When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence. –Ansel Adams
Despite being a writer myself, I continue to believe that a sensitive or timely image can sometimes replace swathes of text to tell a compelling story.
And in my opinion, some fine examples of these narrative qualities of photography are presented by The Boston Globe‘s recent ‘Big Picture’ series titled ‘Colorful India,’ published over the weekend. A brief introduction says the 40 featured photos are from the January 26 Indian Republic Day celebrations and other ‘colorful glimpses of daily life from all around India.’ I think the most inspiring thing is the talent of the photographers, who have skillfully captured compelling, mind-blowing and often simply beautiful shots from throughout the diverse South Asian nation.
Photo #31, impressed me with its impeccable timing in capturing a thrilling moment at a bull-taming event. The uniformly attired male attendees in yellow t-shirts make for a perfect bright backdrop (and also make me wonder where the women were).
Another one of my favorites is #32, shot for AP by Rajesh Kumar Singh-a heartwarming image of a little Tibetan monk in training making a face for the camera. The little orange candy tucked into his hand and the monks in the background taking notice make fantastic touches in contextualizing the shot further. I guess the Dalai Lama can’t hold everyone’s attention.
And there’s photo #35, which offers up a behind-the-scenes look into modern India-and reminded me that there are things we oft forget about a quickly changing nation where most of our thoughts on Indian fashion might conjure up images of saris.