*Circumstantial
.
.
.
(This is my favourite photograph. Don't think I will ever be able to take a shot that can match this one. Did not know who to dedicate it to? It was special and a million names were coming to mind.
And then, inevitably I decided. Had to.
This is dedicated to everyone who drops by. It's a lesson we all need to learn. )
87 comments:
:) :)
For once, I cannot agree with you more...
"Gasp" You should check the time and the date for it may never happen again ;)
Or then again maybe you will take a print out of this comment and frame it and use it against me in the future
Who's to say
But there is one thing I can say - it is definitely unconditional love
If only we shared or knew love at that dimension
~ Noojes
The pic says volumes about unconditional love n good intention tht u dedicated this to all the visitors...I always wonder if we are capable of unconditional love...We love to be loved in retun in a serious manner...It still amuses me, when can we be unconditional..When can we say tht u do wht u want, but I love u...Not in movies but in real life! I know u r going to say tht it is possible but the near end it is not totally possible but the catalysts of love can be reduced to a huge level! good thought anyways
I don't know if unconditional love really exists...it's easy to love, but do we love without wanting anything in return??
but hey nice pic! really good!:)
And we still need to learn to love.
Very nice shot...but don't you think they are entitled to some privacy? It's not their fault that their doors and windows are the open sky and their view is one of feet noisily passing by.
The picture is very nicely taken..and the black and white just adds to the beauty of it...
It also reminds me of a post on satyam's blog...read it..www.satyamspace.blogspot.com!
great pic!
I believe unconditional love is all around us. Sometimes that love can't be seen or captured. It has to be realised. But, sometimes it can be seen. And we all should quickly make a mental picture of it and cherish it forever.
Demi Goddezz : Thank you… :-)
D4U : :-) thank you .
Noojes : You got it babe… I’m going to remind you of this forever. Yes, we need to understand love… maybe this is a good example.
Scribblez : hmmm… it is possible. The only thing that can evoke unconditional love is zero expectations. What can this man get for his wife? Not even a roof and four walls. And yet, there is love in their life. Methinks materialism is a major reason for the untimely death of true love…. We need to learn the metaphysical profundities of love from this particular couple. Thank you for the compliment…
Yashita : It exists. Look at the picture again. And read what I wrote to ‘Scribblez’ about zero expectations… Glad you liked the picture… :-)
Arunima : Yes we do… we all so badly need to…
Anonymous : Thank me. I have just enlightened you about a concept called the candid camera. Moreover I did not take this shot to infiltrate someone’s privacy. Or to extract any cheap thrills. I rather projected them as the benchmark of true, unconditional love. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind… you can go ask….
Shikha : thank you :-)Glad you liked the picture. It is not black and white by the way… it is what we call a ‘de-saturated’ or DeSat look. It kind of diffuses the shadows and adds to the highlights. Will visit satyam soon…. Thanks again.
Aakriti : Thank you. You said it darling! (Twice that too ;-)) It exists all around us… but like all good things in life you have to work hard to find it. I made a mental picture and captured the frame. And put it up for everyone else to remember and cherish it. I’m glad you liked it…
It seems that if look around enough, and minutely enough, we maybe be rewarded, as Harjee has been, with the knowledge that being poor is a good thing.
But then, what do we know about being poor? Just the fact that we can read this blog proves that we're part of the smallest fraction of the Indian population.
Harjee's photograph is beautiful, it does speak volumes on human intimacy in harsh conditions. I appreciate that.
But the comments Ive read and the way I think, smacks of bourgeois intent.
I feel a little guilty looking at the photograph. The man's hand resting on the woman's back- loving and protective- I see that and wonder are such displays of quiet intimacy eligible for public veiw?
Still,I am glad Harjee took this picture. And yes, I do agree it's his best yet.
And yes, the lesson's learnt.
- Nishant
I just updated my blog. And the thought and inspiration came from this pic of yours. So I wrote something that i never consciously realised.
beautiful :)
wow!
says a lot without words!!
and ur right...its a lesson we all need to learn...
guess some lessons are harder to learn than the others and this is probably one of them!
Harjee Kapur you are a thorough sweetheart.
WOW!
I envy the lucky girl you going to be with... too late for me :P
Yes, it is a lesson we all need to learn but you already have…since so long, The amount of love you carry within yourself to impart to everyone is beyond words. You’re a friend for life… with a heart of gold…
A brilliant shot Harjee. Your talents turn me and a lot others green. You can move with your words. And sometimes you do it without a word…
Muwaah!
ps- I wanted to be the first to comment :-(
Harjee - whether you took the shot to "infiltrate" someone's privacy or not isn't the issue. The point is that the couple's privacy HAS been invaded.
And moreover we're all sitting here and building stories around their private moment - ascribing it meanings and connotations that may actually not exist. A moment which would not have been visible to us at all but for their circumstances and your keen lens.
One could just as well say that the woman had been working hard all day and that the man, a drunken slob, had his way with her in an alcoholic haze and collapsed with his arms around her. And use this photograph as an example of how women often bear the brunt of living and of staying alive.
This, of course, does not take anything away from the photograph itself, which is poignant and filled with meaning.
And yes, I have heard of candid camera.
Really hard hitting snap...
I have always wondered a lot that does unconditional love really exist? Are we as human beings really capable enough for anything as great as unconditional love... Don't we do everything because that gives us happiness and satisfaction including the so called unconditional love? If we ever get to say that okay u do whatever I'll still love u is that not because somewhere we are weak enough to let go or it gives us pain to not love... I mean end of the day what really is unconditional love?
But all that apart this indeed is a lovely snap which speaks tons about the human relationships and how they can be lovely even in adverse circumstances.
At the same time I can't help but agree with anonymous that their privacy is indeed invaded but what hurts me more here is that we have not been able to develop our society to a level that these moments always remain private... that a man-woman always have four walls and a roof to guard their private moments (sorry harjee I reframed ur statement that man should provide the woman with a room, the feminist in me forced me to :-))
Harjee: Zero expectations is true when it comes to wanting things...But does this man have no expectation from the woman...Will he love her the same even if she didnt love him in return. And here, I am talking about no love at all...In time, he may get frustrated n then think "I am wasting my time on someone who does not love me even if I love her this much"
This i sone truth we all learnt via the "Art of Living"
Beautiful pic. Lucky to be at the right place at the right time with the camera.
Anonymous: "PLEASE". We all know there are two sides of every coin. But here we are seeing the beauty without any -ve thoughts. Please bear with us.
i love the photgraph.. wats better is sometyms i see this stuff in real life..
Nice pic, nice words, nice comments, nice blog (what little I have read and am hoping to read more of it).
Nice Hindi poetry too.
Don't know if there's anything 'unconditional'.
very nice pic..
and a very nice dedication.. :-)
ur good at photography..really..
Dear Anonymous,
We got your point the first time. It is just human nature to assume the most positive and safe version of a situation, rather than it's worst.
It really didnt do any of us any good by your revelation that that man could've been a drunk perv. Im sure all of us did think that, but chose to believe a kinder reality.
Also, Im pretty sure this photograph cannot be used as an example of how women often bear the brunt of living and of staying alive. Im sure everyone will agree.
Systems has blocked all pics here in the comapny.. so cant see it :(
hope to catch it frm home..
beautiful!
Hey, as you were seeking update, I have updated the blog... Let me know how you find it, though it is not on the topic you gave me...I followed your advice - Wrote for myself...
Smiles!
Saher
http://www.unphotographable.com
lovely photograph
Nishant - you are showing a disconcerting tendency to speak for everyone here, with your use of "we", "us" and "everyone" when making assumptions.
My first post was in reaction to Harjee's picture and the second was for Harjee's further enlightenment. He didn't show any signs of having got it the first time.
I'd disagree with you when you say it's "human nature" to assume the best..it's equally "human nature" to assume the worst..or shades of grey in between. The point is that the picture can be seen in as many different ways as there are viewers. And from that frame of reference, yes, this picture can be used as an example of how women often bear the brunt of living and of staying alive. That's why I said "One could just as well say that...".
Whether "everyone" agrees or not is a matter of indifference to me.
Beautiful Photograph. The composition (is it?) is purrrfect!!
A very touching moment captured well.
Van,
Haha! I thought 'anonymous' was a woman- owing to the feminist bend of your comments.
You show a mighty disconcerting tendency to enlighten everyone. Even when its quite clear its not wanted or needed.
Now, whether you agree or not, is a matter of indifference to me.
(Yawn.)
Agree with you completely - it's all about perception and different people see different things in it, like in the Rorschach test.
Except that it IS an invasion of privacy simply because it wasn't voluntary. Who are we to presume that the people in the picture would or would not be offended? Did we give them a chance to say so? If it was you there (this is purely an example, no offense) and someone had shot a similar picture using a telephoto lens aimed at your bedroom window, would you be offended if it turned up on someone's blog? And with several meanings ascribed to it, on top of that? I certainly would. Names, dates and places are not the issue here.
van/anon - you talk about the invasions of privacy..if thats the case i suppose we should just shoot dead all the photographers in the world, no?
never mind if their work actually helped in bringing a certain level of education to the public, or succeeded in evoking some deep rooted emotion in that one lone person.
what you talk about is voyeurism and let's not take the 'world-is-black-and-white' stance here ok? there is A VAST difference between honest-to-god good photography and disgusting voyeurism, just as theres a difference between porn and nude art. the line is a thin one and more often that not it has to do with the attitude of the viewer.
agreed names and dates are not the issue here.
the issue here is not TANGIBLE and as much as you may fault harjee for taking the pic and us for admiring it, it seems to be that you're just looking for a fight- because anyone with half a brain and a decent sense of appreciation knows that the bottom line is this- the pic is a beautifully taken one.
this is subjective..you are entitled to your own opinion but there are better ways of airing them.
so why the belligerent attitude?
Nishant : Thank you. I like the way you think….
Aakriti : Have checked and commented
Nowheregirl : Thank you. But you were privy to this picture much earlier
Ekta : Thank you… yes it was a lesson that came as a punch in the gut for me. I for one did not think unconditional love existed. But I changed my stand…
Zarine : I’ll take turn you on over turn you green anyday ;-) but as you said too late :P
Anon / Van : I agree with what Nishant said in his third comment. I also thought anon was a girl…. Because tha part about having been had your way with in a drunken stupor sounded more like an insight. Well, the intention of the picture was good. So I stand by my point that I did nothing wrong. I always say opinions are like assholes. Everybody has one. And most of us use ours to talk. As everyday is a learning process I learnt today that sometimes it’s used to type as well. And yes, you cannot make out who they are.
The fact that it was in open PUBLIC view, itself frees the whole frame from any realm of privacy…. Enlightened?
Monika Manchanda : Monika darling yeh pyaar hai…vigyaan nahin. Itna nahin sochte. When you think you are in love, try making it unconditional. That’s it. Thanks for the kind words… your comments are always eagerly waited for….
Kitsch : Enlightened my love? They are not overrated….
Scribblez : Circumstances. They keep the love alive. You CAN say I will walk out I am wasting my time. There are those who cant. But still if they manage to find love, lets laud it.
White Magpie : Thank you dear… and don’t mind anon/van here… he’s just like a swiss army knife. Multiple usage of his anatomy…
Bitchlet : Thank you… but the picture isn’t half as beautiful as you… you kinky you… lol…you still stalk people on bandstand? (oops, I gave out the place now. Hope van does not file a PIL now)
Livinontheedge : Welcome. There are many things that are unconditional… look around hard enough
Neha : thank you… when are you back from your vacation?
Nishant : he wont get it Nishant…don’t waste your breath. I agree. He sure made me think it’s babe. Though now knowing who it is and what it looks like, I shall replace babe with lady….
Sudeep : will wait for you to see it…
Saher : thank you..will see it asap. And smiles made my day
She : thank you. you want a print for she?
Psyche : Thank you… the composition was accidental. I tried a zoom it didn’t come out well. Then this happened. Tried once more and his hand was off her…glad you liked it though….
Madhu : thank you…the frame was special.
Demi : you are right. But the point is will he get it?
Van : I live on a high rise penthouse. Bad example. Non relatable.
Mahi : yeah mahi darling….! Go for it! you are so right. But please don’t say things like half brain and half decent an all…. We are not making fun of his handicaps here….and go easy on him ….mar jayega meri jaan…. Maaf kar de….
Thanks… my royal kanadiga tigress came to my defence… glad you liked the pic…you actually loved it before even it was posted….
Go mahi!
van - no more fighting please...
we all love the pic. I love the pic. it's my blog.
Love it or leave it!
My first comment, in fact my first words on the shot, were appreciative ones. By your definition then, I do have half a brain and a decent sense of appreciation. Thank you kindly.
So because the picture was of two slum-dwellers and taken without their consent, it becomes honest-to-God good photography and if the SAME PICTURE was taken of a couple of "us" blog readers with a telephoto lens in our bedrooms, it becomes voyeurism? Now that seems like a 'world-is-black-and-white' stance to me.
Of course the photograph is good. Of course it evoked deep-rooted emotion. If you go through the comments, you'll see that it evoked quite a range of them. From thoughts on Harjee's interpretation of "unconditional love" to thoughts on developing society to thoughts on privacy.
You're right, most issues where there is a thin line dividing opposing viewpoints do have a lot to do with the attitude of the viewer...including the one that I raised on the invasion of privacy. I fail to see any belligerence in those comments, I was merely reacting to a specific point raised, namely that the absence of "names, dates and places" makes this photograph a non-invasive one. And I disagreed.
I didn't, however, fault Harjee for taking the pic or (all of) you for admiring it. I simply raised another issue for discussion. And I would like to believe that there aren't too many "better ways" of airing my opinion. At the end of the day, it's a blog and this is a comments page.
'Nuff said.
van- you obviously missed the point of my comment, but okay whatever floats your boat man.
Madame...as you did mine. That makes two of us then. Cheers!
call me an optimist, but i think unconditional love is not hard to find..
beautiful picture. i cant seem to express in words what i feel. its left me speechless and moved.
So natural, and so intimate..this was a moving photograph!
Your stuff is really mediocre and even then manages to get appreciated. Just goes to show that the level of achievement in this society is very low. To each his own.
Namrata : You should red it. the comments window atleast. It boasts of some major specimens. Glad you liked the picture. You’re an awesome click yourself. Have you linked to my page.
Cold Coffee : hey… welcome back. Yeah… it may be hard to find, but love was never easy. With or without conditions.
Haathi : Am humbled :- ) Thank you …
Silverine : thank you… you took your own sweet time getting here didn’t you?
Anon : Thank you. I will take that as a compliment. For someone with a limited mental fortitude like yourself finds my page mediocre makes me feel good.
How about you leave a name? And a blog address of your own. I am sure all the visitors to my page would be very curious to see what standards (if any) you have set (or dropped) for yourself?
But then you said something about a society? Where do you dwell my friend?
Somewhere very sad I am sure. Because you show a severe lacunae of self respect.
Or maybe you’re the local bitch who is run over by everyone?
In any case, I would have taken your comment positively had you left something for me to compare it with.
But you leave me with ambiguity. Over and above your gender, species and upbringing, it leaves me with an ambiguity of what was the fucking point you were trying to make?
dance of fate....,we dont all get this kind of love u know. even if this means two, STRANGE, SLUMDWELLERS(not speakin derogatorily...mind u)...find it amongst themselves. maybe u, and i, and us.. are overrating this pic, maybe it has a different story to tell...but i think ur picture sez one thing.
we're not alone.(?)
jus dropped by.
awesOMMMME blog u have in here.
peace..!!
\m/
well after reading various comments on the pic, i dont think i need to say more.. the pic is intriguing n reminds me of a poem..
As I wake by your side,
My feelings for you I can not hide,
I touch your face in the morning light,
Being with you just feels so right
You make me feel like I'm a queen,
Like being inside an awesome dream,
Although this is real, that I know,
As the love that surrounds us continues to grow
I think of what the future holds...
Marriage, children, us growing old,
And as I lay, with you dear,
I'm just so glad you're mine, you're here
really nice pic...coming to think of it...i dunnno how id react if someone took a pic of me with someone tht way...but nice piv nevertheless!..and yes am bak from examssss
Picture perfect.
Waise violation of privacy mein andar toh nahin ho jaoge paaji? [:p]
Thats a very nice picture. Some of the best ones are often unplanned. It's an intimate picture yet very much open cos of how it was taken.
I blogrolled ya too. :)
hmmm, it doesn't speak to me as much about love as it does about poverty
Sigh..
hmm... ways of life... :-|
Harjee you should be really proud of yourself right now... One pic and so many varied comments... just goes to show that it has affected or touched each one of us! :)
I don't think so HK, we always want something...even wen we love someone we hope/expect that he/she will love us back...even a mother expects somethin from her child, expectations are always there, big or small, and so, 'unconditional love', it might not be so true afterall-
Lovely picture..
Got your message and your missed call.. Been feeling so yucky these past two weeks..Ergo the lack of comments or posts. I will be back soon, i guess.
Take care,
SC
Amazing moment captured- nice
phew...spent a considerable amount of time just reading the commentz!
nice pic...raised a whole lot of debate up there...hmmmm....
unconditional love...rare ain't it? i kind of agree wid yash. Expectations can't wish them away...can we?
oh m sorry i cldn't fulfil my promise ... things came up and then i left... and i guess it's too late now :-(...anyway doin yet another tag now.
tc...ishi
Wasn't able to read all the comments.. but unconditional luv is hard to find.. even the one in photo ..i dnt feel it is unconditional.. its two people with similar faith got together by marriage bond .. thts it..they still expect sth from each other like security.. food..
Unconditional luv.. if i think of one is jaise Mirabai.. i cant think other example..
do you know that the picture somehow reminded me of beautiful poetry...
superb pic n appropriate title
dont know why the earlier comment went anon even though i was logged in
Love is always Unconditional :)
this is really nice pic showing many dimension of love ... :)
nice wrk :)
quite a discussion na? ;)
nice pic
interesting arguments...
Harjee, (should that be Harjeet?...)
Visiting for the first time but I sure will come back. Great pic!
too much dude!!..aptly titled..
Nice photograph. And thanks for visiting my blog.
Time for another post Harjee. How long can you bask in the glory on the condition of the 'unconditional'?
hey no updates!!where art thou?
i like the merging of B/W and colour in the snap
c ya
Manic Street Preacher : yes. We are not alone… thank you.
Kishley : that was a beautiful poem… and so true and apt for the situation.
Why Am I : glad to have you back…glad you liked the pic. Thank you.
Aakash : thank you bhai jaan… waise andar ho bhi gaye to andar wale apne aap bahar bhej denge :P
Karmic Jay : yes. The best ones are almost always unplanned. Thank you for the link.
Jups : We all saw the poverty. Trust me. But then this picture was about love, and not economics.
Cold Coffee : I agree. Well said…
Khushi : yes they are… cruel at times, fun at times, and sometimes just humbling.
Lovemarks : I am already too proud of myself sweety… going to burst any minute.
Yashita : The conditions I mentioned are note material or economic. Its love.
SpaZe’ : will wait…
Justme : Thank you… glad you liked it.
Ishita : : - )
Kandykane : Thank you so much… glad you liked it.
Pritika Gupta : Mirabai is a good example. But as I mentioned somewhere in reply to a comment, conditions are not materialistic or economic. Expectations are there. but they too just pertain to love. Which is fair.
‘Sen’sational : write it… I’d love to read it….
Sudeep : Got it mate. Glad you liked it. Cheers.
Nihal Parashar : love is love. I agree. Glad you liked the picture. Thank you.
Chitrangada : thank you… I am glad you saw the various dimensions…
Richunderconstruction : thank you. and yes, the discussion is always welcome.
Meeta : it is Harjee. The two names differ in origin as well as meaning. Glad you liked the pic. Look forward to seeing you around.
SS : Thanks mate…
M : Thank you… the pleasure was all mine…
Namrata : thank you. you’re very good with the camera nam… trust me.
Sunayna : Darling if you don’t have anything to say I shall die. I mean the last person who can get tongue tied is you… as for what you have written…touching. It pains me that you use the word love in past tense. Cheer up babe. It’ll get better…
Livinontheedge: Will write… busy right now… and don’t know what to write about
Neha : here only… just busy… have to justify my salary too…
Deepa : it was a desat or a de-saturated effect. Glad you liked it.
BT: Khalistan worked out just fine thank you. Drop by more often for a more detailed experience. And yes, I agree Bangalore is full.
Of shits like you.
But the point is, besides having an abbreviation for ‘Ball less – Tramp’ (BT), is there anything else you can do? I mean C’mon… im sure you are jealous of me for various reasons, but I am also sure the urge to get rid of me would induce you enough to come and try doing it yourself? By the way what did I do? Or who did I do? Any of your blood relations? Sorry if that is the case…
Well, I’ll make it easier for you. I aint going anywhere. And if you are the birth of a single progenitor or father, I suggest you try doing it face to face.
Otherwise hear this, ‘jab haathi ki sawaari nikalti hai, to aksar kutte bhaunkte hain’ not because they are scared. Because they cannot do shit.
:)
update!!!!
hav fun in bombay
:)
as i sit in bglore... sigh :(
harjee ji tussi sacchi main great ho...we have so much of learning to do from you...me more so..a vain spoilt titli..
Yes, the pic leaves one with serenity. No questions asked, no answers needed. :)
All thoughts well put. And like someone said above, need I say more?
ARE YOU WAITING TO HIT A HUNDRED COMMENTS???? POST WILL YOU!!!
ANGRY SPAZ
well... i jst realised, party time jst starts for me ;)
enjoy wrk, as i try n balance party n wrk!
wow....u've a big pop blog out here...
yeah .,.. i really did
any more pics of this type ?
Ho kidhar??? Looks like the 'sharara' of the rains have got you... he he.
Serendipity - that mother-child relationship do count as condition right?
1
0
0
hey this is a great pic totally amazing i am very intrested in photography visit my blog n u will see
hey
iam am using a sony cyber-shotdsc-P10 i cant afford to use a slr yet still a student n am broke
Its gorgeous- Proof that beauty is not restricted to air-brushed models in glossy magazines.
wow. perfect caption.
Post a Comment