X...
Que du bon.

Tom

Homerhomer (4080) 2007-01-07 19:20

back to regular programming I see, great, really like this shot. While the two are enjoying morning smoke, the camel seems to be in the same mood inhaling it second hand, and while he is much bigger than I dog, I get Erwitts feeling in this photo.
Peter

Furachan (0) 2007-01-07 20:37

This is an absolute treat, Luko - to see what the Summicron picks up, what it nails down and what it is happy to leave vague...like the wispy banners at the top. There is even more definition and texture here than in your recent VN efforts. The smoke is (ardon the pun...) a killer here.
Congratulations,
Francis

AnimeshRay (9089) 2007-01-07 23:30

Hi Luko,
Yes, an absolute treat! Not only does the framing captures the mood superbly--pages of the Seven Pillars of Wisdom come alive--but the use of light is superb. Amazing how you manage to capture the heart of this place in such a short time...
Best,
Animesh

pilpel-adom (3018) 2007-01-08 1:08

Hey Luko!
You got the atmosphere, alright! The puff of smoke is an eye drawer here, connecting the two, graphically and conceptually..The camel at the back serves as a semi backdrop for the scene and serves as the third subject in this triangle...If there wasn't the banner at the top (and the tree on the left) I would have been convinced this was a shot from the 30's of the previous century taken at a north African country...
:)
Very well done!
Chen

Ocdong (4) 2007-01-08 3:09

Such a cool shot, the kind of posture and expression on his face. The camel is there just to add to the "ancient" feel that comes from those costumes. Overall, like a scene from a Babylonian parable (from my imagination of the city of course)!
And your choice of view? Very smart!
On the technical quality? Man, I am not even qualified to critique.
Really well done!

jinju (14265) 2007-01-08 3:15

Stunning stuff Luko,

what awesome light you cptured. Isnt that your maxim? Light Light Light before composition? Not to say the compo isnt good, but the light knocks me down.

And yeah, it looks like we can celebrate birthays almost on the same day:)

Dubsie (346) 2007-01-08 3:41

Texture...texture...texture...takes me to some Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen stills. Like a poetry in stilll...let your eyes wander off to various points and be pleasantly amused. So earthy and so warm and so classic style. B/W really does the magic.
Very well framed with that tree in the top left corner.
Regards,
Best,
Durba

brevbrev14 (140) 2007-01-08 4:08

oh this smoke Luko!!!
all this smoke and the action you have capture are great!
love Leica M6...in your hands... :)
a wonderful atmosphere of relax here..!
superb composition!
ciao!
valeria

delnaja (2056) 2007-01-08 5:14

Il y a un c矌� Lawrence d'Arabie dans cette photo... J'aime beaucoup le rendu du Tri X... je viens d'acheter une pellicule et j'esp鋨e pouvoir en sortir quelquechose d'int廨essant...
Belles tonalit廥 qui donnent un c矌� ancien... et j'adore cette fum嶪 en effet.
Excellent!
Fred

greg (2835) 2007-01-08 7:31

I like that back-lit smoke very much; also whatever makes the background fade away - I suppose the sun is up in the corner there somewhere. Wonder if it isn't a little tight on the left edge, since you have a highlight on the figure there.

rowanb (864) 2007-01-08 8:39

ahh great shot. theres something about smoke in the early morning light.

nerve (10231) 2007-01-08 10:03

dunno, i am happy with the smoke but not with the blown out sky here. even if it is done intentionally maybe, doesnt give a "high-key" feeling to me somehow.

designsoul (17843) 2007-01-08 12:45

Hi Luko,
It's the smoke that puts this shot on the map for me. A classical composition with superb grit that can only be arrived at with a Leica, I suppose... the shot breathes, just like these men are breathing that magnificient-looking smoke that even make the camel's neck look like it is made of cracked glass.
Beautiful.
sasa

Praetzer (209) 2007-01-08 13:04

Magnificent atmosphere.
Without the smoke the background would have looked overexposed. Now it complements.
Alfred

naxius (16685) 2007-01-08 13:58

c'est marrant tu vois mais avant m瘱e d'aller voir si cette photo avait 彋� prise avec ton 5D, j'ai cru reconna褾re de suite de l'argentique..j'ai souvent l'impression que le num廨ique n'arrive pas � donner les m瘱es rendu des mati鋨es..ici, c'est superbe, le model� est vraiment beau..
une photo qui fait planer � moins que ce ne soit le narguil� :D
Alex

fixed (3836) 2007-01-08 17:43

coucou Luko
une teinte beige qui nous rappelle bien le paquet estampill� dromadaire
l'ambiance est fabuleuse ... on se tait et on regarde ;)
nono

Rinie_Hoff (9340) 2007-01-08 18:38

Hi Luko, first of all, all the best for 2007 for you and your family!
This is a fantastic atmosphere, and seems to be more a scene from a past long gone. It more looks like a scen from Lawrence of Arabia for instance, fantastic light and an excellent compo this way. It's not just taht it reminds me of that movie, but it even looks like a scene on the set, two camel drivers waiting for the time they have to act.
Hope you had a good time in India, I'm glad you're posting. I knew indeed that you were going to meet Elaine, hope all went well.

vapours (8264) 2007-01-09 1:46

Ooh yeah, its photos like this which is why I have you as a favourite. I'm noticing that I am falling for a lot of your Leica/TriX shots on here. Love everything about this shot, but especially the cigarette smoke. Could easily see this photo fitting in an edition of National Geographic.

luisafonso (862) 2007-01-09 4:09

Thanks for that bunch of leaves in the top left corner Luko. Without that single/simple element, this picture wouldn't be as good as it is know (imho, of course). I love smoke photos. And when that smoke comes from tobacco the magic unfolds. I am not pretending to be a tobacco guardian (nor I am one of his detractors), but there is some Bogart je ne sais quoi in those scenes that simple grab me. Like your compo quite much but I think a minor step to the right probably would produce better results. The head of the camel is tied to the left man and the turban seen from the back is not as interesting as seeing some smoke in the mouth of the left guy also. Just a thought. Great light on those vests and great texture in that b&w. Like it a lot.

s10001in (0) 2007-01-09 22:15

Hi Luko,

I saw this Photo when you posted.
But I could not comment. It is really a difficult photo to write something.
Photo with expressions & body language.
I am not talking about expression of CHESSSSSSSSSSSSS..
but a true expressions of real life..
I have India in my blood, so I know this scene very well..& in interior part of India, social life begin in the morning with this scene..Only the thing is instead of Camel..you may find bullock, Buffalo, Donkey, Horse or in some case Monkey & elephant also.
Cities are also not far away from this. Even in city you will find people smoking "BIDI" (handmade Tobacco being sold in very cheap price" & chit chatting with friend or anybody at public place like Bus stand or T-shop.
The body position of this guy & his hand holding bidi with very delicately partly closed smoke clouds is real punch to atmosphere. His face is completely in mood to enjoy the smoke with hot gossips. And atmosphere has mood of calmness.

You really put heart of India in this Photo.
Regards,

KevRyan (22956) 2007-01-13 12:11

A man with a Leica in the hour of the photographer and the camel and the quiet morning smoke before the traffic comes in Jaipur.....yes that is the feeling of this image ...not just how it looks ......it has a feeling of a life lived- if we ignore the printed banners - which goes back a few hundred years .......lovely tones...

best wishes Kev

ALSOM (6616) 2007-01-17 9:04

Rahhhhhhhhhhh magnifique cette photo ! Tu as mis le paquet sur celle-l�, pas un lucky strike mais un Luko's strike !

Est-ce la version indienne du cow-boy Malboro, sauf qu'ici on a dromadaire (enfin je distingue qu'une seule bosse) ou la version indienne de Brokback Mountain ? Allez va pour Malboro ;o) !

La cerise pour moi c'est le contre-jour de sa main dans la fum嶪 et devant le visage du fumeur, et l'expression de ce visage devant le plaisir de la cigarette est appr嶰iable ...

Peter soul鋦e un bon point dans la similitude entre le chameau/fum嶪 et le fumeur/fum嶪.

Je note au passage la touche Luko pour fermer la compo avec des feuillages ... � croire que tu as en tjs sur toi comme d'autres ont leur carton gris 18%.

Je ne serai pas contre de faire venir un peu de grain dans les hautes lumi鋨es (la banderole risque de poser un pb de masquage).

A+, Alain -

everlasting (19680) 2007-01-25 11:17

The B&W creates a nostaglic atmosphere here, the early morning light certainly works for you in this great composition. i like the relaxed attitude of the men, they have all day........

pinakie_slg (861) 2007-02-02 6:53

the best one among the rest on india. others might have been interesting to others but not to me, may be i see and pass thru them every day.
this is a very strong and well composed shot.
thanks for sharing.

noborders (1010) 2007-05-28 13:49

Salut Luko, je n'ai pas fini d'explorer tes photos de l'Inde, et le noir et blanc te va bien aussi. Et puis, la note est int廨essante et amusante... Vraiment, avec ton int廨皻 pour les chameaux, il FAUT que tu t'arranges (si possible) pour prendre tes cong廥 lors de la pleine lune de novembre pour aller � Pushkar, tu serais heureux l� bas j'en suis s壜e !
Encore une photo pour mon th鋗e...
Bravo, merci,
Cath.