Just for Fun No C&C will be given: Naga Baba

[Prateek Dubey]

Prateek Dubey : Naga Babas​

Naga Babas ( Naked Saints ) coming back from a bath at the Kumbh. Most of these guys live completely naked, wearing just the ash from burnt firewood on their bodies. Some even rub ashes from funeral pyres. The ash represents the inevitability of all existence. Shiva, the destroyer in the Hindu trinity wears ashes from the funeral pyres and dances the Tandav ( dance of death ) at places where bodies are burnt. He has to do it to recycle everything.....

 

[Asher Kelman]

Epic!

It's just one word but it is this!

 

[fahim mohammed]

Just 2 words from me....Biblical Exodus.

Regards.

 

[Michael K. Carberry]

I'm not seeing a photograph.Broken link?

 

[John Angulat]

I'm not seeing it either.
Prateek - I so look forward to your images! Please repair the link!

 

[Michael K. Carberry]

Yes please do.With that explanation I'm curious.

 

[Prateek Dubey]

Prateek Dubey: Naga Babas​

 

[Prateek Dubey]

Sorry guys. I don't understand technical things too well at the moment, but I hope it has nothing to do with me shifting from windows xp to windows 7. Though I would've preferred to add the picture to where it should belong.

 

[janet Smith]

Hello Prateek

I can see it fine now - thank you - and it's extraordinary! I wish I understood why they want to live their lives in the way.....

 

[JimCollum]

i agree.. very powerful image!!!

I took the liberty (please let me know if this is inappropriate to you, and i'll remove) to do a b/w conversion.

In my opinion, an image worthy of Saldago. Well done! (and am looking forward to more)

 

[Prateek Dubey]

i agree.. very powerful image!!!

I took the liberty (please let me know if this is inappropriate to you, and i'll remove) to do a b/w conversion.

In my opinion, an image worthy of Saldago. Well done! (and am looking forward to more)

Hello Jim,
Thank you for the perspective. The B/W takes away the orange element in the foreground and makes it more powerful and aesthetic. Is the picture toned? Can you share this subtle toning technique. Salgado used selenium toning if I'm correct.

 

[Prateek Dubey]

Hello Prateek

I can see it fine now - thank you - and it's extraordinary! I wish I understood why they want to live their lives in the way.....

Hello Janet,
These guys are very sharp in their reply, to a question as to why they live naked, pat comes a question back to you, " were you wearing clothes when you were born ?". There are many explainations. But they do wear ashes most of the time. The thing which amazes me is total conviction in what they do. Absolutly no confusion..

 

[JimCollum]

I have developed a few custom split tone curves in Nik Silver Efex (i took some old silver prints that i had split toned and took densitometer readings at various points).. and yes Salgado used(uses) selenium in a lot of his images

Hello Jim,
Thank you for the perspective. The B/W takes away the orange element in the foreground and makes it more powerful and aesthetic. Is the picture toned? Can you share this subtle toning technique. Salgado used selenium toning if I'm correct.

 

[Rachel Foster]

What a powerful image!

 

[JimCollum]

with the orange element removed, the clenched fist becomes a much more central part of the image as well

Hello Jim,
Thank you for the perspective. The B/W takes away the orange element in the foreground and makes it more powerful and aesthetic. Is the picture toned? Can you share this subtle toning technique. Salgado used selenium toning if I'm correct.

 

[John Angulat]

Prateek Dubey: Naga Babas​

Hi Prateek,
I'm thankful for your efforts in correcting the image dispaly glitch.
As always, you present us with not only a powerful image, but an excellent narrative as well.
With all due respect to Jim's efforts I believe much is lost with the b/w conversion. I think what I miss most is the stark contrast of ash-to-skin.
Thoughts?

 

[Michael K. Carberry]

I too believe it works better in color.Provides the contrast in an instant as to how they live vs. the common man.Powerful statement.Thanks for sharing.

 

[Prateek Dubey]

Hi Prateek,
I'm thankful for your efforts in correcting the image dispaly glitch.
As always, you present us with not only a powerful image, but an excellent narrative as well.
With all due respect to Jim's efforts I believe much is lost with the b/w conversion. I think what I miss most is the stark contrast of ash-to-skin.
Thoughts?

Thank you John

 

[JimCollum]

John,

no offense taken at all.. this is what art is about.. we all bring our own experiences and perceptions to a piece. I'm not even suggesting that the b/w is better.. just a different interpretation. When all is said and done, it's Prateek's vision that is the correct one ... it's his work

Hi Prateek,
I'm thankful for your efforts in correcting the image dispaly glitch.
As always, you present us with not only a powerful image, but an excellent narrative as well.
With all due respect to Jim's efforts I believe much is lost with the b/w conversion. I think what I miss most is the stark contrast of ash-to-skin.
Thoughts?

 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

John,

no offense taken at all.. this is what art is about.. we all bring our own experiences and perceptions to a piece. I'm not even suggesting that the b/w is better.. just a different interpretation. When all is said and done, it's Prateek's vision that is the correct one ... it's his work

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the quality B&W conversion. It was useful to see the difference in impact the image had on me. I do prefer the color one, but then I'm a color person (although I've spent much of my earlier time in the darkroom, processing and enlarging mostly B&W).

I'd like to thank Prateek for sharing his powerful image of this ritual. It seems that the color orange has a special meaning, is that correct?

Cheers,
Bart

 

[Prateek Dubey]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the quality B&W conversion. It was useful to see the difference in impact the image had on me. I do prefer the color one, but then I'm a color person (although I've spent much of my earlier time in the darkroom, processing and enlarging mostly B&W).

I'd like to thank Prateek for sharing his powerful image of this ritual. It seems that the color orange has a special meaning, is that correct?

Cheers,
Bart

Hello Bart,
Thank you so much for the encouraging words. The color orange is central to Hinduism. It is the color of fire. Hindus believe that only fire cannot be polluted. So all central rituals involve fire/flame. From marraiges to cremation, fire is made witness to every important ritual.