Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON
When I was in India about three months ago, it was just a quick trip and I was in the country for less than a week. This was taken on my last day, en route from Dehra Dun to New Delhi, to catch my flight home in time for Christmas. We had stopped for breakfast on a cold morning and I made the most of a ten-minute opportunity to wander around and take some pictures of a country I love so dearly. I was concentrating on something by the side of the highway when I turned around and saw this cycle rickshaw go past.
I didn't even have time to change my focal length, so I just swung the camera up and fired off this shot. The cyclist had a thick jumper/pullover under his shirt and a cloth wrapped under his chin and over his head to protect his head and ears from the chill. The load of fresh vegetables was so heavy and took up so much space that the passenger had nowhere to sit. Instead, he stood precariously balanced on the back of the cycle.
The early morning haze on a North Indian winter morning can be a challenging equation for a photographer, but I would have missed the essence of this shot if I'd fiddled with the settings on my camera. Take a look at the long shadow behind the cycle rickshaw and you'll understand just how shallow the angle of the sun was at the time.
(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)
22 comments:
How many carrots in your diamond?
Who wants to be a pillionaire?
Stop! My sides are aching! Great shot as always. Great wit again!
I think its a great shot, heaven knows how they manage to balance that much food in there, a total capture of real life.
One would definitely be in shape hauling all that everyday. As usual your captions always make me chuckle.
Definitely an "Odd Shot"
In my month in India several years ago one of the things I found most fascinating was the various means of transportation, and how much or how many each could hold. I was just looking through some India pictures yesterday looking for something that wasn't there, and came upon several of the shots I took on the highway. One tiny motorbike with three passengers is what sticks in my mind right now, but the examples are abundant of balancing people and goods to the point of, in our limited minds, absurdity.
As always, my Odd Shot will be posted as soon as it is Monday here on the west coast of the USA.
Great shot David, it reminds me of the locals in Turkey getting 3 adults, two children and a couple of chickens on a motorcycle!
How do they balance? I think they are wonderful people. It must be extremely difficult to balance on a cycle like that, let alone ride one with all the vegetables on board. Sometimes, I think the "natural" shots are the best ones.
Crystal xx
David ~ I love the play on words here... as well as the shot! ~ jb///
cool pic...and I agree with crazycath...who wouldwant to be? I believe weath comes from what we don't need not what we have.
I have 7 carrots...4 children & 3 grandchildren...and they are all diamonds!
Those candid moments in life, captured by a brief flash...something so poignant in that.
Great photo David. Can you imagine trying to pedal that thing? My hubby's in the fruit and veggie biz and this is not the way they ship their produce. LOL I will have to show him this.
Looks hard work. Them, not you!
Great picture. My daughter has trouble with balance, and riding a 2-wheel bike is proving too hard. So I'm going to buy her a trike like that!! Knowing her, she'll probably try to fit that much stuff on it too.
Neat catch! Sometimes spontaneous photos are better than if we used the "proper lenses" etc. IF Blogger cooperates, I will have an ODD SHOT up in a few more hours. Still Sunday here.
What this photo tells me is that I am spoiled. I just got in the car and drove to the store (3 miles) for a few onions, a loaf of French bread and a brick of cheese.
Hahaha........nice caption for the photo. Very wonderful.
I like the way the colour balances between the orange of the bag, the mustard yellow of the passengers' clothes, which then repeat on the advertisement in the background. The diagonal line from the car tyres to the blue tractor makes for even more balance. You executed a well-balanced, i.e. perfect shot! Congratulations.
Nice shot - really get the feel of the guy peddling the bike.
My sympathies are with the cyclist! I rode a tricycle for many years - still would if I could replace the wheels! - and the weight of the "pillionaire" that far back would be horrific. He's a fit man.
I love shots of people when they don;t know they're being photographed...
I really want to do more of that, but I'm not around people much!
Love the photo... Love the light...
Oh my that is a lot of carrots and i don't think I would like to pack all that stuff like that.
yeah but the dude was actually *sent* to the shop for some bread. . .
alarmingly, this is more fresh produce than i can get into my yaris.
that 's an overload of a good shot
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